Gerd Suhren

Gerd Suhren (16 May 1914, in Tafaigata, Samoa – 6 May 1991 in Bonn), was a German U-boat engineer (Ing.) in World War II and older brother of Fregattenkapitän and Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords recipient Reinhard Suhren.

Gerd Suhren joined the Kriegsmarine in April 1933. Since April 1937 he served in the U-boat force and got a solid pre-war training. In September 1939 he was chief engineer (Leitender Ingenieur abbreviated LI) on U-37 and in the next year he rode 8 patrols on this boat. During this time he served under the command of Werner Hartmann, Victor Oehrn and Nicolai Clausen. He was the first engineering officer to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Gerd Suhren left U-37 in October 1940 and became a training officer in the 25th flotilla. Later he served in several staff positions.

In September 1944 he became once more the Leitender Ingenieur on the new commissioned type XXI U-boat under the command of Adalbert Schnee. He took part in the patrol, that U-2511 rode in May 1945. After the war Gerd Suhren served for more than 2 years in the German Mine Sweeping Administration. His parents and sister committed suicide in 1945, after failure to escape from the Sudetenland.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (8 November 1939)
 * 1st Class (28 February 1940)
 * U-boat War Badge 1939 (8 November 1939)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 October 1940 as Oberleutnant (Ing.) and chief engineer on U-37