| Erich Zürn | |
|---|---|
| File:ZurnErich1.jpg | |
| Born | 23 July 1906 |
| Died | 9 August 1965 (aged 59) |
| Place of birth | Stuttgart |
| Place of death | Großholzleute near Isny |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service/branch | |
| Years of service | 1925–1945 |
| Rank | Kapitänleutnant (Ing.) |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Erich Zürn (23 July 1906 – 9 August 1965) was a German U-boat engineer (Ing.) in World War II and one of the first engineers to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Military career[]
Oberleutnant (Ing.) and later Kapitänleutnant (Ing.) Zürn contributed to the success of U-48 under the command of Herbert Schultze, Hans-Rudolf Rösing and Heinrich Bleichrodt. He served as chief engineer (Leitender Ingenieur abbreviated LI) on nine patrols on one of the most successful U-boats of World War II. As flotilla engineer in the 29th U-boat Flotilla (1 June 1942 – 31 January 1944) in La Spezia and Toulon and later in the 5th U-boat Flotilla, Zürn introduced a number of improvements which helped the flotilla operate at peak efficiency.
Awards[]
- Dienstauszeichnung 4th Class (2 October 1936)[1]
- Dienstauszeichnung 3rd Class (6 January 1937)[1]
- Spanish Cross (6 June 1939)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (20 April 1940)[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 April 1941 as Oberleutnant (Ing.) and chief engineer on U-48[3]
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Busch, Hans-Joachim; Röll (2003) (in German). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945]. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
- Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
