| Horst-Arno Fenski | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 November 1918 |
| Died | 10 February 1965 (aged 46) |
| Place of birth | Königsberg |
| Place of death | Hamburg-Wandsbek |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1937–1945 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant zur See |
| Unit |
SSS Horst Wessel Schleswig-Holstein battleship Gneisenau U-752 |
| Commands held | U-34, U-410, U-371 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Horst-Arno Fenski (3 November 1918 – 10 February 1965) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of 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. Fenski is credited with the sinking of six merchant ships for a total of 43,032 gross register tons (GRT) and two warships, including the HMS Penelope on 18 February 1944. On 3 May 1944 he attacked and damaged the USS Menges. The following day U-371 was sunk by USS Joseph E. Campbell, USS Pride and other warships, killing three of her crew. Fenski was taken prisoner of war, spending three years in US captivity. Prior to taking command of his first U-boat, fenski served as first watch officer on U-752 (24 May 1941 – 15 June 1942), at the time under the command of Karl-Ernst Schroeter.
Awards[]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (13 December 1942)[1]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 November 1943 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-410[2]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 20 February 1944
Wehrmachtbericht reference[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 20 February 1944 | Unsere Unterseeboote versenkten in den Gewässern vor Nettuno drei vollbeladene feindliche Landungsschiffe und einen Frachter mit 16 000 BRT sowie zwei Zerstörer. Im gleichen Seegebiet vernichtete ein Unterseeboot unter Führung des Kapitänleutnants Fenski, wie bereits gestern gemeldet, einen feindlichen Kreuzer.[3] | Our submarines sunk in the waters off Nettuno three fully laden enemy landing craft and a freighter with 16 000 GRT, and two destroyers. As reported yesterday, a submarine under the leadership of Captain Lieutenant Fenski, destroyed an enemy cruiser in the same sea area. |
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]. Friedberg, 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.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Horst-Arno Fenski and the edit history here.