Gunther Prien
Gunther Prien was the author of a legendary submarine adventure. Under orders from Rear Admiral Karl Donitz, he took his submarine into Scapa Flow, the major anchorage of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, in October 1939. He sunk the British battleship Royal Oak, which carried over 800 men to their deaths, and escaped capture while fleeing. Prien returned to Germany on October 17 and became an immediate star.
He was the first U-boat commander to be given the Iron Cross Knight's Cross. He was dubbed "The Bull of Scapa Flow" by the German propaganda ministry. Prien had a snorting bull painted on the conning tower of the U-47. Winston Churchill himself described his attack as "a marvel of professional skill and courage." Prien has completed 9 war missions and sank 29 ships by February 1941. Prien was lost at sea on his tenth voyage after another two sinkings. His official cause of death was never determined. Prien is a contentious character, with some accusing him of being an unrepentant and fervent Nazi and others claiming he supported German resistance. His wartime career lasted less than 18 months, making him one of the war's most successful submarine ace.
- Date/place of birth: January 16, 1908, Osterfeld, Germany
- Date of death: March 7, 1941, Southern Region, Iceland
- Awards: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, Wehrmacht Long Service Award
- Sink more than 194,103 tons (31 ships)
