The latest addition in my collection a Soldbuch of a demoted U-Boot commander.
Helmut Franzke born in 1907 lost his father in WW1 but nevertheless chose for a career in the Germany Navy, he began his naval officer training in October 1927, four years later he was commissioned as a lieutenant.
He attended U-Boot training and in January 1940 as a "Leutenant zur See" he was appointed first watch officer (second in command) of U26, with this submarine he did three successful
war patrols.
The third patrol of the submarine was done in the North Atlantic in February 1940, on the 12th the Norwegian ship Nidarholm was sunk, two days later the British ship Langleeford and on the 15th another Norwegian ship Steinstad was sent to the bottom.
The forth patrol was done as part of operation "Weserubung", the occupation of Norway, first they delivered AAA guns and ammunition in Trondheim and on April 21 1940 the British ship Cedarbank was sunk.
The fifth patrol at the end of May 1940 was once again part of operation Weserubung and again they delivered supplies in the harbor of Trondheim, no ships were attacked.
For these actions he was awarded the EKII, U-Boot combat badge, promoted to Kapitänleutenant and at the end of July 1940 he was given command of his own submarine: U3.
With the U3 he did training missions but in November 1940 his career went to the bottom!
During a drunken night of partying he and few men of his crew engaged in some homosexual deeds but what was worse was that they were denounced and arrested.
When the Nazi's came to power in Germany laws against homosexuality became more strict, men kissing men was also seen as a homosexual act and could be prosecuted, also the penalties were more severe, up to 10 years in prison and you could also be deported to a concentration camp.
Franzke was court-martialed, found guilty for §175 (homosexuality) and given 15 months in prison, discharged from U-Boot service, demoted to sailor and he could never hold a command position again.
He served his prison sentence in the notorious Army prison in Anklam, afterwards he was sent to 4. Schiffstammabteilung in Wilhelmshafen and afterwards to the 11th Sicherungsdivision.
With the 11th security division he served on coastal patrol ships in the Adriatic Sea, because of his experience he soon became an acting commander again, his service resulted in the award of the "Minensuchabzeichen" and a promotion to sailor third class.
Someone in the Kriegsmarine administration must have found out that Franzke was again taking leadership positions in the fleet and decided to act, this is right at the time (March 1944) that this replacement Soldbuch was issued, once again Franzke was transferred and demoted to sailor.
He now arrived with the 1 Flottillenstammregiment, a marine infantry training unit based in Belgium (Beverloo and Bruges), he was issued infantry equipment such as a French rifle with 60 bullets, a bayonet, an entrenchingtool and 2 handgrenades.
At the end of March 1944 he got 20 days of "Einsatzurlaub", the type of leave you get before you go in to action again but it was cut short 13 days.
He also gives back his infantry equipment, so we can conclude that he was given once again a task on a coastal patrol vessel.
But he never saw action on sea again, on May 28 1944 the allies bombed the German naval bases in Belgium and it was on this day that he was KIA, he now lays buried in the German wargraves cemetery in Lommel.
Enjoy the images of his Soldbuch, it is loaded with details about his equipment: tropical kit for the Adriatic Sea and the infantry gear he had while being in Belgium.
Helmut Franzke born in 1907 lost his father in WW1 but nevertheless chose for a career in the Germany Navy, he began his naval officer training in October 1927, four years later he was commissioned as a lieutenant.
He attended U-Boot training and in January 1940 as a "Leutenant zur See" he was appointed first watch officer (second in command) of U26, with this submarine he did three successful
war patrols.
The third patrol of the submarine was done in the North Atlantic in February 1940, on the 12th the Norwegian ship Nidarholm was sunk, two days later the British ship Langleeford and on the 15th another Norwegian ship Steinstad was sent to the bottom.
The forth patrol was done as part of operation "Weserubung", the occupation of Norway, first they delivered AAA guns and ammunition in Trondheim and on April 21 1940 the British ship Cedarbank was sunk.
The fifth patrol at the end of May 1940 was once again part of operation Weserubung and again they delivered supplies in the harbor of Trondheim, no ships were attacked.
For these actions he was awarded the EKII, U-Boot combat badge, promoted to Kapitänleutenant and at the end of July 1940 he was given command of his own submarine: U3.
With the U3 he did training missions but in November 1940 his career went to the bottom!
During a drunken night of partying he and few men of his crew engaged in some homosexual deeds but what was worse was that they were denounced and arrested.
When the Nazi's came to power in Germany laws against homosexuality became more strict, men kissing men was also seen as a homosexual act and could be prosecuted, also the penalties were more severe, up to 10 years in prison and you could also be deported to a concentration camp.
Franzke was court-martialed, found guilty for §175 (homosexuality) and given 15 months in prison, discharged from U-Boot service, demoted to sailor and he could never hold a command position again.
He served his prison sentence in the notorious Army prison in Anklam, afterwards he was sent to 4. Schiffstammabteilung in Wilhelmshafen and afterwards to the 11th Sicherungsdivision.
With the 11th security division he served on coastal patrol ships in the Adriatic Sea, because of his experience he soon became an acting commander again, his service resulted in the award of the "Minensuchabzeichen" and a promotion to sailor third class.
Someone in the Kriegsmarine administration must have found out that Franzke was again taking leadership positions in the fleet and decided to act, this is right at the time (March 1944) that this replacement Soldbuch was issued, once again Franzke was transferred and demoted to sailor.
He now arrived with the 1 Flottillenstammregiment, a marine infantry training unit based in Belgium (Beverloo and Bruges), he was issued infantry equipment such as a French rifle with 60 bullets, a bayonet, an entrenchingtool and 2 handgrenades.
At the end of March 1944 he got 20 days of "Einsatzurlaub", the type of leave you get before you go in to action again but it was cut short 13 days.
He also gives back his infantry equipment, so we can conclude that he was given once again a task on a coastal patrol vessel.
But he never saw action on sea again, on May 28 1944 the allies bombed the German naval bases in Belgium and it was on this day that he was KIA, he now lays buried in the German wargraves cemetery in Lommel.
Enjoy the images of his Soldbuch, it is loaded with details about his equipment: tropical kit for the Adriatic Sea and the infantry gear he had while being in Belgium.
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