Hans Jenisch

Hans Jenisch (born October 19, 1913 in Gerdauen ( East Prussia ), † April 29, 1982 in Kronshagen ( Schleswig-Holstein )) was a German naval officer in the Reichsmarine , the Kriegsmarine and the Federal Navy . Most recently, he held the rank of sea ​​captain in the German Navy.

Education and pre-war years

Jenisch joined the Reichsmarine on April 1, 1933 as a candidate sea officer and was assigned to the 4th Company of the 2nd Ship Mastery Division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund . There he completed his basic infantry training. Subsequently completed Jenisch from July 1, 1933 its board training in the sail training ship Gorch Fock and from 23 September 1933 on the light cruiser Karlsruhe , where he on October 1, 1933 midshipmen and 1 July 1934 ensign was appointed . From July 12, 1934, Jenisch began an ensign training course at the Mürwik Naval School . As part of this, he completed various ensign courses from April 1934 to September 1935. After completing his courses, Jenisch was transferred to the ironclad Germany on October 2, 1935 , where he was deployed until May 10, 1937. During this time he was promoted to Oberfähnrich zur See on April 1, 1936 and on October 1, 1936 to lieutenant in the sea . In May 1937 Jenisch switched to the submarine weapon, where he completed a submarine training. On January 31, 1938 he became second, later first officer on watch on U 32 .

Second World War

Patrols

U 32

1. February 26, 1940 to March 23, 1940 (1 ship with 2,818 GRT sunk)
2. April 27, 1940 to May 14, 1940
3. June 3, 1940 to July 1, 1940 (5 ships of 16,098 GRT sunk)
4. August 15, 1940 to September 8, 1940 (3 ships with 13,093 GRT sunk)
5. September 18, 1940 to October 6, 1940 (7 ships with 35,782 GRT sunk)
6. October 24, 1940 to October 30, 1940 (1 ship with 42,488 GRT sunk)

In the role of First Watch Officer on board U 32 , Jenisch took part in three enemy voyages in the Baltic and North Sea and the North Atlantic under the command of Lieutenant Paul Büchel. Jenisch then attended a commanders course and became commander of U 32 on February 12, 1940 . As a commander he ran out with this on six patrols, in the course of which he was able to sink a total of 17 ships with 78,075 GRT , including the 42,348 GRT ocean liner Empress of Britain . For this he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on October 7, 1940 . On October 30, 1940, U 32 was sunk northwest of Ireland by depth charges from the British destroyers Harvester and Highlander at position 55 ° 37 ′  N , 12 ° 19 ′  W in naval grid reference AM 4374. Nine crew members were killed, the remaining 33 were captured, including Jenisch. On November 1, 1940, he was promoted to lieutenant captain in absentia. Jenisch spent six and a half years in British and later Canadian captivity , from which he was released on June 20, 1947, after which he returned to Germany.

Post-war years and the German Navy

Jenisch joined the German Navy on October 1, 1956, with simultaneous appointment as Korvettenkapitän , where he was assigned to the naval school in Mürwik . From October 16, 1956 to September 30, 1957 he was in command of the fleet base and then took up a course at the Naval Academy from October 1, 1957 to November 15, 1958. Meanwhile, on July 24, 1958, he was promoted to frigate captain . After completing his course, Jenisch was promoted to assistant consultant on November 16, 1958 and was employed in the command staff of the armed forces of the Federal Ministry of Defense . On December 16, 1960 he was appointed commander of the school frigate Hipper . On July 1, 1961, Jenisch acted as a teaching staff officer and lecture hall leader at the command academy of the Bundeswehr , where he was promoted to the rank of sea captain on March 26, 1963 . From October 1, 1963 to September 30, 1966 he was the representative of the Chief of Staff and head of the COMNAV-BALTAP Operations Department in the NATO naval command (Baltic Sea accesses). Jenisch was then from October 1, 1966 to March 31, 1970 teaching group commander at the command academy of the Bundeswehr in the marine department in Hamburg . From July 1, 1970 until his retirement on March 31, 1972, he was site commander in Hamburg and commander of the Defense District Command 10 Hamburg.

Awards

• Submarine War Badge (1939) in 1939
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class in 1939 and 1940, respectively
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on October 7, 1940
• four times in the Wehrmacht report on September 12, October 1, October 3 and October 28, 1940

literature

• Rainer Busch and Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939–1945: The knight's cross bearers of the U-boat weapon from September 1939 to May 1945. Mittler and Son, 2003, ISBN 3-8132-0515-0 .