The Men - The Commander listing

Günter Kuhnke

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 31)

Successes
11 ships sunk for a total of 42.252 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 4.443 GRT
2 ships damaged for a total of 10.067 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 9.577 GRT

Born

7 Sep, 1912

Elbing

Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke.

Ranks

1 Apr, 1932	Seekadett
1 Apr, 1933	Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan, 1935	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr, 1935	Leutnant zur See
1 Jan, 1937	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct, 1939	Kapitänleutnant
1 Mar, 1943	Korvettenkapitän

Decorations

29 Sep, 1939	Iron Cross 2nd Class
19 Sep, 1940	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-28	28 Oct, 1938	-	16 Nov, 1940	6 patrols (239 days)
U-125	3 Mar, 1941	-	15 Dec, 1941	2 patrols (100 days)
U-853	24 Aug, 1944	-	15 Oct, 1944	1 patrol (49 days)

Personal information

Günter Kuhnke joined the Reichsmarine in April 1931. After some months on the cruiser Admiral Scheer, he transferred in September 1935 to the newly formed U-boat arm and received the intensive prewar U-boat officer training. In October 1938 he took command of the Type VIIA U-boat U-28.

After the start of the war in September 1939, he made seven mostly successful patrols including some minelaying operations. He left U-28 in January 1941 and two months later commissioned the Type IXC U-boat U-125. After two patrols he turned the boat over in December 1941 to Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers, who took part with U-125 in operation Paukenschlag a month later.

Kptlt. Günter Kuhnke (left) after patrol. (right Kptlt. Heinrich Liebe)

In January 1942 Günter Kuhnke became the commander of the 10th flotilla based in Lorient. In August 1944 he left Lorient with one of the last flotilla U-boats and headed back to Flensburg, where he arrived in October 1944. In Flensburg he took command of the 33rd flotilla and served in this position to the end of the war.

In 1955 he joined the Bundesmarine, commanding the destroyer Z-2 and in 1966 becoming Chef des Marineamtes (chief of Navy department). He retired in 1972 as Konteradmiral and was highly decorated after the war with the Stern zum Großen Bundesverdienstkreuz (Star of the Great Federal Merit Cross).

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-28	19 Aug, 1939	Wilhelmshaven	29 Sep, 1939	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol	42 days
2.	U-28	8 Nov, 1939	Wilhelmshaven	18 Dec, 1939	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol	41 days
3.	U-28	18 Feb, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	23 Mar, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol	35 days
4.	U-28	20 May, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	6 Jul, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol	48 days
5.	U-28	11 Aug, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	17 Sep, 1940	Lorient	Patrol	38 days
6.	U-28	4 Oct, 1940	Lorient	6 Oct, 1940	St. Nazaire		3 days
7.	U-28	12 Oct, 1940	St. Nazaire	15 Nov, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol	35 days
8.	U-125	15 Jul, 1941	Kiel	28 Jul, 1941	Lorient	Patrol	14 days
9.	U-125	12 Aug, 1941	Lorient	5 Nov, 1941	Lorient	Patrol	86 days
10.	U-853	27 Aug, 1944	Lorient	14 Oct, 1944	Flensburg	Patrol	49 days

Ships hit by Günter Kuhnke

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
14 Sep, 1939	U-28	Vancouver City	4.955		br
17 Nov, 1939	U-28	Sliedrecht	5.133		nl
25 Nov, 1939	U-28	Royston Grange	5.144		br	SL-8B

21 Jan, 1940	U-28	Protesilaus [Mine]	9.577		br		total loss
9 Mar, 1940	U-28	P. Margaronis	4.979		gr
11 Mar, 1940	U-28	Eulota	6.236		nl
18 Jun, 1940	U-28	Sarmatia	2.417		fi
19 Jun, 1940	U-28	Adamandios Georgandis	3.443		gr
21 Jun, 1940	U-28	HMS Prunella	4.443		br
27 Aug, 1940	U-28	Eva	1.599		nw	SC-1
28 Aug, 1940	U-28	Kyno	3.946		br	HX-66
9 Sep, 1940	U-28	Mardinian	2.434		br	SC-2
11 Sep, 1940	U-28	Harpenden	4.678		br	OA-210	damaged
11 Sep, 1940	U-28	Maas	1.966		nl	OA-210
26 Oct, 1940	U-28	Matina	5.389		br		damaged
			66.339
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk. [Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine.