(Bild mit Unterschrift). A rare wartime signed photo of U-Boat Ace Günther Prien, depicted in uniform and with the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves clearly visible, with an inscription of “KAPITÄNLEUTNANT PRIEN” at the lower right corner, overlaid by Prien’s handwritten signature in black ink, the reverse with a studio mark of Heinrich Hoffmann, Munich, undated, measuring 90 mm (w) x 142 mm (h), in extremely fine condition.
Footnote: As commander of U-47, Günther Prien conducted ten patrols of the North Atlantic between 19 August 1939 and 8 March 1941. His vessel is credited with the sinking of 30 Allied ships, totalling 200,000 gross register tons, which includes the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak. U-47 was lost with all hands on 8 March 1941 when, after attacking an Allied convoy, it was chased and sunk with depth charges by Royal Navy escort vessels. For his service, Prien was the first U-Boat commander to receive the Knight’s Cross, and the first member of the Kriegsmarine to be awarded the Oak Leaves. He was waldo posthumously promoted to Korvettenkapitän (effective 1 March 1941).