(Kriegsmarine Postkarte mit Unterschrift). A signed postcard depicting U-Boat ace Kapitän (later Fregattenkapitän). Reinhard Suhren, in uniform and with the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords clearly visible, the lower half of the image overlaid by Suhren’s handwritten signature in black ink, the reverse in unused postcard format and bearing a Hoffmann studio mark, measuring 85 mm (w) x 134 mm (h), the reverse corners with the remnants of an adhesive from previous album display, in overall extremely fine condition.
Footnote: Joining the fledgling Kriegsmarine in 1935, Reinhard Suhren entered U-Boat service in 1938 and served as First Watch Officer on U-48, winning the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his role in the sinking of over 200,000 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied merchant shipping. He assumed command of U-564 in April 1941, with the vessel going on to sink a further 18 merchant vessels for a total loss of 95,544 GRT, and also damaging or disabling a number of others. For these actions he later received both the Oak Leaves and Swords to his Knight’s Cross. Suhren left combat service in late 1942, and went on to fulfill a number of U-Boat shore command roles for units operating off of the Norwegian coast and the North Sea. Surviving the war, Suhren was asked to return to active service with the postwar Bundeswehr, but declined, citing the West German government’s alleged lack of respect for the legacy of Wehrmacht servicemen. He died of cancer on 25 August 1984 in the Hamburg suburb of Halstenbek.