View source for Hans Jenisch

{{Infobox military person
|name=Hans Jenisch
|birth_date={{Birth date|1913|10|19|df=y}}
|death_date={{dda|1982|4|29|1913|10|19|df=y}}
|birth_place=[[Gerdauen]], [[East Prussia]]
|death_place=[[Kronshagen]] near [[Kiel]]
|image=File:Hans Jenisch.jpg
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}} (to 1945)<br/>{{flag|West Germany}}
|branch={{navy|Nazi Germany}}<br/>{{navy|GER}}
|serviceyears=1933&ndash;1945, 1956&ndash;1972
|rank=''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' (''Kriegsmarine'')<br/>''[[Kapitän zur See]]'' (''Bundesmarine'')
|commands={{GS|U-32|1937|2}}<br/>''Hipper''
|unit=[[Gorch Fock (1933)|SSS ''Gorch Fock'']]<br />[[German cruiser Karlsruhe|cruiser ''Karlsruhe'']]<br />[[German cruiser Deutschland|cruiser ''Deutschland'']]
|battles=[[World War II]]
*[[Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945)]]
|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
|laterwork=}}
'''Hans Jenisch''' (19 October 1913 – 29 April 1982) was a ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' with the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' during [[World War II]]. He commanded the [[German Type VII submarine|Type VIIA U-boat]] {{GS|U-32|1937|2}}, sinking seventeen ships on seven patrols, for a total of 110,139 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 26th highest scoring [[List of successful U-boat commanders|U-Boat ace]] of World War II.

==Career==
Jenisch joined the ''Reichsmarine'' in 1933, and after serving in the [[Deutschland class cruiser|cruiser]] {{Ship|German pocket battleship|Deutschland||2}} transferred to the U-boat arm in 1937. He served as 1.WO (second-in-command) of {{GS|U-32|1937|2}} under [[Werner Lott]], before taking command of the U-boat in February 1940.

===Empress of Britain===
On 26 October 1940 the ''Empress of Britain'' was spotted by a [[Germany|German]] [[Focke-Wulf]] [[Focke-Wulf Fw 200|C 200 ''Condor'']] long-range [[bomber]], commanded by ''[[Oberleutnant]]'' [[Bernhard Jope]]. Jope's bomber strafed the ''Empress'' three times and hit her twice with 250&nbsp;kg [[bomb]]s causing severe damage to the ship. Jenisch had been informed of the location of the damaged vessel and intercepted her on the evening of 27 October. Jenisch fired three torpedoes, hitting her twice. The ''Empress of Britain'' sank at 02:05 AM on 28 October 1940. At 42,348 gross tons, she was the largest ship sunk by a German U-boat.<ref>{{Cite web
 |url= http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/643.html
 |title=''Empress of Britain'' (Steam passenger ship)
 |work=uboat.net
 |accessdate=27 April 2010
}}</ref>

===Capture===
Jenisch was captured on 30 October 1940 after ''U-32'' was sunk north-west of Ireland by the British [[destroyer]]s {{HMS|Harvester|H19|2}} and {{HMS|Highlander|H44|2}}. Nine of her crew died, but 33 survived to be taken prisoner, including Jenisch. He spent the next 6.5 years in British captivity before his return to Germany in June 1947.<ref name="jenisch"/>

===Post-war===
Even though Jenisch became known as a celebrated U-boat commander, his subsequent assessment of submarines was highly negative. In POW camp, he told a shocked [[Wilfried Prellberg]] (ex-CO of [[German submarine U-31 (1936)|''U 31'']]) he considered submarines in warfare "obsolete. All of it." On joining the ''[[Bundesmarine]]'' in 1956, Jenisch held staff positions and commanded the [[training vessel|training frigate]] ''Hipper'' (originally a [[Black_Swan-class_sloop#Modified_Black_Swan_class|''Black Swan''-class sloop]], the ex-HMS ''Actaeon'') for a time. <ref>{{aut|[[Sönke Neitzel|Neitzel, Sönke]] & Welzer, Harald}} (2012): ''Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing and Dying: The Secret Second World War Tapes of German POWs''.</ref><ref name="jenisch"/>

Jenisch was Divisional Training Commander at the [[Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr]] in the Department of Navy in Hamburg from 1 October 1966 to 31 March 1970. He retired in 1972 with the rank of ''[[Kapitän zur See]]'', and died in 1982.<ref name="jenisch"/>

==Summary of career==

===Ships attacked===
During 7 patrols he sank 17 ships, including the 42,348 ton {{RMS|Empress of Britain|1931|6}}, for a career total of 110,139 GRT, as well as damaging 3 ships for 22,749 tons, including the cruiser {{HMS|Fiji|58|6}}.<ref name="jenisch">{{Cite web
 |url= http://www.uboat.net/men/jenisch.htm
 |title=''Kapitänleutnant'' Hans Jenisch
 |work=uboat.net
 |accessdate=19 April 2010
}}</ref>
<center>
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Date  || Name of Ship  || Nationality  || Tonnage   ||   Fate<ref>http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u32/html</ref>
|-
|2 March 1940   ||   ''Lagaholm''   ||   {{flag|Sweden}}   ||   2,818   ||   Sunk
|-
|18 June 1940   ||   ''Altair''   ||    {{flag|Norway}}   ||    1,522   ||   Sunk
|-
|18 June 1940    ||   ''Nuevo Ons''   ||   {{flag|Spain|1938}}    ||    108   ||   Sunk
|-
|18 June 1940   ||    ''Sálvora''   || {{flag|Spain|1938}}   ||   108   ||   Sunk
|-
|19 June 1940   ||   ''Labud''  ||   {{flag|Yugoslavia|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}   ||   5,334  ||   Sunk
|-
|22 June 1940   ||   ''Eli Knudsen''   ||   {{flag|Norway}}   ||   9,026   ||   Sunk
|-
|30 August 1940   ||   ''Chelsea''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   4,804   ||   Sunk
|-
|30 August 1940   ||   [[SS Gracechurch|''Mill Hill'']]   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   4,318   ||   Sunk
|-
|30 August 1940   ||   ''Norne''    ||   {{flag|Norway}}   ||   3,971   ||   Sunk
|-
|1 September 1940   ||   [[HMS Fiji (58)|HMS ''Fiji'']]   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|naval}}   ||   8,000   ||   Damaged
|-
|22 September 1940   ||  ''Collegian''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   7,886   ||   Damaged
|-
|25 September 1940   ||  ''Mabriton''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   6,694   ||   Sunk
|-
|26 September 1940   ||  ''Corrientes''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   6,863   ||   Damaged
|-
|26 September 1940   ||  ''Darcoila''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   4,084   ||   Sunk
|-
|26 September 1940   ||   ''Tancred''   ||   {{flag|Norway}}   ||   6,094   ||   Sunk
|-
|28 September 1940   ||  ''Empire Ocelot''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   5,759   ||   Sunk
|-
|29 September 1940   ||  ''Bassa''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   5,267   ||   Sunk
|-
|30 September 1940   ||   ''Haulerwijk''   ||   {{flag|Netherlands}}   ||   3,278   ||   Sunk
|-
|2 October 1940   ||  ''Kayeson''   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   4,606   ||   Sunk
|-
|28 October 1940   ||  {{RMS|Empress of Britain|1931|2}}   ||   {{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}   ||   42,348   ||   Sunk
|}
</center>

===Awards===
* [[Iron Cross]] (1939) 2nd and 1st Class<ref name="Busch and Röll p75">Busch and Röll 2003, p. 75.</ref>
* [[U-boat War Badge]] (1939)<ref name="Busch and Röll p75"/>
* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 7 October 1940 as ''[[Oberleutnant zur See]]'' and commander of ''U-32''<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 243.</ref>
* Mentioned four times in the [[Wehrmachtbericht]] (12 September 1940, 1 October 1940, 3 October 1940 and 28 October 1940)

===Wehrmachtbericht references===
{|class="wikitable"
! Date
! Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording
! Direct English translation
|-
| Thursday, 12&nbsp;September&nbsp;1940 || {{Lang|de|''Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung vom Oberleutnant zur See Jenisch, von dem bereits ein Teilergebnis von 21&nbsp;000 BRT gemeldet worden ist, hat auf einer Unternehmung insgesamt 40&nbsp;000 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffraum aus stark gesicherten Geleitzügen heraus versenkt.''}}<ref>''Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1'', p. 302.</ref> || A submarine under the command of First Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch, of which already a partial result of 21&nbsp;000 GRT had been reported, has sunk on an undertaking 40&nbsp;000 GRT of enemy merchant shipping from a heavily protected convoy.
|-
| Tuesday, 1&nbsp;October&nbsp;1940 || {{Lang|de|''Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung von Oberleutnant zur See Jenisch versenkte sechs bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit 34&nbsp;760 BRT.''}}<ref>''Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1'', p. 316.</ref> || A submarine under the command of First Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch sank six armed enemy merchant ships with 34&nbsp;760 GRT.
|-
| Thursday, 3&nbsp;October&nbsp;1940 || {{Lang|de|''Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung des Oberleutnants zur Sea Jenisch hat auf einer Unternehmung insgesamt acht bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit 42&nbsp;644 BRT versenkt. Damit hat Oberleutnant zur See Jenisch allein auf zwei Feindfahrten 82&nbsp;644 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffsraums vernichtet.''}}<ref>''Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1'', pp. 318–319.</ref> || A submarine under the command of Lieutenant at sea Jenisch has sunk on an undertaking eight armed enemy merchant ships of 42&nbsp;644 GRT. Thus Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch destroyed on only two patrols against the enemy 82&nbsp;644 GRT of enemy merchant shipping.
|-
| Monday, 28&nbsp;October&nbsp;1940 || {{Lang|de|''Das von Luftstreitkräften bombardierte und in Brand gesetzte 42&nbsp;000 BRT große britische Transportschiff "Empress of Britain", das die Engländer unter starker Sicherung durch Zerstörer und Bewacher einbringen versuchten, ist von dem unter Führung des Oberleutnants zur See Jenisch stehenden Unterseeboot torpediert und versenkt worden.''}}<ref>''Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1'', p. 342.</ref> || The by the air force bombed and set on fire 42&nbsp;000 GRT British transport ship "Empress of Britain", which the British attempted to bring to safety by heavy security forces composed of destroyers und guards, was torpedoed and sunk by an submarine under the leadership of Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch.
|}

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist|2}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book
  |last1=Busch
  |first1=Rainer
  |last2=Röll
  |first1=Hans-Joachim
  |year=2003
  |title=Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945
  |trans_title=The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945
  |language=German
  |location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany
  |publisher=Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn
  |isbn=978-3-8132-0515-2
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Fellgiebel
  |first=Walther-Peer
  |authorlink=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel
  |year=2000
  |title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile
  |trans_title=The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches
  |language=German
  |location=Friedberg, Germany
  |publisher=Podzun-Pallas
  |isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Kurowski
  |first=Franz
  |year=1995
  |title=Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service
  |location=Atglen, PA
  |publisher=[[Schiffer Publishing]]
  |isbn=978-0-88740-748-2
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Range
  |first=Clemens
  |year=1974
  |title=Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine
  |trans_title=The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy
  |location=Stuttgart, Germany
  |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag
  |isbn=978-3-87943-355-1
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Scherzer
  |first=Veit 
  |year=2007
  |title=Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives
  |trans_title=The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives
  |language=German
  |location=Jena, Germany
  |publisher=Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag
  |isbn=978-3-938845-17-2
}}
* {{Cite book
  |year=1985
  |title=Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943
  |trans_title=The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 2, 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1943
  |language=German
  |location=München, Germany
  |publisher=Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG
  |isbn=978-3-423-05944-2
}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Military of Germany}}
*[http://www.uboat.net/men/jenisch.htm uboat.net : Hans Jenisch]

{{Knight's Cross recipients of the U-boat service}}
{{Knight's Cross recipients in the Bundeswehr and Bundesgrenzschutz}}

<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= Jenisch, Hans
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=German World War II U-boat commander
|DATE OF BIRTH=19 October 1913
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Gerdauen]], [[East Prussia]]
|DATE OF DEATH=29 April 1982
|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Kronshagen]] near [[Kiel]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenisch, Hans}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:People from East Prussia]]
[[Category:Reichsmarine personnel]]
[[Category:U-boat commanders]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross]]
[[Category:Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht, 4 times]]
[[Category:Kriegsmarine personnel]]
[[Category:German Navy personnel]]