The buk of this series was taken as U-960 maneuvered around the fore section of the torpedoed U.S. Liberty ship Sumner I. Kimball on January 16, 1944 |
The last two photos would apprear to be taken as U-960 approached La Pallice on or about February 4, 1944 |
The next series of photos were found with the notes and materials used by Op-16-Z to prepare the interrogation report for U-960. The are labled as being taken from a POW named "Kiriger" and show U-571 returning to La Pallice after a cruise off the east coast of the United States. As far as records avaible to this researcher show, there is no crew member of U-960 or U-571 named Kiriger (altough there was a Matrosenobergefreiter Eugen Kerger in the crew of U-571) It is not clear how these records came to be with the U-960 materials though it is possible that a U-960 crew member had previously served on U-571. U-571 is one of the boats mentioned in the "OTHER U-BOATS" chapter of the U-960 interrogation report. |
U-571 commander Kapitanleutnant Helmut Möhlmann wears a Knight's Cross made by his crew - he was awarded the medal on 16 April 1943 as the boat returned from a successsful cruise off the east coast of the United States |
U-571 enters La Pallice May 1, 1943 with flags displaying her total claimed successes in eight combat patrols under Kapitanleutnant Möhlmann |
Third Flotilla commander Korvettenkapitan Richard Zapp welcomes the crew home as Kapitanleutnant Möhlmann looks on |
An official welcome and award ceremony outside the headquarters of the Third Flotilla in La Pallice |
Kapitanleutnant Helmut Möhlmann wearing the Knight's Cross - therefore this photo was taken after May 1, 1943 |
The next series is not attributed to any particular cew member - most of the photos aboard U-960 appear to have been taken during the boat's work-ups as the crew appears too relaxed for the photos to be taken during a combat patrol |
U-960 commander Oberleutnant Günther Heinrich with a camera |
The stamp stuck to the photograph above is a 1942 fieldpost stamp (Michel 2B, rouleted) used to send mail from military installations to Germany. Stamp identification thanks to Ian Greenwood, Jim Kellogg and Justas Lupu of the Third Reich Stamp Group |
