German 'Dead Man's Penny' for Otto Weddigen?

[ph0ebus]

Hi all,

I came across an online auction for a 'Death Commemoratiev 'Medallion for Otto Weddigen, Kplt. of U-9, and as I have not seen or heard of such things being issued on the German side, wondered how common or uncommon they are. You can see the auction here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ger-U-9-U-BOAT-Command...%3A2%7C294%3A50

I look forward to those more knowedgeable forum members imparting their wisdom on this topic. I have no desire to buy the item, but wanted to know for future reference.

Thanks,

-Daniel

[Jim Strawbridge]

It is only a privately struck commemorative medal. Remember the plethora of commemorative medals struck showing Winston Churchill or Lady Diana? This one is similar. I guess that Otto Weddigen was a celebrity in his time.

[James Blonde]

A purely commemorative item not an official medal as such,

many such items, literally thousands come under the designation of "patriotika"

Great care is needed when seeing such items listed as Rare, Scarce etc..etc..

as they were mass produced to meet the pubic demand,

many sellers on the net feed on the ignorance of the General Public, and use flash descriptions

in the style of "Arfhur Daly and Del Boy Trotter."

[auchonvillerssomme]

The reverse of this medal is interesting.

Mick

[dekenai]

Sept 1914 Kplt Otto Weddigen commander of the U-9, after a night on the bottom of the Nth sea, surfaced and the First Watch Officer Spies sighted 3 smoke trails from 3 Brit cruisers, HMS Hogue, HMS Aboukir and HMS Cressy.

At 0720 Weddigen fired 2 tubes at Aboukir (12,000t armoured cruiser). The cruiser settled and sank in what they all thought was the result of wandering into a minefield. The sister ships immediately swung toward Aboukir to assist. Amazingly Weddigen saw a cruiser swing in front of his newly loaded tubes. At 0755 at 350m he fired both bow tubes, sinking the Hogue. As Weddigen fired he reversed engines accidently exposing his bow. The dying Hogue fired on the sub but didn't register any hits. Within 5 minutes Hogue followed Aboukir into the Nth Sea. As U-9 looped around again he saw the Cressy approaching, U-9 was submerged but hadn't completely re-charged her batteries before the submerged action, so time was of the essence for U-9. Cressy started picking up survivors, oblivious to the presence of U-9 (??), at 0820 and 1000m, Weddigen launched both aft torpedoes. Lookouts on the Cressy spotted the tell tale bubbles of the torpedo but much too late for the ship to avoid them. U-9 swung around again and launched a bow torpedo at 500m into Cressy. Cressy sunk as U-9 surfaced at 0850. 1460 Officers and men drowned.

U-9 went on to sink another old cruiser HMS Hawke on the 15 Oct 1914. By then Admiralty had changed orders to the effect that accompaning ships were not to attempt immediate rescue of survivors when U-boats were around. HMS Endymion steamed off at full steam, leaving behind 73 survivors of the Hawke. First Sea Lord Jacky Fisher, said U-9 caused the RN more casualties than were lost in all of Nelson's battles combined.

Weddigen went on the comd U-29 in March 1915. Otto Weddigen was known as the 'polite Pirate' by The Times, as he strictly observed international law when sinking merchant-men steamers. U-29 was later caught by HMS Dreadnought, rammed and sunk with all hands. Weddigen was the first U-boat ace and the first to win the 'Blue Max'.

When the Nazi's built U-boats again in 1930, the first Flotilla of the Ubootwaffe, was named after Weddigen.

see "Battle Beneath the Waves', Robert C Stern, 1999

[dekenai]

Panzerkruezer is the German for Heavy Cruiser........

I will put a bid in

cheers

RDC

[James Blonde]

Panzerkruezer is the German for Heavy Cruiser........

I will put a bid in

cheers

RDC

The sellers price is insane, (normal for Charlie "S" very "Rare" Items, )

chances are one of these will turn up on German Ebay for a small fraction of that.

Connaught Stranger.

[dekenai]

When l had a look at Ebay the price scared me away----

what proof of authenticity?

cheers all

RDC

[ph0ebus]

Hi RDC,

It is apparently real, but really not worth that kind of money.

If I spy any others for a better price I will pass the info along.

-Daniel

[auchonvillerssomme]

You may come across them again but he is asking a fair price.

Mick