179:
142:
129:
103:
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28:
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526:, but he failed, and blamed the old U-boat which did not have the capabilities of the newer boats in the Kaiserliche Marine. Valentiner returned to base without any successes and was relieved from his command on 27 October 1914. He was sent to
486:. On board he showed incredible skill and boldness and on training manoeuvres he sank several ships with drill torpedoes without ever being sighted. His performance literally changed the German vision of U-boat warfare.
655:, Valentiner undertook the longest cruise of the war, from 27 November 1917 to 15 April 1918, a total of 139 days. This cruise came to be his last. In total, he sank 150 ships with a tonnage of about 300,000 tons.
570:
had several problems with its diesel engine, and repairs were required. Training of the new crew took place between repairs near the
British east coast, which was considered the safest area for training.
689:, an estate that his father managed, where he waited for the extraditions to proceed. He eventually became impatient and returned to Kiel. The peace negotiations were eventually completed, and per the
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Valentiner returned to the U-boat school to teach new submariners his techniques. His experience and advice were taken into account in the construction of the new boat
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648:
681:
He went first to Berlin, was removed from the list of naval officers, and acquired a new passport under the name Carl
Schmidt. Valentiner then traveled to
466:
248:
904:
391:
In 1903, Valentiner joined the naval school where he attended many courses, especially in diving, his preferred topic. He ended his training on the
708:
attacks had changed the nature of the war, making it impossible for German submarines to surface and give a targeted ship the chance to surrender.
455:
by getting them out via a torpedo tube after it sank in Kiel
Harbour due to an unclosed valve in the ventilation shaft. Among the saved crew was
678:
ships. The Allies demanded all war criminals be extradited, but most simply resigned quietly and disappeared for a while, including
Valentiner.
588:
without any warning. Of the 519 aboard, 343 perished. The action was highly controversial since it broke naval international law and the
894:
806:
816:
748:
hospital from lung disease, likely precipitated by the inhalation of toxic vapors from the engines in his first U-boats,
537:
When
Valentiner returned to Kiel he was quite surprised to learn that he was to take command of the newest U-boat,
320:
The eldest of the four children of Otto
Friedrich Valentiner and Mathilde Julie Valentiner, Valentiner was born in
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593:
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and nine days later he became a teacher at the U-boat school in Kiel, a position he held until the outbreak of
325:
235:
178:
474:
402:
253:
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Valentiner was accused of "cruel and inhuman treatment of crews" in fifteen different incidents involving
609:
258:
854:
531:
627:
and sank three enemy ships. For this accomplishment, he became the sixth U-boat commander awarded the
589:
417:
515:, the U-boat on which he three years earlier saved 30 men from dying. His orders were to sink
601:
348:
303:
889:
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534:
and explain the problems with the older U-boats. The prince was furious and sent him away.
428:
360:
134:
596:, but broke the Imperial German Navy’s own restriction on attacking passenger liners, the
8:
728:, a position he held until March 1945. Meanwhile, on 1 January 1941, he was promoted to
694:
54:
729:
645:
490:
182:
836:
812:
563:
481:
375:
195:
628:
292:
291:. He was the third highest-scoring U-boat commander of the war, and was awarded the
263:
868:
583:
510:
450:
421:
411:
392:
307:
203:
662:, which was faster and had a much improved dive time, but it was never finished.
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was to have taken this command, but for unknown reasons, this was changed. With
498:
878:
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started to patrol in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea and on 30 December 1915,
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344:
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682:
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516:
299:
147:
108:
543:. He was also allowed to choose his own officers from the U-boat school.
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288:
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From 5 December 1914 to 15 September 1917, Valentiner was stationed by
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without warning on 30 December 1915, contrary to international law.
50:
639:
610:
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of
Hohenzollern
306:, for killing hundreds of civilians by sinking the passenger liner
259:
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of
Hohenzollern
219:
701:
686:
624:
620:
551:
538:
519:
442:
In 1911, Valentiner became an officer on the U-boat salvage ship
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74:
27:
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527:
460:
340:
281:
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In
January 1940, Valentiner was appointed group commander for
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harbour from the waves and certain death, and was awarded the
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555:
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in Kiel which enlisted U-boat crews. Valentiner received the
638:
and Cattaro and returned to Kiel to take command of the new
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436:
384:'s harbor, and received his first of many decorations, the
380:. On 15 August 1902 he saved a ship's boy from drowning in
900:
Military personnel from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
480:
On 1 July 1911, Valentiner took command of the new U-boat
449:. In this job, on 17 January 1911, he saved all 30 men of
431:. From 1908 to 1910, Valentiner was company commander for
347:. Valentiner started his time in school in Ketting, then
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The German Navy had argued that the Royal Navy's use of
509:
When World War I broke out, Valentiner took command of
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804:
693:, all U-boats were dismantled. On his promotion to
566:took place from here. Until the end of March 1915,
592:. The action took place under Germany’s policy of
910:Recipients of the Pour le MĂ©rite (military class)
600:. After the attack, Valentiner was placed on the
876:
582:and Valentiner sank the British passenger ship
280:(15 December 1883 – 19 July 1949) was a German
732:. On 31 March 1945 he was discharged from the
562:. All German U-boat activities in the eastern
915:Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I
831:Bridgland, Tony (2002). "13: The Verdicts".
489:On 22 March 1914 Valentiner was promoted to
427:. He was promoted again on 30 March 1908 to
409:
397:. On 14 May 1903 he saved an able seaman in
354:
351:and later in Sonderburg on Reimers school.
830:
905:U-boat commanders (Imperial German Navy)
408:On 29 September 1905 he was promoted to
278:Christian August Max Ahlmann Valentiner
20:Christian August Max Ahlmann Valentiner
877:
405:for his courage and valour in action.
634:On 15 September 1917 Valentiner left
216:, 5 December 1914 – 15 September 1917
784:launched in 1910 was also named SMS
744:On 19 June 1949 Valentiner died in
697:, Valentiner was relieved of duty.
615:On 3 December 1916 Valentiner took
608:. At home, he was awarded with the
548:2. U-Halbflottille/U-Flottille Pola
501:declared war on the German Empire.
13:
224:, 22 September 1917 – 20 July 1918
208:, 23 August 1914 – 27 October 1914
14:
926:
339:where his father held a job as a
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433:1. Matrosen-Artillerie-Abteilung
359:At the age of 18, he joined the
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88:
26:
895:People from Tønder Municipality
711:
824:
798:
766:
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594:unrestricted submarine warfare
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343:for two years, then moving to
326:Province of Schleswig-Holstein
1:
805:Richard Compton-Hall (2004),
739:
477:for the life-saving mission.
331:In 1882, the family moved to
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236:U-boat Campaign (World War I)
759:
475:Order of the Crown 4th class
254:Order of the Crown 4th class
200:, 1 July 1911 – 1 April 1914
7:
497:on 4 August 1914, when the
349:Augustenburg (Augustenborg)
10:
931:
808:Submarines at War 1914-18
718:U-Boots-Abnahmekommission
459:, later the commander of
416:and in 1907 he became an
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188:
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117:
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60:
37:
25:
18:
811:, Periscope Publishing,
403:Order of the Crown Medal
355:Pre-war military service
298:He was also listed as a
471:U-boot-Abnahme-Kommando
345:Sonderburg (Sønderborg)
780:on 28 October 1911. A
776:was later renamed SMS
590:Rules of Prize Warfare
410:
295:for his achievements.
388:(life-saving medal).
367:on 1 April 1902 as a
157:Years of service
691:Treaty of Versailles
429:Oberleutnant zur See
361:Imperial German Navy
135:Imperial German Navy
835:. Pen & Sword.
649:Rabe von Pappenhein
469:, the commander of
631:, on December 26.
55:Kingdom of Prussia
818:978-1-904381-21-1
795:for more details.
564:Mediterranean Sea
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695:Korvettenkapitän
612:on 14 May 1916.
467:Paul Clarrendorf
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412:Leutnant zur See
386:Rettungsmedaille
322:Tondern (Tønder)
249:Rettungsmedaille
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48:15 December 1883
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730:Kapitän zur See
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646:Kapitänleutnant
532:Prince Heinrich
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491:Kapitänleutnant
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183:Kapitän zur See
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629:Pour le MĂ©rite
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499:United Kingdom
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293:Pour le MĂ©rite
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68:(aged 65)
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32:Max Valentiner
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782:battlecruiser
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685:and lived at
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606:war criminals
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598:Arabic pledge
595:
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574:After March,
572:
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457:Otto Weddigen
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365:German Empire
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96:German Empire
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29:
24:
17:
832:
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734:Kriegsmarine
717:
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712:World War II
699:
683:East Prussia
680:
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424:Braunschweig
423:
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330:
319:
308:
300:war criminal
297:
277:
273:
232:Battles/wars
220:
212:
204:
196:
148:Kriegsmarine
109:Nazi Germany
66:(1949-07-19)
64:19 July 1949
890:1949 deaths
885:1883 births
666:Interbellum
505:World War I
495:World War I
373:school ship
289:World War I
879:Categories
842:1783379383
746:Sønderborg
740:Last years
706:false flag
623:harbor on
560:Montenegro
524:Baltic Sea
399:Heligoland
382:SwinemĂĽnde
316:Early life
81:Allegiance
71:Sønderborg
44:1883-12-15
869:Biography
790:SMS
760:Footnotes
720:(UAK) in
619:into the
444:SMS
422:SMS
369:Seekadett
285:commander
604:list of
554:base of
552:Austrian
530:to face
520:warships
189:Commands
118:Service/
778:Acheron
702:Q-ships
687:Kadinen
676:Italian
625:Madeira
621:Funchal
556:Cattaro
550:at the
522:in the
517:Russian
418:officer
371:on the
363:of the
333:Ketting
302:by the
287:during
275:Captain
166:1940–45
163:1902–19
75:Denmark
51:Tondern
855:Portal
839:
815:
792:Moltke
788:, see
786:Moltke
774:Moltke
726:Danzig
672:French
602:Allies
585:Persia
528:Berlin
465:, and
446:Vulkan
377:Moltke
341:priest
309:Persia
304:Allies
282:U-boat
242:Awards
145:
132:
120:branch
106:
93:
660:U-143
653:U-157
641:U-157
558:, in
394:Hansa
221:U-157
837:ISBN
813:ISBN
772:SMS
752:and
750:U-10
722:Kiel
704:and
636:U-38
617:U-38
580:U-38
576:U-38
568:U-38
540:U-38
483:U-10
437:Kiel
213:U-38
197:U-10
174:Rank
61:Died
38:Born
754:U-3
512:U-3
462:U-9
452:U-3
435:in
420:on
337:Als
335:on
205:U-3
881::
756:.
736:.
644:.
439:.
328:.
324:,
73:,
53:,
857::
845:.
724:-
46:)
42:(
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