Battle of the Atlantic

• During the night of the 17th 6 German destroyers lay mines in the North Sea off the Humber. 7 merchant ships are lost over the next few weeks in this mine field.
• 3 U-boats, U-37, U-46 and U-48, attack the convoy HG-3 off Cape Trafalgar. The British steamer Yorkshire is sunk by U-37 with the loss of 58 lives including 25 crewmen. U-46 sinks the British steamer City of Mandalay (7028t) with the loss of 7 of her crew. 17 survivors are picked up by the Norwegian whaler Skudd IV. The last steamer, the British Clan Chisholm (7256t) is sunk by U-48 with the loss of 4 of her crew. Survivors are picked up by the American steamer Independence Hall.

German Raiders

The supply ship Altmark (foreground) and the Huntsman seen from the Admiral Graf Spee. The crew of the Huntsman, except for Captain A. H. Brown, were transferred to the Altmark and shortly after the Huntsman was sunk using charges. Steamer Huntsman Evacuated

The Huntsman sinking in the South Atlantic. Demise of the Huntsman

Germany, Home Front

The victorious Günther Prien arrives back at Wilhelmshaven to be welcomed by Raeder who promotes Dönitz to rear-admiral on the deck of U-47. Prien and his crew fly to Berlin where he is decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by Hitler.

The U-47 amid cheering crowds, after returning from Scapa Flow (October 17 1939) following the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak. Its commander Günther Prien remains as one of the world's most celebrated skippers and its fame persists to this day. U-47 Returns Home