Luke: The second napkin ring is a very nice addition to your collection and makes a fine set to add to your display of several desirable U-Deutschland artifacts. good catch. Dwight
Luke: The second napkin ring is a very nice addition to your collection and makes a fine set to add to your display of several desirable U-Deutschland artifacts. good catch. Dwight
A few new ones for my collection.
That's a fine collection you have there Luke.
I'm making the next few posts on Dwight's behalf.
With Luke’s help I recently acquired two of the three coins that were minted in 1916 to honor Paul König’. They are shown here. I also recently acquired another example of the medals that were awarded to the U-Deutschland’s crew and several NDL and Krupp employees.
This coin was designed by Alfred Hummel. It is 1 5/16 inch in diameter (33mm) and weighs ½ ounce.
This is the largest coin of the three minted in 1916. It was designed by Bernhard Mayer and is 2 3/8 inch (6 cm) in diameter and weighs 3 3/8 ounces (95 g)
This is the Prussian Service Cross in Silver that was awarded to the boat’s purser, W. Kessel and three machinists, Karl Früchte, Johann Kissling, and Otto Wegener.
Some nice items there Dwight. And thanks to your book on the U Deutschland, I have a better understanding of the operations carried out by the submarine in WW1.
+
I see a misspelling I'd like to correct. The Baltimore pilot was Samuel Owen Coleman, but Coleman seldom used his first name. It was always Owen Coleman when possible Owen again got the trip outbound although this was strictly against the normal practice within the pilot's association, their having a first-in-first-out rotation system. But the association must have been gently 'persuaded' (monetarily maybe) by the handlers of U-DEUTSCHLAND to keep Coleman for the trip back down Chesapeake Bay.by STBaltimore
Voyage of the U-DEUTSCHLAND: New Maryland Historical Society Exhibit Highlights Tales of WWI Intrigue In Baltimore
New Maryland Historical Society Exhibit
BALTIMORE, August 30, 2016 - Commemorating the centennial of the arrival of the Submarine DEUTSCHLAND to Baltimore's harbor and the United States' involvement in World War I, The Maryland Historical Society has launched a new exhibition, Voyage of the Deutschland, which opened on Thursday, September 29, 2016. This exhibit examines the remarkable voyage of the merchant submarine Deutschland, a commercial subsea freighter and the enthusiastic response from Baltimore's sizable German-American community.... in fact, much of America, an d the rest of the World, could see that the first submarine to ever make an unassisted crossing of the Atlantic Ocean indeed constituted a maritime pioneering feat!
An opening reception, on September 29th. included a World War I panel discussion featured historian Dr. Gary Weir and U.S. Naval Academy Professor Nicholas Lambert. There was even an Oktoberfest celebration following the lecture.
The U-Deutschland exhibit is being jointly sponsored by The German Society of Maryland and the Maryland Historical Society Maritime Committee, and is expected to run until September of 2017.
About the Exhibition
Crew of DEUTSCHLAND
Objects include a model of the U-Deutschland submarine measuring five and a half feet long... and shows the deck booms and derricks used to handle cargo on and off of the submersible's decks.
Also on view are primary source documents and images from The Maryland Historical Society's collection related to Maryland's involvement in World War I - including two German Iron Crosses, original German Maritime uniforms, first edition copies of magazines from the era detailing the Deutschland's arrival and original documentation of the Deutschland's visit, including quarantine documents, a crew listing and photographs.
About the Voyage of the U-DEUTSCHLAND
The backstory: On the eve of World War I in 1914, 94,000 Germans lived in Baltimore, and most maintained close cultural ties to their homeland. America initially steered clear of the war, and President Woodrow Wilson gained popularity using a platform to "keep America out." June 28, 1914 marked the assassination of Austria's Archduke Ferdinand that ignited World War I. By August 6, 1914, Germany and Austria were at war with England, France and Russia. England's massive navy blockaded the Central Powers, including Germany, and put a stranglehold on its economy.
Two years later, during the summer of 1916, the German-built U-Deutschland circumvented the blockade and embarked on a "merchant submarine" mission to deliver vibrant-hued aniline dyes to Baltimore dye-deprived clothing manufacturers. In fact, two Baltimore businessmen, Henry and son Paul Hilken, of A. Schumacher and Company, achieved a monopoly on German-made dyestuffs, causing the value of these chemicals to skyrocket. They sold 163 tons of the chemicals for an unheard-of $6 million and earned themselves a massive profit. When U-Deutschland visited Baltimore in early July of 1916, life was still relatively normal for the city's German community. The submarine received a heroes' welcome, and its captain, Paul Lebrecht König, was treated like a celebrity. In fact, Paul Hilken escorted Captain König to some of the city's best restaurants, such as the Hotel Belvedere and the Germania Club.
Baltimore's Mayor James H. Preston and Germany's Ambassador to the United States Johann Heinrich Graf von Bernstorff toured over to the U-Deutschland's berth aboard the city's 1906 municipal Tugboat Baltimore [extantand afloat at Baltimore Harbor].
About the Evolution of DEUTSCHLAND
With its low surface profile and the ability to submerge, the Deutschland could evade Allied warships and continue the import of essential war materiel. But England and France were not pleased with the Deutschland's arrival to Baltimore and considered the boat a warship by virtue of its construction alone. But to the Americans, the fact that the Deutschland possessed no guns was the single fact used to determine her status as a trade vessel. She brought German goods to America and carried home nickel and rubber, both critical to the German war effort.
The Aftermath
When America broke off diplomatic relations at the beginning of 1917 and then issued a proclamation of war against Germany in April of 1917, Germany's unarmed merchant submarine program abruptly ended. Deutschland was transformed into a naval submarine, the U-155, now outfitted with deck guns and torpedo tubes.
Between May, 1917 and October, 1918 Deutschland/U-155 sank over 30 vessels. The November 11, 1918 armistice ended a world war in which over 16 million civilians and soldiers died. Deutschland became a war prize and was used for raising victory bonds touring about in the British Isles until public interest waned. Ultimately, during the first years of the 1920's, Deutschland/U-155 went to the ship breakers. Some of her remains became souvenirs and her history known but to a few until the last several years leading to to-day's centenary observances of the 'War to End All Wars' brought her back into the public eye.
About The Maryland Historical Society
Founded in 1844, The Maryland Historical Society Museum and Library occupies an entire city block in the Mount Vernon district of Baltimore. The society's mission is to "collect, preserve, and interpret the objects and materials that reflect Maryland's diverse cultural heritage." The Society is home to the original manuscript of the Star-Spangled Banner and publishes a quarterly titled "Maryland Historical Magazine."
Similar Threads
Posting Permissions
.
Bookmarks