Jensen has posted two photo postcards of the U-Bremen that provide an opportunity to discuss the problem of correctly identifying the boats. Claas demonstrated that photo postcards often show the same image with different captions. Photos from otherwise reliable archival sources also do that. Let's look at the two Bremen postcards Jensen posted and compare them to identical photos from reliable archival sources. First up, one Jensen's postcards of the U-Bremen.
I acquired this identical photograph as a negative from the Biliothek für Zeitgeschichte in Stuttgart. The negative was together with 27 others, all of which were supposed to be of the U-Deutschland during her construction and her sea trials. The negatives had no identification on them, but one of them turned out to be U-111.
This identical print came from the Bundesarchiv and written on the lower left edge is the boat's identification as the Deutschland.
So, at this point who do we believe? Here is Jensen's second photo postcard identifying the boat as the U-Bremen
This is also a Bundesarchiv print without identification. However, there was a note included that said the white uniforms being worn by the crew were issued only to the Deutschland's crew. Until now I accepted that as fact, but now I'm not so sure.
And now, this print from the Biliothek für Zeitgeschichte . Note "Deutschland" typed in the upper left corner and "U-157" typed in the upper right corner. Since the Deutschland became the U-155 and not the U-157, someone made a serious error. But is the error limited to just the U-157 entry or is the Deutschland entry also wrong?
Now let's consider something elase that I think is an important identification point. I have believed for many years that only the U-Deutschland had the black "1/2 saddle" painted on her stern. The 1/2 extends down the port side of the boat and is clearly visible in these three photos.
Note that niether of the two postcards that Jensen posted show the boat having that 1/2 saddle. And this one that he posted doesn't appear to have it either.
My conclusion is three-fold. 1. the photo postcards Jensen posted are in fact the U-Bremen, 2. only the U-Deutschland had the 1/2 saddle on her stern, and 3. since only the U-Deutschland had the 1/2 saddle on her stern the white-uniformed crewmen are aboard the U-Bremen during her sea trials and not aboard the U-Deutschland. Dwight
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