Erich Zürn

Infobox Military Person
name=Erich Zürn
born=birth date|1906|7|23|df=y
died=dda|1965|8|9|1906|7|23|df=y
placeofbirth=Stuttgart
placeofdeath=Großholzleute near Isny


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon| Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933) flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=navy|Weimar Republic
navy|Nazi Germany
serviceyears=1925-1945
rank=Kapitänleutnant (Ing.)
commands=
unit=heavy cruiser "Admiral Hipper" U 3 U 26 U 48
battles=Spanish Civil War World War II
*Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)
awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
laterwork=

Erich Zürn (23 July 1906 – 9 August 1965) was a German U-boat engineer (Ing.) in World War II and the first engineer to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Military career

"Oberleutnant" (Ing.) and later "Kapitänleutnant" (Ing.) Zürn contributed to the success of U 48 under the command of Herbert Schultze, Hans-Rudolf Rösing and Heinrich Bleichrodt. He served as chief engineer on nine patrols on one of the most successful U-boats of World War II. As flotilla engineer in the 5. Unterseebootsflottille, Zürn introduced a number of improvements which helped the flotilla operate at peak efficiency.

Awards

* Spanish Cross (6 June 1939)
* Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd class (25 February 1940)
** 1st class (3 July 1940)
* U-boat War Badge (1939) (20 April 1940)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (23 April 1941)

References

* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Kurowski, Franz (1995). "Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service". Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-748-X.
* Range, Clemens (1974). "Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine". Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.

;External link
* [http://uboat.net/men/zuern.htm uboat.net]