Max Valentiner
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| Christian August Max Ahlmann Valentiner | |
|---|---|
| December 15, 1883 - July 19, 1949 | |
 Max Valentiner. |
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| Place of birth | Tønder |
| Place of death | Sønderborg |
| Allegiance | German Empire, Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Kaiserliche Marine, Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1902 - 1919, 1940 - 1945 |
| Rank | Kapitän zur See |
| Commands | U-10, July 1, 1911 – April 1, 1914 U-3, August 3, 1914 – October 27, 1914 U-38, December 5, 1914 – September 15, 1917 U-157, September 22, 1917 – July 20, 1918 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of the Atlantic (1914-1918) |
| Awards | Order of the Crown 4th class Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern Pour le Mérite |
Christian August Max Ahlmann Valentiner (December 15, 1883 - July 19, 1949) was a German U-boat commander during World War I. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite, the highest Prussia's military order until the end of the war, for his achievements. He is responsible for the sinking of SS Persia on December 30, 1915 where he broke international law, Rules of Prize Warfare, and sunk it without warning. The ship sank in five to ten minutes, killing 343 of the 519 aboard.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Max Valentiner was born December 15, 1883 in Tønder. His parents was Diakon Otto Friedrich Valentiner and Mathilde Julie Valentiner. He was the firstborn and later he had two sisters and a brother. The first sister died early.
In 1882 the family moved to Ketting on Als where the father got a job as a priest. This was only short and two years later they moved to Sønderborg. Max Valentiner started his time in school in Ketting, then Augustenborg and later in Sønderborg on Reimers school.
In an age of 18 he joins the Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire on April 1, 1902 as a Seekadett on the school ship SMS Moltke.[2] On August 15, 1902 he saves a shipsboy from drowning in Swinemündes harbour and receives his first of many decorations, the Rettungsmedaille.
In 1903 Valentiner joins the naval school where he attends a lot of courses especially in diving, his preferred topic. He ends his education on the SMS Hansa. On May 14, 1903 he saves a able seaman in Helgoland habour from the waves and and certain death and is awarded the Order of the Crown Medal for his courage and valour in action.
On September 29, 1905 he is promoted to Leutnant zur See and in 1907 he becomes an officer on SMS Braunsweig. He is promoted again on March 30, 1908 to Oberleutnant zur See. From 1908 to 1910 Valentiner is company commander for 1. Matrosen-Artillerie-Abteilung in Kiel.
In 1911 Valentiner becomes officer on the U-boat salvage ship SMS Vulcan. In this job on January 17, 1911 he saves all 30 men from U-3 by getting them out of the torpedo tube after it was sunk in Kiel harbour because of an unclosed valve in the ventilation shaft. Amongst the saved crew was Otto Weddigen, the later commander of U-9 and Paul Clarrendorf, the commander of U-boot-Abnahme-Kommando in Kiel which enlisted u-boat crews. Valentiner receives the Order of the Crown 4th class for the life-saving mission.
On July 1, 1911 Valentiner takes command of the new u-boat, U-10. On board he shows incredible skills and boldness and on a training maneuvre he sinks several ships with drill torpedoes without ever being sighted. He litterally changed the German vision on u-boat warfare.
On March 22, 1914 Valentiner is promoted to Kapitänleutnant and nine days later he becomes a teacher at the u-boat school in Kiel, a position he holds until the outbreak of World War I on August 4, 1914 where United Kingdom declares war on the German Empire.
[edit] World War I
When World War I breaks out, Valentiner takes command of U-3, the u-boat which he three years earlier saved 30 men from dying. His orders are to sink Russian warships in the Baltic Sea but he fails badly and blames the old u-boat which doesn't have the capabilities as the newer u-boats in the Kaiserliche Marine. Valentiner returns to base without any successes and is relieved from his command on October 27, 1914. He is sent to Berlin to face Prince Heinrich and explains the problems with the older u-boats. The prince is furious and sends him away.
When Valentiner returns to Kiel he is quite surprised to find out that he is taking command of the newest u-boat, U-38. He is also allowed to choose his own officers from the u-boat school.
From December 5, 1914 to September 15, 1917 Valentiner is stationed by 2. U-Halbflottille/U-Flottille Pola in the Austrian province Montenegro with base in Catao. From here all German u-boat acitivities in the eastern Mediterranean Sea took place. Until the end of March 1915 U-38 had several problems with its diesel engine and repairs were required. Training of the new crew was taken place between repairs near the British east coast which were considered most safe and simple for training.
After March U-38 started to patrol in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and on December 30, 1915 U-38 and Valentiner sinks the British passengership SS Persia without any warning. The ship was on a voyage from London to India stopping in Marseilles. On board was a huge fortune of gold and gems from the Indian Maharaja Jagatjij Singh. He had left the ship in Marseilles because he had been warned about the danger from the German u-boats at Crete. On board was also several Rolls Royce automobiles and the actress Eleanor Velasco Thornton which has posed model for the Hood ornament for Rolls Royce known as Spirit of Ecstasy. She drowned together with 343 passengers of the 519 aboard. After the attack Valentiner is placed on the Allies list of war criminals. At home he was awarded with Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern on May 14, 1916.
On December 3, 1916 Valentiner takes U-38 into the Funchal habour on Madeira and sinks 3 enemy ships. For this effort he is rewarded the with Pour le Mérite on December 26 as the sixth u-boat commander.
On September 15, 1917 Valentiner leaves U-38 and Catao and returns to Kiel to take command of the new U-157. Originally Kapitänleutnant Rabe von Pappenhein should have taken this command but of unknown reasons this was changed. With U-157 Valentiner undertakes the longest cruise in the war from November 27, 1917 to April 15, 1918, a total of 139 days. This cruise came to be his last and in total he sank 150 ships with a tonnage of about 300.000 tons.
After returning with U-157, he goes back to the u-boat school to teach new submariners his techniques and his experience and advice is also put into the construction of the new u-boat U-143. It was faster and dive time much improved making it a lethal weapon but it was never finished and send into action.
[edit] Interbellum
Valentiner was as he had been warmed accused for "cruel and inhuman treatment of crews" i 15 occations in terms of french, british and italian ships. The Allies demanded to have all the war criminals extradited but most of them resigned quitely and dissppeared for a while, including Valentiner.
He first went to Berlin and was deleted on the list of naval officers and got a new passport in the name Carl Schmidt. He then travelled to east Prussia and lived on estate Kadinen which his father had supervision with. He then waited for the extraditions but got inpatient and went back to Kiel. The peace was signed and by the Treaty of Versailles all u-boat was dismantled and Valentiner relieved of duty for good eventhough he was promoted to Korvettenkapitän.
Valentiner then started a small company in Kiel trading engines and parts. He later tried himself as shipowner and also worked for Drägerwerke (diving equipment) in Lübeck and Adeltwerke in Eberswalde north-west of Berlin.
[edit] World War II
In January 1940 Valentiner was appointed group commander for U-Boots-Abnahmekommision (UAK) in Kiel-Danzig, a position he hold until March 1945. Meanwhile on January 1, 1941 he had been promoted to Kapitän zur See. On March 31, 1945 he was discharged from the Kriegsmarine.
[edit] Last years
On June 19, 1949 Valentiner died on Sønderborg hospital by a lung disease, properly caused by inhalation of toxic vapour from the engines in the first u-boats, U-10 og U-3.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Richard Compton-Hall (2004), Submarines at War 1914-18, Periscope Publishing, ISBN 1904381219
- ^ SMS Moltke was later renamed SMS Acheron in October 28, 1911. A battlecruiser launched in 1910 was also named SMS Moltke, see SMS Moltke for more details.
[edit] External links
- max-valentiner.dk - Website about Max Valentiner (in danish)
