Jump to content

Hermann Hoffmann's U-172 Captured Tropical Shirt


vintageproductions
 Share

Recommended Posts

vintageproductions

Here is a piece we have owned for a few years and has sat on a torso form in my office all that time. Something else a bit cooler ( at least in my mind came in) so this came down and photos were taken.

 

This is Hermann Hoffmann's Kreigsmarine tropical shirt that he was wearing with the U-172 was captured off the Canary Islands.Hoffmann took over as the commander of the U-172 when he was 22 years old and only made one patrol when his sub was surrounded and captured by the USS Bogue, USS George E Badger, USS Clemson, USS Osmond Ingram and the USS Du-Pont. This group chased the U-172 for 27 hours and dropped about 200 depth charges until she was finally sunk.

 

Written on this shirt is FORMERLY PROPERTY OF OBERLEUTNANT ZURSEE HERMANN HOFFMANN C.O. U-BOAT SUNK BY BOGUE GROUP DEC - 13, 1943. It is then signed by all the commanders of each ship.

 

I have always felt this was an amazing piece of Naval history.

 

trop.jpg

 

sub5.jpg

 

More info about Hoffmann: https://uboat.net/men/commanders/504.html

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is awesome! Items from the Battle of the Atlantic seem to be overshadowed by either the ground war in Europe or the bigger naval theater of the Pacific. Thanks for sharing this really cool shirt!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's pretty awesome! I've only seen one other piece captured from a U-boat and that was a part of a uniform taken by the CO of the ship that rammed and sank the U-boat. But...it wasn't a full shirt, signed by members of the command! Super nice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
PacificGunner

That has to be the most incredible bring back item I have seen so far! It is hard enough for me to find signed capture flags, never thought I would see a signed captured shirt. The story behind it is incredible, glad to see this piece survived and that I stumbled upon this thread!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...