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Günther Pulst

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 37b)


Successes
1 ship a total loss for a total of 7.176 GRT

Born  26 Mar, 1918Braunschweig
Died  5 Jan, 1991


Kapitänleutnant Günther Pulst

Ranks

28 Jun, 1938Seekadett
1 Apr, 1939Fähnrich zur See
1 Mar, 1940Oberfähnrich zur See
1 May, 1940Leutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1942Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jan, 1945Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

11 Feb, 1940Iron Cross 2nd Class
21 Feb, 1942U-boat War Badge 1939
19 Nov, 1944U-boat Front Clasp
18 Dec, 1944Iron Cross 1st Class
21 Dec, 1944Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-97812 May, 1943 - 8 May, 1945  2 patrols (124 days) 

Personal information


Kapitänleutnant Günther Pulst
after his last patrol in April 1945

Günther Pulst began his naval career in October 1937. In December 1939 he began service on the destroyer Wolfgang Zenker. When the destroyer was sunk in the Norwegian Campaign, Günther Pulst fought for a few weeks in the battle ashore. For this he was awarded the Narvik shield, a decoration received by only a few men of the U-boat force (e.g., Rolf Thomsen). In autumn 1940 he became a training officer in the Marineschule Flensburg-Mürwik before joining the U-boat force in April 1942.

He made two patrols on U-752 as I WO. In March 1943 he left the boat and in May 1943 commissioned the Type VIIC U-boat U-978.

His first patrol with U-978 was notable due to the fact that he made the whole patrol of 68 days underwater, using the Schnorchel. He attacked three ships and is credited with one certain sinking.

After his second patrol the war was over and Günther Pulst brought his U-boat from Norway to England at the end of May, 1945. He then spent nearly three years in British captivity.

In September 1957 he became a civilian staff member of the Bundeswehr and worked for some years in the 1960s as Financial Controller NATO in Paris. He retired in March 1983. He was decorated in 1980 with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Merit Cross) and in 1983 with the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal (USA).


Patrol info


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-978 22 Aug, 1944  Kiel 24 Aug, 1944  Horten  3 days
2. U-978 5 Sep, 1944  Horten 7 Sep, 1944  Flekkefjord  3 days
3. U-978 13 Sep, 1944  Flekkefjord 13 Sep, 1944  Egersund  1 days
4. U-978 7 Oct, 1944  Egersund 8 Oct, 1944  Bergen  2 days
5. U-978 9 Oct, 1944  Bergen 16 Dec, 1944  Bergen Patrol,69 days
6. U-978 25 Feb, 1945  Bergen 20 Apr, 1945  Trondheim Patrol,55 days

2 patrols, 124 days at sea

Ships hit by Günther Pulst


Date BoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
23 Nov, 1944 U-978William D. Burnham7.176 am TMC-44 total loss
 7.176

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.


Decorations and ranks information is in many cases not complete. If you can help on any of those missing that would be great.

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