Lieutenant Captain Passport with Knight's Cross

Passport Lieutenant Captain Lüth
For passport collectors, such a document is a true treasure, for military collectors even more so. Passports with pictures in uniform are rare to find, but this one shows even a Knight’s cross bearer and submarine commander. Enjoy the story and the photos.

Captain Wolfgang August Eugen Lüth (October 15, 1913 – May 14, 1945) was the second most successful German U-boat ace of World War II. With a record of 46 merchant ships and the French submarine Doris sunk during 15 war patrols, Lüth’s achievements, totaling a displacement of 230,781 gross register tons (GRT), were second only to those of Lieutenant Commander Otto Kretschmer, who sank 47 ships totaling 272,958 GRT.

Lüth enlisted in the Reichsmarine in 1933, initially serving on surface vessels before transferring to the U-boat service in 1936. He took command of U-9 in December 1939, leading it on six war patrols, and later commanded U-138 and U-43, among others. His valor and leadership earned him the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds—an honor bestowed on only two U-boat commanders during the war, the other being Albrecht Brandi. Passport Lieutenant Captain Lüth

His final post was as commander of the naval academy at Mürwik (Flensburg). Tragically, he was accidentally shot and killed by a German guard on the night of May 13/14, 1945. Lüth was accorded the last state funeral of the Third Reich, the only U-boat commander to receive such an honor. Passport Lieutenant Captain Lüth

The Service Passport Lieutenant Captain Lüth

A striking photograph of Wolfgang Lüth in uniform, decorated with the Knight’s Cross and signed by him on July 31, 1942, in Berlin. The photo bears his original signature and features various stamps marking entries into Spain and France in 1942.

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