Was at an antique store today an I bought a reprint of a print by Claus Bergen entitled "Cruise of U-53" It's a World War One print and am really enjoying it. Turns out the artist Claus Bergen did a patrol on the U-53 in 1917, the boat was under the command of Hans Rose. The picture is from the perspective of right behind the conning tower looking towards the bow at approximately the 7 o'clock position, so the left side of the tower looking forward, the tower and deck gun are manned and shown blowing a sailing ship out of the water. Now the hunt is on to try and figure out when, and where, and what ship this was.

    Anybody else have any U-boat art?

    Also bought a 'Infantry Assault Badge' Maker marked "A" for Assman und Sohne. What a great day it was!!

    Hans Rose was Germany's 5th most successful U-boat skipper of WW1 with 213,900 tons to his credit. He was considered a humane skipper and after sinking a ship would provision life boats and would often send out a radio message on where to locate the life rafts, most times would stay with them until rescue ships were within sight. Was awarded the Pour le Merite on 20 Dec. 1917.

     This is part of an article I found during a search from Rhode Island Home, Living, and Design Magazine.

      On the afternoon of 7 Oct. 1916, a U-boat (U-53) enters Narragansett Bay Rhode Island USA. The 210 foot U-boat moved quickly into the waters near the Naval War College within easy sight of land. After tying up the U-boats commander Hans Rose paid a courtesy visit to Rear Admiral Austin King who gave Rose a "chilly reception"  after Rose refuses to disclose the reason for this unannounced visit.

       U-53 stays only three hours in the harbor, ( he actually allowed naval officers and some civilians to tour his boat!) and then headed back out to sea. At 5:30 AM the following morning Hans Rose and U-53 are back, just outside of American waters. The first ship he spots is the American frieghter Kansan, which he lets pass. After spending the next fifteen hours off the American shore Rose sinks 6 to 9 ships.(Different sources disagree on the exact amount) Including a Dutch Frieghter loaded with gasoline heading for London. 256 men, women and children were set adrift in liferafts, with a fleet of 16 destroyers heading out to rescue them.

     On Oct. 9th the international Mercantile Marine Company ordered all of it's ships flying British flags out of American ports.

      Rose also sank the first American warship. On 6 Dec 1917 Rose sank the Destroyer USS Jacob Jones (commanded by David Worth Bagley Sr.) The Jacob Jones went down with 64 of her 102 man crew, Rose took 2 sailors prisoner and of the 38 men in life rafts, including Bagley, Rose sent a radio message to Queenstown to send rescue ships. Survivors were picked up the next day by the British sloop of war Camellia, the British liner Catalina and HMS Insolent.

     The more I learn of Hans Rose the more interesting he becomes, the search continues. There is actually quite a bit of info on Rose on the net.