Walter Forstmann – WWI U-Boot Kdt. “U-12” & “U-39” (Pour le Mérite!)

Original Postwar Signature on a Paper Pasted to a Photo of Walter Forstmann. Kapitän zur See Walter Forstmann (9 March 1883, Essen-Werden † 2 November 1973, Düsseldorf) was one of the most successful U-boat commanders of the First World War, decorated with the Pour le Mérite for his outstanding record at sea. In total, during his command of U-12 and U-39, he sank 148 ships with a combined tonnage of 390,797 GRT, making him the second most successful submarine commander of all time by tonnage sunk, behind only Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière.

Awards and Decorations:

• Pour le Mérite – 12 August 1916, as Kapitänleutnant of U-39.

• Knight’s Cross with Swords of the House Order of Hohenzollern.

• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany:

  • 1st Class (1952).

  • Grand Cross (3 August 1960).

  • Grand Cross with Star (9 March 1968).

World War I Achievements:

• Commanded U-12 and later U-39.

• Became famous for sinking five large steamers in just two days in the Straits of Gibraltar in 1917, disrupting critical Allied coal shipments.

• His successes led to his award of the Pour le Mérite, the highest German decoration of the war.

World War II Service:

• Returned to naval duty in 1939, serving in staff positions in Osnabrück and later in Copenhagen as commander of the Wehrwirtschaftsstab Denmark, overseeing German industrial procurement in occupied Denmark.

• Promoted to Kapitän zur See on 1 July 1942, retiring from the Kriegsmarine in 1945.

Postwar Career:

• Continued his professional career in housing development and reconstruction, holding leadership and advisory roles in several major German housing cooperatives.

• Served as vice-president of the German Settler Federation and contributed significantly to postwar settlement and housing projects.

• Awarded multiple high orders of merit by the Federal Republic of Germany, recognizing his social and civic contributions.

• Received honorary doctorates from the Accademia Tiberina (1968) and the University of the Mediterranean in Rome (1972).

Item Details:

• Authentic postwar signature of Kapitän zur See Walter Forstmann.

• Condition: Excellent, with a clear, well-preserved autograph.

Collector’s Note:
Walter Forstmann is a unique figure bridging both World Wars—celebrated as a legendary U-boat ace of WWI and later active in staff roles during WWII, before becoming a respected civic leader in postwar Germany. His autograph is highly sought after, particularly given his status as one of the few Pour le Mérite U-boat commanders to live into the postwar era.