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Jurgen Oesten

Jurgen Oesten joined the Kriesgmarine in April 1933. He first served on the Admiral Graf Spee and Karlsruhe but transfered to U-Boats in May 1937. In October 1937 he became Watch Officer on U-20 and in August 1939 he joined the new U-Boat U-61 which he served on for 8 patrols, sinking 6 ships during his mine laying patrols. In November he joined U-106. During her first patrol U-106 sank two ships on her way to her new base at Lorient. Jurgen Oesten was awarded the Knights Cross on his second patrol, off Africa where he sank eight ships. During this attack he torpedoed and damaged the British attleship HMS Malaya. In March 1942 he became Admiralstabsoffizier in Norway with Admiral Nordmeer and directed U-boat operations in the Arctic. In September he again joined the U-boats and joined U-861 and in April 1944 she joined the Monson Boats which was a special Wolfpack operating far away from germany, out of japanese bases in Indonesia at Jakarta, Penang and Sebang, sinking two ships on her way to Penang. U-861 operated at sea for five months, after which she was ordered back to Germany with vital supplies. On the 15th January 1945 U-861 left Soerabaya in Indonesia. On the return journey off Greenland Oesten struck an Iceburg but managed to reach Trondheim on 19th April 1945. His awards were as follows: 6th June 1939, The Spanish Cross, 3rd December 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class, 27 February 1940, Iron Cross 1st Class, 26th March 1941 Knights Cross. Sadly, Jurgen Oesten passed away on 5th August 2010.

Knights Cross