Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He commanded the U-28, U-125 and U-853, sinking eleven ships on nine patrols, for a total of 42,252 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping plus the special service vessel HMS Prunella. He commanded 10th U-boat Flotilla from January 1942 until October 1944, then 33rd U-boat Flotilla until May 1945.
Fregattenkapitän Günter Kuhnke commanded the destroyer Z-2 (D171) (formerly United States Ship Ringgold (Doctor of Divinity-500)) from 14 July 1959 until November 1960.
Ships attacked Promotions = Reichsmarine (1931-1935) Offiziersanwärter (officer candidate) - 1 April 1931 Seekadett (officer cadet) - 1 April 1932 Fähnrich zur See (midshipman) - 1 April 1933 Oberfähnrich zur See (senior midshipman) - 1 January 1935 Leutnant zur See (acting sub-lieutenant) - 1 April 1935 = Kriegsmarine (1935-1945) Oberleutnant zur See (sub-lieutenant) - 1 January 1937 Kapitänleutnant (lieutenant) - 1 October 1939 Korvettenkapitän (corvette captain/lieutenant-commander) - 1 March 1943 = Bundesmarine (1955-1972) Joined 16 November 1955 Fregattenkapitän (frigate captain/commander) - 16 June 1956 Kapitän zur See (captain) - 16 October 1962 Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/commodore) - 28 January 1965 Konteradmiral (rear-admiral) - 1 April 1966 Retired 30 September 1972 Bibliography.