Paul König

Paul Liebrecht König
Paul König.
Born	March 20, 1867 Rohr, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia
Died	September 9, 1933 Gnadau, Province of Saxony, Free State of Prussia
Allegiance	German Empire
Service/branch	Imperial German Navy
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Commands held	German submarine Deutschland, 1916 – 1917
Battles/wars	U-boat Campaign (World War I)
Awards	Iron Cross 1st class

Paul Liebrecht König (March 20, 1867 – September 9, 1933) was a sailor and business executive. The son of a clergyman, married to an English wife from whom he separated for the duration of the war, he is most known for two visits he made to the United States in 1916 as captain of the merchant submarine U-DEUTSCHLAND.^[1]

König was a captain in the German merchant navy. In 1916 during World War I, he became a reserve Kapitänleutnant in the Imperial German Navy.

Later in 1916, König became commanding officer of the merchant submarine Deutschland. He took it on two patrols to the United States for commercial purposes. He arrived at Baltimore on July 10, 1916, with a cargo of dyestuffs. While in the United States he was interviewed by newspapermen, was even the recipient of vaudeville offers, was welcomed by mayor of Baltimore and officials. On August 2 he sailed on the return voyage, later making a second voyage and putting in at New London, Connecticut.^[2]

He received the Iron Cross 1st class the same year. Following his return after the second journey, König wrote a book called Voyage of the Deutschland, which was heavily publicized, as it was intended to be used as propaganda.^[3]

König then became commanding officer of a Sperrbrechergruppe (group of blockade runners; 1917), and later was an executive at Norddeutscher Lloyd (1919–1931). He died at Gnadau, on September 9, 1933, where he is buried.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross, 2nd class (1915 ) and 1st class (1916)
• Hohenzollern House Order (1916)
• Honorary Doctorate from the University of Halle (Saale), Dr.med.hc (1916)

Notes

1. Jasper Copping (2 February 2014). "The German sailor, his English wife and WW1 voyage that won him the Iron Cross". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
2.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Koenig, Paul". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
3. Directed Readings on the U-Boat War - Blake, Sam, East Carolina University, April 2003.

References

• "WWI U-boat commanders: Paul König". uboat.net. Retrieved April 11, 2011.

External links

New York Times

• "Mass of machinery inside". The New York Times. July 11, 1916.
• "Subsea perils bring joy to skipper". The New York Times. July 11, 1916.
• "Inspected by officials". The New York Times. July 11, 1916.
• "Navy experts say giant submarine is merchantman". The New York Times. July 12, 1916.
• "Navy experts say giant submarine is merchantman (cont'd)". The New York Times. July 12, 1916.
• "Zeppelin here soon says Capt. Koenig". The New York Times. July 14, 1916.
• "Submarine skipper defies sea patrols". The New York Times. July 15, 1916.
• "Protects U-boat's papers". The New York Times. July 15, 1916.
• "Subsea trader's dash for the sea only hours away". The New York Times. July 19, 1916.
• "Cruisers spread a snare". The New York Times. July 20, 1916.
• "Send fund for milk to Koenig". The New York Times. July 20, 1916.
• "Subsea trader's dash is delayed; May carry gold". The New York Times. July 21, 1916.
• "Boast of U-boat convoy". The New York Times. July 22, 1916.
• "Submarine liner rigs up wireless". The New York Times. July 22, 1916.
• "Final steps taken for dash of U-boat". The New York Times. July 23, 1916.
• "Keeps watch for bremen". The New York Times. July 24, 1916.
• "Bremen's delay holds up U-boat". The New York Times. July 24, 1916.
• "Giant submarine makes final test". The New York Times. July 25, 1916.
• "U-boat tied at pier, captain waits news". The New York Times. July 26, 1916.
• "U-boat clears for dash to sea". The New York Times. July 27, 1916.
• "Koenig at Mount Vernon". The New York Times. July 28, 1916.
• "Capt. Koenig trying to outwit warships". The New York Times. July 29, 1916.
• "Hears U-boat goes today". The New York Times. July 30, 1916.
• "Way Cleared for the Deutschland". The New York Times. August 1, 1916.
• "Deutschland off on dash to ocean as warships wait". The New York Times. August 2, 1916.
• "Deutschland gets ovation at Bremen". The New York Times. August 26, 1916.
• "Kaiser entertains Koenig". The New York Times. August 30, 1916.
• "Deutschland coming again". The New York Times. October 14, 1916.
• "Deutschland here on second trip". The New York Times. November 1, 1916.
• "Admits Bremen was sunk". The New York Times. November 2, 1916.
• "Submarine to take United States mails". The New York Times. November 2, 1916.
• "U-boat to convoy the Deutschland". The New York Times. November 4, 1916.
• "Patrol near Deutschland". The New York Times. November 4, 1916.
• "Five men drown as Deutschland crashes into tug". The New York Times. November 18, 1916.
• "Deutschland held by damage suits". The New York Times. November 19, 1916.
• "Two freight U-boats coming to America?". The New York Times. January 18, 1917.