Large Personal Meissen Plate of Honor of U-Boat Commander and Knight’s Cross Recipient Kapitanleutnant Helmuth Witte

The large porcelain plate is approximately 9-3/4 inches in diameter. The plate is white glazed porcelain with blue motifs of a laurel wreath border with the Pour le Mertite, the Imperial German U-Boat badge, the Third Reich U-Boat badge, and the Knight’s Cross with oak leaves, surrounding an image of a U-Boat at sea below the designation of “Traditionsverband U-Boote”. Below the U-Boat, in yellow gold lettering, is “Herrn Kapitanleutnant Helmuth Witte”. The reverse side bears the crossed swords mark of the Meissen factory. The plate is in near mint condition, without chips or cracks.

Helmut Witte began his naval career in April 1934. Later he served on the light cruiser Köln, on the destroyer Z-22, and on several torpedo boats. In July 1940 Witte transferred to the U-boat force. After the usual training he became IWO on the newly commissioned U-107 under Kptlt. Hessler. Before he left the boat in July 1941, he had taken part in the most successful patrol of the war. He commissioned U-159 in October 1941 and operated in the waters of Panama on his second patrol. On his third patrol U-159 was a part of the wolfpack Eisbär, which operated in the waters off Capetown in September 1942. He left the boat in June 1943 and served from then until the end of the war in several staff positions. After two months in British captivity, he worked for a time as a farm hand and factory worker. Later he built up a successful civil career and in the 1960s became personnel manager of a great German industry group.