ANTIQUE & ART AUCTION Tuesday, 2 May 2017 - 12:00 AM start
An historically interesting German naval dress sword presented to Oberleutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlom. Rahmlow gained infamy from a unique incident of capitulation when in August 1941 as Kapitänleutnant of the WWII German submarine U-570 under attack he surrendered
Lot Details
unnecessarily in hindsight, and allowed his craft to be captured. The event was a critically important action with potential Enigma code material onboard as well as supplying the Allies with a German craft which enabled consideration of it's design. The capture of U-570 was considered sensational news by Churchill, especially considering the Bismarck had been sunk exactly three months earlier to the day, Churchill wrote in his book 'The Second World War' specifically on U-570 and the accompanying boost in British hopes. The action, crew interrogation, incarceration, Court of Honour action against Rahmlow and other dramatics are documented in numerous publications but a broad picture is painted by the Wiki site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Graph. The sword bears an 80cm pipe-back blade in fine damascus and gold-wash with etched panels incorporating bluing to the presentation inscription as a prize to Rahmlow from the Chiefs of Naval Command for Gunnery and dated 1934. The gilded hilt with fouled anchor guard, lion head pommel with inset bi-colour 'jewelled' eyes, wire bound ivorine hilt and with attached bullion portepee. With gilt brass mounted leather scabbard. Provenance: the estate of Capt. Andrew Douglas Holden RNZNR, OBE, DSC, RD. (Cf. lot 162) $15,000
