JS(CC)67 RAF cover showing a Coastal Command Vickers Wellington of No 36 Squadron over a German Type VII U-Boat bearing a single Royal Mail Submarine stamp cancelled on the first day of issue with our BFPS sponsored postmark for the Centenary of the Royal Navy Submarine Service 1901-2001.

This cover has been personally signed by Kapitän zur See Paul Brasack Knight’s Cross, U-Boat Commander of U-737.

Official special, numbered and certified on reverse.

Kapitän zur See Paul Brasack Knights Cross of the Iron Cross

Born   Stettin 09.05.1916
U-Bootskriegsabzeichen  24.10.1942
U-Boots-Frontspange in Bronze  28.10.1944
Knights Cross   30.10.1944

In September 1939 Paul Brasack began training as a navigator at the Aircraft Weapons School (Sea).  He qualified as a Navigator in March 1940 and in April joined 1./Kustrenfliegergruppe 706 as Senior Flight Officer.  He then joined KG 126 in July 1940, which later became 1./KG 28.  He joined the staff of IX Fliegerkorps in June 1941, then became the Navigator Training Officer in October 1941.  In March 1942 he joined the Kriegsmarine, where he completed a six-month U-boat officer training course.  After one patrol as watch officer on board U-590, he commissioned U-737. All his 8 patrols on that boat took place in Arctic Sea, where he attacked several Northern-route convoys. In November 1944 Kptlt. Paul Brasack became a training officer in the 25th Flotilla. He spent more than two years in Allied captivity after the German surrender in May 1945.  In 1957 he entered the German Bundesmarine. Among other positions, he was commander of the destroyer Z-2 and for more than 3 years the Navy attache in the USA. He retired in 1974 as Kapitän zur See.

Information on U-737:
Type VIIC Laid down 14 Feb 1942 F. Schichau, Danzig. Commissioned 30 Jan 1943 Ltnt Wolfgang Poeschel. Commanders 30 Jan 1943 - 4 Feb 1943 Wolfgang Poeschel; 5 Feb 1943 - 24 Nov 1943 Oblt Paul Brasack; 25 Nov 1944 - 19 Dec 1944 Oblt Friedrich-August Greus. Career 8 patrols 30 Jan 1943 - 30 Jun 1943;  8. Flottille (training); 1 Jul 1943 - 19 Dec 1944 13. Flottille (front boat). Sank at 0050hrs on 19 Dec 1944 in the Vestfjorden, after a collision with MRS 25. Killing 31 of the crew with 20 survivors.  On 6 Mar 1944 the gunners scored hits on a RAF Liberator of No 120 Squadron forcing the aircraft to crash-land.
 
U-boat Commands:        
U-737  05.02.1943 – 24.11.1943 7 patrols (147 days)  No ships confirmed sunk or damaged.

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