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Description: | piece : obverse design : Grossadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz, full face slightly turned to left, in uniform
piece : obverse text : "GROSSADMIRAL ALFRED.VON.TIRPITZ"
piece : reverse design : Neptune, sitting facing right, between the two periscopes of a stylised surfaced submarine. He holds a trident in
his left hand and shakes his clenched right fist. In the right middle distance a second submarine and in the background, on horizon, two
sailing ships one, right, sinking
piece : reverse text : "GOTT.STRAFE ENGLAND.18.FEBRVAR.1915"
In this 1915 portrait medal Goetz celebrates the achievements of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz (1849-1930) as the
architect of the German Navy and his role as State Secretary of the Navy Office between June 1897 and March 1916. More particularly, as
befits an expert in the use of torpedoes, the allegorical design on the reverse, rightly associates Tirpitz with the German decision to
concentrate on submarine construction and the use of submarines as commerce raiders to wage economic war against Britain. The reverse text
is translated as 'God Punish England 18 February 1915'. The date relates to the German declaration of the U-boat blockade of Great Britain
and Ireland, which effectively initiated the first German submarine campaign of the war. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | First World War & Submarine Operations Tirpitz portrait / personification DE.N & [submarine service] commemorative German & (after) 18/2/1915 Alfred von | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Goetz, Karl | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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