U-38

The Captain of the U-38 that sunk the SS Persia was Christian August Max Alhmann Valentiner. He was awarded the highest Prussian honour of the Pour le Merite.

Valentiner was born in 1883 in Trondern, the eldest of four children of Diakon a priest and Marthilde Valentiner. At the age of 18 he joined the Kaiserliche Marine on April 1902. In the same year he saved a ship's boy from drowning and received a bravery decoration.

In 1903 Valentiner joined the Naval School and finished training on SMS Hansa. For saving a seaman in Helgoland he was awarded the Order of the Crown Medal. He was promoted Leutnant zur See and posted to SMS Braunschweig and by 1908 he attained the rank of Oberleutnant.