In September 2001, the German destroyer Lütjens and the American USS Winston S. Churchill happened to be in port together in Plymouth, England. The crews mixed quickly, struck up friendships and even played soccer together when time allowed.
During the terrorist attacks on 11 September it was afternoon in England, and the USS Churchill was at sea for an exercise that was due to run until 18 September. The German Lütjens, on the other hand, was already set to leave on 14 September. Shaken by the terrible events, the captain of the German ship asked for permission after sailing to come alongside the American destroyer. As the German warship closed in on the Churchill, the American sailors saw that the entire crew of the Lütjens had “manned the rail,” in other words fallen in on deck. On a bed sheet the German soldiers had written “We Stand By You,” and above the banner the American and the German flag flew side by side at half mast.
Eyewitnesses on the USS Churchill reported that there was not a dry eye on board as the Lütjens passed them. The gesture meant so much to the Americans that the bed sheet is now in their possession and recently went through extensive restoration work so it can be put on display for future generations.
A brotherhood that no one else could ever understand.
Frequently Asked Questions About the "We Stand By You" Banner
What was the "We Stand By You" banner?
A handmade sign, painted in marker on a bedsheet roughly 90 by 55 inches, held up by the crew of the German destroyer Lütjens on 14 September 2001, three days after the attacks on New York and Washington.
Which German ship displayed it?
The destroyer Lütjens, pennant number D 185, name ship of her class and the flagship of a generation of German destroyers. She was named after Admiral Günther Lütjens, who went down with the battleship Bismarck in 1941.
When and where did it happen?
On 14 September 2001, as the Lütjens left England to head home. She passed close alongside the USS Winston S. Churchill and the USS Gonzalez, her entire crew manning the rails, with American and German flags flying at half-mast side by side.
Why were the two crews already acquainted?
Both ships had been berthed in Plymouth, England, shortly before the attacks. The crews had spent time together, played football and held a cookout on the Churchill's fantail. The sailors on both sides knew each other by name.
Whose idea was it?
The captain of the Lütjens asked permission to pull alongside as his ship got underway. The banner itself was improvised by the crew from a bedsheet.
What happened to the banner?
It is now part of the Headquarters Artifact Collection of the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, preserved as an object of naval history.
What happened to the Lütjens?
She was decommissioned on 18 December 2003 after 34 years of service and around 800,000 nautical miles. She was later demilitarised at Wilhelmshaven and used for explosive testing in the Baltic.
Leave a Comment