Anthony von Hughes was born September 1917 in the Rhineland town of Husstadt.  He grew up in nearby Vogelbach and graduated from Secondary School in the spring of 1935 and enlisted in the German Navy that summer.  He was selected for naval officer training and assigned to the submarine branch in 1936.

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After completing basic submarine and watch officer training, he was in the fall of 1937 to the Type II U-boat U-2.  He was promoted to Senior Midshipman and the following year assigned as First Watch Officer of U-19.  He was screened for command in the spring of 1939 and and assigned as commander of U-4 that summer.