As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a. [18], In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. One attack saw him surface in the midst of a convoy before opening fire. . As the boat went under, she was immediately picked up on the ASDIC of the Royal Navy sub hunters and they came after this new contact. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. [36] Kretschmer's tenth patrol (27 June21 July) yielded over 20,000GRT. Prien and Kretschmer, along with U-70 (Matz) and UA, attacked the convoy. . "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. He departed from Wilhelmshaven for his eighth war patrol on 9 February. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. [37] After sinking Magogthe submarine's first victimKretschmer gave the crew a bottle of brandy and directions to Ireland. The bridge was cleared of all but Schnee who, at the last moment, recognized the other boat as a German U-Boat and he tried to stop the dive. OTTO KRETSCHMER was almost lost in this actionA firm, almost hard-headed man, KRETSCHMER firmly DIS-believed the old sailors story that a sinking ship will create a suction that will pull down anyone in the water so as his U-99 was going down, OTTO stood at attention on the bridge and his boat sank out from under him; So you see, Harry, he told HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983), I did not desert my ship! So how was it that he was sunk? Allied courts and Rahmlow sought justice against Kretschmer after the war, but he was never vigorously pursued for trial for his role in the death of Berndt. Something went wrong, please try again later. The main area of operations were the seas and estuaries off East of England and Scotland, with mine-laying operations in the Baltic, to counter the Royal Navy Submarine Service at the end of 1939. Laurentic of 18.724 brt and H.M.S. The ship did not reach port. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. The Emden made stops in Ceylon, the Philippines, China and Japan; then Guam, South Africa, Angola and Spain on the return journey. Rahmlow and his second-in-command, Bernhard Berndt, were found "guilty of cowardice"; the other two officers were "acquitted". Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. Correct optics: how the binoculars of the best underwater ace of the Reich became a symbol of relations with Britain #___historydocs that he must not dive the boat under any circumstances; and he went to sleep. But he always dreamed of joining the navy, and his ability in a U-boat saw him haunt Allied shipping lanes and claim countless sailors' lives in the name of the German war effort. Why? The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. On 16 June 1956, he was tasked with the creation of 1. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. 12 ships were sunk in total. That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. His nickname Silent Otto referred to his ability to remain undetected and his reluctance to provide the regular radio reports required by Dnitz: he had guessed that the Allies had broken German codes. Thistle was sunk weeks later by U-4. On February 22, 1941, Kretschmer set off on his final patrol. [48] Kretschmer recommended his helmsman Stabsobersteuermann Heinrich Petersen for the Knight's Cross after twelve war patrols for saving U-99 from enemy detection. At the Indienststellung (commissioning) of U-99. The convoy suffered heavy losses while the U-boats escaped unscathed. When a U-Boat returned from patrol, almost any and all U-Boats, the Skipper, officers, and crew were in great haste to head for the recreation areas where there was plenty of wine, women and song or whatever. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. He was the fifth member of the German armed forces to be so honored. COOPER said that this was one of the warmest compliments he had ever received. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. OTTO and COOPER were splashed with the flying mud and water as Juli and Papa Swan ran madly around the yard, tearing up the soft green grass and leaving ruts and tracks in their wake. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. Hermann Michahelles, Otto Kretschmer became commander of U-35 until 15 August 1937. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school). The crew abandoned ship and were questioned by Kretschmer. In a rush of roiling water that must have looked like a surfacing submarine, Papa Swan came roaring out of the water heading right at Juli who decided that it was time to leave but with about six feet of wingspan flailing about and huge clawed feet ripping chunks of OTTOs grass up, Papa Swan was hot after Juli all the while making a tremendous hissing sound. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military. For 13 days Kretschmer sailed without success. A detachment of the Home Guard apprehended him, shooting him when he tried to escape. [18] Further patrols took U-23 around the British coast. Okay, back to the story of U-23 and HMS ROYAL OAK. unread, Aug 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM 8/20/98 . [15] Through the remaining Interwar period, Kretschmer developed his own approach to combat, which can be summarized by the phrase "one torpedo, one ship". He sank four ships and damaged three. Incredibly though, this war hero, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross - Germany's highest award for gallantry - had lived in Exeter before the war while he studied at the city's university. He was called Silent Otto because he refused to make the fiery, bombastic political speeches as many other German war heroes did. Kretschmer was born in Heidau in what is now part of Poland, but then belonged to Germany. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. He assumed most of the crew went down with the ship; but there were 159 survivors. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. [22], The fourth patrol (19 November) was unsuccessful. Kretschmer learned its identity from frantic radio signals. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. [28] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 15 January. Prien's demise was not disclosed. The British report noted of Kretschmer, "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. , 4,996GRT, was sunk on 22 February. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. [41] A notable failure on the patrol occurred in the interception of HMS Manistee. He dispensed with the standard practice of firing salvoes of torpedoes from long distances. On 1 June 1965, he was promoted to Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/Commodore/Rear Admiral), a rank which he initially held on probation. A fall caused fatal injuries. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. [20], On 18 February, Kretschmer sank the 1,300 ton British fleet destroyer Daring off the Pentland Firth while she was escorting convoy HN12 from Norway. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. The crew remained in lifeboats nearby for reboarding once the attack was over. While on holiday in Bavaria in the summer of 1998, Kretschmer died in an accident during a boating expedition on the Danube to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary, at the age of 86. [53] In December Kretschmer tried to intercept Convoy HX 90 but encountered only stragglers. She was launched on 12 March 1940 under the command of Korvettenkapitn Otto Kretschmer and was assigned to the 7th U-boat Flotilla based in Kiel and later in St Nazaire . The nomination was approved on 5 November 1940. Three days later he departed for his seventh war patrol. "Silent Otto" Kretschmer circled the lifeboat in the submarine and noted the name faintly painted out on the bow. Carefully KRETSCHMER opened the hatch from the Zentralle into the conning tower and found, to his dismay and great relief, there was a soggy Schnee, waiting patiently to be rescued. Only five sailors survived. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. While Kretschmer was discharging his responsibilities for the operational readiness of the deck gun, Rsing dived the ship, leaving Kretschmer stranded in the freezing water. Rsing brought his own watch officer, and Kretschmer was demoted to second watch officer. [34] On 21 June, his ninth patrol, his boat was damaged by an Arado Ar 196 floatplane from Scharnhorst in the belief U-99 was a British submarine. The single torpedo attack killed 11 men. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. Only five of the 161-strong crew survived. OTTO and his wife were already in the dining room. They were sent to Lime Street Station to be transported to London for interrogation. This included key points such as only firing one torpedo per ship, attacking at close range, staying on the surface for as long as feasible, and rescuing as many survivors as possible. When war broke out, Kretschmer was on U-23, a short-range submarine which could not operate as far as the Atlantic, so had to stay in the North Sea. His whole demeanour was calm and quiet, and he seemed anxious to be friendly; he was also less suspicious of British Officers than was his First Lieutenant. [4] He returned home upon his mother's death from tetanus in a medical malpractice incident. German radio acknowledged the capture and the death of Schepke. After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. While on vacation in Bavaria in the summer of 1998, after an accident on a boat on the Danube, while celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, he stumbled and was unconscious, he died two days later, old age 86, on 05-08-1998. He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. Petersen had served as Kretschmer's helmsman on every war patrol on both U-23 and U-99. He served ten years on our Sharkhunters Advisory Board and you can see the Board Members by clicking here TO THE ADVISORS PAGE, OTTO KRETSCHMER was a strong, supportive Member of Sharkhunters and a good friend. [56] Laurentic and Patroclus had been loaded with wooden barrels to increase buoyancy. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War . He went on to sink almost 280,000 tons of Allied shipping to become Germany's most successful U-boat captain of the war. Laurentic and Patroclus were attacked on the night of 3/4 November. He survived the sinking of his submarine but he was not clear yet. Its commander, Hugo Frster, was repatriated to Germany and committed suicide before the end of the war. In 1955, MacIntyre returned the Zeiss binoculars to Kretschmer. Kretschmer achieved good results in mathematics and chemistry and passed his Abitur (school-leaving certificate) at 17. This is a trusted computer. [66], On 16 March 1941 Kretschmer attacked Convoy HX 112. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried.". Kretschmer was taken separately, but his crew had to negotiate the streets of Liverpool and were subjected to missiles thrown by angry civilians; the city had been heavily bombed and was closely linked with the Atlantic war. [51] Kretschmer was awarded the 6th Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 4 November 1940. Sir, do you think that OTTO KRETSCHMER will be with us on this trip? to which OTTO smiled and replied; I think he is already here. at which point the Member nearly fell out of his chair. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. 8x40 model no. On 1 October 1937, Kretschmer took command of U-23. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. [20] On his fifth patrol (515 December) he was ordered to explore the inner waters around the Orkney Islands and engage any remaining Home Fleet units that had departed from Scapa Flow in the aftermath of Gnther Prien's attack. [18], From 1 March to 31 October 1958, Kretschmer served as Admiralstabsoffizier (Astoofficer of the admiralty staff) with the Fleet Command. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. His first patrol, with Oberleutnant zur See Adalbert Schnee as first watch officer, took U-23 into the North Sea and along the coast of the Netherlands. Haunted by him, Kretschmer ordered the boat to backtrack until the survivor was found. Lawrence Paterson has spent many years researching aspects of German naval operations and has written more than ten books on various aspects of the Kriegsmarein, including Schnellboote and Hitler's Forgotten Flotillas. OTTOs New Boat, the Type VII-B boat U-99. He very nearly drowned as, in the icy water, he no longer had the strength to climb up himself, only for a British sailor to clamber down and rescue him from the ocean. We use cookies to improve your website experience. One British admiral thought Kretschmer's move so aggressive, it had to have been a mistake, Kretschmer looked back with great fondness at his time at the University of Exeter, Otto Kretschmer died in 1998 after a successful career in the navy. [19] A second patrol (921 September) yielded no success either. Klaus Bargsten served aboard U-99 under Kretschmer, before being promoted to captain himself and becoming the sole survivor of U-521 on 2 June 1942. ; otherwise, remain on the surface, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 20:17. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. In his bunk, OTTO felt the sharp downward angle of the boat and was immediately on his feet as the bridge watch tumbled past him all by Schnee, and now green water was flooding through the open hatch from the Zentralle to the conning tower. Does not come with case. The Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk east of the Shetland Islands. German propagandists feared the triple loss might be too damaging to morale. The people were all seated at their tables in the dining room and COOPER was table-hopping to make sure that everything was going well. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. When U-23 was stabilized at her depth and the sound man could no longer hear any noises of the other boat, they came to periscope depth, confirmed that all was safe, and KRETSCHMER was ready to begin the hopeless task of looking for Schnees body. 176 men died. He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. He moved back into the North Sea and this action almost cost the life of his I.W.O., Adalbert Schnee, who later commanded U-201. [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. [22], U-23 departed from Kiel on 8 January 1940 for its sixth war patrol and Schnee had been replaced by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen. COOPER grinned and said;Lets ask this gentleman here. The boat was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay off the Spanish-French border. 1999-2020 Sharkhunters International. I am grateful to the late Horst Bredow and Peter Monte at the Deutsches U-Boot-Museum for providing access to the unpublished records of U23 and U99. While working on the deck gun, the boat suddenly dived. One signalman sent a message to the escorts "we are sinking" and the firing stopped. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. Restore content access for purchases made as guest, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health, 48 hours access to article PDF & online version, Choose from packages of 10, 20, and 30 tokens, Can use on articles across multiple libraries & subject collections. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Kretschmer formed part of "Crew 30" (the incoming class of 1930), 78strong intake of officer candidates. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. [9] Kretschmer joined the U-boat service in January 1936. 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