Laurentic of 18.724 brt and H.M.S. [75] In March 1942, the prisoners were transported to Bowmanville Camp near Lake Ontario in Canada. He then caused havoc in the rest of the convoy, winning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Three days later he departed for his seventh war patrol. 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. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. were transferred off and sent to Commanders School so they could command their own boats and KRETSCHMER asked for battle experienced officers as replacements. This is a trusted computer. He dispensed with the standard practice of firing salvoes of torpedoes from long distances. [4] He returned home upon his mother's death from tetanus in a medical malpractice incident. [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. Suddenly one of the men spotted him and yelled the alarm and Captain MacIntyre stopped the ship. Kretschmer captured the vessel, the only such ship seized by U-99. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. [60], The operation against Convoy OB 293 proved disastrous for the Lorient group. [9] Kretschmer's first operational experience on a submarine was as a lieutenant on the U-35 in 1937 as first watch officer under the command of Klaus Ewerth and then Hans-Rudolf Rsing. [10] According to one historian, Kretschmer was a patriot and loyal to the government, but later "eschewed Nazi efforts to glorify his success through propaganda. After the completion of his submariner training he was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See (senior-sub lieutenant/Lieutenant Junior Grade)[12] on 1 June 1936. [18] Further patrols took U-23 around the British coast. Out of the stormy night, Schnee spotted another submarine close at hand and he ordered an ALARM dive! [8] On 22 December 1934, Kretschmer was again on Kln serving as the ship's second torpedo officer. . At the time, Kretschmer was president of the Deutscher Marinebund, a member club of the International Maritime Confederation. Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. Kretschmer was born in Heidau in what is now part of Poland, but then belonged to Germany. 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. Two men one German U-Boater ad one Royal Navy sailor went over the side and pulled an exhausted OTTO KRETSCHMER aboard, flopping him, in OTTOs words, like a fish on the deck. [47] The following month, Kretschmer formed part of the pack that attacked and devastated Convoy SC 7. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. They fought Canadian troops armed with ice hockey sticks, and only surrendered when the guards brought in high-pressure water hoses. He joined the German navy - the Reichsmarine - on April 1, 1930, as an officer candidate. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. Prien's demise was not disclosed. Such were his expertise, he re-joined the navy in 1955. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. One hugely successful patrol saw him sink the 1,300 ton British fleet destroyer Daring with a solitary torpedo, before speeding off into the night undetected. [34] His greatest success was the sinking of Auckland Star, a 13,212GRT ship on 28 July followed by another two totalling 12,811GRT on 29 and 31 July. This was the first ever in the history of warfare that a submarine was detected on sound gear, tracked by sound gear, attacked by sound gear and destroyed all by the use of the sound gear. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. 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. [53] In December Kretschmer tried to intercept Convoy HX 90 but encountered only stragglers. 19 men were killed in the sinking; only two were saved. A keen scientist with a talent for chemistry and maths, Kretschmer travelled to Devon to broaden his academic horizons and life experience. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. Upon the death of Kptlt. While working on the deck gun, the boat suddenly dived. The attack was conducted with no warning, and consequently all 15 crewmen died. OTTO and his L.I. He fired a single torpedo that missed before he lost the ship in thick mist. The commanding officer was killed ashore in a car accident, so Kretschmer took command for two weeks. He warned Schroeder that the boat was nearly at neutral buoyancy and was riding on the vents so he should open the valves slowly and carefully. 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. U-99 attacked the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus. Kretschmer waited for the crew to take to the lifeboats before destroying the ship with a torpedo. Of his personality and view of the war, it stated: "He gave the impression of being a quiet, deliberate man, and looked more like a student than a U-Boat Captain. He was the fifth member of the German armed forces to be so honored. All Rights Reserved. OTTO peered over the top of his newspaper and said;Juli is happy. [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. 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. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. Kretschmer was born in Heidau near Neisse, then in the German Empire on 1 May 1912 to Friedrich Wilhelm Otto and Alice (ne Herbig) Kretschmer. Footnote: Otto Kretschmer (May 1, 1912 - August 5, 1998) was the most successful German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. 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. Prien's reports were picked up by the Luftwaffe which sent Focke-Wulf Fw 200s from I. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 40 (KG4040th Bomber Wing) to attack the convoy. [48] Kretschmer recommended his helmsman Stabsobersteuermann Heinrich Petersen for the Knight's Cross after twelve war patrols for saving U-99 from enemy detection. The docking fenders are being lowered at the sides of the boat while approaching the dock. The 28-ship convoy was poorly defended by a destroyer and a corvette. [21] He returned to Kiel, rather than Wilhelmshaven, on 16 October. A detachment of the Home Guard apprehended him, shooting him when he tried to escape. U-99 was one of the most successful German U-boats in the war, sinking 38 ships for a total tonnage of 244,658 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping in eight patrols. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. [53] Upon reaching port, he was summoned to Berlin to meet Erich Raeder. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. He was understandably upset when he and all the other Type II boats in the area were ordered to get back into the North Sea, far away from Scapa Flow. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. The first time I met him and asked for an interview, he granted me a half hour following a luncheon celebrating his wife's birthday. On seeing the craters of a stick of bombs near Buckingham Palace he was genuinely shocked that an attempt had so obviously been made by his countrymen to bomb the Palace. Nazi Admiral Otto Kretschmer was responsible for the sinking of 47 vessels in the space of just 18 months His short but prolific spell on German U-boats accounted for the sinking of 273,043 tons. 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. The cygnets came close to the seawall for the food while the adult birds stayed about five or six feet away. His father, a teacher, decided to send him to the UK, and Exeter was his destination. Petersen had served as Kretschmer's helmsman on every war patrol on both U-23 and U-99. When giving their wartime histories, the normal U-Bootfahrer would tell what boat he rode. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. [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. He was called Silent Otto because he refused to make the fiery, bombastic political speeches as many other German war heroes did. After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. Schroeder never returned. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. The building was located at number 8 Kensington Palace Gardens. He then sank the 5,200-ton cargo ship Tiberton the Loch Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. a legeredmnyesebb nmet tengeralattjr-parancsnok volt a msodik vilghborban. I had to surrender my ship to the British Captain and I had to be in complete uniform.. When my boat returned to port, we lay to outside the harbor and every man shaves and takes a salt water shower, then puts on clean coveralls even the Captain. Otto Kretschmer. The seaman did as he was ordered and brought the cap back to OTTO. unread, Aug 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM 8/20/98 . Kretschmer was guided onto convoy OB-191. 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. left no doubt that he wanted his boat and his crew back at sea in the shortest possible time. It took nine torpedoes and one dud to sink them; the latter was sunk after it stopped to pick up survivors from the former. Kretschmer docked in Lorient on 21 July. U-99 was badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, KRETSCHMER ordered emergency surface. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. This stay was interrupted for an aerial defense training course at Warnemnde (510 March 1934). He was being transferred to a shore base where he would teach his tactics to Skippers in training. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. The establishment of the Wehrmacht (Nazi German Armed Forces) in 1935 divided the major branches of the armed forces. Geleitgeschwader (1st Escort Squadron) which he commanded from 3 January to 15 October 1957. Kretschmer was soon missed and the U-boat surfaced to find him before he succumbed to the cold. [22], The fourth patrol (19 November) was unsuccessful. Not the crew of U-99. 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. [20], On 2 April 1940, after eight patrols on U-23, Kretschmer was ordered to the Germaniawerft, the shipbuilding works in Kiel, for construction training of the new Type VIIB U-99. The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a quarter of a million tons during his reign or terror, earning the nickname 'Silent Otto' from his adversaries for his skill in stalking his prey. He clung to the periscope in the hope of being seen through the optics. Remember that on the surface it is easier for you to spot the enemy than for the enemy to spot you, Dive only for two hours before dawn each day, to rest the crew, sweep with sound detection equipment, etc. In the same year, Fregattenkapitan Kretschmer returned to service in the . Thistle was sunk weeks later by U-4. [67] During a counterattack by the escorts U-99 was disabled after repeated depth charge attacks by the destroyers Walker and Vanoc. In the following, the amplitude of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. His greatest success came in August with the sinking of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. In later years, Kretschmer was often interviewed for television and radio programmes - including an appearing in the landmark British 1974 documentary series The World at War. A fall caused fatal injuries. 702. 3099067 One attack saw him surface in the midst of a convoy before opening fire. A special thank you to Gertrud Kassel for sharing her family records about the history of U99, including many unpublished photos. He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. 12 ships were sunk in total. They were both sunk within seven hours, during which the U-boat fired ten torpedoes and four rounds from the deck gun, while the vessels returned fire without damaging the U-boat. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: One Torpedo, One Ship: An appraisal of Otto Kretschmers U-boat tactics, 19391941, /doi/full/10.1080/00253359.2021.1898209?needAccess=true. , 4,996GRT, was sunk on 22 February. My ship deserted me!. Kretschmer learned its identity from frantic radio signals. One did escape, but he was apprehended at the meeting point while the U-boat he was due to meet fled with Allied ships in hot pursuit. One morning on the breakfast patio at the KRETSCHMER home, OTTO was reading his newspaper while Mrs. Kretschmer and COOPER talked over breakfast tea. Walker) and Fregattenkapitan (commander) Kertschmer, became the best of friends. [18] Kretschmer served in this function until 18 June 1964 when he was appointed chief-of-staff of the Befehlshaber der Seestreitkrfte der Nordsee (German national Commander Naval Forces North Sea). [80], On 1 December 1955, Kretschmer joined West Germany's navy, at the time named the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy), holding the rank of Fregattenkapitn (Commander). Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. In addition, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) on 26 December 1941. The ship was loaded with coal, set for Buenos Aires, Argentina. [18], In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. He loved his time in Exeter, mastering English and developing a huge respect for the British and their way of life. 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. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. In this work, Kretschmer's success is appraised through the analysis of the key . Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. The report, filed in the archives, was named "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941". At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. BACK TO ADVISORS PAGE. Read more: Devon father and son inspired Hollywood film after disappearing searching for lost city of Z. 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. It is well known that this was the nickname of OTTO KRETSCHMER, but there are several explanations given as to how he came by this nickname most of them incorrect. [56] Laurentic and Patroclus had been loaded with wooden barrels to increase buoyancy. The boat went to the yard for repairs and. He captured the number one German U-boat ace Otto Kretschmer (whose Zeiss binoculars he took and used for the rest of the war); in the same battle, he directed the attack that killed the second-scoring ace Joachim Schepke. [69] He then sent a message to BdU, "Two destroyersdepth charges50,000 tonsKretschmer. U-99 is preparing for her first Feindfahrt (war patrol), taking on supplies. 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. He earned the nickname "Silent Otto", both for his successful use of the "silent running" capability of U-boats and for his reluctance to transmit radio messages during patrols. 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. In fact, out of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer scored 74 hits (equivalent to a 69.8% success rate). 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 . Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. Comes with leather case. Leather strap partially torn from case.- 2) Tasco 7x35 fully coated 304. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began the war in Europe. He was aware that the battleship was in the Home Fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow and he was formulating a way to enter and sink the ship. Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer, November 1940 (March 12, 2021) This week, 80 years ago, U-99, skippered by Otto Kretschmer, one of Germany's most famous U-boat commanders, had just fired the last of her torpedoes, when she was spotted by British destroyers southeast of Iceland in the North Atlantic. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried.". He sank four ships and damaged three. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941", Newspaper clippings about Otto Kretschmer, Telegraph On-line edition, February 4, 2008, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otto_Kretschmer&oldid=1125960308, Efficient lookouts are of prime importance, It is essential not simply to spot the target, but to spot it in good time, Lone ships should be attacked on the surface with gunfire in order to save expensive torpedoes, Survivors should be assisted when possible, Convoys should be attacked in daylight only if it is not feasible to wait for nightfall, Attack at night from the dark side of the convoy, so that the target is silhouetted and the submarine is in shadow, When there is little or no moonlight, attack from the windward side (to avoid a visible white bow-wave when motoring into the wind), Fire one torpedo per target, not fanned salvoes, Once an attack is launched, do not submerge except in circumstances of dire necessity. [24] Following this patrol, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 17 December. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. Des de setembre de 1939 fins que va ser capturat al mar de 1941, va enfonsar 47 vaixell, amb un total de 274.333 tones. But Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters, and the police seized them before their breakout. Keep me logged in. Kretschmer was released from captivity on 31 December 1947, and returned to Germany. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. Kretschmer indulged in sporting pastimes and scientific interests. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried. Hitler invited Kretschmer to sit in on a lunch meeting with Hitler and Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Union's ambassador to the Third Reich. 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