The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-boat Commander. At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. Kretschmer's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known. Prien along with his crew disappeared, presumably in a depth charge attack. Kretschmer took command of U-99, and adorned the conning tower with two gold-painted horseshoes for luck. 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. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. We do not come into port looking like pirates with dirty uniforms, untrimmed beards and with legs hanging over the side. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes . Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. Three days later he departed for his seventh war patrol. Kretschmer attempted to sink the ship with gunfire, but return fire and the appearance of an aircraft forced him to submerge. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. Only five survived. Only five sailors survived. The vast majority of Kretschmer's attacks - at least 83 - were launched on the surface. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Second World War (1939-1945) Awarded on: November 4th, 1940. In this work, Kretschmers success is appraised through the analysis of the key characteristics of his attacks, and the conditions of the battlefield in which he operated. Kretschmer travelled the world as he rose up through the ranks, before joining the U-boat service in 1936. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. On 1 June 1965, he was promoted to Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/Commodore/Rear Admiral), a rank which he initially held on probation. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. Laurentic of 18.724 brt and H.M.S. Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer; Bertha Bianca Kretschmer and Carl Theodor Otto Kretschmer. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. [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. Paterson: Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat captain of the Second World War, and the term 'scoring' relates to the total tonnage of shipping that he sank while commander of both U23 and U99. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. 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. Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military. - 1998. augusztus 5.) 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. On the night of 18/19 October, Berndt escaped from the camp. Por todo ello y entre otras, recibi A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. [57] Kretschmer was forced to engage Patroclus with the deck gun when it appeared to resist the torpedo damage, but retreated when the ship fired back. They were sent to Lime Street Station to be transported to London for interrogation. COOPER stated that KRETSCHMER was one of the absolutely finest men he had ever known totally honest and honorable. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. Con su legendario submarino Tipo VII, el U-99, se apunt desde Septiembre de 1.939 hasta Marzo de 1.941, 47 barcos hundidos con un total de 274.333 toneladas. Thistle was sunk weeks later by U-4. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. He met Adolf Hitler on more than once occasion, even having lunch with the Fhrer. 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. [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. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. 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, song or whatever. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . They opened the drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through. 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. [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. My ship deserted me!. Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. 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The ship sank slowly. "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. [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). 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. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. [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). He dispensed with the standard practice of firing salvoes of torpedoes from long distances. 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. "[74], Following his capture, Kretschmer spent almost seven years as a prisoner of war (POW) in the hands of the British, initially at No 1 POW camp Grizedale Hall in Cumbria. He clung to the periscope in the hope of being seen through the optics. His command ended on 31 March 1969. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. left no doubt that he wanted his boat and his crew back at sea in the shortest possible time. Otto Kretschmer is a tall, very polite man with an air of gentle formality. [61] As with the group that eventually sank Kretschmer ten days later, they were experienced and competent. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. [36] Kretschmer's tenth patrol (27 June21 July) yielded over 20,000GRT. He wants to be a naval officer.". [64] Four ships were sunk, but two U-boats were sunk, one of which was U-47. Today's London Daily Telegraph carries the obituary of Otto Kretschmer who has died at the age of 86. He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. [24] Following this patrol, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 17 December. Not the crew of U-99. When giving their wartime histories, the normal U-Bootfahrer would tell what boat he rode. "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. 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. On 26 September 1935, he was transferred to the 1st department of the standing ship division of the North Sea in Wilhelmshaven where he served as a company officer until 25 January 1936. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. His time in England shaped his view of them during the war; he was quick to believe in rumours of new British inventions during the war at sea. Kretschmer was transferred to the training ship Niobe (1 July 1930 9 October 1930), attaining the rank of Seekadett (cadet) on 9 October 1930 before embarking on a 14-month stay on board the cruiser Emden (10 October 1930 4 January 1932), which took him to the Far East through the Mediterranean and Suez canal. [19] A second patrol (921 September) yielded no success either. OTTO peered over the top of his newspaper and said;Juli is happy. Kretschmer also favoured surfaced attacks as opposed to the recommended submerged engagement, listing 11 Points of Submarine Warfare: [16], The 'one torpedo, one ship' tactics implemented by Kretschmer resulted in a very effective usage of torpedoes, as each attack was designed to maximize the chances of a hit. German radio acknowledged the capture and the death of Schepke. [54], Kretschmer departed for his fifteenth patrol on 27 November and returned on 12 December. El Otto Kretschmer (1 de maig de 1912 - 5 de maig de 1998) va ser un comandant de submarins alemany durant la Segona Guerra Mundial, sent l' amb ms xit. Throughout the rest of 1940, he enjoyed startling success, becoming something of a celebrity in the navy and one of Germany's most successful captains. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. 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. [4] He returned home upon his mother's death from tetanus in a medical malpractice incident. The Golden Horseshoe: The Wartime Career of Otto Kretschmer, U-Boat Ace by Terence Robertson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. But Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters, and the police seized them before their breakout. Seeing that the boat was still diving and the hatch beneath him to the Zentralle had slammed shut, Schnee had the presence of mind to close and secure the hatch above him to the bridge, thus saving the boat and himself. Her eyes misted up and a smile came to her lips, and then she said; A canal ran along behind the Kretschmer house and here we see Mrs. Kretschmer feeding the ducks with their little Schnauzer Juli. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. COOPER grinned and said;Lets ask this gentleman here. 1) Black Otto Walter no.12.507.- prismen glaser8x40 reflexfreie on right side. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. Kretschmer sank one and damaged twowhich he and Prien dispatched the following day. Leather strap partially torn from case.- 2) Tasco 7x35 fully coated 304. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series. After a running convoy battle in which KRETSCHMER did not sleep for two days straight, he exhausted his torpedoes and set course for home. It is true that he was not the typical Draufganger (fire breather) Skipper who would shout and scream orders as we saw in the movie das Boot. At the time, Kretschmer . Kretschmer indulged in sporting pastimes and scientific interests. Correct optics: how the binoculars of the best underwater ace of the Reich became a symbol of relations with Britain #___historydocs Prien sank the ship the following day. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. 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