From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. So how was it that he was sunk? OTTO KRETSCHMER and Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) were close friends, and when COOPER asked him why there were no photos of him with the traditional White Cap, OTTO explained he said;The white hat was not issue, it was tradition but not regulation and I am a Prussian officer. The air crews sank eight and damaged several more. Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force. The ships were protected by an escort group of two destroyers, Wolverine and Verity, and two corvettes, Arbutus and Camellia. 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. This third patrol on U-99, took the boat into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel and west of Ireland. Almost every U-Boat had one or more emblems PAINTED on their conning tower fairweather. [Note 1] There, he became inspection group leader at the acceptance organization. She had been married before, to a doctor who was killed in action with the Afrika Korps. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. [46] Kretschmer's logbook recorded the chaos. Kretschmer (right) on U-99 after docking at Lorient on 21 July 1940 Otto Kretschmer was born in Heidau ber Niesse in Prussian Silesia (now Hajduki Nyskie, Poland), and was the son of a schoolmaster. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. He was upset, but he was a proper officer and obeyed his orders. [13], He was given interim command of U-35 in August 1937, and this appointment coincided with Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War. [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. Our DVD-56 features OTTO KRETSCHMER and you may get a glimpse of that DVD click here: SCENE 1 SCENE 2 SCENE 3, OTTO KRETSCHMER was with us for several of our Patrols in Germany and also in the USA. Kretschmer and U-23 had departed from Wilhelmshaven on 25 August, one week before the start of World War II. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. The OKM was established as the supreme command of the navy responsible for all facets of naval warfare. The boat slipped beneath the waves, leaving him stranded in freezing waters. In December 1934, he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln, then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling U-boat service. 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. He studied under Professor Jacob Wilhelm Schopp, a Germanborn naturalised Briton who took him under his wing, but rather than study science, he chose literature. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes . "[73], 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. The boat went to the yard for repairs and OTTO left no doubt that he wanted his boat and his crew back at sea in the shortest possible time. When giving their wartime histories, the normal U-Bootfahrer would tell what boat he rode. "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. As U-99 returns from an early Feindfahrt, we see that the crew is neatly arranged (photo left) on the deck and there is no White Cap on the Skipper. [18], In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. Otto Kretschmer was only in combat from September 1939 until March 1941 but was Germany's highest-scoring U-boat commander, sinking 47 ships totaling 274,333 tons. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. 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. [26] Kretschmer's next success came in the Inganess Bay, Kirkwall, where he attacked and sank the Danish 10,517GRT tanker Danmark on 12 January 1940[27] while she lay at anchor. The small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. Death and burial ground of Kretschmer, Otto Wilhelm August "Silent Otto". [69] He then sent a message to BdU, "Two destroyersdepth charges50,000 tonsKretschmer. 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. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. Kretschmer attempted to sink the ship with gunfire, but return fire and the appearance of an aircraft forced him to submerge. [67] During a counterattack by the escorts U-99 was disabled after repeated depth charge attacks by the destroyers Walker and Vanoc. He then attended a training course (16 October 1957 28 February 1958) for amphibious forces in the United States. At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. Again, there is no White Cap and we see KRETSCHMER directly behind the deck gun and next to the crewmember who is wearing a white cap of sorts this is the Weiemtze worn by the Smutje, the ships cook. The boat returned to Wilhelmshaven on 4 September. 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. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. 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. 19 men were killed in the sinking; only two were saved. [65] British reports of the action mention a large red glow appearing deep below the surface amid the depth charge explosions. [22], The fourth patrol (19 November) was unsuccessful. 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. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. During this time, he developed his own theory about submarine warfare. "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. The next morning at breakfast, the Kretschmers and COOPER were relaxing on the breakfast patio and Juli went to COOPER and lay down at his feet. Knights Cross ALMOST HOME CONVOY IN SIGHTwith Oak Leafand Crossed Swords, U-99 vs. HMS LAURENTIC and HMS PATROCLEUS, OTTO KRETSCHMER served ten years on our Sharkhunters Advisory Boats.Click here to view the entire Board. After a running convoy battle in which KRETSCHMER did not sleep for two days straight, he exhausted his torpedoes and set course for home. He commissioned U-99 on 18 April 1940 which was part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. Prien along with his crew disappeared, presumably in a depth charge attack. He enrolled at Exeter University (then University College of the South West of England) and studied under Professor Jacob Wilhelm Schopp (b. Heinrich Bleichrodt hit and sank two. [72], Once in London, Royal Navy interrogators questioned the crew. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. They opened the drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through. Three of his men were lost, but Kretschmer and the remainder of U-99's crew were captured. The 28-ship convoy was poorly defended by a destroyer and a corvette. Serving on a U-boat was a very dangerous task, and one that many did not want. 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. Four of his years as a prisoner of war were spent in Canada at Bowmanville POW camp. 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. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. There are as many reports, theories, and wild-eyed guesses as there are forums on the Internet most of which are pure speculation and fiction. He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. [19] A second patrol (921 September) yielded no success either. Kretschmer continued to search for stragglers and found SS Holmlea. Ezzel a teljestmnyvel kirdemelte a Tlgyfalombokkal s kardokkal . Comes with leather case. 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. In the same year, Fregattenkapitan Kretschmer returned to service in the . 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. 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! Por todo ello y entre otras, recibi Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. OTTO KRETSCHMER indeed, was a fine man! Prien and Kretschmer, along with U-70 (Matz) and UA, attacked the convoy. [66], On 16 March 1941 Kretschmer attacked Convoy HX 112. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. Kretschmer's strength was evidently failing in the cold ocean; his own rescue was at the hands of a British sailor who climbed down the nets and plucked him from the water. 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. Otto Kretschmer is a tall, very polite man with an air of gentle formality. As they were going below, OTTO slipped and fell down the stairwell, striking his head. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. COOPER said that this was one of the warmest compliments he had ever received. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. The ship did not reach port. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. [5] He underwent basic military training in the 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund (1 April 1930 30 June 1930). She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. A detachment of the Home Guard apprehended him, shooting him when he tried to escape. Kretschmer captured the vessel, the only such ship seized by U-99. OTTO peered over the top of his newspaper and said;Juli is happy. 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. . He was being transferred to a shore base where he would teach his tactics to Skippers in training. I obey the rules. We will cover his accomplishments on another page. Hitler invited Kretschmer to sit in on a lunch meeting with Hitler and Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Union's ambassador to the Third Reich. They all got along perfectly, and MacIntyre told KRETSCHMER that these were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war. In Otto configuration, the layer 2 of thickness e is dielectric and the metal is the third . My family is complete.. Its commander, Hugo Frster, was repatriated to Germany and committed suicide before the end of the war. Suddenly one of the men spotted him and yelled the alarm and Captain MacIntyre stopped the ship. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [31] 157 of the Daring crew were killed, including Commander Sydney Cooper. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Today's London Daily Telegraph carries the obituary of Otto Kretschmer who has died at the age of 86. 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. 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. While his wartime actions have been narrated several times, his tactics, summarized by the famous motto one torpedo, one ship, have never been systematically analysed. Kretschmer sank all but one of the ships lost by the convoy. 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. 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. On 1 November 1958, he was transferred to the position of commander of the Bundesmarine's Amphibische Streitkrfte ("amphibious forces"), a position he held until 15 January 1962. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. [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. [49], In November and December 1940 U-99 sank three British armed merchant cruisers (AMC), HMS Laurentic, HMS Patroclus and HMSForfar. [79], In 1943, the German navy tried to rescue him in Operation Kiebitz but that daring plan (later dramatized in the novel The Bowmanville Break and the film, The McKenzie Break) failed. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. [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. 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. As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. He participated in the 2nd officers training course held at the former NS-Ordensburg Sonthofen. Flotilla Admiral Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. [53] Upon reaching port, he was summoned to Berlin to meet Erich Raeder. Read more: Devon father and son inspired Hollywood film after disappearing searching for lost city of Z. The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. 3 binoculars included in this lot. 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. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. We use cookies to improve your website experience. [23] Kretschmer targeted the Danish Scotia, a 2,400GRT on 7 December. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. [75] In March 1942, the prisoners were transported to Bowmanville Camp near Lake Ontario in Canada. [57] On 7 December 1940, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum; the last success of the year. [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. [20] Another neutral Scandinavian ship was sunk. Kretschmer sank one and damaged twowhich he and Prien dispatched the following day. It took nine torpedoes and one dud to sink them; the latter was sunk after it stopped to pick up survivors from the former. 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. 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. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. Otto Kretschmer (Straubing, 1912. mjus 1. The seaman did as he was ordered and brought the cap back to OTTO. OTTO replied;It was necessary. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. Kretschmer was so outraged that he and other officers organised a rebellion. 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. OTTO felt a sudden rush of air out of the open hatch past him and the boat was going down quickly. Kretschmer was released after seven years as a prisoner of war. Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school). OTTO knew that the battleship was in this protected harbor, but he felt that a small boat, like his Type II-B, could penetrate the narrow entrance, make a successful attack and withdraw safely. On 1 October 1937, Kretschmer took command of U-23. The ship was loaded with coal, set for Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am sunking. Yep Sunking is the word he used. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. [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. 12 ships were sunk in total. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. [56] Laurentic and Patroclus had been loaded with wooden barrels to increase buoyancy. 176 men died. Did you know that with a free Taylor & Francis Online account you can gain access to the following benefits? Only five survived. Such were his expertise, he re-joined the navy in 1955. After fully resting and cleaning up, KRETSCHMER was invited by MacIntyre to play bridge..with officers of some of the merchant ships that OTTO had just sunk! He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. All Rights Reserved. His I.W.O. Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military. 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. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. Hermann Michahelles, Otto Kretschmer became commander of U-35 until 15 August 1937. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. 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 prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. [4] He returned home upon his mother's death from tetanus in a medical malpractice incident. Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. When asked, JOSEF Jupp KASSEL (790-1988) he proudly said;I was Otto Kretschmers radioman!. Otto Kretschmer was the Watch Officer of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937. As they pulled up the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the flukes of the anchor. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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