Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. Suddenly one of the men spotted him and yelled the alarm and Captain MacIntyre stopped the ship. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began the war in Europe. On 19 March 1934, his stay on Deutschland ended and he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln (20 March 26 September 1934). From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. Ezzel a teljestmnyvel kirdemelte a Tlgyfalombokkal s kardokkal . Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. Kretschmer continued to search for stragglers and found SS Holmlea. On 1 June 1965, he was promoted to Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/Commodore/Rear Admiral), a rank which he initially held on probation. The Greatest Submarine Commander of all time was Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier who sank nearly 200 ships in World War One. 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. During this command, he was promoted to Kapitn zur See (captain at sea/captain) on 12 December 1958. 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. The boat returned to Wilhelmshaven on 4 September. In December 1934, he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln, then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling U-boat service. His wife was so devastated that she just gave up and died two years later, almost to the day. Chivalry was still at work at this time and former enemies who had been killing each other the previous day could play cards together. Something went wrong, please try again later. Kretschmer captured the vessel, the only such ship seized by U-99. U-99 was badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, KRETSCHMER ordered emergency surface. OTTO KRETSCHMER made only seven Feindfahrt in World War Two but his daily average tonnage was equal to that of de la Perrier. [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 prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. Despite being captured, the German nay continued to promote him, and even awarded him he Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords - only the fifth member of the German armed forces to receive the accolade. But Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters, and the police seized them before their breakout. Keep me logged in. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force. 8x40 model no. He was on a holiday cruisefrom Regensburg to Budapest when he tried climbing some almost vertical steps. It went passed its crushing depth of 700m, and all looked lost. 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. 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. His crew loved and respected him, and would have got into hell if that was the order he gave. One signalman sent a message to the escorts "we are sinking" and the firing stopped. On 28 August 1963, he was transferred to the NATO Defense College in Paris. Kretschmer experienced 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. I was a lieutenant on U-35, in the second submarine flotilla, and together with U . A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. Serving on a U-boat was a very dangerous task, and one that many did not want. [7] During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfhnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. On February 22, 1941, Kretschmer set off on his final patrol. They provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred him to a lifeboat at the first opportunity. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. Prien sank the ship the following day. Correct optics: how the binoculars of the best underwater ace of the Reich became a symbol of relations with Britain #___historydocs His I.W.O. German propagandists feared the triple loss might be too damaging to morale. 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 (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. 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. Almost every U-Boat had one or more emblems PAINTED on their conning tower fairweather. (Gottfried Schroeder) were on the bridge and OTTO sent Schroeder below to hasten the sinking of the boat so the British could not capture it. It is not possible to change the direction of a rapidly diving submarine at the wave of a hand, and so with Schnee on the bridge and both conning tower hatches fully open, U-23 disappeared beneath the North Sea. [42], Four days later Kretschmer began his eleventh patrol which concluded on 5 August. Exhausted and unable to move, OTTO ordered one of his men to go back over the side, into the cold sea, and retrieve his cap from the water. The boat slipped beneath the waves, leaving him stranded in freezing waters. 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. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. 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. 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. 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. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. 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. His greatest success came in August with the sinking of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star. They opened the drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through. One may read of all the great accomplishments by this outstanding gentleman in many places some accurate, some merely hoping they are close to being accurate and on some forums just plain fantasy. The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. One attack saw him surface in the midst of a convoy before opening fire. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The next day, Kretschmer was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse). During this time, he developed his own theory about submarine warfare. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. My ship deserted me!. He then ordered the merchant Skipper to put everyone back aboard then gave him a course to steer for one of the German bases on the French coast, and ordered the merchant Skipper to surrender the ship to the harbor authorities there. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. 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. Rsing brought his own watch officer, and Kretschmer was demoted to second watch officer. 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. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. That same day the British escorts scored another success against the Kriegsmarine when the noted U-boat skipper Joachim Schepke was killed aboard U-100, having been depth charged, rammed and sunk by Vanoc. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. They fought Canadian troops armed with ice hockey sticks, and only surrendered when the guards brought in high-pressure water hoses. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. Comes with leather case and all lens protectors.- 3) Swift Falcon wide angle fully coated optics. His first operational posting was to the 2nd U-Flotillas Type VII U35 where he survived almost being drowned during training in the Baltic Sea. [66], On 16 March 1941 Kretschmer attacked Convoy HX 112. Kretschmer attempted to sink the ship with gunfire, but return fire and the appearance of an aircraft forced him to submerge. Patroclus of 11.314 brt as well as the armed Britsish merchantman Casanare of 5.376 brt. 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. Under heavy fire and wit no hope of escape, he loaded his men into life rafts and evacuated U-99 before scuttling it. Kretschmer docked in Lorient on 21 July. Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer; Bertha Bianca Kretschmer and Carl Theodor Otto Kretschmer. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. [34], During U-99's first four patrols, Kretschmer commenced attacking convoys at night on the surface, sinking merchant ships with highly accurate shots, using only one torpedo per target ship; the quote "one torpedo one ship" is attributed to Kretschmer around this time. In 1943, the men dug a tunnel out of the camp ahead of an 870-mile journey across Canada to New Brunswick. Kretschmer was released from captivity on 31 December 1947, and returned to Germany. 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. Its commander, Hugo Frster, was repatriated to Germany and committed suicide before the end of the war. 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. My family is complete.. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. The Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk east of the Shetland Islands. [53] In December Kretschmer tried to intercept Convoy HX 90 but encountered only stragglers. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. [Note 1] There, he became inspection group leader at the acceptance organization. Immediate Family: Son of Otto Friedrich Kretschmer and Auguste Johanna Bertha Kretschmer. He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school). [9] Kretschmer joined the U-boat service in January 1936. He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship. Although he fought doggedly for Nazi Germany during the war, his affection for Exeter remained with him until his death. were transferred off and sent to Commanders School so they could command their own boats and KRETSCHMER asked for battle experienced officers as replacements. She had been married before, to a doctor who was killed in action with the Afrika Korps. Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. He became known as the Golden Horseshoe by his men. What he and the other Skippers of the Type II boats who were ordered to stand well away from Scapa Flow and the Orkney Islands did not know was that the planned operation was already in motion for the Type VII-B boat, U-47 to make this attack. The crew remained in lifeboats nearby for reboarding once the attack was over. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. He hand signed some of our very rare fine art prints. The U-boot commanded by Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer has sunk the two British auxiliary cruisers H.M.S. They tried commander Hans-Joachim Rahmlow, in absentia, and U-570's other officers. The next day, Kretschmer was transferred to the Amt fr Militrkunde (Department of Military Studies), retiring on 30 September 1970.[18]. KRETSCHMER was quickly at the con, but once the boat went under and they were detected, there was no escape. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. [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 replied;It was necessary. [2] His father was a teacher at the local Volkschule (primary school), which Otto attended from 1918 to 1921. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. Petersen had served as Kretschmer's helmsman on every war patrol on both U-23 and U-99. 12 ships were sunk in total. I had to surrender my ship to the British Captain and I had to be in complete uniform.. [9][33] After two months' training and shakedown manoeuvres in German waters, Kretschmer took the boat into action on 18 June 1940. 1999-2020 Sharkhunters International. [32] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 25 February after 17 days at seahis longest to date. 19 men were killed in the sinking; only two were saved. 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. That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. A British intelligence report on him said: "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed.

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