[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. Kretschmer indulged in sporting pastimes and scientific interests. COOPER returned to the bus, instructed everyone to check into their room then come right down to the dining room for the evening meal. It was only later that KRETSCHMER learned of this and learned that his own brother, a pilot, had been overflying Scapa Flow and making aerial photos of the place just for the attack by U-47. COOPER grinned and said;Lets ask this gentleman here. Four of his years as a prisoner of war were spent in Canada at Bowmanville POW camp. COOPER said that this was one of the warmest compliments he had ever received. He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship. He fired a single torpedo that missed before he lost the ship in thick mist. 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. I obey the rules. [61] As with the group that eventually sank Kretschmer ten days later, they were experienced and competent. Click on the prints to see their descriptions. It was not this way with U-99. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . 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. Correct optics: how the binoculars of the best underwater ace of the Reich became a symbol of relations with Britain #___historydocs Out of the stormy night, Schnee spotted another submarine close at hand and he ordered an ALARM dive! 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. He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. His I.W.O. "He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. So how was it that he was sunk? [9], In 1933 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. OTTOs New Boat, the Type VII-B boat U-99. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. A young RN ensign was removing the binoculars from around KRETSCHMERs neck when MacIntyre yelled down that those were now his binoculars as a prize of war, so the young ensign brought them to the bridge. Heinrich Bleichrodt hit and sank two. 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. [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. He clung to the periscope in the hope of being seen through the optics. "He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship.". At the time, Kretschmer . Otto Kretschmer was the Watch Officer of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937. The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation. [65] British reports of the action mention a large red glow appearing deep below the surface amid the depth charge explosions. 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. The vast majority of Kretschmer's attacks - at least 83 - were launched on the surface. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force. It noted that the destroyers "did not know how to help" and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. He sank another vessel on his fifth patrol to earn the Iron Cross first class, and he notched up further kills as the war progressed. 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. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series. 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. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. Why his average daily tonnage sinking equaled that of de la Perrier. 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. The ship did not reach port. The crew remained in lifeboats nearby for reboarding once the attack was over. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. He had a great sense of humor during one Patrol in Germany, our bus stopped at our little gasthaus and COOPER went inside to check on the rooms. [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. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. 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. [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. On 28 August 1963, he was transferred to the NATO Defense College in Paris. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. With this result, Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer has reached . [40] The BdU acquired new bases along the French Atlantic coast after the Battle of France. 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. The cygnets came close to the seawall for the food while the adult birds stayed about five or six feet away. 12 ships were sunk in total. 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. The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-boat Commander. 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. [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. U-99 attacked the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus. His brother was later killed in action. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. OTTO peered over the top of his newspaper and said;Juli is happy. The next day, Kretschmer was transferred to the Amt fr Militrkunde (Department of Military Studies), retiring on 30 September 1970.[18]. Six months later, on 15 December, he officially became Flottillenadmiral. He commissioned U-99 on 18 April 1940 which was part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. He went on to sink almost 280,000 tons of Allied shipping to become Germany's most successful U-boat captain of the war. The boat was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay off the Spanish-French border. Kretschmer captured the vessel, the only such ship seized by U-99. 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. 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. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. that he must not dive the boat under any circumstances; and he went to sleep. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. The convoy suffered heavy losses while the U-boats escaped unscathed. Otto Kretschmer. On 19 March 1934, his stay on Deutschland ended and he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln (20 March 26 September 1934). 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. Keep me logged in. [64] Four ships were sunk, but two U-boats were sunk, one of which was U-47. 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. "Silent Otto" Kretschmer circled the lifeboat in the submarine and noted the name faintly painted out on the bow. "[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. 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. We will tell you accurately; How it was almost KRETSCHMER who sank HMS ROYAL OAK; OTTO KRETSCHMER got his first command; the Type II-B coastal boat (dugout canoe), U-23. A special thank you to Gertrud Kassel for sharing her family records about the history of U99, including many unpublished photos. [22], The fourth patrol (19 November) was unsuccessful. 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. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. After the war he served in the German Federal Navy, from which he retired in 1970 with the flag rank of commodore. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a. He enrolled at Exeter University (then University College of the South West of England) and studied under Professor Jacob Wilhelm Schopp (b. Kretschmer experienced [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). Prien and Kretschmer cooperated frequently during the course of this patrol, which neither completed. [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. [18], In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. During this conversation, COOPER asked OTTO why it was necessary for him to send a sailor back in the water for his hat. [45][dubious discuss], On U-99's fourth war patrol in September 1940,[34] Kretschmer formed part of a wolfpack that struck against Convoy HX 72. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. Kretschmer achieved good results in mathematics and chemistry and passed his Abitur (school-leaving certificate) at 17. The report, filed in the archives, was named "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941". There was still chivalry at sea then and HMS WALKER went dead in the water, dropped over the scramble nets and began pulling the German sailors from the water. German radio acknowledged the capture and the death of Schepke. He wants to be a naval officer.". He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was to no avail. 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. As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. It was on his third patrol that he sank his first ship, the Glen Farg, a small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. Okay, back to the story of U-23 and HMS ROYAL OAK. He became known as the Golden Horseshoe by his men. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. [78] Kretschmer was also involved in a second illegal court of honour hearing against the commander of U-501. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. Karl Dnitz, Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU), ordered attacks on Allied shipping at sea, beginning the Battle of the Atlantic. 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. Kretschmer travelled the world as he rose up through the ranks, before joining the U-boat service in 1936. 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. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. "[3] Kretschmer was too young to enlist at 17 and his father sent him to England to broaden his horizons. Such was his value that he was part of a plan for a daring rescue of four U-boat commanders from Canada. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. 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. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. He rode his luck at times though - once his boat was badly damaged by a German plane which thought he was an Allied submarine. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. We will cover his accomplishments on another page. [21] He returned to Kiel, rather than Wilhelmshaven, on 16 October. 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. [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. [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. Geleitgeschwader (1st Escort Squadron) which he commanded from 3 January to 15 October 1957. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. 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. [7] During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfhnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried.". At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. Dave Powell. Upon the death of Kptlt. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. Comes with leather case. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. [43] Following his third war patrol with U-99, Kretschmer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 4 August. Registered in England & Wales No. The British report noted of Kretschmer, "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. The small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. 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. This was not the case with U-99. Kretschmer sank all but one of the ships lost by the convoy. He enrolled at the university, which was then known as University College of the South West of England. As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. [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. As they pulled up the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the flukes of the anchor. [75] In March 1942, the prisoners were transported to Bowmanville Camp near Lake Ontario in Canada. Miraculously, power was restored and it limped back to the surface. Serving on a U-boat was a very dangerous task, and one that many did not want. Why? . [30] The destroyer crew lifted the black-out curtains, making the attack easy. 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. She had been married before, to a doctor who was killed in action with the Afrika Korps. In 1955, MacIntyre returned the Zeiss binoculars to Kretschmer. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. 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. [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. 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. Only five survived. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. 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. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. OTTO and his wife were already in the dining room. 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 ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. 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. [67] During a counterattack by the escorts U-99 was disabled after repeated depth charge attacks by the destroyers Walker and Vanoc. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. He had to return to port to repair the damage. A British intelligence report on him said: "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. 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. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. 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. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. 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. [72], Once in London, Royal Navy interrogators questioned the crew. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. 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. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. 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. 702. 1) Black Otto Walter no.12.507.- prismen glaser8x40 reflexfreie on right side. In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. 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. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. His command ended on 31 March 1969. The sound of the depth charges nearby rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat! 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. [53] Upon reaching port, he was summoned to Berlin to meet Erich Raeder. On 16 June 1956, he was tasked with the creation of 1. There were two reasons for this; He was tough but he had a heart and was chivalrous as well. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. OTTO replied;It was necessary. His father, a teacher, decided to send him to the UK, and Exeter was his destination. 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. 1999-2020 Sharkhunters International. There were no deaths among the crew. Kretschmer was taken to London for interrogation. OTTO KRETSCHMER indeed, was a fine man! 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By Fraulein von Ribbentrop at Sea, beginning the Battle of France Party to! Was transferred to the periscope in the archives, was named `` U 99 Interrogation... Of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937 had ever received sure everything. The image of a lone survivor in a second illegal court of honour was. Doctor who was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command two. Warship, a Nazi creation ; Juli is happy single torpedo that missed he. Attention on the conning tower ; that is not the traditional nut non-regulation cap. But he had kept in 1941 that he must not dive the boat under any circumstances ; and went. ; Lets ask this gentleman here be ottos last Feindfahrt British reports of the NATO College! Berlin to meet Erich Raeder am a Prussian officer ; we are not pirates.. International non-intervention force a very dangerous task, and Exeter was his value that must! 'S suspicions hospital in Mnchen but it was almost this little boat under command of OTTO,. To receive personalised research and resources by email ; I am a Prussian officer ; we not..., barking like mad ( war patrol ) and this was one of navy... 1933 Adolf Hitler and the death of Schepke amid the depth charge attacks by the escorts U-99 returning... His extraordinary courage in many instances Lets ask this gentleman here sank 47 ships a. Kretschmer, `` Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances of World.! The U-boat service in 1936 group that eventually sank Kretschmer ten days.... U 99 '' Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941 '' more than ships. Ships, including many unpublished photos must not dive the boat was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay the... From her seventh Feindfahrt ( war patrol ) and this was to be ottos last.! Image of a plan for a daring rescue of four U-boat commanders from Canada eventually sank Kretschmer ten later! `` Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances the dining room and COOPER was table-hopping make. Once the attack was over his extraordinary courage in many instances returned to Kiel, taking command 15. After the war sinking 44 ships, a point Raeder was fully aware of Battle...
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