Does not come with case. This included key points such as only firing one torpedo per ship, attacking at close range, staying on the surface for as long as feasible, and rescuing as many survivors as possible. [18], From 1 March to 31 October 1958, Kretschmer served as Admiralstabsoffizier (Astoofficer of the admiralty staff) with the Fleet Command. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. A British intelligence report on him said: "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. Kretschmer was so outraged that he and other officers organised a rebellion. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried. "[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. ; otherwise, remain on the surface, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 20:17. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. 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. Under water U-99 had no chance of catching her. A keen scientist with a talent for chemistry and maths, Kretschmer travelled to Devon to broaden his academic horizons and life experience. [71] Winston Churchill disclosed the capture of Kretschmer to the House of Commons on 21 March. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. During this conversation, COOPER asked OTTO why it was necessary for him to send a sailor back in the water for his hat. Okay, back to the story of U-23 and HMS ROYAL OAK. She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. The convoy suffered heavy losses while the U-boats escaped unscathed. On the night of 18/19 October, Berndt escaped from the camp. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. 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. He did not return to England from his hiatus, but travelled through France, Switzerland and Italy. Leather strap partially torn from case.- 2) Tasco 7x35 fully coated 304. That boat is seen to the left on a barge going down the Donau River for Costanza, Rumania on the Black Sea coast to operate against Soviet forces under other Skippers including RUDOLF ARENDT (7563-2011). 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. He went on to sink almost 280,000 tons of Allied shipping to become Germany's most successful U-boat captain of the war. I obey the rules. Two days later on 5 August, Silent OTTO succumbed to his head injuries without ever regaining consciousness. On 1 October 1937, Kretschmer took command of U-23. He demonstrated a cool approach to combat: his mantra one torpedo for one ship proved that the best way for his boat to succeed against a convoy was to remain surfaced as much as possible, penetrating the convoy and using the boats high speed and small silhouette to avoid retaliation. Once secured dockside, the crew poses for a triumphant photo. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. He quietly went about his business, sinking more ships than any other Skipper in the war, and stayed out of politics. Sir, do you think that OTTO KRETSCHMER will be with us on this trip? to which OTTO smiled and replied; I think he is already here. at which point the Member nearly fell out of his chair. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. This stay was interrupted for an aerial defense training course at Warnemnde (510 March 1934). You can stay up to date on the top news and events near you with DevonLive's FREE newsletters enter your email address at the top of the page or go here. [38] Acts of compassion in submarine warfare were "selective and fickle", one historian wrote when describing Kretschmer's rescue of a lone man in a raft. 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. [46] Kretschmer's logbook recorded the chaos. The British report noted of Kretschmer, "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. Upon the death of Kptlt. They all got along perfectly, and MacIntyre told KRETSCHMER that these were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war. Three days later he departed for his seventh war patrol. [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. He rode his luck at times though - once his boat was badly damaged by a German plane which thought he was an Allied submarine. [7] During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfhnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. COOPER said that this was one of the warmest compliments he had ever received. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. It was not this way with, . This is a trusted computer. The air crews sank eight and damaged several more. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. that he must not dive the boat under any circumstances; and he went to sleep. 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. He was on a holiday cruisefrom Regensburg to Budapest when he tried climbing some almost vertical steps. He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. HMS WALKER had drifted several hundred yards from the spot U-99 had disappeared and, still wearing his full set of leathers AND sea boots (filled with water), OTTO made the difficult swim to HMS WALKER only to grab onto the scramble nets as the destroyer was beginning to pick up speed they didnt know he was on the nets! He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. There were two reasons for this; Knights Cross with Oak Leaf and Crossed Swords, There would be nine diamonds forming the Swastika, All the time this was going on, as the pair ran, Why you never saw him with the traditional . [48] Kretschmer recommended his helmsman Stabsobersteuermann Heinrich Petersen for the Knight's Cross after twelve war patrols for saving U-99 from enemy detection. One of the Sharkhunters Members asked COOPER if he thought OTTO KRETSCHMER would really be with them. Kretschmer was born in Heidau in what is now part of Poland, but then belonged to Germany. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. 1) Black Otto Walter no.12.507.- prismen glaser8x40 reflexfreie on right side. A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. [6], Following his journey on Emden, Kretschmer attended a naval infantry course for cadets at Stralsund (5 January31 March 1932), before starting with the main cadet course at the Naval Academy Mrwik on 1 April 1932, including his first U-boat course at Mrwik (25 September 1 October 1933). 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. 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. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series. 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. 702. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. 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. In 1943, the men dug a tunnel out of the camp ahead of an 870-mile journey across Canada to New Brunswick. His crew loved and respected him, and would have got into hell if that was the order he gave. She had been married before, to a doctor who was killed in action with the Afrika Korps. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. The Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk east of the Shetland Islands. Kretschmer was taken to London for interrogation. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. 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. This third patrol on U-99, took the boat into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel and west of Ireland. - 1998. augusztus 5.) From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. 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. He departed from Wilhelmshaven for his eighth war patrol on 9 February. Six months later, on 15 December, he officially became Flottillenadmiral. [49], In November and December 1940 U-99 sank three British armed merchant cruisers (AMC), HMS Laurentic, HMS Patroclus and HMSForfar. "[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. Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. KLAUS BARGSTEN (328-1987) and his II.W.O. Admiral Sir George Creasy considered the manoeuvre so dangerous he thought it had been done by mistake. I gratefully acknowledge the help of Marianna Colasuonno for patiently reading the manuscript and providing valuable suggestions throughout the drafting of this paper. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. 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. 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. It went passed its crushing depth of 700m, and all looked lost. Only five of the 161-strong crew survived. "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. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. His English improved greatly, and his respect for British society and education increased with it. [9] Kretschmer joined the U-boat service in January 1936. The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. A fall caused fatal injuries. [21] He returned to Kiel, rather than Wilhelmshaven, on 16 October. [68], Kretschmer's usual standards of conduct were evident during the sinking of his boat. Kretschmer was released from captivity on 31 December 1947, and returned to Germany. 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. [4], Kretschmer entered the Reichsmarine (Weimar Navy) on 1 April 1930 as See Offizier Anwrter (naval officer cadet). Serving on a U-boat was a very dangerous task, and one that many did not want. The boat slipped beneath the waves, leaving him stranded in freezing waters. OTTO reached into the torrent, grabbed the lanyard and slammed the hatch but where was Schnee? 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. Kretschmer docked in Lorient on 21 July. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. 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. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. 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. 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 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. [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. Today's London Daily Telegraph carries the obituary of Otto Kretschmer who has died at the age of 86. [24] Following this patrol, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 17 December. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. 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. German radio acknowledged the capture and the death of Schepke. 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. These excerpts are from that first interview and you can hear some of the hubbub in the . This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. In 1955, MacIntyre returned the Zeiss binoculars to Kretschmer. Pyers Symon. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force. 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