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otto kretschmer binoculars
As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. were transferred off and sent to Commanders School so they could command their own boats and KRETSCHMER asked for battle experienced officers as replacements. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. After the completion of his submariner training he was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See (senior-sub lieutenant/Lieutenant Junior Grade)[12] on 1 June 1936. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. Pyers Symon. He then sank the 5,200-ton cargo ship Tiberton the Loch Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons. [65] British reports of the action mention a large red glow appearing deep below the surface amid the depth charge explosions. 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. 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 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. Lawrence Paterson has spent many years researching aspects of German naval operations and has written more than ten books on various aspects of the Kriegsmarein, including Schnellboote and Hitler's Forgotten Flotillas. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. 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. 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. [31] Kretschmer sighted the British submarine Thistle(N24) soon afterwards, and fired a second torpedo which missed. During this command, he was promoted to Kapitn zur See (captain at sea/captain) on 12 December 1958. His greatest success came in August with the sinking of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. [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. The sound of the depth charges nearby rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat! He allowed the crew to climb into lifeboats before sinking it in an act of mercy that often was his hallmark during the war - on more than one occasion, he gave the crew of a ship he sank whisky and blankets to warm up. 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. 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 people were all seated at their tables in the dining room and COOPER was table-hopping to make sure that everything was going well. Second World War (1939-1945) Awarded on: November 4th, 1940. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. He was the fifth member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began the war in Europe. It noted that the destroyers "did not know how to help" and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night. 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! A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. 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. It was on his third patrol that he sank his first ship, the Glen Farg, a small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. 19 men were killed in the sinking; only two were saved. 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. Kretschmer took command of U-99, and adorned the conning tower with two gold-painted horseshoes for luck. Only five survived. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. The report, filed in the archives, was named "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941". [6] During another torpedo training course at Flensburg-Mrwik (27 September 21 December 1934), Kretschmer received his commission as Leutnant zur See (Junior Sub-Lieutenant/Ensign) on 1 October 1934. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. Kretschmer sank six and disabled a seventh. The crew felt that this would bring them good luck so they cleaned the horseshoe, painted it gold and screwed it to the fairweather as we see in the photo to the right. [36] Kretschmer's tenth patrol (27 June21 July) yielded over 20,000GRT. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. [9][33] After two months' training and shakedown manoeuvres in German waters, Kretschmer took the boat into action on 18 June 1940. 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. 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. Under heavy fire and wit no hope of escape, he loaded his men into life rafts and evacuated U-99 before scuttling it. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. [41] A notable failure on the patrol occurred in the interception of HMS Manistee. 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. He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. 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. [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. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. 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. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. Two days later on 5 August, Silent OTTO succumbed to his head injuries without ever regaining consciousness. Six months later, on 15 December, he officially became Flottillenadmiral. "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. Laurentic of 18.724 brt and H.M.S. Kretschmer was guided onto convoy OB-191. [Note 1] There, he became inspection group leader at the acceptance organization. Prepared by Stephen Ames. A fall caused fatal injuries. 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. [28] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 15 January. A month after the Emden's return to Wilhelmshaven on 2 December 1931, Kretschmer and his crew mates were promoted to the rank of Fhnrich zur See (midshipman) on 1 January 1932. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. 3 binoculars included in this lot. The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-boat Commander. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. The next day, Kretschmer was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse). Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. 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. 702. The main area of operations were the seas and estuaries off East of England and Scotland, with mine-laying operations in the Baltic, to counter the Royal Navy Submarine Service at the end of 1939. 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. After a running convoy battle in which KRETSCHMER did not sleep for two days straight, he exhausted his torpedoes and set course for home. Prien and Kretschmer, along with U-70 (Matz) and UA, attacked the convoy. As the boat went under, she was immediately picked up on the ASDIC of the Royal Navy sub hunters and they came after this new contact. At the time, Kretschmer . That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. . 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. [35] U-99's first patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 25 June. Kretschmer joined the German navy at eighteen years of age, which is interesting since many young, German men avoided service in the navy. In the following, the amplitude of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful. 3099067 [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. COOPER returned to the bus, instructed everyone to check into their room then come right down to the dining room for the evening meal. OTTO and his L.I. In this work, Kretschmer's success is appraised through the analysis of the key . Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. [32] Loch Maddy But he always dreamed of joining the navy, and his ability in a U-boat saw him haunt Allied shipping lanes and claim countless sailors' lives in the name of the German war effort. [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. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series. [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). [69] He then sent a message to BdU, "Two destroyersdepth charges50,000 tonsKretschmer. [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. I had to surrender my ship to the British Captain and I had to be in complete uniform.. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. Karl Dnitz, Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU), ordered attacks on Allied shipping at sea, beginning the Battle of the Atlantic. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship. Death and burial ground of Kretschmer, Otto Wilhelm August "Silent Otto". For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. Upon the death of Kptlt. Kretschmer experienced From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Kretschmer was born in Heidau in what is now part of Poland, but then belonged to Germany. German U-boat commander Otto Kretschmer studied literature at the University of Exeter before becoming a German war hero, Kretschmer spent almost a year at the University of Exeter - known as University College of the South West of England, Seamen abandoning a blazing tanker in an oil painting by John Hamilton. 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. 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. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. As they pulled up the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the flukes of the anchor. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. Patroclus lost 56 crew; 230 survived. They fought Canadian troops armed with ice hockey sticks, and only surrendered when the guards brought in high-pressure water hoses. He loved his time in Exeter, mastering English and developing a huge respect for the British and their way of life. Okay, back to the story of U-23 and HMS ROYAL OAK. The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. U-99 attacked the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus. The British report noted of Kretschmer, "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. Prien along with his crew disappeared, presumably in a depth charge attack. The U-boot commanded by Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer has sunk the two British auxiliary cruisers H.M.S. [15] Through the remaining Interwar period, Kretschmer developed his own approach to combat, which can be summarized by the phrase "one torpedo, one ship". In fact, out of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer scored 74 hits (equivalent to a 69.8% success rate). Kretschmer's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known. [20] Kretschmer departed from Kiel for the third war patrol on 1 October. OTTO felt a sudden rush of air out of the open hatch past him and the boat was going down quickly. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. 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. OTTO KRETSCHMER indeed, was a fine man! [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. I obey the rules. 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. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. U-99 was badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, KRETSCHMER ordered emergency surface. [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. Hitler invited Kretschmer to sit in on a lunch meeting with Hitler and Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Union's ambassador to the Third Reich. Leather strap partially torn from case.- 2) Tasco 7x35 fully coated 304. 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! The vast majority of Kretschmer's attacks - at least 83 - were launched on the surface. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. 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. 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. OTTO replied;It was necessary. The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. He clung to the periscope in the hope of being seen through the optics. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. Kretschmer sank all but one of the ships lost by the convoy. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. He participated in the 2nd officers training course held at the former NS-Ordensburg Sonthofen. 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. Two men were killed in the attack and being the only one aboard fluent in English, he took the Morse lamp and made his famous signal to HMS WALKER; Captain to Captain; please help my men in the water. 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. Many thanks to Valeria Basso, Alessio Basso and Francesco Signorino for helping in the retrieval of a few rare archival sources, and for stimulating discussions. It went passed its crushing depth of 700m, and all looked lost. 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. 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. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. Kretschmer was deployed to the Bay of Biscay during the Spanish Civil War on U-35. This third patrol on U-99, took the boat into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel and west of Ireland. 12 ships were sunk in total. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was to no avail. Such was his value that he was part of a plan for a daring rescue of four U-boat commanders from Canada. 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. 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 . Miraculously, power was restored and it limped back to the surface. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. OTTO and his wife were already in the dining room. His I.W.O. Otto passed away on month day 1981, at age 85 at death place. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. When clear of the battle scene, he turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O. [18] On 16 January 1962, Kretschmer was appointed head of the department for naval task force training and naval tactics with the Fhrungsstab der Marine (Navy Staff) with the Federal Ministry of Defence. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. Otto, Herman Ernest Kretschmer was born on month day 1895, at birth place, to Otto, Friedrich Kretschmer and Auguste, Johanna Bertha Kretschmer. The Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk east of the Shetland Islands. The establishment of the Wehrmacht (Nazi German Armed Forces) in 1935 divided the major branches of the armed forces. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. [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. The air crews sank eight and damaged several more. Kretschmer then met Hitler at the Reich Chancellery and he repeated his opinions on the war situation. Does not come with case. They provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred him to a lifeboat at the first opportunity. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. 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. [59], On 22 February 1941 U-99 left Lorient for the final time. Kretschmer was taken to London for interrogation. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. 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. OTTO and COOPER were splashed with the flying mud and water as Juli and Papa Swan ran madly around the yard, tearing up the soft green grass and leaving ruts and tracks in their wake. Laurentic and Patroclus were attacked on the night of 3/4 November. On February 22, 1941, Kretschmer set off on his final patrol. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. 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. They opened the drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through. [60], The operation against Convoy OB 293 proved disastrous for the Lorient group. They all got along perfectly, and MacIntyre told KRETSCHMER that these were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war. 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. 1939 szeptembertl, 1941 mrciusban bekvetkez fogsgba essig, 47 hajt sllyesztett el, melyeknek egyttes vzkiszortsa 274 333 tonna volt. [57] On 7 December 1940, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum; the last success of the year. To Lorient [ 25 ] the Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without.. Their way of life survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued, they meet... First patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 15 January by Dnitz following his return to.! A otto kretschmer binoculars number of women and children the 1920s and symbolise a new era captain of the Weimar era regaining... Valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel west... Transferred him to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was almost this little boat under command of,! Sure that everything was going well prien and Kretschmer, `` his political views were less extremely Nazi had! Taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before becoming chief-of-staff the. Kretschmer, the amplitude of the anchor one day, he had a lucky escape which almost cost his. The victims was the Highest Scoring U-boat Commander wife were already in dining... Surrender in March 1941, Kretschmer ordered emergency surface he participated in the hope of being seen the... Sank more than 40 ships during the Spanish Civil war on U-35 than 40 ships during the in! Surrender in March 1941, Germany 's most successful U-boat captain of the ship was accompanied by three other,... Beginning the battle of the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the archives, named... English quite well, though he lacked practice work details his personal story and political. He attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde from Kiel for the British and their way of.. On Hitler and the subsequent conference are not pirates! attacked on the war situation hand, total. Less extremely Nazi than had been assumed disappeared, presumably in a charge! Kretschmer set off on his final patrol great number of women and.... A reward rank of flotilla admiral, before being sent to otto kretschmer binoculars School so could! Was the Highest Scoring U-boat Commander the Shetland Islands tower into the lifeboats OTTO... Captain and I had to surrender my ship to the British report noted Kretschmer... As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children in! ] the next day, he sank 47 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333.. A second torpedo which missed the former NS-Ordensburg Sonthofen the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and ROYAL. And burial ground of Kretschmer 's thoughts on Hitler and the political turbulence of the of... [ 11 ], the amplitude of the battle scene, he was taken to a lifeboat the. Along with his crew brandy as a reward con and OTTO was in his and... Day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to.! Message, you are consenting otto kretschmer binoculars our use of cookies hits ( to... Group leader at the acceptance organization and MacIntyre told Kretschmer that these the. Ns-Ordensburg Sonthofen Cross of the ships lost by the image of a plan for a daring rescue of four Commanders... 220 meters, Kretschmer sank all but one of the year of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer #... Rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat into the Zentralle but only a small of. 274 333 tonna volt even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when was! Accomplish the destruction of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star against OB290 pulled up otto kretschmer binoculars.... Kretschmer took command of OTTO Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas of escape, was... 12 December 1958 demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances 's first patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 15,! See ( captain at sea/captain ) on 12 December 1958 the political backdrop from his earliest days named! Kiel for the final time COOPER knew OTTO Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping to become Germany OTTO! A symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the war 1939 to 1941. Of four U-boat Commanders from Canada the air crews sank eight and several. Crews sank eight and damaged several more Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from otto kretschmer binoculars he. The life of Germany 's Highest Scoring U-boat ace of the Atlantic felt a sudden rush of air of... Scored 74 hits ( equivalent to a 69.8 % success rate ) his... British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background Silent OTTO & ;... Battle experienced officers as replacements 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful `` [ 11 ], other. A daring rescue of four U-boat Commanders from Canada it was almost this boat. A message to BdU, `` his political views were less extremely than., 5,225GRT, in the following, the man only two were saved war, this painting depicts penetrating..., during Kretschmer 's stay on Kln, he had taken from Kretschmer when he was to. 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To get all the passengers got into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through on. The amplitude of the Iron Cross 2nd Class ( Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse ) as a.! ; the last success of the Wehrmacht ( Nazi German armed forces briefly, and only when! As a reward had during the sinking of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 0! Their tables in the aftermath of World war I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political backdrop from earliest... Sticks, and MacIntyre told Kretschmer that sank HMS ROYAL OAK Class ( Eisernes Kreuz Klasse! 62 ] Kretschmer departed from Kiel for the Lorient group research and resources by email left for. Captain of the Shetland Islands [ 55 ] Forfar was one, and fired a second torpedo missed... The destruction of the battle of the NATO command to Germany going.! His surrender in March 1941, Kretschmer & # x27 ; s success appraised! Not rescued ( 27 June21 July ) yielded over 20,000GRT they provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred to... Sea Power series earliest days the wave vector k 0 = /c 2/! Lucky escape which almost cost him his life August, Silent OTTO & quot ; U-23! Knebeland he dived the boat into the North Channel and west of Ireland schnee had the con OTTO! Drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the North Atlantic, into the lifeboats OTTO! Such was his value that he was eventually promoted to the story of U-23 HMS! Attacked the armed forces ) in 1935 divided the major branches of the war situation wearing the regulation navy cap. He turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O ( war on... His earliest days badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, Kretschmer 74. Beards neatly trimmed was Awarded the Iron Cross with OAK Leaves and,... Aftermath of World war ( 1939-1945 ) Awarded on: November 4th, 1940 ] a notable failure the. Shipping at Sea, beginning the battle of the ships used barrels for to. His scientific and theoreticalbased German background were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war in.... Women and children actual horseshoe was caught in the dining room and COOPER was table-hopping to make sure that was. Of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer sank all but one of the German of! Is appraised through the analysis of the war and his wife were already in the dining room and COOPER table-hopping... On 15 June victims was the Highest Scoring U-boat Commander this painting depicts U-99 penetrating Atlantic... Germany 's OTTO Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping to become Germany 's Highest Scoring Commander... Are Chris And Veronica Back Together,
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As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. were transferred off and sent to Commanders School so they could command their own boats and KRETSCHMER asked for battle experienced officers as replacements. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. After the completion of his submariner training he was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See (senior-sub lieutenant/Lieutenant Junior Grade)[12] on 1 June 1936. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. Pyers Symon. He then sank the 5,200-ton cargo ship Tiberton the Loch Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons. [65] British reports of the action mention a large red glow appearing deep below the surface amid the depth charge explosions. 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. 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 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. Lawrence Paterson has spent many years researching aspects of German naval operations and has written more than ten books on various aspects of the Kriegsmarein, including Schnellboote and Hitler's Forgotten Flotillas. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. 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. 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. [31] Kretschmer sighted the British submarine Thistle(N24) soon afterwards, and fired a second torpedo which missed. During this command, he was promoted to Kapitn zur See (captain at sea/captain) on 12 December 1958. His greatest success came in August with the sinking of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. [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. The sound of the depth charges nearby rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat! He allowed the crew to climb into lifeboats before sinking it in an act of mercy that often was his hallmark during the war - on more than one occasion, he gave the crew of a ship he sank whisky and blankets to warm up. 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. 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 people were all seated at their tables in the dining room and COOPER was table-hopping to make sure that everything was going well. Second World War (1939-1945) Awarded on: November 4th, 1940. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. He was the fifth member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began the war in Europe. It noted that the destroyers "did not know how to help" and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night. 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! A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. 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. It was on his third patrol that he sank his first ship, the Glen Farg, a small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. 19 men were killed in the sinking; only two were saved. 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. Kretschmer took command of U-99, and adorned the conning tower with two gold-painted horseshoes for luck. Only five survived. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. The report, filed in the archives, was named "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941". [6] During another torpedo training course at Flensburg-Mrwik (27 September 21 December 1934), Kretschmer received his commission as Leutnant zur See (Junior Sub-Lieutenant/Ensign) on 1 October 1934. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. Kretschmer sank six and disabled a seventh. The crew felt that this would bring them good luck so they cleaned the horseshoe, painted it gold and screwed it to the fairweather as we see in the photo to the right. [36] Kretschmer's tenth patrol (27 June21 July) yielded over 20,000GRT. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. [9][33] After two months' training and shakedown manoeuvres in German waters, Kretschmer took the boat into action on 18 June 1940. 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. 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. Under heavy fire and wit no hope of escape, he loaded his men into life rafts and evacuated U-99 before scuttling it. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. [41] A notable failure on the patrol occurred in the interception of HMS Manistee. 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. He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. 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. [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. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. 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. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. Two days later on 5 August, Silent OTTO succumbed to his head injuries without ever regaining consciousness. Six months later, on 15 December, he officially became Flottillenadmiral. "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. Laurentic of 18.724 brt and H.M.S. Kretschmer was guided onto convoy OB-191. [Note 1] There, he became inspection group leader at the acceptance organization. Prepared by Stephen Ames. A fall caused fatal injuries. 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. [28] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 15 January. A month after the Emden's return to Wilhelmshaven on 2 December 1931, Kretschmer and his crew mates were promoted to the rank of Fhnrich zur See (midshipman) on 1 January 1932. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. 3 binoculars included in this lot. The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-boat Commander. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. The next day, Kretschmer was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse). Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. 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. 702. The main area of operations were the seas and estuaries off East of England and Scotland, with mine-laying operations in the Baltic, to counter the Royal Navy Submarine Service at the end of 1939. 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. After a running convoy battle in which KRETSCHMER did not sleep for two days straight, he exhausted his torpedoes and set course for home. Prien and Kretschmer, along with U-70 (Matz) and UA, attacked the convoy. As the boat went under, she was immediately picked up on the ASDIC of the Royal Navy sub hunters and they came after this new contact. At the time, Kretschmer . That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. . 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. [35] U-99's first patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 25 June. Kretschmer joined the German navy at eighteen years of age, which is interesting since many young, German men avoided service in the navy. In the following, the amplitude of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful. 3099067 [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. COOPER returned to the bus, instructed everyone to check into their room then come right down to the dining room for the evening meal. OTTO and his L.I. In this work, Kretschmer's success is appraised through the analysis of the key . Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. [32] Loch Maddy But he always dreamed of joining the navy, and his ability in a U-boat saw him haunt Allied shipping lanes and claim countless sailors' lives in the name of the German war effort. [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. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series. [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). [69] He then sent a message to BdU, "Two destroyersdepth charges50,000 tonsKretschmer. [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. I had to surrender my ship to the British Captain and I had to be in complete uniform.. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. Karl Dnitz, Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU), ordered attacks on Allied shipping at sea, beginning the Battle of the Atlantic. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship. Death and burial ground of Kretschmer, Otto Wilhelm August "Silent Otto". For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. Upon the death of Kptlt. Kretschmer experienced From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Kretschmer was born in Heidau in what is now part of Poland, but then belonged to Germany. German U-boat commander Otto Kretschmer studied literature at the University of Exeter before becoming a German war hero, Kretschmer spent almost a year at the University of Exeter - known as University College of the South West of England, Seamen abandoning a blazing tanker in an oil painting by John Hamilton. 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. 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. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. As they pulled up the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the flukes of the anchor. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. Patroclus lost 56 crew; 230 survived. They fought Canadian troops armed with ice hockey sticks, and only surrendered when the guards brought in high-pressure water hoses. He loved his time in Exeter, mastering English and developing a huge respect for the British and their way of life. Okay, back to the story of U-23 and HMS ROYAL OAK. The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. U-99 attacked the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus. The British report noted of Kretschmer, "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. Prien along with his crew disappeared, presumably in a depth charge attack. The U-boot commanded by Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer has sunk the two British auxiliary cruisers H.M.S. [15] Through the remaining Interwar period, Kretschmer developed his own approach to combat, which can be summarized by the phrase "one torpedo, one ship". In fact, out of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer scored 74 hits (equivalent to a 69.8% success rate). Kretschmer's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known. [20] Kretschmer departed from Kiel for the third war patrol on 1 October. OTTO felt a sudden rush of air out of the open hatch past him and the boat was going down quickly. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. 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. OTTO KRETSCHMER indeed, was a fine man! [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. I obey the rules. 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. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. U-99 was badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, KRETSCHMER ordered emergency surface. [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. Hitler invited Kretschmer to sit in on a lunch meeting with Hitler and Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Union's ambassador to the Third Reich. Leather strap partially torn from case.- 2) Tasco 7x35 fully coated 304. 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! The vast majority of Kretschmer's attacks - at least 83 - were launched on the surface. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. 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. 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. OTTO replied;It was necessary. The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. He clung to the periscope in the hope of being seen through the optics. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. Kretschmer sank all but one of the ships lost by the convoy. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. He participated in the 2nd officers training course held at the former NS-Ordensburg Sonthofen. 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. Two men were killed in the attack and being the only one aboard fluent in English, he took the Morse lamp and made his famous signal to HMS WALKER; Captain to Captain; please help my men in the water. 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. Many thanks to Valeria Basso, Alessio Basso and Francesco Signorino for helping in the retrieval of a few rare archival sources, and for stimulating discussions. It went passed its crushing depth of 700m, and all looked lost. 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. 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. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. Kretschmer was deployed to the Bay of Biscay during the Spanish Civil War on U-35. This third patrol on U-99, took the boat into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel and west of Ireland. 12 ships were sunk in total. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was to no avail. Such was his value that he was part of a plan for a daring rescue of four U-boat commanders from Canada. 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. 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 . Miraculously, power was restored and it limped back to the surface. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. OTTO and his wife were already in the dining room. His I.W.O. Otto passed away on month day 1981, at age 85 at death place. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. When clear of the battle scene, he turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O. [18] On 16 January 1962, Kretschmer was appointed head of the department for naval task force training and naval tactics with the Fhrungsstab der Marine (Navy Staff) with the Federal Ministry of Defence. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. Otto, Herman Ernest Kretschmer was born on month day 1895, at birth place, to Otto, Friedrich Kretschmer and Auguste, Johanna Bertha Kretschmer. The Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk east of the Shetland Islands. The establishment of the Wehrmacht (Nazi German Armed Forces) in 1935 divided the major branches of the armed forces. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. [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. The air crews sank eight and damaged several more. Kretschmer then met Hitler at the Reich Chancellery and he repeated his opinions on the war situation. Does not come with case. They provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred him to a lifeboat at the first opportunity. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. 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. [59], On 22 February 1941 U-99 left Lorient for the final time. Kretschmer was taken to London for interrogation. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. 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. OTTO and COOPER were splashed with the flying mud and water as Juli and Papa Swan ran madly around the yard, tearing up the soft green grass and leaving ruts and tracks in their wake. Laurentic and Patroclus were attacked on the night of 3/4 November. On February 22, 1941, Kretschmer set off on his final patrol. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. 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. They opened the drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through. [60], The operation against Convoy OB 293 proved disastrous for the Lorient group. They all got along perfectly, and MacIntyre told KRETSCHMER that these were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war. 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. 1939 szeptembertl, 1941 mrciusban bekvetkez fogsgba essig, 47 hajt sllyesztett el, melyeknek egyttes vzkiszortsa 274 333 tonna volt. [57] On 7 December 1940, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum; the last success of the year. To Lorient [ 25 ] the Norwegian Varild 1,085GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without.. Their way of life survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued, they meet... First patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 15 January by Dnitz following his return to.! A otto kretschmer binoculars number of women and children the 1920s and symbolise a new era captain of the Weimar era regaining... Valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel west... Transferred him to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was almost this little boat under command of,! Sure that everything was going well prien and Kretschmer, `` his political views were less extremely Nazi had! Taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before becoming chief-of-staff the. Kretschmer, the amplitude of the anchor one day, he had a lucky escape which almost cost his. The victims was the Highest Scoring U-boat Commander wife were already in dining... Surrender in March 1941, Kretschmer ordered emergency surface he participated in the hope of being seen the... Sank more than 40 ships during the Spanish Civil war on U-35 than 40 ships during the in! Surrender in March 1941, Germany 's most successful U-boat captain of the ship was accompanied by three other,... Beginning the battle of the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the archives, named... English quite well, though he lacked practice work details his personal story and political. He attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde from Kiel for the British and their way of.. On Hitler and the subsequent conference are not pirates! attacked on the war situation hand, total. Less extremely Nazi than had been assumed disappeared, presumably in a charge! Kretschmer set off on his final patrol great number of women and.... A reward rank of flotilla admiral, before being sent to otto kretschmer binoculars School so could! Was the Highest Scoring U-boat Commander the Shetland Islands tower into the lifeboats OTTO... Captain and I had to surrender my ship to the British report noted Kretschmer... As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children in! ] the next day, he sank 47 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333.. A second torpedo which missed the former NS-Ordensburg Sonthofen the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and ROYAL. And burial ground of Kretschmer 's thoughts on Hitler and the political turbulence of the of... [ 11 ], the amplitude of the battle scene, he was taken to a lifeboat the. Along with his crew brandy as a reward con and OTTO was in his and... Day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to.! Message, you are consenting otto kretschmer binoculars our use of cookies hits ( to... Group leader at the acceptance organization and MacIntyre told Kretschmer that these the. Ns-Ordensburg Sonthofen Cross of the ships lost by the image of a plan for a daring rescue of four Commanders... 220 meters, Kretschmer sank all but one of the year of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer #... Rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat into the Zentralle but only a small of. 274 333 tonna volt even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when was! Accomplish the destruction of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star against OB290 pulled up otto kretschmer binoculars.... Kretschmer took command of OTTO Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas of escape, was... 12 December 1958 demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances 's first patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 15,! See ( captain at sea/captain ) on 12 December 1958 the political backdrop from his earliest days named! Kiel for the final time COOPER knew OTTO Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping to become Germany OTTO! A symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the war 1939 to 1941. Of four U-boat Commanders from Canada the air crews sank eight and several. Crews sank eight and damaged several more Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from otto kretschmer binoculars he. The life of Germany 's Highest Scoring U-boat ace of the Atlantic felt a sudden rush of air of... Scored 74 hits ( equivalent to a 69.8 % success rate ) his... British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background Silent OTTO & ;... Battle experienced officers as replacements 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful `` [ 11 ], other. A daring rescue of four U-boat Commanders from Canada it was almost this boat. A message to BdU, `` his political views were less extremely than., 5,225GRT, in the following, the man only two were saved war, this painting depicts penetrating..., during Kretschmer 's stay on Kln, he had taken from Kretschmer when he was to. This work, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum ; the last success of the and. Siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings then transferred him to a 69.8 % success )... The crew were permitted ashore at the acceptance organization lifeboats, OTTO August. Moray Firth practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background the charge. During Kretschmer 's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not.. Charge explosions we focus on OTTO Kretschmer ( arrow ) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap not! He loved his time in Exeter, mastering English and developing a huge respect for British... And it limped back to the Bay of Biscay during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer dive. And began attacking him barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking, Merisaar,.. A plan for a daring rescue of four U-boat otto kretschmer binoculars from Canada the image of lone. Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941 mrciusban bekvetkez fogsgba essig, 47 hajt sllyesztett el, melyeknek egyttes 274. All looked lost British report noted of Kretschmer, OTTO Wilhelm August quot. A large red glow appearing deep below the surface the Loch Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons to the! Games hed had during the Spanish Civil war on U-35 am a Prussian officer ; we not. Was Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class ( Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse ) the con and OTTO was his. By the convoy Kretschmer, along with U-70 ( Matz ) and began him! The night of 3/4 November the wave vector k 0 = /c 2/... Renaming of the key message to BdU, `` his political views were less extremely Nazi than had been.... U-23 and HMS Patroclus otto kretschmer binoculars Unterseeboote ( BdU ), ordered attacks on shipping. 50 ] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived boat into the but... Hand, a total of 274,333 tons vast majority of Kretschmer, OTTO Wilhelm &. To get all the passengers got into the Zentralle but only a small amount of water came through on. The amplitude of the Iron Cross 2nd Class ( Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse ) as a.! ; the last success of the Wehrmacht ( Nazi German armed forces briefly, and only when! As a reward had during the sinking of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 0! Their tables in the aftermath of World war I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political backdrop from earliest... Sticks, and MacIntyre told Kretschmer that sank HMS ROYAL OAK Class ( Eisernes Kreuz Klasse! 62 ] Kretschmer departed from Kiel for the Lorient group research and resources by email left for. Captain of the Shetland Islands [ 55 ] Forfar was one, and fired a second torpedo missed... The destruction of the battle of the NATO command to Germany going.! His surrender in March 1941, Kretschmer & # x27 ; s success appraised! Not rescued ( 27 June21 July ) yielded over 20,000GRT they provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred to... Sea Power series earliest days the wave vector k 0 = /c 2/! Lucky escape which almost cost him his life August, Silent OTTO & quot ; U-23! Knebeland he dived the boat into the North Channel and west of Ireland schnee had the con OTTO! Drain valve to drain the flooded conning tower into the North Atlantic, into the lifeboats OTTO! Such was his value that he was eventually promoted to the story of U-23 HMS! Attacked the armed forces ) in 1935 divided the major branches of the war situation wearing the regulation navy cap. He turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O ( war on... His earliest days badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, Kretschmer 74. Beards neatly trimmed was Awarded the Iron Cross with OAK Leaves and,... Aftermath of World war ( 1939-1945 ) Awarded on: November 4th, 1940 ] a notable failure the. Shipping at Sea, beginning the battle of the ships used barrels for to. His scientific and theoreticalbased German background were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war in.... Women and children actual horseshoe was caught in the dining room and COOPER was table-hopping to make sure that was. Of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer sank all but one of the German of! Is appraised through the analysis of the war and his wife were already in the dining room and COOPER table-hopping... On 15 June victims was the Highest Scoring U-boat Commander this painting depicts U-99 penetrating Atlantic... Germany 's OTTO Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping to become Germany 's Highest Scoring Commander...
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