He had to return to port to repair the damage. He dispensed with the standard practice of firing salvoes of torpedoes from long distances. 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. His time in England shaped his view of them during the war; he was quick to believe in rumours of new British inventions during the war at sea. Does not come with case. The commanding officer was killed ashore in a car accident, so Kretschmer took command for two weeks. The short range of the Type II submarine allowed for operations in the North Sea, but no further. 1999-2020 Sharkhunters International. 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. I obey the rules. [9] Kretschmer joined the U-boat service in January 1936. It noted that the destroyers "did not know how to help" and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. Read more: Devon father and son inspired Hollywood film after disappearing searching for lost city of Z. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. Patroclus of 11.314 brt as well as the armed Britsish merchantman Casanare of 5.376 brt. U-99 is preparing for her first Feindfahrt (war patrol), taking on supplies. 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. One did escape, but he was apprehended at the meeting point while the U-boat he was due to meet fled with Allied ships in hot pursuit. For 13 days Kretschmer sailed without success. U-99 was badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, KRETSCHMER ordered emergency surface. [59], On 22 February 1941 U-99 left Lorient for the final time. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. The building was located at number 8 Kensington Palace Gardens. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. [41] A notable failure on the patrol occurred in the interception of HMS Manistee. [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. He was on a holiday cruisefrom Regensburg to Budapest when he tried climbing some almost vertical steps. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. He fired a single torpedo that missed before he lost the ship in thick mist. 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. Kretschmer was released from captivity on 31 December 1947, and returned to Germany. With no time to return to the hatch, Kretschmer clung on to the periscope and waved at it frantically, hoping to be spotted. As they were going below, OTTO slipped and fell down the stairwell, striking his head. [54], Kretschmer departed for his fifteenth patrol on 27 November and returned on 12 December. [79], In 1943, the German navy tried to rescue him in Operation Kiebitz but that daring plan (later dramatized in the novel The Bowmanville Break and the film, The McKenzie Break) failed. The Emden made stops in Ceylon, the Philippines, China and Japan; then Guam, South Africa, Angola and Spain on the return journey. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. 12 ships were sunk in total. Admiral Sir George Creasy considered the manoeuvre so dangerous he thought it had been done by mistake. His brother was later killed in action. Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941", Newspaper clippings about Otto Kretschmer, Telegraph On-line edition, February 4, 2008, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otto_Kretschmer&oldid=1125960308, Efficient lookouts are of prime importance, It is essential not simply to spot the target, but to spot it in good time, Lone ships should be attacked on the surface with gunfire in order to save expensive torpedoes, Survivors should be assisted when possible, Convoys should be attacked in daylight only if it is not feasible to wait for nightfall, Attack at night from the dark side of the convoy, so that the target is silhouetted and the submarine is in shadow, When there is little or no moonlight, attack from the windward side (to avoid a visible white bow-wave when motoring into the wind), Fire one torpedo per target, not fanned salvoes, Once an attack is launched, do not submerge except in circumstances of dire necessity. As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. His school report contained the remark: "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. Did you know that with a free Taylor & Francis Online account you can gain access to the following benefits? Kretschmer captured the vessel, the only such ship seized by U-99. The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a. 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. Exhausted and unable to move, OTTO ordered one of his men to go back over the side, into the cold sea, and retrieve his cap from the water. "[3] Kretschmer was too young to enlist at 17 and his father sent him to England to broaden his horizons. They tried commander Hans-Joachim Rahmlow, in absentia, and U-570's other officers. "[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. After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. [9], On 27 August 1941, U-570 was captured by the Royal Navy. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. Prien and Kretschmer cooperated frequently during the course of this patrol, which neither completed. Comes with leather case. In fact, out of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer scored 74 hits (equivalent to a 69.8% success rate). Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. [65] British reports of the action mention a large red glow appearing deep below the surface amid the depth charge explosions. 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. Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military. The 28-ship convoy was poorly defended by a destroyer and a corvette. [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. All 33 men aboard died. [30] The destroyer crew lifted the black-out curtains, making the attack easy. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. This was not the case with U-99. [35] U-99's first patrol ended in Wilhelmshaven on 25 June. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. [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. Petersen had served as Kretschmer's helmsman on every war patrol on both U-23 and U-99. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. [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. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. Incredibly though, this war hero, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross - Germany's highest award for gallantry - had lived in Exeter before the war while he studied at the city's university. 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. [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. In December 1934, he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln, then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling U-boat service. He wants to be a naval officer.". "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. "He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. Leather strap partially torn from case.- 2) Tasco 7x35 fully coated 304. Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. A single torpedo was fired, then Kretschmer ordered a u-turn and sped away on the surface; the destroyers neither sighted him nor detected him with ASDIC. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. Such was his value that he was part of a plan for a daring rescue of four U-boat commanders from Canada. 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. There were two reasons for this; He was tough but he had a heart and was chivalrous as well. They fought Canadian troops armed with ice hockey sticks, and only surrendered when the guards brought in high-pressure water hoses. [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. In his bunk, OTTO felt the sharp downward angle of the boat and was immediately on his feet as the bridge watch tumbled past him all by Schnee, and now green water was flooding through the open hatch from the Zentralle to the conning tower. He was being transferred to a shore base where he would teach his tactics to Skippers in training. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. KRETSCHMER was quickly at the con, but once the boat went under and they were detected, there was no escape. Prien sank the ship the following day. - 1998. augusztus 5.) My ship deserted me!. [58], Several of Kretschmer's senior officers left the boat before the final patrol. Only five sailors survived. 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. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. Such were his expertise, he re-joined the navy in 1955. Otto Kretschmer. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. I was a lieutenant on U-35, in the second submarine flotilla, and together with U . On 16 June 1956, he was tasked with the creation of 1. 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. 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. He then caused havoc in the rest of the convoy, winning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. 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. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. 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. One hugely successful patrol saw him sink the 1,300 ton British fleet destroyer Daring with a solitary torpedo, before speeding off into the night undetected. The boat was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay off the Spanish-French border. It took nine torpedoes and one dud to sink them; the latter was sunk after it stopped to pick up survivors from the former. "[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. [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. Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. Only five survived. 3099067 For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes . 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. Schroeder never returned. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. 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. At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. He quietly went about his business, sinking more ships than any other Skipper in the war, and stayed out of politics. 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. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. He wants to be a naval officer. In the following, the amplitude of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful. Keep me logged in. Under water U-99 had no chance of catching her. [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. Kretschmer's strength was evidently failing in the cold ocean; his own rescue was at the hands of a British sailor who climbed down the nets and plucked him from the water. On 1 June 1965, he was promoted to Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/Commodore/Rear Admiral), a rank which he initially held on probation. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. When clear of the battle scene, he turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O. 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. [77] Kretschmer was senior officer at the camp. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. 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. Registered in England & Wales No. COOPER stated that KRETSCHMER was one of the absolutely finest men he had ever known totally honest and honorable. [6] Kretschmer was present for gunnery exercises in the North and Baltic Sea. 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. [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. [7] During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfhnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934. Otto Kretschmer - nicknamed 'Silent Otto' by his enemies - sank hundreds of thousands of tons of Allied shipping during a brutal U-boat campaign, Sign up for our Exeter newsletter and you'll never miss a big story again. 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