[39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. "He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. Otto Kretschmer was the Watch Officer of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937. This third patrol on U-99, took the boat into the North Atlantic, into the North Channel and west of Ireland. Thistle was sunk weeks later by U-4. Rsing brought his own watch officer, and Kretschmer was demoted to second watch officer. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. In addition, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) on 26 December 1941. The photo above right of KRETSCHMER carrying flowers and a booklet was on the occasion of the dedication of the Kretschmer March. U-99 attacked the armed merchant cruisers HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus. OTTO and his L.I. Under water U-99 had no chance of catching her. The crew abandoned ship and were questioned by Kretschmer. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. In fact, out of 116 torpedoes fired in action, Kretschmer scored 74 hits (equivalent to a 69.8% success rate). The sound of the depth charges nearby rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat! Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. Second World War (1939-1945) Awarded on: November 4th, 1940. Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. As they pulled up the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the flukes of the anchor. [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. 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. They all got along perfectly, and MacIntyre told KRETSCHMER that these were the only truly good bridge games hed had during the war. 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. Paterson: Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat captain of the Second World War, and the term 'scoring' relates to the total tonnage of shipping that he sank while commander of both U23 and U99. [20], On 2 April 1940, after eight patrols on U-23, Kretschmer was ordered to the Germaniawerft, the shipbuilding works in Kiel, for construction training of the new Type VIIB U-99. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. [40] The BdU acquired new bases along the French Atlantic coast after the Battle of France. Although he fought doggedly for Nazi Germany during the war, his affection for Exeter remained with him until his death. 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. The Emden made stops in Ceylon, the Philippines, China and Japan; then Guam, South Africa, Angola and Spain on the return journey. 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. That same day the British escorts scored another success against the Kriegsmarine when the noted U-boat skipper Joachim Schepke was killed aboard U-100, having been depth charged, rammed and sunk by Vanoc. He then attended a training course (16 October 1957 28 February 1958) for amphibious forces in the United States. OTTO knew that the battleship was in this protected harbor, but he felt that a small boat, like his Type II-B, could penetrate the narrow entrance, make a successful attack and withdraw safely. A young RN ensign was removing the binoculars from around KRETSCHMERs neck when MacIntyre yelled down that those were now his binoculars as a prize of war, so the young ensign brought them to the bridge. He was upset, but he was a proper officer and obeyed his orders. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. On 1 June 1965, he was promoted to Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/Commodore/Rear Admiral), a rank which he initially held on probation. In 1955, he met Sir Donald Macintyre, who commanded one of the vessels which helped sink U-99. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. Dave Powell. Death: November 08, 1981 (85) Millicent, South Australia, Australia. OTTO replied;It was necessary. When clear of the battle scene, he turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O. [28] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 15 January. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. [Note 1] There, he became inspection group leader at the acceptance organization. At 2250hrs on 3 November, 1940, one of the most dramatic battles of the U-boat war began. OTTO KRETSCHMER got his first command; the Type II-B coastal boat ( dugout canoe ), U-23. Prien achieved several sinkings, Kretschmer did not; the pair was chased off by destroyers. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. He was aware that the battleship was in the Home Fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow and he was formulating a way to enter and sink the ship. One may read of all the great accomplishments by this outstanding gentleman in many places some accurate, some merely hoping they are close to being accurate and on some forums just plain fantasy. The 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. [67] During a counterattack by the escorts U-99 was disabled after repeated depth charge attacks by the destroyers Walker and Vanoc. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War . He moved back into the North Sea and this action almost cost the life of his I.W.O., Adalbert Schnee, who later commanded U-201. Registered in England & Wales No. 2.6K views, 39 likes, 4 loves, 2 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from German U-Boats Crews and Commanders: Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was the most successful German. We will cover his accomplishments on another page. He commissioned U-99 on 18 April 1940 which was part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. 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. [21] He returned to Kiel, rather than Wilhelmshaven, on 16 October. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. Keep me logged in. Does not come with case. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. 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. [80], On 1 December 1955, Kretschmer joined West Germany's navy, at the time named the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy), holding the rank of Fregattenkapitn (Commander). Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. Chivalry was still at work at this time and former enemies who had been killing each other the previous day could play cards together. 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. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. Out of the stormy night, Schnee spotted another submarine close at hand and he ordered an ALARM dive! [48] Kretschmer recommended his helmsman Stabsobersteuermann Heinrich Petersen for the Knight's Cross after twelve war patrols for saving U-99 from enemy detection. The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. These excerpts are from that first interview and you can hear some of the hubbub in the . [20] Another neutral Scandinavian ship was sunk. Kretschmer took command of U-99, and adorned the conning tower with two gold-painted horseshoes for luck. Okay, back to the story of U-23 and HMS ROYAL OAK. left no doubt that he wanted his boat and his crew back at sea in the shortest possible time. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. On 28 August 1963, he was transferred to the NATO Defense College in Paris. He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. They were sent to Lime Street Station to be transported to London for interrogation. He was on a holiday cruisefrom Regensburg to Budapest when he tried climbing some almost vertical steps. He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school). BACK TO ADVISORS PAGE. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. It went passed its crushing depth of 700m, and all looked lost. 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. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. As U-99 returns from an early Feindfahrt, we see that the crew is neatly arranged (photo left) on the deck and there is no White Cap on the Skipper. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. 3099067 His wife was so devastated that she just gave up and died two years later, almost to the day. 702. 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! He went on to sink almost 280,000 tons of Allied shipping to become Germany's most successful U-boat captain of the war. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. At the time, Kretschmer . Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. (Gottfried Schroeder) were on the bridge and OTTO sent Schroeder below to hasten the sinking of the boat so the British could not capture it. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began the war in Europe. A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. 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. 176 men died. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. 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! The Golden Horseshoe: The Wartime Career of Otto Kretschmer, U-Boat Ace by Terence Robertson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. In 1943, the men dug a tunnel out of the camp ahead of an 870-mile journey across Canada to New Brunswick. 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