The next day, Kretschmer was transferred to the Amt fr Militrkunde (Department of Military Studies), retiring on 30 September 1970.[18]. [34] His greatest success was the sinking of Auckland Star, a 13,212GRT ship on 28 July followed by another two totalling 12,811GRT on 29 and 31 July. 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. 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. It was not this way with U-99. 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. [72], Once in London, Royal Navy interrogators questioned the crew. This was the first ever in the history of warfare that a submarine was detected on sound gear, tracked by sound gear, attacked by sound gear and destroyed all by the use of the sound gear. Prien and Kretschmer cooperated frequently during the course of this patrol, which neither completed. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War . Geleitgeschwader (1st Escort Squadron) which he commanded from 3 January to 15 October 1957. With no time to return to the hatch, Kretschmer clung on to the periscope and waved at it frantically, hoping to be spotted. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. Schroeder never returned. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. OTTO and his wife were already in the dining room. [6] Kretschmer was present for gunnery exercises in the North and Baltic Sea. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. "[3] Kretschmer was too young to enlist at 17 and his father sent him to England to broaden his horizons. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. Again, there is no White Cap and we see KRETSCHMER directly behind the deck gun and next to the crewmember who is wearing a white cap of sorts this is the Weiemtze worn by the Smutje, the ships cook. He joined the German navy - the Reichsmarine - on April 1, 1930, as an officer candidate. At 2250hrs on 3 November, 1940, one of the most dramatic battles of the U-boat war began. 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. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was to no avail. Patroclus of 11.314 brt as well as the armed Britsish merchantman Casanare of 5.376 brt. [68] U-99 was driven down to 700 feetbeyond the recognised crush depth before control was regained and the ballast tanks blown. Rahmlow and his second-in-command, Bernhard Berndt, were found "guilty of cowardice"; the other two officers were "acquitted". German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer; Bertha Bianca Kretschmer and Carl Theodor Otto Kretschmer. [53] In December Kretschmer tried to intercept Convoy HX 90 but encountered only stragglers. Kretschmer was released from captivity on 31 December 1947, and returned to Germany. 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. 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. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. The short range of the Type II submarine allowed for operations in the North Sea, but no further. While working on the deck gun, the boat suddenly dived. In the following, the amplitude of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful. [9], On 27 August 1941, U-570 was captured by the Royal Navy. Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. KLAUS BARGSTEN (328-1987) and his II.W.O. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. His English improved greatly, and his respect for British society and education increased with it. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. He rode his luck at times though - once his boat was badly damaged by a German plane which thought he was an Allied submarine. [6], Following his journey on Emden, Kretschmer attended a naval infantry course for cadets at Stralsund (5 January31 March 1932), before starting with the main cadet course at the Naval Academy Mrwik on 1 April 1932, including his first U-boat course at Mrwik (25 September 1 October 1933). The ship had been torpedoed by U-57 and abandoned. German propagandists feared the triple loss might be too damaging to morale. Patroclus lost 56 crew; 230 survived. The boat returned to Wilhelmshaven on 4 September. 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. [Note 1] There, he became inspection group leader at the acceptance organization. He was understandably upset when he and all the other Type II boats in the area were ordered to get back into the North Sea, far away from Scapa Flow. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. [18] Further patrols took U-23 around the British coast. 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. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. He survived the sinking of his submarine but he was not clear yet. On the night of 18/19 October, Berndt escaped from the camp. In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. He met Adolf Hitler on more than once occasion, even having lunch with the Fhrer. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. 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. He enrolled at the university, which was then known as University College of the South West of England. 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. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. 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. Por todo ello y entre otras, recibi 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 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. Kretschmer was born in Heidau near Neisse, then in the German Empire on 1 May 1912 to Friedrich Wilhelm Otto and Alice (ne Herbig) Kretschmer. 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. Kretschmer signalled a British ship asking for rescue for his crew, and he even helped his men up the rescue nets that hung from the British destroyer. OTTO and his L.I. Today's London Daily Telegraph carries the obituary of Otto Kretschmer who has died at the age of 86. He wants to be a naval officer. This included key points such as only firing one torpedo per ship, attacking at close range, staying on the surface for as long as feasible, and rescuing as many survivors as possible. Miraculously, power was restored and it limped back to the surface. 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. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. [51] Kretschmer was awarded the 6th Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 4 November 1940. They were sent to Lime Street Station to be transported to London for interrogation. [18], In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. 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. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. 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