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Saturday, June 3, 2023

Bio of Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass (1911-1941)

Engelbert "Bertl" Endrass

Date of Birth: 02.03.1911 - Bamberg / Oberfranken / Bayern (German Empire)
Date of Death: 21.12.1941 - Northeast of the Azores (Atlantic Ocean)

Promotions:
05.04.1935 Offiziersanwärter
01.07.1935 Fähnrich zur See
01.01.1937 Oberfähnrich zur See
01.04.1937 Leutnant zur See, mit RDA vom 01.04.1937 (27)
20.04.1939 Oberleutnant zur See, mit Wirkung vom 01.04.1939 und mit RDA vom 01.04.1939 (27)
02.07.1941 Kapitänleutnant, mit Wirkung vom 01.05.1941 und mit RDA vom 01.05.1940

Career:
05.04.1935 - 08.06.1935 II.S.S.O (Basic infantry training) in Dänholm near Stralsund
09.06.1935 - 10.07.1935 Artillerielehrgang in Schiffsartillerieschule Kiel-Wik
11.07.1935 - 30.03.1936 main course for sea ensign in M.S.Mürwik
18.11.1935 - 23.11.1935 advance training in battleship 'Schleswig-Holstein'
13.01.1936 - 18.01.1936 practical on-board training in Tender 'Hecht'
31.03.1936 - 14.04.1936 Fähnrichs-Fla-Lehrgang in Küstenartillerieschule, Wilhelmshaven
15.04.1936 - 04.05.1936 Fähnrichs-Nachrichtenlehrgang in Marinenachrichtenschule, Flensburg
05.05.1936 - 02.06.1936 Zugführerlehrgang II. Schiffsstammabteilung, in the Ostsee, Stralsund
03.06.1936 - 28.07.1936 Artillerielehrgang in Schiffsartillerieschule, Kiel-Wik
29.07.1936 - 22.09.1936 Fähnrichs-Torpedolehrgang in Torpedoschule, Flensburg-Mürwik
23.09.1936 - 26.09.1936 Fähnrichs-Sperrlehrgang in Sperrschule, Kiel-Wik
27.09.1936 - 28.09.1936 practical onboard training in Leichter Kreuzer 'Karlsruhe'
29.09.1936 - 31.03.1937 served in Panzerschiff 'Deutschland'
01.10.1936 - 19.11.1936 deployed in the Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War
31.01.1937 - 24.03.1937 2nd deployment in the Spanish waters
01.04.1937 - 04.10.1937 Wachtoffizier in 2. Geleitflottille
05.10.1937 transferred to the U-bootwaffe
05.10.1937 - 12.06.1938 Submarine training in the Unterseebootsabwehrschule, Neustadt in Holstein
05.10.1937 - 18.10.1937 Torpedo Training in the Torpedoschule, Flensburg-Mürwik
19.10.1937 - 04.01.1938 2. Wachtoffizier in 'U 29'. Served in Spanish waters during Spanish Civil War
05.01.1938 - 29.01.1938 Torpedo Training in the Torpedoschule, Flensburg-Mürwik
30.01.1938 - 03.04.1938 U-Lehrgang in Unterseebootschule, Neustadt in Holstein
30.03.1938 - 02.04.1938 Mining course in Sperrschule, Kiel-Wik
04.04.1938 - 11.06.1938 Torpedo tarining in Torpedoschule, Flensburg-Mürwik
12.06.1938 - 30.09.1938 attached to the Führer der U-Boote
01.10.1938 - 09.10.1938 attached to the U-Flotilla Emsmann, Kiel
10.10.1938 - 05.11.1938 artillery training in Schiffsartillerieschule, Kiel-Wik
06.11.1938 - 17.11.1938 attached to the U-Flotilla Wegener, Kiel
18.11.1938 - 16.12.1938 Instruction in the final stage of 'U 47' construction in F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG shipyard in Kiel-Gaarden, under supervision of Marinelehrwerkstatt
17.12.1938 - 06.01.1940 1. Wachtoffizier U-47. Three war patrols, 71 days at sea
07.01.1940 - 12.02.1940 U-Commander under Instruction in 1. U-Ausbildungsflottille, Danzig
13.02.1940 - 17.02.1940 U-Lehrgang in Unterseebootsabwehrschule, Gotenhafen
18.02.1940 - 25.02.1940 Kommandantenschüler in 1. U-Ausbildungsflottille, Danzig
26.02.1940 - 01.03.1940 Mining course in Sperrschule, Kiel-Wik
02.03.1940 - 21.05.1940 Kommandantenschüler 1. U-Ausbildungsflottille, Danzig
22.05.1940 - 24.09.1941 Kommandant U-46 / 7. U-Flottille (Commander. Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass takes command of U 46 from Kptlt. Herbert Sohler. Two transfer trips, 6 days at sea. Eight war patrols, 195 days at sea. Sunk 14 steam merchant ships 42.983 GRT, sunk 1 motor merchant ship 5.041 GRT, sunk 1 steam passenger ship 7.461 GRT, sunk 3 motor tankers 25.679 GRT sunk 2 steam passenger ships converted to the auxilliary merchant cruisers 35.284 GRT, damaged as a total loss 1 steam merchant ship 2.080 GRT, damaged 1 steam merchant ship 4.313 GRT, damaged 1 motor merchant ship 6.189 GRT and damaged 2 motor tankers 14.989 GRT.)
25.09.1941 - 13.10.1941 Baubelehrungskommandant in Blohm und Voß, Hamburg / 8. KLA, Hamburg
15.10.1941 - 21.12.1941 Kommandant U-567 / 7. U-Flottille (Commander. Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass takes command of U 567 from Kptlt. Theodor Fahr. Completed one war patrol, 33 days at sea. One war patrol without return, 4 days. Sunk 1 steam cargo ship 3.324 GRT.)

Awards and Decorations:
05.04.1939 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
06.06.1939 Spanienkreuz in Bronze
25.09.1939 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
17.10.1939 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
19.12.1939 U-boot Kriegsabzeichen
17.06.1940 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
04.07.1940 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
04.09.1940 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
05.09.1940 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #30, as Oberleutnant zur See and Kommandant U-46. Awarded for his successes as the captain of U-46. By this time he had sunk 9 ships with 66692 GRT, including the British auxiliary cruisers “HMS Carinthia” and “HMS Dunvegan Castle”. He also damaged a further 2 ships with 14871 GRT and heavily damaged another with 2080 GRT, with this ship later being declared a total loss.
20.10.1940 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
04.04.1941 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
09.06.1941 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
10.06.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #14, as Oberleutnant zur See and Kommandant U-46. Awarded for sinking a further 11 ships with 56155 GRT. He also achieved a cooperative kill with U-47 (of 4947 GRT) and damaged a further ship with 6207 GRT.
18.07.1941 U-boot Kriegsabzeichen mit Brillianten
31.03.1942 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht

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Engelbert Endrass (German: Engelbert Endraß) (2 March 1911 – 21 December 1941) began his naval career in April 1935. After some months on the cruiser Deutschland and service on escort ships, he was assigned in October 1937 to the U-boat force. He joined U-47 in December 1938 as Leutnant zur See.

Engelbert Endrass was Watch Officer when his commanding officer, Günther Prien penetrated the defences at Scapa Flow attack and sank the battleship HMS Royal Oak in October 1939. The snorting bull emblem on U-47's conning tower was painted by Endrass before they returned. Endrass painted this symbol on all subsequent boats on which he served. The reason, given by Endrass for this, was the sight of Prien's demeanour as U-47 entered Scapa Flow, "his frowning face and hunched shoulders reminded him of a bull in a ring." Endrass remained on U-47 until May 1940, when he left and took over command of U-46 from the relatively unsuccessful Herbert Sohler, who had only sunk two ships in five patrols. Endrass had immediate success. He sank the British auxiliary cruiser HMS Carinthia on his first patrol. The patrol yielded over 4,000 tons.

Endrass' success continued on his second patrol with U-46, sinking five more ships, including another British auxiliary cruiser, HMS Dunvegan Castle although the main periscope was damaged. The ship carried 23,225 steel drums and 2,700 wooden barrels and 440 tons of timber. Endrass was forced to use three torpedoes, for the drums fitted to British ships in this period was done so deliberately to provide extra ballast. It made sinking them more difficult and more expensive in munitions expenditure. Her loss prompted Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches, Martin Dunbar-Nasmith to order all Liverpool–bound ships to remain in convoy until past the Mull of Kintyre. 277 survivors were rescued by HMS Harvester and HMS Primrose.

Endrass and six other U-boats intercepted Convoy SC 7 and sank many ships. U-46 sank three during the three-day battle. The commander followed this up with an attack on Convoy HX 79, sinking two ships.

Five patrols later he received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross. The presentation was made on 30 June 1941 by Adolf Hitler at the Führer Headquarters Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair) in Rastenburg (now Kętrzyn in Poland).

In September 1941 Endrass left U-46, which would become a training vessel, and a month later took over U-567. On his second patrol, he was killed on 21 December 1941 while operating against Convoy HG 76, when U-567 was sunk with all hands by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Deptford and corvette HMS Samphire, northeast of the Azores.


Engelbert Endrass with an added Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz.



Eichenlaubträger Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass in Hoffmann postcard series Nr. 1552. This propaganda postcard was published by 'Photo-Hoffmann' in München and measures approximately 15 x 10,5 cms. Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler's personal photographer, made various series when publishing his photo's as postcards. Perhaps the most popular is the R serie with Knight's Cross holders where the 'R' stands for 'Ritterkreuzträger'. All the series with a letter as prefix are more or less known. But Hoffmann published also a serie (apart from 1501 to 1599) with no prefix running from number 1 to 1200. I will call it the 'main serie' and it is at the same time the most difficult serie to complete. Although all the postcards are from Hoffmann they have different publisher names and places (Münich or Berlin): Photo-Hoffmann, Verlag Heinrich Hoffmann, Presse Illustrationen Hoffmann.  The serie consist not only postcards but also poster and folders with series of postcards.



Autographed photo of Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass.



Portrait of Kapitänleutnant (Sea Captain) Engelbert Endrass in Weißer Dienstrock (white summer uniform), decorated with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Kurt Slemmer (Marine Propaganda-Abteilung West) on 10 July 1941. The location is in St. Nazaire, France. Other pictures from the same sequence can be seen HERE.



Engelbert Endrass as a U-boat captain.



Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass. Photo was taken in 1941 by Kriegsberichter Lothar-Günther Buchheim of PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) Marine-West.


Engelbert Endrass in a party.



Source :
Bundesarchiv photo collection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engelbert_Endrass
https://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/u_boot_kommandanten/ausgabe.php?where_value=266&lang=1
http://pantorijn.blogspot.com/2014/06/hoffmann-postcards-knight-cross-holders_8723.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29976/Endra%C3%9F-Engelbert.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDxud4IUFNk

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