The German U-Boot force of the Kriegsmarine played a pivotal role in World War II, particularly during the Battle of the Atlantic, where Admiral Karl Dönitz orchestrated aggressive wolfpack tactics to sever Allied supply lines across the vast ocean expanses. From the opening days of the conflict in 1939, sleek Type VII and Type IX submarines prowled the depths, achieving devastating success under commanders such as Günther Prien, who famously sank the HMS Royal Oak, and Otto Kretschmer, the leading U-Boot ace with over 266,000 tons of shipping destroyed. These underwater predators sank more than 3,000 merchant vessels and numerous warships, nearly starving Britain into submission during the early war years, yet their operations came at a staggering cost as Allied advancements in radar, sonar, codebreaking, and escort carriers gradually turned the tide, resulting in the loss of over 780 U-Boote and most of their crews by 1945. Despite the mounting attrition, the force earned legendary status through decorations like the Ritterkreuz, awarded to elite commanders for extraordinary feats of bravery and operational prowess, embodying the daring and technological innovation of Nazi Germany's naval warfare strategy until its ultimate defeat.
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SCHWERTERTRÄGER
Fregattenkapitän Otto Kretschmer (1912-1998), born 1 May 1912 and who died 5 August 1998, was one of the most successful U-boat commanders of the Kriegsmarine in World War II and earned the nickname Otto der Schweiger for his strict radio discipline and skillful use of silent running. Serving initially as Kapitänleutnant in command of U-23 and then from April 1940 as commander of U-99, he pioneered effective night surface attacks from the dark side of convoys and the “one torpedo, one ship” tactic, sinking a total of 47 ships totaling 274,333 gross register tons, including the British destroyer HMS Daring and several armed merchant cruisers, between September 1939 and his capture in March 1941. These outstanding results brought him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 August 1940 for his early U-99 patrols, notably the sinking of the Auckland Star and successful strikes against convoy OB 191, the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 4 November 1940 as only the sixth recipient after further devastating attacks that included the sinking of HMS Laurentic and HMS Patroclus, and finally the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern on 26 December 1941 as the fifth recipient and by then Korvettenkapitän for his cumulative record and the last patrols that added the sinking of HMS Forfar along with many more merchant vessels; he was later promoted to Fregattenkapitän on 1 September 1944 while a prisoner of war after U-99 was scuttled on 17 March 1941.
Fregattenkapitän Reinhard "Teddy" Suhren (1916-1984) first gained distinction as 1. Wachoffizier on U-48 and later as Kommandant of the Type VIIC submarine U-564 in the 1. U-Boot-Flottille. After joining the navy in 1935 as part of Crew 35, completing training on the school ship Gorch Fock, the light cruiser Emden and various specialist courses, and serving briefly on destroyers and earlier U-boats, Suhren spent nine war patrols from 1939 to 1940 aboard U-48 (initially in the Wegener Flotille) under commanders Herbert Schultze, Hans-Rudolf Rösing and Heinrich Bleichrodt, where as torpedo weapons officer he fired the majority of the boat’s successful torpedoes and contributed decisively to the sinking of roughly 200,000 gross register tons of Allied shipping, for which he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 November 1940 as Oberleutnant zur See; the award was personally advocated by Bleichrodt, who credited Suhren’s skill more than his own command and threatened to refuse his own decoration if Suhren were overlooked. In April 1941 Suhren commissioned and took command of U-564, and during his six patrols as Kommandant he sank eighteen merchant vessels totalling 95,544 GRT plus the British corvette HMS Zinnia (900 long tons) while damaging four further merchants of 28,907 GRT; his first three patrols, which together accounted for ten ships of approximately 28,324 GRT including the sinking of HMS Zinnia on 23 August 1941, earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 31 December 1941 as Oberleutnant zur See, while his next three highly successful cruises—culminating in the sixth patrol into the mid-Atlantic and Caribbean near Trinidad, where despite an aircraft attack that forced him to dive to 200 metres he sank five ships of 32,181 GRT—brought the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern on 1 September 1942 as Kapitänleutnant. After handing over U-564 in October 1942 Suhren served as an instructor with the 27. U-Boot-Flottille, rose to Fregattenkapitän and held senior operational posts as Führer der Unterseeboote Norwegen and ultimately Commander-in-Chief of U-boats in the North Sea; following the war he worked in the petroleum industry and died of stomach cancer on 25 August 1984.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Korvettenkapitän
Günther Prien (1908-1941), one of the most celebrated commanders of the
Kriegsmarine’s U-Bootwaffe, gained legendary status during the early
years of World War II as the captain of U-47. On the night of 14 October
1939, Prien executed a daring penetration of the heavily defended
British naval base at Scapa Flow, where he torpedoed and sank the
battleship HMS Royal Oak, resulting in the loss of over 800 British
sailors. This bold operation made him an instant hero in Germany and
earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 18 October 1939,
making him the first U-boat commander to receive the prestigious award,
which was personally presented by Adolf Hitler. Prien continued his
successful career in the Atlantic, sinking numerous Allied ships, and on
20 October 1940 he was further honored with the Eichenlaub (Oak
Leaves) to his Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for his outstanding
achievements and a total tonnage exceeding 200,000 tons sunk. His career
ended tragically when U-47 was lost with all hands on 7 March 1941,
likely sunk by British escorts in the North Atlantic.
Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke (1912-1941) was a prominent U-boat commander in the Kriegsmarine who earned his reputation as one of the most successful submarine officers during the early years of the war. As the commander of U-100, a Type VIIB boat, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 September 1940 for his successful military leadership and effectiveness against Allied shipping. Following his continued successes, he became the seventh recipient of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 1 December 1940. Throughout his career, Schepke was credited with sinking 36 ships, though he famously claimed 37 vessels for a total of 213,310 gross register tons, a figure often viewed with skepticism by his peers due to a tendency to exaggerate his tonnage reports. His service ended on 17 March 1941 when U-100 was forced to the surface by depth charges from HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc and subsequently rammed by the latter during an attack on Convoy HX-112, resulting in his death.
Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Liebe (1908-1997) was one of the most successful U-Boot commanders of the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War, earning distinction through a series of highly effective Atlantic patrols that made him one of Germany’s leading submarine aces. After joining the Reichsmarine in 1927, he eventually took command of U-38, a Type IXA U-Boot that became one of the most successful submarines of the war under his leadership. During the early phases of the Battle of the Atlantic, Liebe demonstrated exceptional tactical skill, aggressive convoy attacks, and remarkable endurance on long-range patrols against Allied shipping. These operations resulted in the destruction of numerous merchant vessels and severely disrupted Allied maritime logistics. For his outstanding success in command of U-38 and the sinking of large amounts of enemy tonnage during the opening years of the Atlantic campaign, Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 August 1940. He continued to achieve further successes during subsequent patrols, increasing his tally to 34 ships sunk with a total of approximately 187,267 GRT, placing him among the highest-scoring U-Boot commanders of the war. In recognition of these continued achievements, his leadership, and the sustained effectiveness of U-38 in combat operations, he received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 June 1941 as the 13th recipient of that higher award. Following his frontline service, Liebe was transferred to staff and training duties within the Kriegsmarine, surviving the war and later living a long postwar life until his death in Eisenach in 1997.
Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass (1911-1941) was one of the most successful commanders of the Kriegsmarine U-Boot-Waffe during the Second World War, having first gained fame as the 1. Wachoffizier aboard U-47 under Günther Prien during the daring penetration of Scapa Flow and the sinking of the British battleship HMS Royal Oak in October 1939. After taking command of U-46 on 22 May 1940, Endrass quickly demonstrated exceptional aggressiveness and tactical skill in the Battle of the Atlantic. During his first two war patrols as commander, he sank numerous Allied merchant vessels and two large British auxiliary cruisers, HMS Carinthia and HMS Dunvegan Castle, inflicting heavy losses on Allied shipping despite operating under difficult conditions, including damage to his attack periscope. These successes, which totaled more than 60,000 GRT of enemy shipping destroyed within a few months, earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 September 1940 as Oberleutnant zur See and Kommandant of U-46. Endrass continued his successful convoy operations throughout late 1940 and the first half of 1941, participating in attacks against convoys such as SC 7 and HX 79 and steadily increasing his sinking record. In recognition of his sustained combat achievements, leadership, and repeated successes against heavily escorted Atlantic convoys, he received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 June 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant of U-46, becoming the 14th member of the German armed forces to receive that distinction. After relinquishing U-46 in September 1941, he assumed command of U-567, but his career ended during operations against Convoy HG 76 when his submarine was sunk by British escort vessels on 21 December 1941 northeast of the Azores, with the loss of all hands. His final tally: 19 ships sunk, with the total tonnage of 81,164 GRT.
Korvettenkapitän
Herbert Schultze (1909-1987) was one of the most successful and widely
known U-Boot commanders of the Kriegsmarine during the early years of
the Second World War, achieving fame as the commander of U-48, one of
Germany’s most successful submarines. After taking command of U-48 in
1938, Schultze began a remarkable combat career in the Atlantic, where
his aggressive yet often highly publicized adherence to traditional
naval prize rules brought him international attention. During the
opening months of the war he sank numerous Allied merchant vessels,
including Royal Sceptre, Winkleigh, Firby, and many others, while
conducting a series of highly successful patrols that resulted in tens
of thousands of tons of enemy shipping destroyed. His growing record of
success, leadership, and effectiveness in disrupting British maritime
supply lines led to the award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on
1 March 1940. Schultze continued his operational achievements
throughout 1940 and early 1941, eventually reaching a total of more than
169,709 gross register tons of 26 Allied shipping sunk, making him one
of the leading U-Boot aces of the period. In recognition of these
continued successes while commanding U-48, as well as his sustained
contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic and exemplary leadership
within the U-Boot-Waffe, he was awarded the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz
des Eisernen Kreuzes on 12 June 1941 as the sixth U-Boot
commander to receive that distinction. Shortly afterward he was
withdrawn from frontline patrol duty and assigned to command the 3.
U-Flottille at La Rochelle, later serving in several important staff
positions under Großadmiral Karl Dönitz.
Kapitän zur See Viktor Schütze (1906-1950) was one of the most successful U-boat commanders of the Second World War, serving initially in the Reichsmarine aboard torpedo boats from 1925 before transferring to the U-boat arm in 1935 and rising through commands of U 19, U 11, and U 25 prior to taking over the Type IXB boat U 103 of the 2. Unterseebootsflottille in July 1940. As Kommandant of U 103 he conducted multiple patrols in the North Atlantic and off the African coast, during which his cumulative successes across five patrols earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 11 December 1940 for sinking 19 ships totaling 91,953 gross register tons and damaging one additional vessel. He continued aggressive operations, and over the course of two further patrols in the first half of 1941 he sank another 16 ships for 88,120 gross register tons while damaging one more, actions that directly resulted in the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 July 1941 as the 23rd recipient of the Oak Leaves. By the time he relinquished command of U 103 in mid-1941 to become Flottillenchef of the 2. Unterseebootsflottille and later Führer der U-Boote Ausbildungsflottillen, Schütze’s personal final tally as a front-line commander stood at 35 ships sunk for a total of 180,073 gross register tons plus two vessels damaged for 14,213 gross register tons, placing him among the elite aces of the Battle of the Atlantic before he transitioned to training and staff roles until the end of the war.
Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (1911-1986) began his naval career in 1931 and transferred to the U-boat arm in 1939, later commanding the Type VIIC submarine U-96 as Kapitänleutnant from September 1940 until March 1942 while attached to the 7. U-Flottille and conducting eight war patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic that resulted in the sinking of twenty-four ships totaling 170,237 gross register tons along with two ships damaged for 15,864 gross register tons and one ship declared a total loss. For his achievements during the first three of these patrols, in which U-96 under his command sank fourteen ships of 115,580 gross register tons and damaged two others of 15,864 gross register tons including the prominent sinking of the British troopship Almeda Star of 14,935 gross register tons on 17 January 1941, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 February 1941 as Kommandant of U-96 in recognition of his rapid destruction of more than 125,000 gross register tons of enemy shipping in a short period. For further successes achieved over the course of another five war patrols in which he sank an additional ten ships totaling 58,746 gross register tons, he received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941 while still serving as Kommandant of U-96, after which he went on to command the 9. U-Flottille in Brest and briefly U-256 before becoming Flottillenchef of the 11. U-Flottille until the end of the war.
Kapitän zur See Viktor Schütze (1906-1950) was one of the most successful U-boat commanders of the Second World War, serving initially in the Reichsmarine aboard torpedo boats from 1925 before transferring to the U-boat arm in 1935 and rising through commands of U 19, U 11, and U 25 prior to taking over the Type IXB boat U 103 of the 2. Unterseebootsflottille in July 1940. As Kommandant of U 103 he conducted multiple patrols in the North Atlantic and off the African coast, during which his cumulative successes across five patrols earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 11 December 1940 for sinking 19 ships totaling 91,953 gross register tons and damaging one additional vessel. He continued aggressive operations, and over the course of two further patrols in the first half of 1941 he sank another 16 ships for 88,120 gross register tons while damaging one more, actions that directly resulted in the award of the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 14 July 1941 as the 23rd recipient of the Oak Leaves. By the time he relinquished command of U 103 in mid-1941 to become Flottillenchef of the 2. Unterseebootsflottille and later Führer der U-Boote Ausbildungsflottillen, Schütze’s personal final tally as a front-line commander stood at 35 ships sunk for a total of 180,073 gross register tons plus two vessels damaged for 14,213 gross register tons, placing him among the elite aces of the Battle of the Atlantic before he transitioned to training and staff roles until the end of the war.
Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (1911-1986) began his naval career in 1931 and transferred to the U-boat arm in 1939, later commanding the Type VIIC submarine U-96 as Kapitänleutnant from September 1940 until March 1942 while attached to the 7. U-Flottille and conducting eight war patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic that resulted in the sinking of twenty-four ships totaling 170,237 gross register tons along with two ships damaged for 15,864 gross register tons and one ship declared a total loss. For his achievements during the first three of these patrols, in which U-96 under his command sank fourteen ships of 115,580 gross register tons and damaged two others of 15,864 gross register tons including the prominent sinking of the British troopship Almeda Star of 14,935 gross register tons on 17 January 1941, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 February 1941 as Kommandant of U-96 in recognition of his rapid destruction of more than 125,000 gross register tons of enemy shipping in a short period. For further successes achieved over the course of another five war patrols in which he sank an additional ten ships totaling 58,746 gross register tons, he received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 31 December 1941 while still serving as Kommandant of U-96, after which he went on to command the 9. U-Flottille in Brest and briefly U-256 before becoming Flottillenchef of the 11. U-Flottille until the end of the war.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat
https://uboat.net/men/decorations/ritter_winners.htm
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