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
Erich Topp (1914-2005), born on 2 July 1914 in Hannover, emerged as one
of the most successful U-boat commanders of the Kriegsmarine during
World War II, ultimately sinking 35 ships for a total of 197,460 gross
register tons (GRT) and ranking as the third-highest tonnage scorer
among German submariners. He began his naval career in 1934, served
aboard the light cruiser Karlsruhe, and transitioned to the U-boat
force, initially as first watch officer on U-46 before taking command of
U-57 in the 1st U-boat Flotilla in June 1940, where he conducted
aggressive patrols into the North Atlantic and North Channel, achieving
multiple sinkings that earned him the Iron Cross 1st Class. Transferring
to the newly commissioned Type VIIC submarine U-552 in December 1940
with the 7th U-boat Flotilla, Topp distinguished himself further during
operations west of Ireland and in the North Atlantic; his third war
patrol in May-June 1941 resulted in credited sinkings that led to the
award of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 20 June 1941 as
Oberleutnant zur See for approximately 14 ships sunk or damaged totaling
around 90,000 GRT across his commands. During subsequent patrols,
including the dramatic sinking of the US destroyer USS Reuben James on
31 October 1941 while escorting Convoy HX 156, and highly productive
operations off the American East Coast during the Second Happy Time in
early 1942 where U-552 sank seven ships for over 45,000 GRT on one
patrol alone, Topp received the Eichenlaub on 11 April 1942 as the 87th
recipient while at sea, recognizing his cumulative successes. His
continued daring raids, including additional sinkings and damage to
shipping on patrols in mid-1942, culminated in the Schwerter award on
17 August 1942 as
the 17th recipient, elevating him amid his leadership of the Red Devil
Boat U-552. Later commanding the 27th U-boat Flotilla for training and
contributing to tactics for advanced Type XXI Elektroboote while briefly
commanding U-2513 before surrendering at war's end, Topp survived to
postwar service in the Bundesmarine, rising to Konteradmiral and NATO
roles.
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.
Korvettenkapitän
Reinhard Hardegen (1913-2018) was an officer in the Kriegsmarine during
World War II, best known as a successful U-boat commander who sank or
damaged numerous Allied vessels, primarily while serving with the 2nd
U-boat Flotilla. Having previously served as 1.WO aboard U-124 under
Kapitanleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Schulz, he took command of U-147 in late
1940 before assuming command of the Type IXB U-boat U-123 in May 1941.
His most notable achievements came during Operation Paukenschlag
(Drumbeat), the German U-boat offensive against American shipping along
the East Coast in early 1942, where he penetrated heavily illuminated
coastal waters with remarkable audacity. On his first Drumbeat patrol,
Hardegen and his crew aboard U-123 sank several ships including the
British tanker Coimbra and others off Cape Hatteras, accumulating over
100,000 GRT in claimed sinkings that earned him the Ritterkreuz des
Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 January 1942. During his second and final patrol
in March-April 1942, he continued his aggressive operations along the
Florida and Georgia coasts, sinking or heavily damaging tankers and
freighters such as the American tanker Muskogee, Empire Steel, Oklahoma,
Esso Baton Rouge, Gulfamerica (torpedoed and then shelled from a daring
close-range position near the beach amid onshore spectators), and
others with a combination of torpedoes and deck gun fire, often in
shallow waters where ships were sometimes later refloated; these
successes, bringing his patrol claims to around 74,000 GRT amid fierce
but often ineffective American responses including depth charges and air
attacks, led to the award of the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz on
23 April 1942
(the 89th such presentation). Health issues forced his retirement from
frontline U-boat duties shortly thereafter, after which he commanded
Marine-Infanterie-Regiment 6 briefly in 1945; postwar, he built a
successful career as a businessman and politician in Bremen, living to
the age of 105 as the last surviving German U-boat captain.
Kapitänleutnant
Rolf Mützelburg (1913-1942) was born on 23 June 1913 in Kiel and joined
the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic on 1 April 1932 as a member of
Crew 32, later transferring to the Kriegsmarine; after two years of
service on minesweepers he entered the U-boat arm in October 1939,
commanded the school boat U-10 from June to November 1940 within the 21.
Unterseebootsflottille, gained combat experience aboard U-100 under
Joachim Schepke, and in February 1941 commissioned U-203 into the 1.
Unterseebootsflottille as Kapitänleutnant, going on to complete eight
war patrols in the Atlantic, off the US east coast and in the Caribbean
during which he sank nineteen ships totaling approximately 81,961 GRT
and damaged three others of 17,052 GRT. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz
des Eisernen Kreuzes on 17 November 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and
Kommandant of U-203 for sinking twelve ships of 39,744 GRT and damaging
one of 8,293 GRT over four patrols, and received the Eichenlaub on
15 July 1942,
the 104th award of its kind, again as Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant of
U-203 for sinking a further ten ships of 47,558 GRT and damaging three
more of 17,052 GRT. On 11 September 1942, while U-203 was southwest of
the Azores, Mützelburg went swimming and dived from the conning tower
but struck the deck head-first when the boat lurched in a swell; despite
the arrival of a doctor from the supply boat U-462 the following day he
died of his injuries and was buried at sea on 12 September 1942.
Korvettenkapitän
Adalbert Schnee (1913-1982), known as “Addi”, was born on 31 December
1913 in Berlin and died on 4 November 1982 in Hamburg; he joined the
Reichsmarine in April 1934, served aboard the light cruiser Leipzig,
transferred to the U-boat arm in May 1937, and as 1.WO completed five
combat patrols aboard U-23 under Oberleutnant zur See Otto Kretschmer
before taking his own commands of U-6 (one short patrol supporting
Unternehmen Weserübung), U-60 (three patrols sinking two ships of 3,188
GRT and damaging one of 15,434 GRT), the training boat U-121, and from
January 1941 the Type VIIC U-201, in which he conducted seven combat
patrols between April 1941 and August 1942 sinking nineteen merchant
ships totalling 87,001 GRT as well as the auxiliary warships HMS
Springbank and HMS Laertes while damaging two further vessels, for
overall wartime successes of twenty-one merchant ships of approximately
90,847 GRT plus two auxiliaries; as Oberleutnant zur See and Kommandant
of U-201 he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 30 August
1941 after three successful patrols, and as Kapitänleutnant and
Kommandant of the same boat he was awarded the Eichenlaub (105th
recipient) on
15 July 1942 for the outstanding results of his
seventh patrol, during which he sank nine ships totalling 56,349 GRT
(including the British anti-submarine trawler HMS Laertes) and damaged
another of 7,417 GRT; promoted ultimately to Korvettenkapitän, he later
served on the staff of the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote as
Geleitzugs-Admiralstabsoffizier organising convoy operations before
taking command of the Type XXI Elektroboot U-2511 in September 1944,
with which he conducted a final short patrol in May 1945 that ended with
the German surrender after he had closed undetected to within 500
metres of the British cruiser HMS Norfolk without firing, after which he
worked in the German Mine Sweeping Administration, testified at the
Peleus trial, and later directed a sailing school on Elba while serving
for many years as chairman of the Verband Deutscher Ubootfahrer.
