Full name: Joachim Schepke
Nickname: Schepke Tonnage
Date of Birth: 8 March 1912 at Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein (German Empire)
Date of Death: 17 March 1941 at Western Approaches, off British-occupied Iceland (North Atlantic)
NSDAP Number: unknown
SS Number: unknown
Academic Title: unknown
Family Member: unknown
Physical Feature: unknown
Beförderungen (Promotion):
01.04.1930 Offiziersanwärter
10.10.1930 Seekadett
01.01.1932 Fähnrich zur See
01.04.1934 Oberfähnrich zur See
01.10.1934 Leutnant zur See
01.06.1936 Oberleutnant zur See
01.06.1939 Kapitänleutnant
Karriere (Career):
29.10.1938 - 02.01.1940 Kommandant U-3 (3 patrols, 24 days)
03.01.1940 - 30.04.1940 Kommandant U-19 (5 patrols, 66 days)
30.05.1940 - 17.03.1941 Kommandant U-100 (6 patrols, 112 days)
Orden und Ehrenzeichen (Medals and Decorations):
00.00.1939 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.1940 U-Boot-Kriegsabzeichen
27.02.1940 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
29.08.1940 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
22.09.1940 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
24.09.1940 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Kapitänleutnant and Kommandeur U-100
21.10.1940 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
26.11.1940 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
01.12.1940 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #7, as Kapitänleutnant and Kommandeur U-100
20.12.1940 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
24.12.1941 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
Successes
36 ships sunk, total tonnage 153,677 GRT
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 17,229 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 2,205 GRT
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Joachim Schepke began his naval career in April 1930. He spent two years on the 'pocket battleship' Deutschland before, as Günther Prien also had, transferring to the U-boat force in October 1935. Later he spent 18 months as an instructor at the Torpedo School at Flensburg, but in 1938 he became commander of the training U-boat U-3. His time commanding U-3 saw him achieve his first successes, leaving her in January 1940.
He then took over command of U-19 (Müller-Arnecke) and sank nine ships with a total of 15,715 tons.
In May 1940 he commissioned the larger type VIIB U-boat U-100. On his first patrol from Kiel to Lorient in August 1940, he sank six ships with a total of 25,812 tons and damaged one more.
But it wasn't until her second patrol during September 1940 that Kapitänleutnant Schepke became famous as commander of U-100. In only two days he sank seven ships with a total of 50,340 tons. Two days later he received the Knights Cross.
23 November 1940 was another memorable day, on which Schepke sank seven ships totaling 24,601 tons. One week later he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross.
In 1940 he published a book, U-Boot Fahrer von heute (U-boat men of today), describing life on a U-boat in simple terms. This book is illustrated with his own paintings.
Schepke was nicknamed Ihrer Majestät bestaussehender Offizier (Her Majesty's best-looking officer. The expression Ihrer Majestät is used to indicate the country's leader, and is not referring to royalty in this case!).
Joachim Schepke died when U-100 was sunk at 0318hrs on 17 March 1941 SE of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W, after being rammed and depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc (Niestlé, 1998). Vanoc located U-100 with her early radar in heavy fog and chased the contact. Schepke is said to have been caught on the bridge when the boat was rammed. Six men survived and 38 were lost.
Source :
https://uboat.net/men/schepke.htm
http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/index.php/Joachim_Schepke
https://ww2colorfarbe.blogspot.com/2022/02/bio-of-u-boat-ace-joachim-schepke.html
Generalmajor
Erwin Rommel (Kommandeur 7. Panzer-Division) at the "Hoth Tag" event
held in front of the Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux, France, 29 June
1940 (other versions mention 1 July 1940 as the date). To the right is
his aide, Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Schraepler. On 24 June 1940, 7.
Panzer-Division arrived in Bordeaux. Five days later, the division held a
victory parade in the streets of the city in northern France under the
direct leadership of the Divisionskommandeur Rommel. Until the spring of
1941, 7. Panzer-Division spent a period of rest and refitting at the
"Camp de Sougè", located in Martignas-sur-Jalle. All of this information
comes from a letter sent by Rommel to his beloved wife, Lucie, dated 6
January 1941. The position of his own division was as a reserve force of
the Wehrmacht, prepared for Unternehmen Seelöwe (Operation Sea Lion,
the planned German invasion of England). The invasion was later called
off after the Luftwaffe was battered in the Battle of Britain. BTW, I believe this is the only picture showing Rommel wearing stahlhelm (steel helmet)!
