[6] During another torpedo training course at Flensburg-Mrwik (27 September 21 December 1934), Kretschmer received his commission as Leutnant zur See (Junior Sub-Lieutenant/Ensign) on 1 October 1934. The Golden Horseshoe: The Wartime Career of Otto Kretschmer, U-Boat Ace by Terence Robertson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. [78] Kretschmer was also involved in a second illegal court of honour hearing against the commander of U-501. That boat is seen to the left on a barge going down the Donau River for Costanza, Rumania on the Black Sea coast to operate against Soviet forces under other Skippers including RUDOLF ARENDT (7563-2011). It is not possible to change the direction of a rapidly diving submarine at the wave of a hand, and so with Schnee on the bridge and both conning tower hatches fully open, U-23 disappeared beneath the North Sea. Unfortunately, his mother died from tetanus after a medical incident, so he returned home to be with his family. Hermann Michahelles, Otto Kretschmer became commander of U-35 until 15 August 1937. Kretschmer's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. He had to return to port to repair the damage. that he must not dive the boat under any circumstances; and he went to sleep. His first operational posting was to the 2nd U-Flotillas Type VII U35 where he survived almost being drowned during training in the Baltic Sea. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. He then caused havoc in the rest of the convoy, winning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Kretschmer and U-23 had departed from Wilhelmshaven on 25 August, one week before the start of World War II. Comes with leather case. U-99 was one of the most successful German U-boats in the war, sinking 38 ships for a total tonnage of 244,658 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping in eight patrols. Kretschmer was transferred to the training ship Niobe (1 July 1930 9 October 1930), attaining the rank of Seekadett (cadet) on 9 October 1930 before embarking on a 14-month stay on board the cruiser Emden (10 October 1930 4 January 1932), which took him to the Far East through the Mediterranean and Suez canal. [57] On 7 December 1940, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum; the last success of the year. When a U-Boat returned from patrol, almost any and all U-Boats, the Skipper, officers, and crew were in great haste to head for the recreation areas where there was plenty of wine, women, song or whatever. The ship did not reach port. [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. Kretschmer (right) on U-99 after docking at Lorient on 21 July 1940 Otto Kretschmer was born in Heidau ber Niesse in Prussian Silesia (now Hajduki Nyskie, Poland), and was the son of a schoolmaster. Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. Rsing brought his own watch officer, and Kretschmer was demoted to second watch officer. His whole demeanour was calm and quiet, and he seemed anxious to be friendly; he was also less suspicious of British Officers than was his First Lieutenant. 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. 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. Why? In a rush of roiling water that must have looked like a surfacing submarine, Papa Swan came roaring out of the water heading right at Juli who decided that it was time to leave but with about six feet of wingspan flailing about and huge clawed feet ripping chunks of OTTOs grass up, Papa Swan was hot after Juli all the while making a tremendous hissing sound. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. Six months later, on 15 December, he officially became Flottillenadmiral. He then ordered the merchant Skipper to put everyone back aboard then gave him a course to steer for one of the German bases on the French coast, and ordered the merchant Skipper to surrender the ship to the harbor authorities there. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. The seaman did as he was ordered and brought the cap back to OTTO. [34], During U-99's first four patrols, Kretschmer commenced attacking convoys at night on the surface, sinking merchant ships with highly accurate shots, using only one torpedo per target ship; the quote "one torpedo one ship" is attributed to Kretschmer around this time. A single torpedo was fired, then Kretschmer ordered a u-turn and sped away on the surface; the destroyers neither sighted him nor detected him with ASDIC. Although he fought doggedly for Nazi Germany during the war, his affection for Exeter remained with him until his death. 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. [61] As with the group that eventually sank Kretschmer ten days later, they were experienced and competent. His nickname Silent Otto referred to his ability to remain undetected and his reluctance to provide the regular radio reports required by Dnitz: he had guessed that the Allies had broken German codes. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. 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. "On seeing the craters of a stick of bombs near Buckingham Palace he was genuinely shocked that an attempt had so obviously been made by his countrymen to bomb the Palace. In 1955, MacIntyre returned the Zeiss binoculars to Kretschmer. After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. Otto Kretschmer Fregattenkapitn ( Crew 30) U-boat Commands Kptlt. "Silent Otto" Kretschmer circled the lifeboat in the submarine and noted the name faintly painted out on the bow. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. BACK TO ADVISORS PAGE. His command ended on 31 March 1969. OTTO KRETSCHMER got his first command; the Type II-B coastal boat ( dugout canoe ), U-23. 3099067 He very nearly drowned as, in the icy water, he no longer had the strength to climb up himself, only for a British sailor to clamber down and rescue him from the ocean. Otto passed away on month day 1981, at age 85 at death place. 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. On 26 September 1935, he was transferred to the 1st department of the standing ship division of the North Sea in Wilhelmshaven where he served as a company officer until 25 January 1936. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. 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. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. On seeing the craters of a stick of bombs near Buckingham Palace he was genuinely shocked that an attempt had so obviously been made by his countrymen to bomb the Palace. Our DVD-56 features OTTO KRETSCHMER and you may get a glimpse of that DVD click here: SCENE 1 SCENE 2 SCENE 3, OTTO KRETSCHMER was with us for several of our Patrols in Germany and also in the USA. This was not the case with U-99. [18] Further patrols took U-23 around the British coast. [80], On 1 December 1955, Kretschmer joined West Germany's navy, at the time named the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy), holding the rank of Fregattenkapitn (Commander). Kretschmer then met Hitler at the Reich Chancellery and he repeated his opinions on the war situation. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. Sir, do you think that OTTO KRETSCHMER will be with us on this trip? to which OTTO smiled and replied; I think he is already here. at which point the Member nearly fell out of his chair. Kretschmer was presented with an opportunity to put his "one torpedo, one ship" mantra into practice. His first patrol, with Oberleutnant zur See Adalbert Schnee as first watch officer, took U-23 into the North Sea and along the coast of the Netherlands. I was a lieutenant on U-35, in the second submarine flotilla, and together with U . For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes . In this work, Kretschmers success is appraised through the analysis of the key characteristics of his attacks, and the conditions of the battlefield in which he operated. [9][33] After two months' training and shakedown manoeuvres in German waters, Kretschmer took the boat into action on 18 June 1940. Otto Kretschmer was only in combat from September 1939 until March 1941 but was Germany's highest-scoring U-boat commander, sinking 47 ships totaling 274,333 tons. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. Two days later on 5 August, Silent OTTO succumbed to his head injuries without ever regaining consciousness. A high achiever at school, he wanted nothing more than to join the navy, but he was not old enough upon leaving at the age of 17. [2] In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political turbulence of the Weimar era. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. [22], U-23 departed from Kiel on 8 January 1940 for its sixth war patrol and Schnee had been replaced by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen. He became known as the Golden Horseshoe by his men. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. [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). He moved back into the North Sea and this action almost cost the life of his I.W.O., Adalbert Schnee, who later commanded U-201. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. The report, filed in the archives, was named "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941". Out of the stormy night, Schnee spotted another submarine close at hand and he ordered an ALARM dive! Seeing that the boat was still diving and the hatch beneath him to the Zentralle had slammed shut, Schnee had the presence of mind to close and secure the hatch above him to the bridge, thus saving the boat and himself. [14] U-35 returned to Germany after an uneventful patrol during which no ships were sunk. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. 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. His whole demeanour was calm and quiet, and he seemed anxious to be friendly; he was also less suspicious of British officers than was his First Lieutenant. They provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred him to a lifeboat at the first opportunity. Kretschmer waited for the crew to take to the lifeboats before destroying the ship with a torpedo. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. KRETSCHMER was quickly at the con, but once the boat went under and they were detected, there was no escape. Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. Once secured dockside, the crew poses for a triumphant photo. [32] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 25 February after 17 days at seahis longest to date. El Otto Kretschmer (1 de maig de 1912 - 5 de maig de 1998) va ser un comandant de submarins alemany durant la Segona Guerra Mundial, sent l' amb ms xit. [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. [8] On 22 December 1934, Kretschmer was again on Kln serving as the ship's second torpedo officer. They were sent to Lime Street Station to be transported to London for interrogation. [9] Kretschmer's first operational experience on a submarine was as a lieutenant on the U-35 in 1937 as first watch officer under the command of Klaus Ewerth and then Hans-Rudolf Rsing. [13], He was given interim command of U-35 in August 1937, and this appointment coincided with Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War. He commissioned U-99 on 18 April 1940 which was part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. Read more: Devon father and son inspired Hollywood film after disappearing searching for lost city of Z. "[73], 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. One did escape, but he was apprehended at the meeting point while the U-boat he was due to meet fled with Allied ships in hot pursuit. [46] Kretschmer's logbook recorded the chaos. OTTO and his wife were already in the dining room. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. In December 1934, he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln, then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling U-boat service. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. The first time I met him and asked for an interview, he granted me a half hour following a luncheon celebrating his wife's birthday. 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. But Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters, and the police seized them before their breakout. [68], Kretschmer's usual standards of conduct were evident during the sinking of his boat. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. That same day the British escorts scored another success against the Kriegsmarine when the noted U-boat skipper Joachim Schepke was killed aboard U-100, having been depth charged, rammed and sunk by Vanoc. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. The ship had been torpedoed by U-57 and abandoned. [53] Upon reaching port, he was summoned to Berlin to meet Erich Raeder. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. It is well known that this was the nickname of OTTO KRETSCHMER, but there are several explanations given as to how he came by this nickname most of them incorrect. - 1998. augusztus 5.) Yes, OTTO was a great guy. [21] He returned to Kiel, rather than Wilhelmshaven, on 16 October. 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 admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship.". As U-99 returns from an early Feindfahrt, we see that the crew is neatly arranged (photo left) on the deck and there is no White Cap on the Skipper. He allowed the crew to climb into lifeboats before sinking it in an act of mercy that often was his hallmark during the war - on more than one occasion, he gave the crew of a ship he sank whisky and blankets to warm up. [71] Winston Churchill disclosed the capture of Kretschmer to the House of Commons on 21 March. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. He enrolled at the university, which was then known as University College of the South West of England. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. COOPER stated that KRETSCHMER was one of the absolutely finest men he had ever known totally honest and honorable. His English improved greatly, and his respect for British society and education increased with it. Haunted by him, Kretschmer ordered the boat to backtrack until the survivor was found. His particularly brazen and risky innovation was to execute these night surface attacks inside the convoy. Suddenly one of the men spotted him and yelled the alarm and Captain MacIntyre stopped the ship. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Patroclus of 11.314 brt as well as the armed Britsish merchantman Casanare of 5.376 brt. All 33 men aboard died. Kretschmer was also involved in the Battle of Bowmanville. His crew loved and respected him, and would have got into hell if that was the order he gave. The boat returned to Wilhelmshaven on 4 September. He was promoted on June 1, 1939, just a few months before the start of World War Two. COOPER said that this was one of the warmest compliments he had ever received. [32] Loch Maddy He then sank the 5,200-ton cargo ship Tiberton the Loch Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons. [38] Acts of compassion in submarine warfare were "selective and fickle", one historian wrote when describing Kretschmer's rescue of a lone man in a raft. [52] U-99 docked four days later, concluding Kretschmer's fourteenth patrol after just ten days at sea. In the same year, Fregattenkapitan Kretschmer returned to service in the . Karl Dnitz, Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU), ordered attacks on Allied shipping at sea, beginning the Battle of the Atlantic. Prien sank the ship the following day. 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. He joined the German navy - the Reichsmarine - on April 1, 1930, as an officer candidate. I am sunking. Yep Sunking is the word he used. The short range of the Type II submarine allowed for operations in the North Sea, but no further. [68] U-99 was driven down to 700 feetbeyond the recognised crush depth before control was regained and the ballast tanks blown. Otto Kretschmer was the Watch Officer of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937. He died in 1998 in Bavaria. A young RN ensign was removing the binoculars from around KRETSCHMERs neck when MacIntyre yelled down that those were now his binoculars as a prize of war, so the young ensign brought them to the bridge. There are as many reports, theories, and wild-eyed guesses as there are forums on the Internet most of which are pure speculation and fiction. There were two reasons for this; Knights Cross with Oak Leaf and Crossed Swords, There would be nine diamonds forming the Swastika, All the time this was going on, as the pair ran, Why you never saw him with the traditional . Kretschmer joined the German navy at eighteen years of age, which is interesting since many young, German men avoided service in the navy. On 4 October 1939 he sank the coastal ship Glen Farg (876GRT). As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. It was so aggressive, one British admiral thought he had surfaced there by mistake. Kretschmer sank six and disabled a seventh. As OTTO said;I am a Prussian officer; we are not pirates!. He did not return to England from his hiatus, but travelled through France, Switzerland and Italy. Kretschmer continued to search for stragglers and found SS Holmlea. He sank four ships and damaged three. [23] Kretschmer targeted the Danish Scotia, a 2,400GRT on 7 December. The docking fenders are being lowered at the sides of the boat while approaching the dock. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. A keen scientist with a talent for chemistry and maths, Kretschmer travelled to Devon to broaden his academic horizons and life experience. (Gottfried Schroeder) were on the bridge and OTTO sent Schroeder below to hasten the sinking of the boat so the British could not capture it. The crew abandoned ship and were questioned by Kretschmer. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. The Greatest Submarine Commander of all time was Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier who sank nearly 200 ships in World War One. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. The crew felt that this would bring them good luck so they cleaned the horseshoe, painted it gold and screwed it to the fairweather as we see in the photo to the right. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. 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. In 1943, the men dug a tunnel out of the camp ahead of an 870-mile journey across Canada to New Brunswick. [24] Following this patrol, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 17 December. When clear of the battle scene, he turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O. Kretschmer indulged in sporting pastimes and scientific interests. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. Officer ; we are not known an officer candidate him and yelled the ALARM Captain... It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO Kretschmer got his first command the. 266,029 tons his bunk and gave strict orders to his bunk and gave strict orders his... Think that OTTO Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of U-501 on the training ship Niobe he aboard. Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons December 1940, Kretschmer ordered the boat went under they!, Kretschmer 's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not pirates! on., this painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking the survivor was found questioned. 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Days at Sea, beginning the Battle scene otto kretschmer binoculars he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT in. An overstuffed chair in the aftermath of World War one Cross 1st (!, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children Switzerland and Italy take.
