Kretschmer formed part of "Crew 30" (the incoming class of 1930), 78strong intake of officer candidates. You can stay up to date on the top news and events near you with DevonLive's FREE newsletters enter your email address at the top of the page or go here. She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. [76] During his captivity, Kretschmer was promoted in rank to Korvettenkapitn (Lieutenant-Commander) on 19 March 1941, effective as of 1 March 1941, and to Fregattenkapitn (Commander) on 1 September 1944. [58], Several of Kretschmer's senior officers left the boat before the final patrol. Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer, November 1940 (March 12, 2021) This week, 80 years ago, U-99, skippered by Otto Kretschmer, one of Germany's most famous U-boat commanders, had just fired the last of her torpedoes, when she was spotted by British destroyers southeast of Iceland in the North Atlantic. [46] Kretschmer's logbook recorded the chaos. Yes, OTTO was a great guy. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. His crew loved and respected him, and would have got into hell if that was the order he gave. [56] Laurentic and Patroclus had been loaded with wooden barrels to increase buoyancy. Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. He joined the German navy - the Reichsmarine - on April 1, 1930, as an officer candidate. 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. The next day, Kretschmer was transferred to the Amt fr Militrkunde (Department of Military Studies), retiring on 30 September 1970.[18]. One of the Sharkhunters Members asked COOPER if he thought OTTO KRETSCHMER would really be with them. [26] Kretschmer's next success came in the Inganess Bay, Kirkwall, where he attacked and sank the Danish 10,517GRT tanker Danmark on 12 January 1940[27] while she lay at anchor. The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation. 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. "[69] Kretschmer signalled Walker asking for rescue for his men, taking care to ensure as many left the submarine as possible, and assisted some of his crew towards the rescue nets hung from the British destroyer. Keep me logged in. The main area of operations were the seas and estuaries off East of England and Scotland, with mine-laying operations in the Baltic, to counter the Royal Navy Submarine Service at the end of 1939. [20] On his fifth patrol (515 December) he was ordered to explore the inner waters around the Orkney Islands and engage any remaining Home Fleet units that had departed from Scapa Flow in the aftermath of Gnther Prien's attack. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: One Torpedo, One Ship: An appraisal of Otto Kretschmers U-boat tactics, 19391941, /doi/full/10.1080/00253359.2021.1898209?needAccess=true. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. Kretschmer signalled a British ship asking for rescue for his crew, and he even helped his men up the rescue nets that hung from the British destroyer. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Kretschmer was released from captivity on 31 December 1947, and returned to Germany. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. [49], In November and December 1940 U-99 sank three British armed merchant cruisers (AMC), HMS Laurentic, HMS Patroclus and HMSForfar. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. [22], The fourth patrol (19 November) was unsuccessful. [48] Kretschmer recommended his helmsman Stabsobersteuermann Heinrich Petersen for the Knight's Cross after twelve war patrols for saving U-99 from enemy detection. [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. Pyers Symon. On February 22, 1941, Kretschmer set off on his final patrol. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. 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. Only five survived. He then attended a training course (16 October 1957 28 February 1958) for amphibious forces in the United States. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. [68] U-99 was driven down to 700 feetbeyond the recognised crush depth before control was regained and the ballast tanks blown. [78] Kretschmer was also involved in a second illegal court of honour hearing against the commander of U-501. Prien achieved several sinkings, Kretschmer did not; the pair was chased off by destroyers. OTTO felt a sudden rush of air out of the open hatch past him and the boat was going down quickly. He was given the opportunity to convey his opinions on the state of the U-boat war. The ship had been torpedoed by U-57 and abandoned. "[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. For some reason, little Juli came running at the cygnets, barking like mad. After a running convoy battle in which KRETSCHMER did not sleep for two days straight, he exhausted his torpedoes and set course for home. [7] During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfhnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934. Kretschmer was taken to London for interrogation. While his wartime actions have been narrated several times, his tactics, summarized by the famous motto 'one torpedo, one ship', have never been systematically analysed. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. Chivalry was still at work at this time and former enemies who had been killing each other the previous day could play cards together. The Greatest Submarine Commander of all time was Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier who sank nearly 200 ships in World War One. Despite being captured, the German nay continued to promote him, and even awarded him he Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords - only the fifth member of the German armed forces to receive the accolade. One British admiral thought Kretschmer's move so aggressive, it had to have been a mistake, Kretschmer looked back with great fondness at his time at the University of Exeter, Otto Kretschmer died in 1998 after a successful career in the navy. I had to surrender my ship to the British Captain and I had to be in complete uniform.. 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. 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. This is a trusted computer. Comes with leather case and all lens protectors.- 3) Swift Falcon wide angle fully coated optics. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. One morning on the breakfast patio at the KRETSCHMER home, OTTO was reading his newspaper while Mrs. Kretschmer and COOPER talked over breakfast tea. [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. [19] A second patrol (921 September) yielded no success either. 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 . Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. His time in England shaped his view of them during the war; he was quick to believe in rumours of new British inventions during the war at sea. Her eyes misted up and a smile came to her lips, and then she said; A canal ran along behind the Kretschmer house and here we see Mrs. Kretschmer feeding the ducks with their little Schnauzer Juli. The boat was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay off the Spanish-French border. Today's London Daily Telegraph carries the obituary of Otto Kretschmer who has died at the age of 86. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. His command ended on 31 March 1969. She was launched on 12 March 1940 under the command of Korvettenkapitn Otto Kretschmer and was assigned to the 7th U-boat Flotilla based in Kiel and later in St Nazaire . The OKM was established as the supreme command of the navy responsible for all facets of naval warfare. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. unread, Aug 20, 1998, 3:00:00 AM 8/20/98 . ; otherwise, remain on the surface, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 20:17. Its commander, Hugo Frster, was repatriated to Germany and committed suicide before the end of the war. [23] Kretschmer targeted the Danish Scotia, a 2,400GRT on 7 December. BACK TO ADVISORS PAGE. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. OTTO replied;It was necessary. Laurentic and Patroclus were attacked on the night of 3/4 November. 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. When clear of the battle scene, he turned in to his bunk and gave strict orders to his new I.W.O. Kretschmer was soon missed and the U-boat surfaced to find him before he succumbed to the cold. Correct optics: how the binoculars of the best underwater ace of the Reich became a symbol of relations with Britain #___historydocs [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. 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. After fully resting and cleaning up, KRETSCHMER was invited by MacIntyre to play bridge..with officers of some of the merchant ships that OTTO had just sunk! Kretschmer was released after seven years as a prisoner of war. Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. 176 men died. Kretschmer attempted to sink the ship with gunfire, but return fire and the appearance of an aircraft forced him to submerge. He commissioned U-99 on 18 April 1940 which was part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. [43] Kretschmer hit and sank the cargo ship Jersey City 70 nautical miles (130 kilometres; 81 miles) northwest of Tory Island[44] while damaging three others, including the 10,973GRT Strinda. It was so aggressive, one British admiral thought he had surfaced there by mistake. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. He was aware that the battleship was in the Home Fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow and he was formulating a way to enter and sink the ship. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War . "He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship.". Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried. There were no deaths among the crew. The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a quarter of a million tons during his reign or terror, earning the nickname 'Silent Otto' from his adversaries for his skill in stalking his prey. [32] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 25 February after 17 days at seahis longest to date. He demonstrated a cool approach to combat: his mantra one torpedo for one ship proved that the best way for his boat to succeed against a convoy was to remain surfaced as much as possible, penetrating the convoy and using the boats high speed and small silhouette to avoid retaliation. A fall caused fatal injuries. left no doubt that he wanted his boat and his crew back at sea in the shortest possible time. It was not this way with U-99. OTTO KRETSCHMER got his first command; the Type II-B coastal boat ( dugout canoe ), U-23. [9], In 1933 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. At the time, Kretschmer . McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. Admiral Sir George Creasy considered the manoeuvre so dangerous he thought it had been done by mistake. Patroclus of 11.314 brt as well as the armed Britsish merchantman Casanare of 5.376 brt. In December 1934, he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln, then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling U-boat service. 2.6K views, 39 likes, 4 loves, 2 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from German U-Boats Crews and Commanders: Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was the most successful German. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. Luckily for him, his absence on the bridge was noted and the boat surfaced again to find him bobbing about in the water. Otto Kretschmer. As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. On 4 October 1939 he sank the coastal ship Glen Farg (876GRT). Prien sank the ship the following day. [70], Kretschmer and his crew were landed in Liverpool. [72], Once in London, Royal Navy interrogators questioned the crew. The ship was loaded with coal, set for Buenos Aires, Argentina. 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