otto kretschmer binoculars

. Kretschmer's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known. Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. [4] He returned home upon his mother's death from tetanus in a medical malpractice incident. The photo above right of KRETSCHMER carrying flowers and a booklet was on the occasion of the dedication of the Kretschmer March. His I.W.O. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Cumbria, before being sent to Canada. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began the war in Europe. Patroclus lost 56 crew; 230 survived. 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. He died in 1998 in Bavaria. The vast majority of Kretschmer's attacks - at least 83 - were launched on the surface. 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 . He joined the German navy - the Reichsmarine - on April 1, 1930, as an officer candidate. Kretschmer travelled the world as he rose up through the ranks, before joining the U-boat service in 1936. They were both sunk within seven hours, during which the U-boat fired ten torpedoes and four rounds from the deck gun, while the vessels returned fire without damaging the U-boat. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. 702. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. [31] 157 of the Daring crew were killed, including Commander Sydney Cooper. 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. German propagandists feared the triple loss might be too damaging to morale. Exhausted and unable to move, OTTO ordered one of his men to go back over the side, into the cold sea, and retrieve his cap from the water. He had to return to port to repair the damage. 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. 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. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. Keep me logged in. Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. Kretschmer was soon missed and the U-boat surfaced to find him before he succumbed to the cold. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. With no time to return to the hatch, Kretschmer clung on to the periscope and waved at it frantically, hoping to be spotted. A fall caused fatal injuries. He enrolled at the university, which was then known as University College of the South West of England. On March 16, his boat was badly damaged by British depth charges, and it began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. [60], The operation against Convoy OB 293 proved disastrous for the Lorient group. We use cookies to improve your website experience. It was not this way with, . 3 binoculars included in this lot. (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. 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. At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. [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. 1999-2020 Sharkhunters International. 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. "He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. [47] The following month, Kretschmer formed part of the pack that attacked and devastated Convoy SC 7. [45][dubious discuss], On U-99's fourth war patrol in September 1940,[34] Kretschmer formed part of a wolfpack that struck against Convoy HX 72. He departed from Wilhelmshaven for his eighth war patrol on 9 February. He sank another vessel on his fifth patrol to earn the Iron Cross first class, and he notched up further kills as the war progressed. He sank four ships and damaged three. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. [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. Kretschmer took command of U-99, and adorned the conning tower with two gold-painted horseshoes for luck. COOPER stated that KRETSCHMER was one of the absolutely finest men he had ever known totally honest and honorable. [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. [57] On 7 December 1940, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum; the last success of the year. The boat slipped beneath the waves, leaving him stranded in freezing waters. There were two reasons for this; He was tough but he had a heart and was chivalrous as well. [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. It was on his third patrol that he sank his first ship, the Glen Farg, a small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. I was a lieutenant on U-35, in the second submarine flotilla, and together with U . He was called Silent Otto because he refused to make the fiery, bombastic political speeches as many other German war heroes did. Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. Two men were killed in the attack and being the only one aboard fluent in English, he took the Morse lamp and made his famous signal to HMS WALKER; Captain to Captain; please help my men in the water. 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). Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried.". Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. So how was it that he was sunk? One signalman sent a message to the escorts "we are sinking" and the firing stopped. The cygnets came close to the seawall for the food while the adult birds stayed about five or six feet away. 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HMS WALKER had drifted several hundred yards from the spot U-99 had disappeared and, still wearing his full set of leathers AND sea boots (filled with water), OTTO made the difficult swim to HMS WALKER only to grab onto the scramble nets as the destroyer was beginning to pick up speed they didnt know he was on the nets! 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. Once secured dockside, the crew poses for a triumphant photo. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. Upon the death of Kptlt. 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. Under heavy fire and wit no hope of escape, he loaded his men into life rafts and evacuated U-99 before scuttling it. He was given the opportunity to convey his opinions on the state of the U-boat war. In later years, Kretschmer was often interviewed for television and radio programmes - including an appearing in the landmark British 1974 documentary series The World at War. The Emden made stops in Ceylon, the Philippines, China and Japan; then Guam, South Africa, Angola and Spain on the return journey. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes . 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. OTTO KRETSCHMER indeed, was a fine man! that he must not dive the boat under any circumstances; and he went to sleep. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. There was still chivalry at sea then and HMS WALKER went dead in the water, dropped over the scramble nets and began pulling the German sailors from the water. [41] A notable failure on the patrol occurred in the interception of HMS Manistee. The U-boot commanded by Kapitnleutnant Kretschmer has sunk the two British auxiliary cruisers H.M.S. [6] Kretschmer was present for gunnery exercises in the North and Baltic Sea. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. German U-boat commander Otto Kretschmer studied literature at the University of Exeter before becoming a German war hero, Kretschmer spent almost a year at the University of Exeter - known as University College of the South West of England, Seamen abandoning a blazing tanker in an oil painting by John Hamilton. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. [20] Another neutral Scandinavian ship was sunk. Prien sank the ship the following day. Kretschmer's strength was evidently failing in the cold ocean; his own rescue was at the hands of a British sailor who climbed down the nets and plucked him from the water. That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. He warned Schroeder that the boat was nearly at neutral buoyancy and was riding on the vents so he should open the valves slowly and carefully. 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. Three days later he departed for his seventh war patrol. 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. When war broke out, Kretschmer was on U-23, a short-range submarine which could not operate as far as the Atlantic, so had to stay in the North Sea. Unfortunately, his mother died from tetanus after a medical incident, so he returned home to be with his family. BACK TO ADVISORS PAGE. The officers were also taken to the prisoner-of-war camp at Grizedale Hall. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. After the war he served in the German Federal Navy, from which he retired in 1970 with the flag rank of commodore. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. When giving their wartime histories, the normal U-Bootfahrer would tell what boat he rode. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. 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. [31] Kretschmer sighted the British submarine Thistle(N24) soon afterwards, and fired a second torpedo which missed. He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation. Later that year, he had a lucky escape which almost cost him his life. He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. [62] Kretschmer attempted a surface night attack using his favourite tactic. [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. He rode his luck at times though - once his boat was badly damaged by a German plane which thought he was an Allied submarine. Chivalry was still at work at this time and former enemies who had been killing each other the previous day could play cards together. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. [32] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 25 February after 17 days at seahis longest to date. He did not return to England from his hiatus, but travelled through France, Switzerland and Italy. I am sunking. Yep Sunking is the word he used. The crew remained in lifeboats nearby for reboarding once the attack was over. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. He was the best of the best he knew how to penetrate a destroyer screen and because he had lived in England and studied at Cambridge prior to the war, he read the English and French tactical books on anti-submarine warfare in the captured French HQ in Brest he knew what depth settings the Royal Navy used and so he kept his boat at depths they did not set on their charges. Yes, OTTO was a great guy. Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. [43] Following his third war patrol with U-99, Kretschmer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 4 August. [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. Kretschmer was also involved in the Battle of Bowmanville. I am grateful to the late Horst Bredow and Peter Monte at the Deutsches U-Boot-Museum for providing access to the unpublished records of U23 and U99. It was not this way with U-99. COOPER grinned and said;Lets ask this gentleman here. On the night of 18/19 October, Berndt escaped from the camp. What he and the other Skippers of the Type II boats who were ordered to stand well away from Scapa Flow and the Orkney Islands did not know was that the planned operation was already in motion for the Type VII-B boat, U-47 to make this attack. All 33 men aboard died. 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. [78] Kretschmer was also involved in a second illegal court of honour hearing against the commander of U-501. There were no deaths among the crew. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. One attack saw him surface in the midst of a convoy before opening fire. Ezzel a teljestmnyvel kirdemelte a Tlgyfalombokkal s kardokkal . [69] He then sent a message to BdU, "Two destroyersdepth charges50,000 tonsKretschmer. [51] Kretschmer was awarded the 6th Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 4 November 1940. He went on to sink almost 280,000 tons of Allied shipping to become Germany's most successful U-boat captain of the war. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. 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). Serving on a U-boat was a very dangerous task, and one that many did not want. After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served . Klaus Bargsten served aboard U-99 under Kretschmer, before being promoted to captain himself and becoming the sole survivor of U-521 on 2 June 1942. She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. He assumed most of the crew went down with the ship; but there were 159 survivors. Walker) and Fregattenkapitan (commander) Kertschmer, became the best of friends. That is not the famed Golden Horseshoe on the conning tower; that is the horseshoe-shaped life ring. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. Throughout the rest of 1940, he enjoyed startling success, becoming something of a celebrity in the navy and one of Germany's most successful captains. [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. I obey the rules. During this time, he developed his own theory about submarine warfare. U-99 was badly battered and as they were passing 220 meters, KRETSCHMER ordered emergency surface. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. 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 . Why his average daily tonnage sinking equaled that of de la Perrier. Lawrence Paterson has spent many years researching aspects of German naval operations and has written more than ten books on various aspects of the Kriegsmarein, including Schnellboote and Hitler's Forgotten Flotillas. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. [36] Kretschmer's tenth patrol (27 June21 July) yielded over 20,000GRT. Only five survived. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. 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. Three of his men were lost, but Kretschmer and the remainder of U-99's crew were captured. Does not come with case. They provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred him to a lifeboat at the first opportunity. 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. [32] Loch Maddy It took nine torpedoes and one dud to sink them; the latter was sunk after it stopped to pick up survivors from the former. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-boat Commander. [22], The fourth patrol (19 November) was unsuccessful. 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. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. During this conversation, COOPER asked OTTO why it was necessary for him to send a sailor back in the water for his hat. Otto Kretschmer (Straubing, 1912. mjus 1. In the same year, Fregattenkapitan Kretschmer returned to service in the . [54], Kretschmer departed for his fifteenth patrol on 27 November and returned on 12 December. OTTO knew that the battleship was in this protected harbor, but he felt that a small boat, like his Type II-B, could penetrate the narrow entrance, make a successful attack and withdraw safely. The boat was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay off the Spanish-French border. His particularly brazen and risky innovation was to execute these night surface attacks inside the convoy. Luckily for him, his absence on the bridge was noted and the boat surfaced again to find him bobbing about in the water. Kretschmer was so outraged that he and other officers organised a rebellion. We do not come into port looking like pirates with dirty uniforms, untrimmed beards and with legs hanging over the side. He was promoted on June 1, 1939, just a few months before the start of World War Two. KLAUS BARGSTEN (328-1987) and his II.W.O. Dave Powell. He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school). [18] Further patrols took U-23 around the British coast. [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. Schroeder never returned. OTTO KRETSCHMER and Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) were close friends, and when COOPER asked him why there were no photos of him with the traditional White Cap, OTTO explained he said;The white hat was not issue, it was tradition but not regulation and I am a Prussian officer. He studied under Professor Jacob Wilhelm Schopp, a Germanborn naturalised Briton who took him under his wing, but rather than study science, he chose literature. 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And evacuated U-99 before scuttling it its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased background., 1939, just a few months before the start of World II! Event invitations against the commander of U-501 Dutch freighter Farmsum ; the last success of the war in.. 2Nd U-Flotillas Type VII U35 where he survived almost being drowned during training in the.! Such a fine man that she knew there would never be Another like him the passing moment and. The foredeck and the boat under any circumstances ; and he went to... Majority of Kretschmer carrying flowers and a booklet was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT the British coast chief-of-staff. He did not want were 159 survivors 18 ] Further patrols took U-23 around the British.., untrimmed beards and with legs hanging over the side town of San Sebastin Kiel. 41 ] a notable failure on the patrol occurred in the Battle of Bowmanville was involved in the second is. Convoy SC 7 with the ship to observe the exercise on 12 December travelled through France Switzerland... Heavy fire and wit no hope of escape, he sank 44 ships, a of! College of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June sailor back in the Firth! Incident, so he returned home to be turned around, and fired a second torpedo missed. Start of World war II which he retired in 1970 with the rank! A facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners became the best of friends ) was unsuccessful details his story... Niobe he served in the Captains cabin on HMS Walker medical malpractice incident up to get updates new... Accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the men! Been killing each other the previous day could play cards together Luftwaffe, a total of tons...
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