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. My ship deserted me!. He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship. This is a trusted computer. 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. Unfortunately, his mother died from tetanus after a medical incident, so he returned home to be with his family. 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. He survived the sinking of his submarine but he was not clear yet. On 4 October 1939 he sank the coastal ship Glen Farg (876GRT). When asked, JOSEF Jupp KASSEL (790-1988) he proudly said;I was Otto Kretschmers radioman!. Otto had 4 siblings: Cecilie Hulda and 3 other siblings. He was transported to the London Cage, a facility for MI19 to hold valuable enemy prisoners. He was promoted on June 1, 1939, just a few months before the start of World War Two. He joined the German navy - the Reichsmarine - on April 1, 1930, as an officer candidate. 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. The attack was conducted with no warning, and consequently all 15 crewmen died. But Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters, and the police seized them before their breakout. [5] He underwent basic military training in the 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund (1 April 1930 30 June 1930). Only five sailors survived. He had to return to port to repair the damage. [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). The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. He departed from Wilhelmshaven for his eighth war patrol on 9 February. As the passengers got into the lifeboats, OTTO noticed a great number of women and children. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried. A detachment of the Home Guard apprehended him, shooting him when he tried to escape. 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. 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. 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. An illegal "Court of Honour" was convened and headed by Kretschmer. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. Later in the war, his ship was torpedoed; before that he nursed a bent-nosed destroyer back to port after ramming a U-boat. The next day, Kretschmer was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse). [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. On 1 June 1965, he was promoted to Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral/Commodore/Rear Admiral), a rank which he initially held on probation. 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. Although he fought doggedly for Nazi Germany during the war, his affection for Exeter remained with him until his death. 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 was taken to London for interrogation. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Otto Kretschmer was the Watch Officer of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937. [28] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 15 January. The air crews sank eight and damaged several more. Prien's demise was not disclosed. Otto Kretschmer. 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. [75] In March 1942, the prisoners were transported to Bowmanville Camp near Lake Ontario in Canada. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-boat Commander. He dispensed with the standard practice of firing salvoes of torpedoes from long distances. "[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. 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. KLAUS BARGSTEN (328-1987) and his II.W.O. His greatest success came in August with the sinking of the 13,000-ton ship Auckland Star. Registered in England & Wales No. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. It was not this way with, . Kretschmer experienced The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. 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. Comes with leather case and all lens protectors.- 3) Swift Falcon wide angle fully coated optics. KRETSCHMER was quickly at the con, but once the boat went under and they were detected, there was no escape. 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. At the time, Kretschmer was president of the Deutscher Marinebund, a member club of the International Maritime Confederation. [8] On 22 December 1934, Kretschmer was again on Kln serving as the ship's second torpedo officer. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. He wants to be a naval officer.". 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. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. This was not the case with U-99. Close at hand, a group of Royal Navy destroyers found U-100 (Schepke) and began attacking him. In addition, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) on 26 December 1941. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. The next morning at breakfast, the Kretschmers and COOPER were relaxing on the breakfast patio and Juli went to COOPER and lay down at his feet. 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. Much of what he learnt influenced his view of his enemy during the war, and he had particular respect for British innovation and technology. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. 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. Immediate Family: Son of Otto Friedrich Kretschmer and Auguste Johanna Bertha Kretschmer. Footnote: Otto Kretschmer (May 1, 1912 - August 5, 1998) was the most successful German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. Did you know that with a free Taylor & Francis Online account you can gain access to the following benefits? [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. [4], Kretschmer entered the Reichsmarine (Weimar Navy) on 1 April 1930 as See Offizier Anwrter (naval officer cadet). 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. One attack saw him surface in the midst of a convoy before opening fire. 8x40 model no. With no time to return to the hatch, Kretschmer clung on to the periscope and waved at it frantically, hoping to be spotted. 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. [42], Four days later Kretschmer began his eleventh patrol which concluded on 5 August. 3099067 The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a. Kretschmer was taken separately, but his crew had to negotiate the streets of Liverpool and were subjected to missiles thrown by angry civilians; the city had been heavily bombed and was closely linked with the Atlantic war. 3 binoculars included in this lot. My family is complete.. [49], In November and December 1940 U-99 sank three British armed merchant cruisers (AMC), HMS Laurentic, HMS Patroclus and HMSForfar. He then sank the 5,200-ton cargo ship Tiberton the Loch Maddy, weighing 5,000 tons. [10] According to one historian, Kretschmer was a patriot and loyal to the government, but later "eschewed Nazi efforts to glorify his success through propaganda. , only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning, but once the went... The lifeboats, otto noticed a great number of women and children seventh Feindfahrt ( war patrol ) and attacking. 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