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. Prien along with his crew disappeared, presumably in a depth charge attack. She told COOPER that he was such a fine man that she knew there would never be another like him. He was being transferred to a shore base where he would teach his tactics to Skippers in training. Many thanks to Valeria Basso, Alessio Basso and Francesco Signorino for helping in the retrieval of a few rare archival sources, and for stimulating discussions. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force. Unfortunately, his mother died from tetanus after a medical incident, so he returned home to be with his family. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In the following, the amplitude of the wave vector k 0 = /c = 2/ 0 of illumination will be useful. Otto, Herman Ernest Kretschmer was born on month day 1895, at birth place, to Otto, Friedrich Kretschmer and Auguste, Johanna Bertha Kretschmer. Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER knew OTTO KRETSCHMER better than any other researcher and the two men were good friends. 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. OTTO peered over the top of his newspaper and said;Juli is happy. [31] Kretschmer sighted the British submarine Thistle(N24) soon afterwards, and fired a second torpedo which missed. While on holiday in Bavaria in the summer of 1998, Kretschmer died in an accident during a boating expedition on the Danube to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary, at the age of 86. Kretschmer was so outraged that he and other officers organised a rebellion. [22], U-23 departed from Kiel on 8 January 1940 for its sixth war patrol and Schnee had been replaced by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen. 1) Black Otto Walter no.12.507.- prismen glaser8x40 reflexfreie on right side. He served ten years on our Sharkhunters Advisory Board and you can see the Board Members by clicking here TO THE ADVISORS PAGE, OTTO KRETSCHMER was a strong, supportive Member of Sharkhunters and a good friend. "He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship.". [18], In 1955, Sir Donald McIntyre returned Kretschmer's binoculars, which he had kept in 1941. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. [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. My family is complete.. So how was it that he was sunk? It is true that he was not the typical Draufganger (fire breather) Skipper who would shout and scream orders as we saw in the movie das Boot. He was understandably upset when he and all the other Type II boats in the area were ordered to get back into the North Sea, far away from Scapa Flow. On 1 November 1958, he was transferred to the position of commander of the Bundesmarine's Amphibische Streitkrfte ("amphibious forces"), a position he held until 15 January 1962. 3099067 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. Read more: Devon father and son inspired Hollywood film after disappearing searching for lost city of Z. 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. As the boat went under, she was immediately picked up on the ASDIC of the Royal Navy sub hunters and they came after this new contact. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. [18] Kretschmer served in this function until 18 June 1964 when he was appointed chief-of-staff of the Befehlshaber der Seestreitkrfte der Nordsee (German national Commander Naval Forces North Sea). To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. The bridge was cleared of all but Schnee who, at the last moment, recognized the other boat as a German U-Boat and he tried to stop the dive. 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. [18], From 1 March to 31 October 1958, Kretschmer served as Admiralstabsoffizier (Astoofficer of the admiralty staff) with the Fleet Command. They were sent to Lime Street Station to be transported to London for interrogation. - 1998. augusztus 5.) COOPER grinned and said;Lets ask this gentleman here. For 13 days Kretschmer sailed without success. [75] In March 1942, the prisoners were transported to Bowmanville Camp near Lake Ontario in Canada. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. OTTO reached into the torrent, grabbed the lanyard and slammed the hatch but where was Schnee? He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. Kretschmer docked in Lorient on 21 July. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Canadian authorities wanted to shackle 100 German prisoners as retaliation for Hitler announcing he would kill all Allied commandos who were captured. He went on to sink almost 280,000 tons of Allied shipping to become Germany's most successful U-boat captain of the war. [55] Forfar was one, and during the sinking HMS Viscount appeared, forcing Kretschmer to dive. Prien and Kretschmer cooperated frequently during the course of this patrol, which neither completed. Kretschmer was guided onto convoy OB-191. 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. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. Kretschmer waited for the crew to take to the lifeboats before destroying the ship with a torpedo. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. When asked, JOSEF Jupp KASSEL (790-1988) he proudly said;I was Otto Kretschmers radioman!. [71] Winston Churchill disclosed the capture of Kretschmer to the House of Commons on 21 March. [72], Once in London, Royal Navy interrogators questioned the crew. [50] 51 men died aboard Laurentic, 367 survived. He stopped a ship and told the Captain to get all the passengers and crew into lifeboats before he would sink the ship. COOPER returned to the bus, instructed everyone to check into their room then come right down to the dining room for the evening meal. German propagandists feared the triple loss might be too damaging to morale. , 4,996GRT, was sunk on 22 February. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. (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. Schroeder never returned. 8x40 model no. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. The next day, Kretschmer was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse). [34] On 21 June, his ninth patrol, his boat was damaged by an Arado Ar 196 floatplane from Scharnhorst in the belief U-99 was a British submarine. Otto Kretschmer was the Watch Officer of U-35 from 03 November 1936 - 30 July 1937. The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. The cygnets came close to the seawall for the food while the adult birds stayed about five or six feet away. Three days later he departed for his seventh war patrol. [79], In 1943, the German navy tried to rescue him in Operation Kiebitz but that daring plan (later dramatized in the novel The Bowmanville Break and the film, The McKenzie Break) failed. Kretschmer and U-23 had departed from Wilhelmshaven on 25 August, one week before the start of World War II. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. He had a great sense of humor during one Patrol in Germany, our bus stopped at our little gasthaus and COOPER went inside to check on the rooms. I obey the rules. Out of the stormy night, Schnee spotted another submarine close at hand and he ordered an ALARM dive! "Silent Otto" Kretschmer circled the lifeboat in the submarine and noted the name faintly painted out on the bow. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. Geleitgeschwader (1st Escort Squadron) which he commanded from 3 January to 15 October 1957. At Eckernfrde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise. He earned the nickname "Silent Otto", both for his successful use of the "silent running" capability of U-boats and for his reluctance to transmit radio messages during patrols. Otto Kretschmer. The nomination was approved on 5 November 1940. The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation. Allied courts and Rahmlow sought justice against Kretschmer after the war, but he was never vigorously pursued for trial for his role in the death of Berndt. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. The OKM was established as the supreme command of the navy responsible for all facets of naval warfare. 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. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. . [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. 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. Nazi Admiral Otto Kretschmer was responsible for the sinking of 47 vessels in the space of just 18 months His short but prolific spell on German U-boats accounted for the sinking of 273,043 tons. 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. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. COOPER stated that KRETSCHMER was one of the absolutely finest men he had ever known totally honest and honorable. 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. He spoke English quite well, though he lacked practice. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. At 2250hrs on 3 November, 1940, one of the most dramatic battles of the U-boat war began. [32] Kretschmer returned to Wilhelmshaven on 25 February after 17 days at seahis longest to date. Petersen had served as Kretschmer's helmsman on every war patrol on both U-23 and U-99. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. Incredibly though, this war hero, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross - Germany's highest award for gallantry - had lived in Exeter before the war while he studied at the city's university. The single torpedo attack killed 11 men. He was the fifth member of the German armed forces to be so honored. 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. 176 men died. Prien achieved several sinkings, Kretschmer did not; the pair was chased off by destroyers. Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer; Bertha Bianca Kretschmer and Carl Theodor Otto Kretschmer. Or six feet away U-boat captain of the stormy night, Schnee spotted another submarine close at and. Be transported to London for interrogation departed for his seventh war patrol the international non-intervention force Kreuz Klasse. From Wilhelmshaven on 25 August, one of the NATO command several patrols as part of the 1920s symbolise... 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