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. [9][33] After two months' training and shakedown manoeuvres in German waters, Kretschmer took the boat into action on 18 June 1940. Sir Donald even returned the binoculars he had taken from Kretschmer when he was captured. [22], U-23 departed from Kiel on 8 January 1940 for its sixth war patrol and Schnee had been replaced by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen. During the Spanish Civil War, Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international non-intervention force. [59], On 22 February 1941 U-99 left Lorient for the final time. During this conversation, COOPER asked OTTO why it was necessary for him to send a sailor back in the water for his hat. [18], From 1 March to 31 October 1958, Kretschmer served as Admiralstabsoffizier (Astoofficer of the admiralty staff) with the Fleet Command. 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. That day, he was made chief-of-staff of the NATO command COMNAVBALTAP at Kiel, taking command on 15 June. Thistle was sunk weeks later by U-4. [9] Kretschmer joined the U-boat service in January 1936. The German crew failed to sink the stationary vessel with torpedoes while the weather ruled out the use of the gun. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. Something went wrong, please try again later. Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer; Bertha Bianca Kretschmer and Carl Theodor Otto Kretschmer. 12 ships were sunk in total. [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. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. 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. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. He prided himself on being able to take advantage of whatever the passing moment offered and made no elaborate plans for attacking convoys. COOPER grinned and said;Lets ask this gentleman here. 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. He was given the opportunity to convey his opinions on the state of the U-boat war. Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, "U 99" Interrogation of Survivors April, 1941", Newspaper clippings about Otto Kretschmer, Telegraph On-line edition, February 4, 2008, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otto_Kretschmer&oldid=1125960308, Efficient lookouts are of prime importance, It is essential not simply to spot the target, but to spot it in good time, Lone ships should be attacked on the surface with gunfire in order to save expensive torpedoes, Survivors should be assisted when possible, Convoys should be attacked in daylight only if it is not feasible to wait for nightfall, Attack at night from the dark side of the convoy, so that the target is silhouetted and the submarine is in shadow, When there is little or no moonlight, attack from the windward side (to avoid a visible white bow-wave when motoring into the wind), Fire one torpedo per target, not fanned salvoes, Once an attack is launched, do not submerge except in circumstances of dire necessity. The Greatest Submarine Commander of all time was Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier who sank nearly 200 ships in World War One. He was upset, but he was a proper officer and obeyed his orders. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes . 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. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was to no avail. Kretschmer achieved good results in mathematics and chemistry and passed his Abitur (school-leaving certificate) at 17. 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. On 3 August 1998, they were on a luxury cruise boat on the Donau (Danube) River celebrating their 50th (Golden) wedding anniversary. When asked, JOSEF Jupp KASSEL (790-1988) he proudly said;I was Otto Kretschmers radioman!. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. These excerpts are from that first interview and you can hear some of the hubbub in the . 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). 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. [25] The Norwegian Fredville, only 1,150GRT was sunk on 11 January 1940 without warning. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . 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 photo above right of KRETSCHMER carrying flowers and a booklet was on the occasion of the dedication of the Kretschmer March. When U-23 was stabilized at her depth and the sound man could no longer hear any noises of the other boat, they came to periscope depth, confirmed that all was safe, and KRETSCHMER was ready to begin the hopeless task of looking for Schnees body. Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. Prien sank the ship the following day. [36] Kretschmer's tenth patrol (27 June21 July) yielded over 20,000GRT. 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. Kretschmer and U-23 had departed from Wilhelmshaven on 25 August, one week before the start of World War II. "[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. 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. The building was located at number 8 Kensington Palace Gardens. [65] British reports of the action mention a large red glow appearing deep below the surface amid the depth charge explosions. Once secured dockside, the crew poses for a triumphant photo. Kretschmer formed part of "Crew 30" (the incoming class of 1930), 78strong intake of officer candidates. 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. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. He continued to serve as Watch Officer of U-35 until 30 September 1937. 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. The commanding officer was killed ashore in a car accident, so Kretschmer took command for two weeks. While on vacation in Bavaria in the summer of 1998, after an accident on a boat on the Danube, while celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, he stumbled and was unconscious, he died two days later, old age 86, on 05-08-1998. 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. It was almost this little boat under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER that sank HMS ROYAL OAK. [4], Kretschmer entered the Reichsmarine (Weimar Navy) on 1 April 1930 as See Offizier Anwrter (naval officer cadet). His brother was later killed in action. 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 . For 13 days Kretschmer sailed without success. 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. Luckily for him, his absence on the bridge was noted and the boat surfaced again to find him bobbing about in the water. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. Kretschmer stated that he was unmarried.". He had to return to port to repair the damage. [58], Several of Kretschmer's senior officers left the boat before the final patrol. They provided clothes and alcohol, then transferred him to a lifeboat at the first opportunity. Otto passed away on month day 1981, at age 85 at death place. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. 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! 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. Shortly after he surrendered, OTTO KRETSCHMER fell asleep in an overstuffed chair in the Captains cabin on HMS WALKER. [21] He returned to Kiel, rather than Wilhelmshaven, on 16 October. It was not this way with, . One morning on the breakfast patio at the KRETSCHMER home, OTTO was reading his newspaper while Mrs. Kretschmer and COOPER talked over breakfast tea. Keep me logged in. Bleichrodt reported it and Dnitz succeeded in bringing a number of boats in on it. ; otherwise, remain on the surface, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 20:17. Prepared by Stephen Ames. 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