He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoreticalbased German background. 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. [9], On 27 August 1941, U-570 was captured by the Royal Navy. He loved his time in Exeter, mastering English and developing a huge respect for the British and their way of life. A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. Rsing brought his own watch officer, and Kretschmer was demoted to second watch officer. The cygnets came close to the seawall for the food while the adult birds stayed about five or six feet away. [29] U-23 returned to port on 29 January. Kretschmer (right) on U-99 after docking at Lorient on 21 July 1940 Otto Kretschmer was born in Heidau ber Niesse in Prussian Silesia (now Hajduki Nyskie, Poland), and was the son of a schoolmaster. The boat went to the yard for repairs and OTTO left no doubt that he wanted his boat and his crew back at sea in the shortest possible time. It was on his third patrol that he sank his first ship, the Glen Farg, a small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. [34] His greatest success was the sinking of Auckland Star, a 13,212GRT ship on 28 July followed by another two totalling 12,811GRT on 29 and 31 July. The Emden made stops in Ceylon, the Philippines, China and Japan; then Guam, South Africa, Angola and Spain on the return journey. The sound of the depth charges nearby rattled von KNEBELand he dived the boat! [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). All 33 men aboard died. Paterson: Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat captain of the Second World War, and the term 'scoring' relates to the total tonnage of shipping that he sank while commander of both U23 and U99. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. 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. Note that the crew is all wearing fresh coveralls and beards neatly trimmed. [42], Four days later Kretschmer began his eleventh patrol which concluded on 5 August. [21] The next day, he sank Tiberton, 5,225GRT, in the Moray Firth. 176 men died. Kretschmer attempted to sink the ship with gunfire, but return fire and the appearance of an aircraft forced him to submerge. 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. [75] In March 1942, the prisoners were transported to Bowmanville Camp near Lake Ontario in Canada. Its commander, Hugo Frster, was repatriated to Germany and committed suicide before the end of the war. [20] Another neutral Scandinavian ship was sunk. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. He commissioned U-99 on 18 April 1940 which was part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. Otto married Elsie, Gertrude Kretschmer. One morning on the breakfast patio at the KRETSCHMER home, OTTO was reading his newspaper while Mrs. Kretschmer and COOPER talked over breakfast tea. Kretschmer purportedly confined his remarks to the lack of air support from the Luftwaffe, a point Raeder was fully aware of. The ship did not reach port. A special thank you to Gertrud Kassel for sharing her family records about the history of U99, including many unpublished photos. [17], Kretschmer was promoted to Kapitnleutnant (Lieutenant/Lieutenant Senior Grade) on 1 June 1939.[9]. OTTO replied;It was necessary. 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. 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. Kretschmer sank six and disabled a seventh. The first watch is at attention on the foredeck and the second watch is at attention on the after deck. [41] A notable failure on the patrol occurred in the interception of HMS Manistee. Only five sailors survived. [64] Four ships were sunk, but two U-boats were sunk, one of which was U-47. Laurentic of 18.724 brt and H.M.S. 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. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. "Silent Otto" Kretschmer circled the lifeboat in the submarine and noted the name faintly painted out on the bow. [70], Kretschmer and his crew were landed in Liverpool. Pyers Symon. Joachim Schepke arrived in U-100 and sank seven. Why? Once secured dockside, the crew poses for a triumphant photo. 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. Kretschmer was taken to London for interrogation. In his bunk, OTTO felt the sharp downward angle of the boat and was immediately on his feet as the bridge watch tumbled past him all by Schnee, and now green water was flooding through the open hatch from the Zentralle to the conning tower. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Mnchen but it was to no avail. Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 - 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. "[11], During Kretschmer's stay on Kln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemnde. One signalman sent a message to the escorts "we are sinking" and the firing stopped. His school report contained the remark: "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. Otto Kretschmer (Straubing, 1912. mjus 1. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. The establishment of the Wehrmacht (Nazi German Armed Forces) in 1935 divided the major branches of the armed forces. 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. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. Otto Kretschmer. However, he was haunted by the image of a lone survivor in a life raft who would surely die if not rescued. After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden. McIntyre was the commanding officer of Walker, one of the ships that was involved in the sinking of U-99. The officers were also taken to the prisoner-of-war camp at Grizedale Hall. [38] Acts of compassion in submarine warfare were "selective and fickle", one historian wrote when describing Kretschmer's rescue of a lone man in a raft. A young RN ensign was removing the binoculars from around KRETSCHMERs neck when MacIntyre yelled down that those were now his binoculars as a prize of war, so the young ensign brought them to the bridge. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. 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. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. A British intelligence report on him said: "His political views were less extremely Nazi than had been assumed. Hitler invited Kretschmer to sit in on a lunch meeting with Hitler and Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Union's ambassador to the Third Reich. I am sunking. Yep Sunking is the word he used. He sank four ships and damaged three. This was not the case with U-99. Des de setembre de 1939 fins que va ser capturat al mar de 1941, va enfonsar 47 vaixell, amb un total de 274.333 tones. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. Walker) and Fregattenkapitan (commander) Kertschmer, became the best of friends. From September 1939 to March 1941, Germany's Otto Kretschmer terrorised Allied shipping on the high seas. Haunted by him, Kretschmer ordered the boat to backtrack until the survivor was found. 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. [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. [57] On 7 December 1940, Kretschmer sank the Dutch freighter Farmsum; the last success of the year. 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. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. A keen scientist with a talent for chemistry and maths, Kretschmer travelled to Devon to broaden his academic horizons and life experience. OTTOs New Boat, the Type VII-B boat U-99. From September 1939 until his surrender in March 1941, he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. Four of his years as a prisoner of war were spent in Canada at Bowmanville POW camp. 3 binoculars included in this lot. [9], In 1933 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. Kretschmer captured the vessel, the only such ship seized by U-99. [6] On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship Deutschland as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark. German aircraft bombed and sank it three days later. Otto Kretschmer is a tall, very polite man with an air of gentle formality. The ship was accompanied by three other vessels, but she was darkened and the black out aroused Kretschmer's suspicions. Kretschmer ordered his U-boat to be turned around, and they rescued the lone sailor. German propagandists feared the triple loss might be too damaging to morale. . 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. [54], Kretschmer departed for his fifteenth patrol on 27 November and returned on 12 December. He wants to be a naval officer. Kretschmer docked in Lorient on 21 July. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days. [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. Comes with leather case and all lens protectors.- 3) Swift Falcon wide angle fully coated optics. They fought Canadian troops armed with ice hockey sticks, and only surrendered when the guards brought in high-pressure water hoses. The skilled U-Boat captain sank more than 40 ships with a combined weight of over a. Only five of the 161-strong crew survived. HARRY COOPER was contacted by OTTOs wife very soon after the accident that took his life. We do not come into port looking like pirates with dirty uniforms, untrimmed beards and with legs hanging over the side. He was upset, but he was a proper officer and obeyed his orders. 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