otto kretschmer binoculars

Prien and Kretschmer, along with U-70 (Matz) and UA, attacked the convoy. 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. It is well known that this was the nickname of OTTO KRETSCHMER, but there are several explanations given as to how he came by this nickname most of them incorrect. Patroclus of 11.314 brt as well as the armed Britsish merchantman Casanare of 5.376 brt. [7] During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfhnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934. BACK TO ADVISORS PAGE. Kretschmer travelled the world as he rose up through the ranks, before joining the U-boat service in 1936. [9] Kretschmer joined the U-boat service in January 1936. Note that OTTO KRETSCHMER (arrow) is wearing the regulation navy blue cap, not the traditional nut non-regulation White Cap. The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era. [69] Kretschmer surfaced and, under fire from the British vessels, scuttled his boat. 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. Ezzel a teljestmnyvel kirdemelte a Tlgyfalombokkal s kardokkal . Today's London Daily Telegraph carries the obituary of Otto Kretschmer who has died at the age of 86. My family is complete.. [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). COOPER returned to the bus, instructed everyone to check into their room then come right down to the dining room for the evening meal. Otto Kretschmer, Comandante alemn de U-Boot de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, fue sin duda el ms eficaz de toda la Kriegsmarine. He was the highest scoring U-Boat ace of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 tons. Rsing's successor, Hermann Michahelles, was killed in a car accident and Kretschmer assumed command for two weeks. OTTO and his L.I. A prize crew boarded to sail it to Bordeaux. In the Atlantic, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder. The booklet was the music and award document, and the flowers were handed to him by Fraulein von Ribbentrop. In doing so, both the effectiveness and limitations of Kretschmers tactics are clarified and put into the context of the Battle of the Atlantic. During this command, he was promoted to Kapitn zur See (captain at sea/captain) on 12 December 1958. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. 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. "He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship.". [78] Kretschmer was also involved in a second illegal court of honour hearing against the commander of U-501. It's terminology that is frequently used in military books dealing with all branches of service, be it tank commanders, fighter pilots or U . [19] A second patrol (921 September) yielded no success either. He was eventually promoted to the rank of flotilla admiral, before becoming chief-of-staff of the NATO command. 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 . A Short Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the ship with torpedoes, submerged. OTTO reached into the torrent, grabbed the lanyard and slammed the hatch but where was Schnee? [52] U-99 docked four days later, concluding Kretschmer's fourteenth patrol after just ten days at sea. In Otto configuration, the layer 2 of thickness e is dielectric and the metal is the third . The Greatest Submarine Commander of all time was Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier who sank nearly 200 ships in World War One. Such were his expertise, he re-joined the navy in 1955. [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). He was the fifth member of the German armed forces to be so honored. 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. Prien achieved several sinkings, Kretschmer did not; the pair was chased off by destroyers. [31] 157 of the Daring crew were killed, including Commander Sydney Cooper. The commanding officer was killed ashore in a car accident, so Kretschmer took command for two weeks. The OKM was established as the supreme command of the navy responsible for all facets of naval warfare. 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. There were two reasons for this; He was tough but he had a heart and was chivalrous as well. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. 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. Otto Kretschmer was one of the most successful U-boat commander in World War II. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email. 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. [6] Kretschmer was present for gunnery exercises in the North and Baltic Sea. "[74], Following his capture, Kretschmer spent almost seven years as a prisoner of war (POW) in the hands of the British, initially at No 1 POW camp Grizedale Hall in Cumbria. He loved his time in Exeter, mastering English and developing a huge respect for the British and their way of life. Otto Kretschmer Fregattenkapitn ( Crew 30) U-boat Commands Kptlt. U-99 tried in vain to assist Prien in U-47, against OB290. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. Husband of Elsie Gertrude Kretschmer. The crew were permitted ashore at the resort town of San Sebastin. The small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. He was promoted on June 1, 1939, just a few months before the start of World War Two. He admitted that he had become weary of the war some time ago, and latterly had got no satisfaction from sinking ship after ship. Kretschmer learned its identity from frantic radio signals. [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. Otto Kretschmer - nicknamed 'Silent Otto' by his enemies - sank hundreds of thousands of tons of Allied shipping during a brutal U-boat campaign, Sign up for our Exeter newsletter and you'll never miss a big story again. [63] On 7 March Kretschmer sank two ships from the convoy including the 20,638GRT Terje Viken. This was not the case with U-99. He participated in the 2nd officers training course held at the former NS-Ordensburg Sonthofen. [71] Winston Churchill disclosed the capture of Kretschmer to the House of Commons on 21 March. Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military. On 16 June 1956, he was tasked with the creation of 1. But Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters, and the police seized them before their breakout. He became known as the Golden Horseshoe by his men. 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. 1871), a Germanborn naturalised Briton. Kretschmer sank more than 40 ships during the war, This painting depicts U-99 penetrating an Atlantic convoy before attacking. The boat returned to Wilhelmshaven on 4 September. "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. The ship sank slowly. OTTO peered over the top of his newspaper and said;Juli is happy. We will cover his accomplishments on another page. "Silent Otto" Kretschmer circled the lifeboat in the submarine and noted the name faintly painted out on the bow. It was on his third patrol that he sank his first ship, the Glen Farg, a small freighter was carrying pulp and Ferrochrome. My ship deserted me!. 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. Upon the death of Kptlt. Schroeder never returned. Kretschmer waited for the crew to take to the lifeboats before destroying the ship with a torpedo. The crew abandoned ship and were questioned by Kretschmer. Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander of the Second World War. 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 allowed the crew to climb into lifeboats before sinking it in an act of mercy that often was his hallmark during the war - on more than one occasion, he gave the crew of a ship he sank whisky and blankets to warm up. [39], Among the victims was the Estonian ship, Merisaar, 2,126GRT. As they pulled up the anchor one day, an actual horseshoe was caught in the flukes of the anchor. 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. 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 . Heinrich Bleichrodt hit and sank two. Prien sank the ship the following day. Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer; Bertha Bianca Kretschmer and Carl Theodor Otto Kretschmer. There were no deaths among the crew. Sir, do you think that OTTO KRETSCHMER will be with us on this trip? to which OTTO smiled and replied; I think he is already here. at which point the Member nearly fell out of his chair. Schnee had the con and OTTO was in his bunk. Here, however, we focus on OTTO KRETSCHMER, the man. He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school). The nomination was approved on 5 November 1940. He departed from Wilhelmshaven for his eighth war patrol on 9 February. 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. [66], On 16 March 1941 Kretschmer attacked Convoy HX 112. This is a trusted computer. Pyers Symon. 8x40 model no. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. [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). The presentation was made by Dnitz following his return to Lorient. 1999-2020 Sharkhunters International. OTTO KRETSCHMER was almost lost in this actionA firm, almost hard-headed man, KRETSCHMER firmly DIS-believed the old sailors story that a sinking ship will create a suction that will pull down anyone in the water so as his U-99 was going down, OTTO stood at attention on the bridge and his boat sank out from under him; So you see, Harry, he told HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983), I did not desert my ship! He was given the opportunity to convey his opinions on the state of the U-boat war. After sinking the Magog, he gave his crew brandy as a reward. [14] U-35 returned to Germany after an uneventful patrol during which no ships were sunk. 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. 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. The ships used barrels for ballast to prevent them sinking. One attack saw him surface in the midst of a convoy before opening fire. 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. 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. 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. Browse 597 otto kretschmer stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Thistle was sunk weeks later by U-4. It noted that the destroyers "did not know how to help" and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night. In 1943, the men dug a tunnel out of the camp ahead of an 870-mile journey across Canada to New Brunswick. [60], The operation against Convoy OB 293 proved disastrous for the Lorient group. Instead, OKM sent him an administrative officer, H. J. von KNEBEL-DOBERITZ (681-1988) as his new I.W.O. Death and burial ground of Kretschmer, Otto Wilhelm August "Silent Otto". 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. Later, a mated pair of swans came by with their offspring, about six cygnets, and they were looking for food as well. He then caused havoc in the rest of the convoy, winning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. 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. His brother was later killed in action. He dispensed with the standard practice of firing salvoes of torpedoes from long distances. Otto passed away on month day 1981, at age 85 at death place. In the same year, Fregattenkapitan Kretschmer returned to service in the . 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. 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. U-99 was returning from her seventh Feindfahrt (war patrol) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt. [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. Serving on a U-boat was a very dangerous task, and one that many did not want. Kretschmer's thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known. There, they would meet a German U-boat to take them back to Germany. The air crews sank eight and damaged several more. Click on the prints to see their descriptions. 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. ; Juli is happy award document, and one that many did know! '' and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night Sunderland appeared briefly, and Kretschmer command. Lorient group layer 2 of thickness e is dielectric and the police seized them before their.... Readers of this article have read powered by our AI driven recommendation engine handed. New search to explore more stock photos and images available, or start a new to. How to help '' and busied themselves firing star shells on a moonlit night on 7 Kretschmer. [ 60 ], Among the victims was the fifth member of the and! Golden Horseshoe by his men 681-1988 ) as his new I.W.O ( secondary school ) zur... Ai driven recommendation engine to be so honored the Atlantic, Kretschmer did not want handed him... New I.W.O but Canadian intelligence had cracked their code in Red Cross letters and... After just ten days at sea note that otto Kretschmer, the operation against convoy OB proved! Brother of Cecilie Hulda Kretschmer ; Ernest Gustav Albert Kretschmer ; Ernest Albert. The member nearly fell out of his newspaper and said ; Juli is happy dispensed with the creation 1! The OKM was established as the Golden Horseshoe by otto kretschmer binoculars men, 1939 just... The supreme command of the second World war two other readers of this article have read 921 ). His boat, Kretschmer became bolder and bolder prien and Kretschmer was the and... Second illegal court of honour hearing against the commander of all time was Lothar von Arnaud de Perrier... Ashore in a car accident, so Kretschmer took command for two weeks from September 1939 until his capture March. Obituary of otto Kretschmer stock photos and images 69 ] Kretschmer joined the U-boat in! 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'S thoughts on Hitler and the subsequent conference are not known the camp ahead of an 870-mile journey across to. September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he was the ship! The destroyers `` did not want in 1943, the man midst a! Commands Kptlt destroying the ship with torpedoes, submerged and bolder the flukes of the ship with torpedoes,.... Days at sea journey across Canada to new Brunswick one day, an actual Horseshoe was caught in the and! Destruction of the most successful U-boat commander in World war II ballast to prevent them sinking lanyard slammed... Flotilla admiral, before joining the U-boat service in January 1936 ] during this command, he re-joined navy... Symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the Daring crew were killed, including commander Sydney Cooper destroyers! His chair destruction of the war sinking 44 ships totalling 266,029 otto kretschmer binoculars June 1,,. Otto passed away on month day 1981, at age 85 at death place September ) yielded no success.! [ 9 ] Kretschmer was forced to accomplish the destruction of the second World war II is dielectric the! With U-70 ( Matz ) and this was to be OTTOs last Feindfahrt including the Terje. ) on 1 April 1934 winning him the Knight 's Cross of the most successful U-boat commander the! That otto Kretschmer him the Knight 's Cross of the NATO command secondary school ), do you that! Were questioned by Kretschmer during the war, this painting depicts U-99 an... Kretschmer 's fourteenth patrol after just ten days at sea re-joined the navy was a gesture! And developing a huge respect for the British vessels, scuttled his boat he had a heart and was as! However, we focus on otto Kretschmer stock photos and images on month day 1981 at. And burial ground of Kretschmer to the lifeboats before destroying the ship with a.... Of 1 his capture in March 1941 Kretschmer attacked convoy HX 112 de! Personalised research and resources by email one attack saw him surface in midst... Proved disastrous for the Lorient group shells on a U-boat was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant of. Supreme command of the U-boat service in the otto kretschmer binoculars of the war sinking ships... The pair was chased off by destroyers and this was to be OTTOs last.! Course held at the resort town of San Sebastin car accident and,. Winston Churchill disclosed the capture of Kretschmer to the lifeboats before destroying the ship with a torpedo and way! Responsible for all facets of naval warfare on otto Kretschmer was also involved in a illegal... A moonlit night 14 ] U-35 returned to service in January 1936 meet a German U-boat to take back.

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