Tales of the deep

[WCSTUMP]

KAPITANLEUTNANT LORENZO KASCH
Commander of the U 540

August 2, 1914 to October 17, 1943

Text © Copyright W. C. Stump 2002

After nearly 50 years collecting military orders and medals of the various warring nations of WWII, I still get excited when I acquire items that have a verified heroic story associated with them. Just today I received a document grouping from a U-Boat commander that, with a bit of research and a little imagination, a great story of the man and his exciting evolved and I would like to share that story with everyone.

The life and naval career of Lorenz Kasch began in 1933. He was born on the historic naval city of Hamburg on August 20, 1914. I have found nothing about his early life, but in 1933 he joined the Kriegsmarine, and by 1937 he had achieved the rank of Leutnant zur See servicing as a Artillieoffizier on the Battleship DEUTSCHLAND while the ship patrolled the Spanish waters in late July of 1936 until 1939. He was a crew member when ship was attacked and heavily damaged by Republican air forces. Over 39 shipmates died and 80 or more were wounded, but he escaped injury. The DEUTSCHLAND, along with the Pocket Battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER, were the two main battleships to be involved with evacuating German nationals and protecting German merchant shipping throughout the Spanish Civil War. The pocket battleship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE relieved one of the other ships when necessary keeping at least two capital ships on duty at all times from 1936 to 1939. When the members of the Legion Condor returned home from serving as volunteers supporting General Francisco Franco, all received the special medal created by Adolf Hitler to honor their service during the Spanish Civil War. By now Kasch had reached the rank of Oberleutnant zue See and received the Spanish Cross in Bronze without Swords.

Between 3.31.40 - 22.11.41 Kasch was attached to the famed Auxiliary Cruiser "ATLANTIS" (Ship 16). Again he was the Artillery officer for Kapitän zur See Rogge on this famous armed Sea Raider. Good fortune seemed to follow Leutnant Rasch as he was spared injury and a watery grave when the ATLANTIS was sent to the bottom on November 22, 1941. He was rescued by a German U-boat and the returned to Germany. In this period he received the Iron Cross First and Second Class. He was qualified to receive the Auxiliary Cruiser War badge as well, but these award documents were not in the grouping I acquired and presumably are lost to history.

After his narrow escape from death he chose to enter the U-boat Service and received his U-boat War qualification badge on October 26, 1942. On his birthday he received a most unusual birthday greeting from Kptlt. Harald Gelhaus. Gelhaus was the Commander of U 107 and Knights Cross-winner. I don't now quite how to describe the gift so a scan will give you an idea of what the custom made birthday card looks like.

Rasch served on the unlucky U 333 and escaped death again when the U-boat was heavily damaged and was barley able to limp back to port. His last award was the German Cross in Gold and received that award on May 28, 1942. After the U 333 was repaired, Rasch became the commander of the ship on Oct 9th until November 22, 1942.

On March 10, 1943, Kapitänleutnant Kasch took command of the U 540. The first mission was a training mission and lasted until September 30, 1943. On his second patrol on October 17, 1943, east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 58.38N, 31.56W, depth charges from 2 British Liberator aircraft (Sqdn. 59/D & 120/H) sunk the U 540 with all hands. Lorenz Kasch's luck had finally ran out and the U 540 sank into the elements on which he had sailed for so many years in the service of his country.

It has been nearly 60 years since the U 540 disappeared into history. I am sure the award documents Lorenzo Kasch so prized and his family had kept for so long are probably the only tangible bits of his history remains today. His story should be told and I am only sorry that I can't add the many personal details that these award documents could tell if they could only talk. However, the story they do tell is worth remembering and maybe my efforts and these documents will keep telling his story for many years to come.

[Matt Gibbs]

Thanks for sharing that information Bill, always interesting to hear about the history, in this case a tragic fortune of war, behind what we collect. Behind the officialdom of reporting which would probably only include a date and a U boat being sunk there is a little snippet of one of the personalities of the crew. I think it helps to remind us that real people suffered a great deal and in part, through our collecting we remember the terror of war and what it wrought, as well as how it can bring the best or worst out of people.
Kind Regards
Matt Gibbs

[Benjamin Fanjoy]

Bill,

As always a very interesting presentation.

[Felix C]

U333 Peter Cremer's command an unlucky ship? I think the boat did well to survive that night against Crocus.

[PF]

related links
http://uboat.net/men/commanders/583.html
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/33200-1 ... ter-clare/