Officers on U-boot

[Ste]

Good Evening.
My question is that: was the number of officers on a U-boot correlated to the dimension of the crew or not?
Thank you.

[Clio13]

I think it rather depended upon availability of commissioned officers and this changed over time. In 1939-40 there were many experienced officers available

For instance U 33, a Typ VII b (as I recall) operating in 1940 had an Oblt. and an Lt. plus an Oblt-Ing and Lt-Ing at the time of her loss.

The U-boot branch greatly expanded in 1941. Apart from the growing list of casualties, experienced crews were siphoned off to train for Elektroboote in 1944.

U 1302 a Typ VIIc/41 Atlantiker operating in 1945 in the same sector as U 33 had just an Lt and an Lt-Ing in terms of commissioned officers.

This was largely due to dilution and recycling of officers to meet with the demands of an expanding U-fleet.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; after a while something more...............................................

Officers aboard!

Prior to the conflict the U boats usually had on board the commander (Kapitänleutnant) a duty officer (WO) and an engineer (LI). To sail for the first cruise of war (first operational patrol) on August 17, 1939 it was ordered that Station Commands will supply the boats of the 3 flotillas with 2nd watch-officers.(IIWO). For example the U 48 (Type VIIB) at the end of 1939 had the Kapitänleutnant (Herbert Schulze.); the IWO (Olt.z.S. Reinhard Suhren); the IIWO (Lt.z.S. Otto Ites) and LI (OLt. (Ing.) Erich Zürn).

Sources: http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDU/BDUKTB30247.htm
http://www.todocoleccion.net/militaria- ... ~x42421506

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Officers aboard - Commissioning of U 42 (Type IX A)!

Sources: http://historisches-marinearchiv.de/pro ... var2=wert2
http://www.ebay.at/itm/U-Boot-Foto-U-42 ... 4664e6aea2

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more...............................................

Officers aboard - “Westward-ho” U 37 – Hans-Günther Kuhlmann!

He joined the U 37 in Jan 1940 and served as the Third Watch officer (IIIWO) to June 1940 when he became the boat's Second Watch Officer (IIWO). In Oct 1940 Kuhlmann was again promoted within the boat, now becoming its First Watch Officer (IWO) until Feb 1941. He spend 193 days at sea on 8 patrols with the boat, getting valuable U-boat experience under capable officers.

Sources: https://www.ebay.de/itm/U-Boot-U-37-Olt ... 7675.l2557
http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/ind ... r_Kuhlmann

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Officers aboard - Erich Zürn!

He started well below and joined the then Reichsmarine at the beginning of 1925 as Heizer (stoker). Unteroffiziersanwärter (candidate NCO) between September 30, 1928 and April 2, 1929 at the Marineschule, Friedrichsort. As NCO served in U 3 under Kapitänleutnant Hans Meckel and U 26 under Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann. As of January 20, 1939 Candidate as Engineer Officer. From November 1, 1939 Leutnant (Ing).

Sources: http://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/rk/x ... Z%FCrn.pdf
http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/ind ... _Z%C3%BCrn
https://picclick.de/OrigFoto-Wehrmacht- ... 21672.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Officers aboard - “Westward-ho” U 37!
Sources: Feind im Fadenkreuz - U-Boot auf Jagd im Atlantik. Weltkrieg 2. Hartmann, Werner
http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/index.php/U_37
https://uboot-recherche.de/en/U-37

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Officers aboard - “Westward-ho” U 37!

Sources: https://www.ebay.com/itm/U-Boot-U-37-Ul ... 7675.l2557

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Another Oblt.z.S.
Oberleutnant z.S. Armin Georg Sagert - I. Offizier on U 37 - Spring 1941. But no records of him in the Historisches-Marinearchiv.
Sources: https://picclick.de/2WK-U-Boot-Foto-Por ... 86256.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Axel N]

Hi Raul,

sorry to say but no officer with this name is known in the Kriegsmarine or has served on U 37 at the given time. Officers assigned to U 37 are well ocumented. The only officer in the U-boat arm with this family name was killed on U 160.

The fact that a person carries the binocular marked 1WO does not necessarily make him like that.

Best

Axel

[tigre]

Thanks for your reply shedding light on this . Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Indienststellung U 65! In spite of what the source tells at that date was commissioning the U-Boot [Typ IX B] U 65. Sources: Foto * U-Boot U 953 Indienststellung 15.02.1940 bei Deschimag *2. WK / Weltkrieg
Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Indienststellung U 591! as per the source it was the celebration due the commissioning of U 591 [TypVII C]. Sources: https://www.ebay.at/itm/Foto-U-Boot-591 ... Sw7z1aKsqu
Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more...............................................

Officers aboard - “Westward-ho” U 37 – Visit to the city of Bayreuth - July 1940!

After 25 days, U 37 returned to Wilhelmshaven on June 9, 1940. In this patrol, it was able to sink 10 ships with a total of 41,107 TRB and damage 1 ship with 9,393 TRB. The U boat sailed again from Wilhelmshaven under Kplt. Victor Oehrn, on August 1, 1940. However, from what this album shows, in the middle of both patrols, the crew visited the city of Bayreuth in July ........ There was also Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartmann, former CO and at that time 1. Admiralstabsoffizier in the BdU General Staff.

Sources: http://www.u-historia.com/uhistoria/his ... 37/u37.htm
http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/index.php/U_37
https://gmic.co.uk/profile/1959-gunther ... ost&page=3

Did they visit Bayreuth for any particular reason? Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more: Officers aboard - “Westward-ho” U 37!
Sources: https://picclick.de/U-Boot-Krieg-Foto-1 ... id=1&pid=1

Cheers. Raúl M .