U 124

[Rommel8]

sorry for my ignorance, but what is so significant about U-124

[William Kramer]

The boat is just does not get the attention that is deserved. It has been the starting for many great U-Boat commanders who won several high awards. No need to say your sorry.

William

[Mark H]

You are probably aware of this already, but there is a useful book called "Grey Wolf, Grey Sea" by EB Gasaway that chronicles the life of U124 and her crew(s).

cheers!

[hauptmannn]

Very interesting for sharing this with us, thank you!

[Kal_El]

yeah very interesting..thanks:)

Regards

Morten

[u124ghost]

FANTASTIC

[Jon H]

nice photo there

thanks for sharing them with us

Jon.

[Blistex]

They really should have chucked the Anti-Ship guns and AA guns after 42. I'm sure that an extra 3-4 knots would have been a better asset than a mostly useless gun and an anit-aircraft teaser.

Also extra fuel/stores could be put where the ammo for each was stored.

[Peter]

There is no doubt that U124 was one of the best of the best uboats and so many of the top commanders and officers had served on U124 and learned from Schulz and Mohr. I know that U48 and U123 have more Knights Crosses but U124 is a very special boat to any uboat researcher.


Would you like a list of officers who made patrols on U124 ?

Pete

[William Kramer]

WOULD I EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Sir,

William Kramer

[Peter]

Hi

My publishers made me leave this stuff out of my book so its just sitting here for most u-boats which did a couple of patrols:

KL Gero Zimmermann (Trainee Kdr) Nov 40-Feb 41 (later U401)
Fahnr Dieter Bornkessel (Fahnrich) Mar 41 – Sep 41 (later U2332)
Ltn Christian Brandt Coester (2WO) May 41 – May 42 (later U542)
Strm Wilhelm Gerlach (Strm) Jul 40 – Sep 41 (see U490)
Strm Wilhelm Gerlach (2WO) Nov 42 – Feb 43 (see U490)
Ltn Reinhard Hardegen (WO) Aug 40 – Dec 40 (see U123)
Ltn Werner Henke (2WO) May 40 – Oct 41 (See U515)
OL Heinr Hirsacker (IWO) May 40 – Sep 40 (see U572)
OL Jochen Mohr (IWO) Sep 40 – Jun 41 (see U124)
OL Heinz Eck (IWO) Jun 41 - (see U852)
Ltn Hans Köster (2WO) Jun 41 -
OL (LI) Rolf Brinker (LI) Jun 40 – Dec 41 (see U9, U13, U64)
OL (LI) Egon Subklew (LI) Sep 41 – Mar 43 (see UC-1)
Obstrm Werner Muths (Obstrm) Feb 42 – Apr 42 (see U37)
MstArzt Dr Hubertus Goder (Arzt) Oct 40 – Oct 41
ObFahnr Harald Schüler (3WO) in Jan 42

there will likely have been several more but these are ones I have identified. The references to other boats is to link their careers to other boats they served aboard. Its interesting to see Hein Hirsacker who was later shot for cowardice, Werner Henke (RK+EL) shot in the USA at a prisoner interrogation centre, Heinz Eck shot postwar for machine gunning survivors of Peleus whilst in command of U852, Reinhard Hardegen the hugely successful commander of U123 learned his trade aboard also.


Officers when U124 was sunk

OL Walter Bachmann (LI)
OL Gert Ulrich Molsen (IWO)
Ltn Joachim Beyer (2WO)
Fahnr Lutz Meyer (Fahnr)
Fahnr Helmut Schulz (Fahnr)
MstArzt d.R. Dr Berndt Ziemke (Arzt)


Hope this helps
Pete

[William Kramer]

Do you know which men owned the rank of a 2nd Lt. while aboard U-124? Please let me know either way. Thank you.

William Kramer

[Peter]

Hi
any of the above Leutnant (Ltn) this equates to 2nd Lieut.
Subklew was likely a Ltn (Ing) when he joined the boat.

cheers
Pete

[William Kramer]

Now, not to sound very ignorant but can you explain an everyday duty for a LT. aboard a U-boat? Please let me know either way. Thank you.

William Kramer

[Peter]

The seaman officers (as against the engineers) aboard a boat such as U124 were basically the "Kaleu" (Kapitänleutnant) the commander, the First Watch Officer (Eins WO) and Second Watch Officer (Zweiter WO) with the Obersteuermann (Warrant Officer) effectively standing a third watch with or without additional midshipmen (Fähnrich).

The Leutnant would have usually been 2nd Watch Officer and would have stood watches basically in command of the boat during his watch. He would have been on the conning tower for a couple of hours in charge of the watch, then in the Zentrale (Control Room) learning tactics from the Commander, learning navigation from the the Obersteuermann, practical seamanship from the senior petty officers.

In a surfaced attack on merchant shipping he would have been the gunnery officer.

cheers
Pete