Welcome to instalment six of our brief mini-series of weekly instalments focussed on the Aces of the Deep- the Top Ten U-boat Commanders of World War 2.
The subject of this week’s instalment is Viktor Schütze
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Viktor Schütze was born in Flensburg on the 16th of February 1906. He commenced his naval career in April 1925 and served a number of years on torpedo boats prior to transferring to U-Boats in October 1935.
Image courtesy of www.u-boat.net
As part of the newly formed U-Boat division Schütze commanded U-19 for a two year period before he was reassigned for ten months of destroyer training. In August 1938 he returned from this training and took over command of U-11.
Image courtesy of www.u-boote.fr
When war broke out in 1939 he was in command of yet another U-Boat – U-25. He had three patrols in command of this U-Boat primarily in the Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay & Portuguese Coast.
In July 1940 he assumed command of U-103 and patrolled the North Atlantic and African waters.
Image courtesy of www.u-boat.net
In August 1941 Schütze was appointed commander (Flottillechef ) of the 2. Unterseebootsflottille. Then in March 1943 until the very end of the war he was appointed the FdU Ausblidungsflottillen (Commander of the training Flotillas in the Baltic Sea) in Flensburg-Kappeln,
After the war he was released from captivity in March 1946 however he died on the 23rd of September 1950 at Frankfurt am Main aged only 44 years of age.
Ranks attained
16 November, 1925 Seekadett
1 April, 1927 Fähnrich zur See
1 June, 1928 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 October, 1929 Leutnant zur See
1 July, 1931 Oberleutnant zur See
1 October, 1935 Kapitänleutnant
1 February, 1940 Korvettenkapitän
1 March, 1943 Fregattenkapitän
1 March, 1944 Kapitän zur See
Statistical information courtesy of www.u-boat.net/
Decorations received
13 November, 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class
21 February 1940 Iron Cross 1st Class
11 December, 1940 Knights Cross
14 July, 1941 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
Statistical information courtesy of www.u-boat.net/
Patrol summary
Total of 7 patrols and 306 days at sea
U-boat U-25 Departed on the 18 October, 1939 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 19 November, 1939. A total patrol of 33 days.
U-boat U-25 Departed on the 13 January, 1940 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 19 February, 1940. A total patrol of 38 days.
U-boat U-25 Departed on the 3 April, 1940 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 6 May, 1940. A total patrol of 34 days.
U-boat U-103 Departed on the 21 September, 1940 from Kiel and arrived at Lorient on the 19 October, 1940. A total patrol of 29 days.
U-boat U-103 Departed on the 9 November, 1940 from Lorient and arrived at Lorient on the 12 December, 1940. A total patrol of 34 days.
U-boat U-103 Departed on the 21 January, 1941 from Lorient and arrived at Lorient on the 24 February, 1941. A total patrol of 35 days.
U-boat U-103 Departed on the 1 April, 1941 from Lorient and arrived at Lorient on the 12 July, 1941. A total patrol of 105 days.
Statistical information courtesy of www.u-boat.net/
Vessels hit by Viktor Schütze
31 October, 1939 Baoulé
17 January, 1940 Enid
17 Jan, uary 1940 Polzella
18 January, 1940 Pajala
22 January, 1940 Songa
3 February, 1940 Armanistan
13 February, 1940 Chastine Mærsk
6 October, 1940 Nina Borthen
9 October, 1940 Delphin
9 October, 1940 Graigwen (damaged)
9 October, 1940 Zannes Gounaris
13 October, 1940 Nora
15 October, 1940 Thistlegarth
21 November, 1940 Daydawn
21 November, 1940 Victoria
27 November, 1940 Glenmoor
28 November, 1940 Mount Athos
28 November, 1940 St. Elwyn
8 December, 1940 Calabria
9 December, 1940 Empire Jaguar
13 February, 1941 Arthur F. Corwin (damaged)
17 February, 1941 Edwy R. Brown
18 February, 1941 Seaforth
19 February, 1941 Benjamin Franklin
25 April, 1941 Polyana
1 May, 1941 Samsø
3 May, 1941 Wray Castle
6 May, 1941 Dunkwa
6 May, 1941 Surat
9 May, 1941 City of Winchester
11 May, 1941 City of Shanghai
22 May, 1941 British Grenadier
24 May, 1941 Marionga
25 May, 1941 Radames
25 May, 1941 Wangi Wangi
8 June, 1941 Elmdene
29 June, 1941 Ernani
Statistical information courtesy of www.u-boat.net/
Look out for next week’s instalment as we focus on our next Ace of the Deep.
Cheers
Sean
Footnote
In compiling each instalment I make reference to a number of established reputable sources both web and reference books.
It is acknowledged that a part or portion of the above information may have been sourced from the following sources and credit is duly acknowledged:
Bibliography – websites
Wikipedia
www.u-boat.net/
U-Boats at War
U-Boats in Action Squadron/Signal
www.u-boataces.com
www.historylearningsite.co.uk
www.uboatarchive.net/
www.u-boat-reich.co.uk
www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/uboats/
www.ubootwaffe.net/
www.sharkhunters.com
www.u-boote.fr
Bibliography - books
U-Boats Destroyed: German Submarine Losses in the World Wars by Paul Kemp
Dönitz and the Wolf Packs by Bernard Edwards
Wolf, U-Boat Commanders in World War II by Jordan Vause
German U-Boat Crews 1914-45 by Gordon Williamson and illustrated by Darko Pavlovic
Neither Sharks nor Wolves - The Men of Nazi Germany's U-Boat Arm 1939-1945 by Timothy P Mulligan
U-boat War Patrol: The Hidden Photographic Diary of U-564 by Lawrence Paterson
KRIEGSMARINE U-BOATS: 1939 - 1945 by Chris Bishop
U-Boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Luth (Bluejacket Books) by Jordan Vause
U122: The Diary of a U-boat Commander by Karl Von Schenk and Etienne
Iron Coffins: A Personal Account of the German U-Boat Battles of World War II by Herbert A. Werner
Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II by Otto Giese and James E. Wise
U-Boats: The Illustrated History of the Raiders of the Deep by David Miller
To the Last Salute: Memories of an Austrian U-Boat Commander by Georg von Trapp and Elizabeth M. Campbell
Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II (General Military) by Gordon Williamson
The Longest Patrol: A U-Boat Gunner's War by Gregory L. Owen
The U-Boat: The Evolution and Technical History of German Submarines by Eberhard Rossler
Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters, 1939-1942 (Modern Library War) by Clay Blair
Wolf: U-Boat Commanders in World War II by Jordan Vause
Silent Hunters: German U-Boat Commanders of World War II (Bluejacket Paperback Series) by Theodore P. Savas
The U Boat Commanders Handbook by The High Command of the German Navy, High Command of the German Army, Kriegsmarine, and Wehrmacht
Knights of the Wehrmacht: Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service (Knights of the Wehrmacht) by Franz Kurowski
U-boat Combat Missions: The Pursuers and the Pursued - First-hand Accounts of U-boat Life and Operations by Lawrence Paterson
Hitler's Grey Wolves - U-Boats in the Indian Ocean by Lawrence Paterson
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