Welcome to instalment seven 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 Heinrich Liebe.
Image courtesy of wikipedia
Heinrich Liebe was born in Gotha on the 29th of January 1908. He started his naval career in 1927 by joining the Reichsmarine. On the 1st of June 1931 he was promoted to the rank of Oberfähnrich zur See and then served on the World War One battleship the Schleswig- Holstein. He served on that ship for four years until he transferred to the newly created U-Boat arm of the Reichsmarine.
As a result of this early involvement with the U-Boat service he was a one of the few U-Boat Commanders with solid pre-war training and experience. As early as the 1st of October 1936 Liebe was commander of U-2 aType II U-Boat and later on the 24th of October 1938 he commissioned U-38 a Type IX U-Boat and was assigned to the 6th Flotilla. He ultimately completed nine patrols in this U-boat.
With the start of World War II U-38 under the command of Liebe started hostilities with her first war time patrol on the 19th of August 1939. Operating in Portuguese waters Liebe managed to sink two freighters before returning to base.
Liebes fourth patrol was in Norwegian waters, to support the invasion of Norway. During this patrol, Liebe shared the common experience of failed torpedoes. On that patrol Liebe fired on the British heavy cruiser HMS Effingham, but all the torpedoes fired failed to successfully detonate.
On her fifth patrol U-38 was tasked with patrolling the western approaches off southern Ireland. Liebe managed to sink six ships during this patrol and succeeded in landing a German agent in Ireland.
Image courtesy of u-boat.net
During its sixth patrol, Liebe and U-38 sank three ships, and were ordered to return to the new 6. Unterseebootsflottille base in Lorient, France. It was during that patrol, on the 14th of August 1940, that he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
On the 9th of April 1941, Liebe set of for operations in South African waters. This was to be Liebe's ninth and last patrol with U-38. It was during this patrol that he sank 8 ships it was because of these great successes, Liebe received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on the 10th of June 1941.
On the 22nd of July1941, Liebe transferred off the U-38, and was assigned to the staff of the Oberkommando der Marine.
In August 1944, he was transferred to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of Submarines (Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote or BdU), during which he was promoted to Fregattenkapitän on the 1st of October 1944.
After the war Heinrich Liebe like so may others returned to his hometown in the Soviet sector to live with his parents.
He died in July 1997 and is buried in Eisenach, Germany.
Ranks attained
1 October, 1927 Seekadett
1 April, 1929 Fähnrich zur See
1 June, 1931 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 October, 1931 Leutnant zur See
1 October, 1933 Oberleutnant zur See
1 October, 1936 Kapitänleutnant
1 December 1941 Korvettenkapitän
1 October, 1944 Fregattenkapitän
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Decorations received
8 October, 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class
16 December, 1939 U-boat War Badge 1939
6 April, 1940 Iron Cross 1st Class
14 August, 1940 Knights Cross
10 June, 1941 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Patrol summary
A total of 9 patrols and 333 days at sea
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 19th of August, 1939 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 18th of September, 1939. A total patrol of 31 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 14th of November, 1939 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 16th of December, 1939. A total patrol of 33 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 26th of February, 1940 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 5th of April, 1940. A total patrol of 16 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 8th April 1940 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 27th April, 1940. A total patrol of 20 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 6th of June, 1940 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd of July, 1940. A total patrol of 27 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 1st of Aug, 1940 from Wilhelmshaven and arrived at Lorient on the 3rd of September, 1940. A total patrol of 34 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 25th of September, 1940 from Lorient and arrived at Lorient on the 24th of October, 1940. A total patrol of 30 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 18th of December, 1940 from Lorient and arrived at Lorient on the 22nd January, 1941. A total patrol of 36 days
U-boat U-38 Departed on the 9th April 1941 from Lorient and arrived at Lorient on the 29th of June, 1941. A total patrol of 82 days
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Vessels hit by Heinrich Liebe
6 September, 1939 Manaar
11 Sepember, 1939 Inverliffey
7 December, 1939 Thomas Walton
11 December, 1939 Garoufalia
13 December, 1939 Deptford
9 March, 1940 Leukos
17 March, 1940 Argentina
21 March, 1940 Algier
21 March, 1940 Christiansborg
26 March, 1940 Cometa
2 April, 1940 Signe
14 June, 1940 Mount Myrto
15 June, 1940 Erik Boye
15 June, 1940 Italia
20 June, 1940 Tilia Gorthon
21 June, 1940 Luxembourg
22 June, 1940 Neion
7 August, 1940 Mohamed Ali El-Kebir
11 August, 1940 Llanfair
31 August, 1940 Har Zion
1 October, 1940 Highland Patriot
17 October, 1940 Aenos
18 October, 1940 Carsbreck (damaged)
19 October, 1940 Bilderdijk
19 October, 1940 Matheran
27 December, 1940 Waiotira
31 December, 1940 Valparaiso
4 May, 1941 Japan
5 May, 1941 Queen Maud
23 May, 1941 Berhala
24 May, 1941 Vulcain
29 May, 1941 Tabaristan
30 May, 1941 Empire Protector
31 May, 1941 Rinda
8 June, 1941 Kingston Hill
Statistics courtesy of 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
