Welcome to instalment eight 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 Erich Topp
Image courtesy of wikipedia
Erich Topp was born in Hanover on the 2nd of July 1914.He joined the Kreigsmarine in 1934. Topp served for six months on the German Light Cruiser Karlsruhe in 1937 before transferring to the Submarine arm in October 1937.After training at the submarine school at Neustadt he became Watch Officer on U-46 commanded by Herbert Sohler. He took part in four combat patrols in this role until he was given his first command of U-57 on the 5th of June 1940.
Image courtesy of uboat.net
In command of U-57 Topp led her on two missions during which she sank six ships. However Topp lost U-57 on the 3rd of September 1940 after a collision with the Norwegian vessel Rona in the lock of Brunsbuttel.
Image courtesy of uboat.net
Topp managed to survive this accident and took command of U-552 a Type II C U-Boat and infamously known as the “Red Devil Boat” (Der Rote Teufel”).
Image courtesy of uboat.net
With the U-552 boat he operated mainly against convoys in the North Atlantic sinking large number of ships. One of his major victims during this period of the war was on the 31st of October 1941 when he sunk the destroyer USS Reuben James. This was the first US warship to be sunk in the war.
Image courtesy of uboat.net
In October 1942 he became commander of the 27. Unterseebootsflottille, based in Gotenhafen (which is known now as Gdynia, Poland). This ultimately put him in charge of introducing the new Type XXI Elektro Boat to active service. Topp wrote the battle manual for the Type XXI, and shortly before the end of the war, he took command of U-2513, which he surrendered to the English on the 8th of May 1945, in Horten, Norway.
Image courtesy of uboat.net
He was released from being a Prisoner of War on the 26th of August 1945.
Image courtesy of uboat.net
After the war, he worked briefly as a fisherman and then trained as an architect. In March 1958 he rejoined the Federal German Navy, reaching the rank of Konteradmiral before retiring in 1969.
Image courtesy of uboat.net
After his retirement he worked as an industrial consultant for various naval yards.
In 2001 Topp was employed as the technical advisor for the submarine simulation computer game Silent Hunter II .
Erich Topp died on the 26th of December 2005, in Süssen in the district of Goppingen at the age of 91.
Ranks attained
1 July, 1935 Fähnrich zur See
1 April, 1937 Leutnant zur See
1 April, 1939 Oberleutnant zur See
1 September, 1941 Kapitänleutnant
17 August, 1942 Korvettenkapitän
1 December, 1944 Fregattenkapitän
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Decorations received
7 November, 1939 U-boat War Badge 1939
20 June, 1941 Knights Cross
11 April, 1942 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
11 April, 1942 U-boat War Badge with Diamonds
17 August, 1942 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Patrol summary
A total of 12 patrols and 346 days at sea
U-boat U-57 Departed on the 11 July, 1940 from Kiel and arrived at Bergen on the 20 July, 1940. A total patrol of 10 days.
U-boat U-57 Departed on the 22nd of July, 1940 from Bergen and arrived at Lorient on the 7th of August, 1940. A total patrol of 17 days.
U-boat U-57 Departed on the 14th of August, 1940 from Lorient and was sunk on the 3rd of September, 1940. A total patrol of 21 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 13th of February, 1941 from Kiel and arrived at Helgoland on the 15th of February, 1941. A total patrol of 3 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 18th of February, 1941 from Helgoland and arrived at St. Nazaire on the 16th of March, 1941. A total patrol of 27 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 7th of April, 1941 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 6th of May, 1941. A total patrol of 30 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 25th of May, 1941 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 2nd of July, 1941. A total patrol of 39 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 18th of August, 1941 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 26th of August, 1941. A total patrol of 9 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 4th of September, 1941 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 5th of October, 1941. A total patrol of 32 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 25th of October, 1941 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 26th of November, 1941. A total patrol of 33 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 25th of December, 1941 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 27th of January, 1942. A total patrol of 34 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 7th of March, 1942 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 27th of April, 1942. A total patrol of 51 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 9th of June, 1942 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 19th of June, 1942. A total patrol of 11 days.
U-boat U-552 Departed on the 4th of July, 1942 from St. Nazaire and returned to St. Nazaire on the 13th of August, 1942. A total patrol of 41 days.
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Vessels hit by Erich Topp
17 July, 1940 - Manipur
17 July, 1940 - O.A. Brodin
3 August, 1940 - Atos
24 August, 1940 - Cumberland
24 August, 1940 - Havildar
24 August, 1940 - Saint Dunstan
24 August, 1940 - Pecten
1 March, 1941 - Cadillac
10 March, 1941 - Reykjaborg
27 April, 1941 - Beacon Grange
27 April, 1941 - Commander Horton
28 April, 1941 - Capulet (damaged)
1 May, 1941 - Nerissa
10 June, 1941 - Ainderby
12 June, 1941 - Chinese Prince
18 June, 1941 - Norfolk
23 August, 1941 - Spind
20 September, 1941 - Barbro
20 September, 1941 - Pink Star
20 September, 1941 - T.J. Williams
31 October, 1941 - USS Reuben James (DD 245)
15 January, 1942 - Dayrose
18 January, 1942 - Frances Salman
20 January, 1942 - Maro
25 March, 1942 - Ocana
3 April, 1942 - David H. Atwater
5 April, 1942 - Byron D. Benson
7 April, 1942 - British Splendour
7 April, 1942 - Lancing
9 April, 1942 - Atlas
10 April, 1942 - Tamaulipas
15 June, 1942 - City of Oxford
15 June, 1942 - Etrib
15 June, 1942 - Pelayo
15 June, 1942 - Slemdal
15 June, 1942 - Thurso
25 July, 1942 - British Merit (damaged)
25 July, 1942 - Broompark
3 August, 1942 - G.S. Walden (damaged)
3 August, 1942 - Lochkatrine
Statistics courtesy of u-boat.net
Look out for next week’s instalment as we focus on our next Ace of the Deep.
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.U552.com
www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/uboats/
www.ubootwaffe.net/
www.sharkhunters.com
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
