Ernst Bauer (Kapitän zur See)
| Ernst Bauer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Dwarf" |
| Born |
3 January 1914 Fürth |
| Died | 12 March 1988 (aged 74) Westerland auf Sylt |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy
|
| Years of service | 1933–45, 1955–72 |
| Rank |
Korvettenkapitän (Kriegsmarine) Kapitän zur See (Bundesmarine) |
| Commands held |
U-120 U-126 27th U-boat Flotilla 26th U-boat Flotilla |
| Awards |
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Order of Merit |
Ernst Bauer (3 January 1914 – 12 March 1988) was a German naval officer and an U-boat commander in World War II. He commanded the U-boats U-120 and U-126, sinking 25 ships on five patrols, for a total of 118,560 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping, to stand 22nd on the list of highest scoring U-Boat aces of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Bauer joined the Reichsmarine on 23 September 1933. He served on the light cruiser Königsberg before transferring to the U-boat arm in 1938. He served as watch officer on U-20 and U-37 before commanding the training U-boat U-120 from April 1940. On 1 March 1941, he was given command of U-126, and conducted 5 combat patrols, sinking 25 merchant ships for a total of 118,560 long tons (120,460 t).
On 22 November, Bauer was aboard the auxiliary cruiser Atlantis in the south Atlantic, when she was sunk by the British heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire. U-126 crash-dived, leaving her captain behind, and after Devonshire left the area, she resurfaced to pick up survivors.
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