Heinz-Wilhelm Eck
| Heinz-Wilhelm Eck | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 March 1916 Hamburg |
| Died | 30 November 1945 Hamburg |
| Allegiance | Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine
|
| Years of service | 1934–1945 |
| Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
| Unit | 12th U-boat Flotilla |
| Commands held | U-852, 15 June 1943 – 3 May 1944 |
Heinz-Wilhelm Eck (27 March 1916 – 30 November 1945) was a German U-boat commander of the Second World War, who was tried, convicted, condemned and executed postwar for ordering his crew to shoot the survivors of a Greek merchantman sunk by U-852.
Eck was born in Hamburg and served with the Kriegsmarine from 1934, becoming a Kapitänleutnant on 1 December 1941 and assuming his first command on 15 June 1943. From 18 January 1944 he led U-852 on a patrol heading for South African waters and then on to the Indian Ocean. While en route he encountered the lone Greek steamer SS Peleus, and sank her with two torpedoes on 13 March.
The sinking Peleus left a large debris field, amongst which were several survivors clinging to rafts and wreckage. This debris could betray the presence of U-852 to enemy aircraft and shipping patrolling the area. Eck decided to sink the wreckage with hand grenades and automatic weapons. The question of whether this "dispersal" order explicitly or implicitly encouraged the killing of the sailors in the water, or whether this was an unfortunate example of collateral damage was the subject of a post-war trial. During the trial, Eck acknowledged he realized that by sinking the rafts, he was denying the seamen a chance of survival.
Eck ordered his junior officers to fire into the wreckage in an effort to sink it. Accounts differ greatly as to the number of shots fired and the damage done. The two surviving Greek sailors reported the shooting went on for a long time, and that at least four of their compatriots were killed by it. The German crew's report stated, however, that they had fired several short machine gun bursts into the wreckage and were unable to see their targets in the dark. The men shooting were later proven to be the ship's engineering officer, Hans Lenz (who claimed he had done so under protest to spare an enlisted man from having to do it), Walter Weisspfennig (the ship's doctor who was not supposed to be handling firearms), the second in command August Hoffmann and an enlisted engineer, Wolfgang Schwender (who was under direct orders and fired very few rounds). Eck was also present during the incident; the remaining crew were below decks.
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