Otto Kretschmer
| Otto Kretschmer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Otto der Schweiger (Silent Otto) |
| Born |
1 May 1912 Heidau, Neisse, Province of Silesia, Prussia, German Empire (now Hajduki Nyskie, Nysa County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland) |
| Died | 5 August 1998 (aged 86) Bavaria, Germany |
| Allegiance |
 Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy
|
| Years of service | 1930–45, 1955–70 |
| Rank |
Reichsmarine (1930–35): Kriegsmarine (1935–45): Bundesmarine (1955–70): |
| Unit |
2nd U-boat Flotilla 1st U-boat Flotilla 7th U-boat Flotilla |
| Commands held |
U-35, 31 July 1937 – 15 August 1937 U-23, 1 October 1937 – 1 April 1940 U-99, 18 April 1940 – 17 March 1941 |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Reichsmarine (1930–35):
Kriegsmarine (1935–45):
Bundesmarine (1955–70):
Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 – 5 August 1998) was the most successful German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), among other awards. He earned the nickname "Silent Otto" both for his successful use of the "silent running" capability of U-boats as well as for his reluctance to transmit radio messages during patrols. After the war, he served in the German Federal Navy and retired in 1970 with the rank of Flottillenadmiral (flotilla admiral, equivalent to a US Navy Rear Admiral (lower half) or Commodore (Royal Navy)).
Otto Kretschmer was born in Heidau, Neisse. At the age of seventeen he spent eight months living in England at Exeter, where he learned to speak English fluently. He joined the Reichsmarine in April 1930, attaining the rank of Seekadett (naval cadet) after completing officer training courses as well as three months aboard the training ship Niobe (1 July 1930 – 9 October 1930). He then spent a little over a year serving aboard the light cruiser Emden (10 October 1930 – 4 January 1932). In the second half of 1932 he briefly served on the survey vessel Meteor for navigation training. In December 1934 he was transferred to another light cruiser, the Köln. Kretschmer remained aboard the Köln until he was transferred to the U-Boat force in January 1936, where he received extensive officer training and was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See.
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