Viktor Schütze
Viktor Schütze
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File:Viktor Schütze.jpg | |
Born | Flensburg |
16 February 1906
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Frankfurt am Main |
Allegiance | Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
Service/ |
Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1925–45 |
Rank | Kapitän zur See |
Unit | SSS Niobe Hamburg tender Nordsee Meteor Hessen torpedo boat T-155, G-10 cruiser Admiral Scheer destroyer Erich Steinbrinck 1st U-boat Flotilla U-Bootschulflottille 2nd U-boat Flotilla |
Commands held | U-19, 1936-01-16 – 1937-09-30 U-11, 1938-08-13 – 1939-09-04 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub |
Viktor Hermann Otto Ludwig Paul Ferdinand Schütze (16 February 1906 – 23 September 1950), was a Kriegsmarine U-boat ace, sinking a total of 35 allied ships totalling 180,053 tons during the Second World War. He is in fifth place amon top-scoring U-boat aces. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Contents
Biography
Schütze was born in Flensburg, and started his naval career in the Reichsmarine aboard German torpedo boats in April 1925, before transferring to the new U-boat division ten years later in October 1935. There he commanded U-19 for two years, before being relieved to take destroyer training - before returning to the U-boat arm in command of U-11. When war broke out he commanded U-25, with which he sailed on three patrols, mainly in the Bay of Biscay and off the Portuguese coast.
In July 1940 he assumed command over the Type IXB U-103, and commanded for four patrols in North Atlantic and African waters. In December he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his successes. In August 1941 he retired from front service, taking up positions as Flottillenchef of 2nd U-boat Flotilla. In March 1943 he became the FdU Ausbildungsflottillen (Commander of the training flottillas in the Baltic Sea) in Flensburg-Kappeln, in which position he served until the end of the war.
He died in Frankfurt am Main in 1950.
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As a U-boat commander of U-25 and U-103 Schütze is credited with the sinking of 35 ships for a total of 180,073 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging two ships of 14,213 GRT.
Date | U-boat | Name of Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[1][2] |
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31 October 1939 | U-25 | Baoulé | France | 5,874 | Sunk |
17 January 1940 | U-25 | Enid | Norway | 1,140 | Sunk |
17 January 1940 | U-25 | Polzella | United Kingdom | 4,751 | Sunk |
18 January 1940 | U-25 | Pajala | Sweden | 6,873 | Sunk |
22 January 1940 | U-25 | Songa | Norway | 2,589 | Sunk |
3 February 1940 | U-25 | Armanistan | United Kingdom | 6,805 | Sunk |
13 February 1940 | U-25 | Chastine Mærsk | Denmark | 5,177 | Sunk |
6 October 1940 | U-103 | Nina Borthen | Norway | 6,123 | Sunk |
9 October 1940 | U-103 | Delphin | Greece | 3,816 | Sunk |
9 October 1940 | U-103 | Graigwen | United Kingdom | 3,697 | Damaged |
9 October 1940 | U-103 | Zannes Gounaris | Greece | 4,407 | Sunk |
13 October 1940 | U-103 | Nora | Estonia | 1,186 | Sunk |
15 October 1940 | U-103 | Thislegarth | United Kingdom | 4,747 | Sunk |
21 November 1940 | U-103 | Daydawn | United Kingdom | 4,768 | Sunk |
21 November 1940 | U-103 | Victoria | Greece | 6,085 | Sunk |
27 November 1940 | U-103 | Glenmoor | United Kingdom | 4,393 | Sunk |
28 November 1940 | U-103 | Mount Athos | Greece | 3,578 | Sunk |
28 November 1940 | U-103 | St. Elwyn | United Kingdom | 4,940 | Sunk |
8 December 1940 | U-103 | Calabria | United Kingdom | 5,186 | Sunk |
13 February 1941 | U-103 | Arthur F. Corwin | United Kingdom | 10,516 | Damaged |
17 February 1941 | U-103 | Edwy R. Brown | United Kingdom | 10,455 | Sunk |
18 February 1941 | U-103 | Seaforth | United Kingdom | 5,459 | Sunk |
19 February 1941 | U-103 | Benjamin Franklin | Norway | 7,034 | Sunk |
25 April 1941 | U-103 | Polyana | Norway | 2,267 | Sunk |
1 May 1941 | U-103 | Samsø | United Kingdom | 1,494 | Sunk |
3 May 1941 | U-103 | Wray Castle | United Kingdom | 4,253 | Sunk |
6 May 1941 | U-103 | Dunkwa | United Kingdom | 4,752 | Sunk |
6 May 1941 | U-103 | Surat | United Kingdom | 5,529 | Sunk |
9 May 1941 | U-103 | City of Winchester | United Kingdom | 7,120 | Sunk |
11 May 1941 | U-103 | City of Shanghai | United Kingdom | 5,828 | Sunk |
22 May 1941 | U-103 | British Grenadier | United Kingdom | 6,857 | Sunk |
25 May 1941 | U-103 | Radames | Egypt | 3,575 | Sunk |
25 May 1941 | U-103 | Wangi Wangi | Netherlands | 7,789 | Sunk |
8 June 1941 | U-103 | Elmdene | United Kingdom | 4,853 | Sunk |
29 June 1941 | U-103 | Erani | Italy | 6,619 | Sunk |
Awards
- Spanisches Marineverdienstkreuz in Weiß (21 August 1939)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Italienisches Kriegskreuz mit Schwertern (1 November 1941)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 11 December 1940 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-103[5][6]
- 23rd Oak Leaves on 14 July 1941 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-103[5][7]
- War Merit Cross
- Mentioned four times in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 December 1940, 10 December 1940, 27 May 1941 and 13 July 1941
Wehrmachtbericht references
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
---|---|---|
Wednesday, 4 December 1940 | Die deutsche Unterseebootwaffe hatte weitere Erfolge im Handelskrieg gegen England zu verzeichnen. Ein Unterseeboot versenkte sechs bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit 31 500 BRT. Damit hat das unter Führung von Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze stehende Unterseeboot insgesamt 94 500 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffraum versenkt.[8] | The German submarine force had further success in the commercial war against England. A submarine sank six armed enemy merchant ships of 31 500 GRT. So the submarine under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Viktor Schütze has sunk a total of 94 500 GRT of enemy merchant shipping. |
Tuesday, 10 December 1940 | Ein Unterseeboot meldet die Versenkung von zwei bewaffneten feindlichen Handelsschiffen mit zusammen 14 500 BRT. Damit erhöht sich der von Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze auf seiner letzten Feindfahrt erzielte Erfolg auf 45 000 BRT versenkten feindlichen Handelsschiffraumes.[9] | A submarine reported the sinking of two armed enemy merchant ships totalling 14 500 GRT. Thus, the total success achieved by Lieutenant Commander Viktor Schütze on his last patrol has increased to 45 000 GRT of enemy merchant shipping sunk. |
Tuesday, 27 May 1941 | Bei der Vernichtung feindlicher Handelsschiffe westlich von Afrika zeichnete sich das von Korvettenkapitän Schütze geführte Unterseeboot durch die Versenkung von elf Schiffen mit zusammen 56 200 BRT besonders aus.[10] | In the destruction of enemy merchant shipping west of Africa, a submarine lead by of Lieutenant Commander Schütze particularly distinguished itself with the sinking of eleven ships for a total of 56 200 GRT. |
Sunday, 13 July 1941 | Korvettenkapitän Schütze hat bisher insgesamt 37 Schiffe versenkt und damit als siebenter Unterseebootskommandant über 200 000 BRT vernichtet.[11] | Lieutenant Commander Schütze has so far sunk a total of 37 ships and thus as the seventh submarine commander destroyed over 200 000 GRT. |
Promotions
16 November 1925: | Seekadett (Midshipman)[12] |
1 April 1927: | Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)[12] |
1 June 1928: | Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Ensign)[12] |
1 October 1929: | Leutnant zur See (Second Lieutenant)[12] |
1 July 1931: | Oberleutnant zur See (First Lieutenant)[12] |
1 October 1935: | Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant)[3] |
1 February 1940: | Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain), effective as of 1 February 1940 with a rank age date on 1 August 1939[3] |
1 March 1943: | Fregattenkapitän (Frigate Captain)[3] |
1 March 1944: | Kapitän zur See (Captain at Sea)[3] |
References
Citations
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Busch & Röll 2003, p. 99.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas 1998, p. 295.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 688.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 391.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 55.
- ↑ The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, p. 374.
- ↑ The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, p. 378.
- ↑ The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, p. 542.
- ↑ The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, p. 616.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Busch & Röll 2003, p. 98.
Bibliography
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External links
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Military offices | ||
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Preceded by
Korvettenkapitän Heinz Fischer
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Commander of 2nd U-boat Flotilla August, 1941 – January, 1943 |
Succeeded by Fregattenkapitän Ernst Kals |
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles containing German-language text
- 1906 births
- 1950 deaths
- U-boat commanders
- Aces of the Deep
- People from Flensburg
- People from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht
- Reichsmarine personnel
- Kriegsmarine personnel