Albrecht Achilles (Korvettenkapitän)

For other uses, see Albrecht Achilles.

Albrecht Achilles
Korvettenkapitän Albrecht Achilles after a patrol
Born	(1914-01-25)25 January 1914 Karlsruhe
Died	northeast of Bahia, Brazil
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1934–43
Rank	Korvettenkapitän (posthumous)
Unit	SSS Gorch Fock Schleswig-Holstein Gneisenau U-66
Commands held	U-161
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Iron Cross 1st Class U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Albrecht Achilles (25 January 1914 – 27 September 1943) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and commander of U-161. 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.

Military career

Albrecht Achilles began his naval career with the Reichsmarine on 8 April 1934 as a member "Crew 34" (the incoming class of 1934).. He transferred to the U-boat service in April 1940. For one year, he served as a commander trainee as first and second watch officer on board various U-boats, including three patrols on U-66 under the command of Robert-Richard Zapp, before taking over command of U-161 from Kapitänleutnant Hans Witt.

Albrecht Achilles and his entire crew were killed in action when U-161 was sunk northeast of Bahia on 27 September 1943 by depth charges from a U.S. Navy Martin PBM Mariner (VP-74/P-2).

On 16 November 1940 he married Chirstel Busz. The marriage produced two children, daughter Christiane born 1941 and a posthumous son Konrad born 1944.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of U-161, Achilles is credited with the sinking of 12 merchant ships totalling 60,107 gross register tons (GRT), damaging another ship of 3,305 GRT that it had to be considered a total loss and damaging five further ships of 35,672 GRT. He also sank the United States Lighthouse Service ship Acacia of 1,130 metric tons (1,110 long tons; 1,250 short tons) and damaged the British light cruiser HMS Phoebe (43) 5,450 t (5,360 long tons; 6,010 short tons).

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate
19 February 1942	British Consul	United Kingdom	6,940	Damaged
19 February 1942	Mokihana	United States	7,460	Damaged
21 February 1942	Circe Shell	United Kingdom	8,207	Sunk
23 February 1942	Lihue	United States	7,001	Sunk
7 March 1942	Uniwaleco	South Africa	9,755	Sunk
10 March 1942	HMCS Lady Nelson	Royal Canadian Navy	7,970	Damaged
10 March 1942	Umtata	United Kingdom	8,141	Damaged
14 March 1942	Sarniadoc	Canada	1,940	Sunk
15 March 1942	USCGC Acacia	United States Coast Guard	1,130	Sunk
16 June 1942	Nueva Altagracia	Dominican Republic	30	Sunk
22 June 1942	E.J. Sadler	United States	9,639	Sunk
3 July 1942	San Pablo	Panama	3,305	Total loss
16 July 1942	Fairport	United States	6,165	Sunk
23 October 1942	HMS Phoebe	Royal Navy	5,450	Damaged
8 November 1942	Bonalder	United Kingdom	5,161	Damaged
8 November 1942	West Humhaw	United States	5,527	Sunk
29 November 1942	Tjilboet	Netherlands	5,760	Sunk
12 December 1942	Ripley	United Kingdom	4,997	Sunk
19 May 1943	Angelus	Canada	255	Sunk
20 September 1943	St. Usk	United Kingdom	5,472	Sunk
26 September 1943	Itapagé	Brazil	4,998	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (8 April 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (7 August 1941)
  • 1st Class (5 April 1942)>
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (7 August 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 January 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-161
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 12 March 1942

Wehrmachtbericht reference

The daily Wehrmachtbericht (Wehrmacht propaganda report) noted the following:

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Thursday, 12 March 1942	Bei den Unternehmungen in Amerikanischen Gewässern zeichneten sie die Unterseeboote unter Führung der Kapitänleutnante Achilles und Nico Clausen besonders aus.	Submarines under the commands of Kapitänleutnante Achilles and Nico Clausen distinguished themselves in operations in American waters.

Promotions

26 September 1934:	Seekadett (Midshipman)
1 October 1934:	Obermatrose (Seaman Apprentice)
1 January 1935:	Oberstabsmatrose (Leading Seaman)
1 July 1935:	Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)
1 January 1937:	Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Ensign)
1 April 1937:	Leutnant zur See (Second Lieutenant)
1 April 1939:	Oberleutnant zur See (First Lieutenant)
1 September 1941:	Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant)
5 April 1945 (posthumously):	Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain)

References

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2. CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "Albrecht Achilles". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 October 2013.