Max-Martin Teichert

Max-Martin Teichert
Born	(1915-01-31)31 January 1915 Kiel
Died	North Atlantic
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1934–43
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Unit	SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Emden torpedo boat Iltis destroyer Wolfgang Zenker destroyer Friedrich Ihn 6th U-boat Flotilla 11th U-boat Flotilla 1st U-boat Flotilla
Commands held	U-456 (18 September 1941–12 May 1943)
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic Operation Wunderland
Awards	Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Max-Martin Teichert (31 January 1915 in Kiel – 12 May 1943 in the North Atlantic) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and posthumous 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.

Career

Edinburgh's wrecked stern after being struck by a torpedo on 30 April 1942

Teichert joined the Kriegsmarine in April 1934. He first served on the torpedo boat Iltis, and then the destroyer Z14 Friedrich Ihn. In June 1940 he transferred to the U-boat force, and served as 1.WO (second-in-command) to Herbert Kuppisch aboard the Type VIIC U-boat U-94 for two patrols.

In September 1941 he commissioned U-456 and completed nine patrols in the Arctic Sea during 1942. He sank three ships, including the naval trawler HMS Sulla, a staggler of Convoy PQ 13, and seriously damaged the British Town class light cruiser HMS Edinburgh, which was sunk some days later. In December 1942 U-456 was transferred to 1st U-boat Flotilla, and operated in the northern Atlantic, sinking another four merchant vessels.

Teichert died on 12 May 1943, during his 11th patrol, when U-456 was lost with all hands in the North Atlantic, in position . The U-boat surfaced after being hit by a Fido homing torpedo dropped by a British Liberator aircraft from No. 86 Squadron RAF. When the O-class destroyer HMS Opportune arrived the U-boat dived, but almost certainly immediately sank to the ocean floor.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

Max-Martin Teichert as commander of U-456 sank six merchant ships totalling 31,528 GRT, damaged another of 6,421 GRT, and also engaged and damaged the 11,500 GRT Town class light cruiser HMS Edinburgh.

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tons	Fate
30 March 1942	Effingham	United Kingdom	6,421	Damaged
30 April 1942	HMS Edinburgh	Royal Navy	11,500	Damaged
5 July 1942	Honomu	United States	6,977	Sunk
22 August 1942	Chaika	Soviet Union	80	Sunk
2 February 1943	Jeremiah Van Rensselaer	United States	7,177	Sunk
3 February 1943	Inverilen	United Kingdom	9,456	Sunk
23 February 1943	Kyleclare	Ireland	700	Sunk
11 May 1943	Fort Concord	United Kingdom	7,138	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (1 April 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (15 December 1939)
  • 1st Class (7 June 1941)
• Destroyer War Badge (19 October 1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (7 June 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 December 1943 (posthumous) as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-456
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 May 1942

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Monday, 4 May 1941	Im nördlichen Eismeer haben Unter- und Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine im Zusammenwirken mit Verbänden der Luftwaffe feindliche Geleitzüge, die durch starke Kampfgruppen gesichert waren, in tagelangen Angriffen bei Sturm, hohem Seegang und Vereisung bekämpft. Dabei hat ein Unterseeboot unter Führung des Kapitänleutnants Teichert zwei Torpedotreffer auf einen britischen 10000-Tonnen-Kreuzer erzielt, der bewegungslos liegen blieb und später gesunken ist.	In the northern Arctic Ocean, submarine and naval surface forces in cooperation with units of the air force, have attacked enemy convoys, which were protected by strong battle groups, in storms, rough seas and icing. In these battles, a submarine under the command of Captain Lieutenant Teichert scored two torpedo hits on a British 10000-ton cruiser that lay motionless and later sank.

References

Notes

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: 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: unrecognized language (link)
• Huß, Jürgen; Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939–1945 (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-79-9. 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.
• 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: 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. "Max-Martin Teichert". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 September 2014.