Who was the most successful U-boat captain in ww2?

Kretschmer (1912–1998) was the most successful of the World War II Aces of the Deep. As commander of U-35, U-23 and U-99 he sank 47 merchant ships in a remarkably short period of time, before being captured in March 1941 and spending the rest of the war in the Bowmanville POW camp, Canada.

Who is the most famous U-boat commander?

Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (1886–1941) was the most successful U-boat commander of World War I and of any submarine commander in history. Between 1915–18, he made 14 patrols in command of U-35, sinking 189 merchant vessels and two gunboats.

What was the most successful U-boat in ww2?

By 1 August 1941, U-48, the most successful boat of the Second World War, had sunk 56 merchant ships of 322,478 gross tons and one corvette. She was then transferred to the Baltic as a training boat. Schultze became commander of operation 3 U-Flotilla and later was appointed commander, II/Naval College Schleswig.

What captain sank the most U-boats?

Captain Frederic John Walker CB, DSO and three Bars, was a Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during World War II and was the most successful anti-submarine warfare commander who sank more German U-boats than any other British or Allied Commander during the Battle of the Atlantic, which was one of the most ...

Who sank the most U-boats in ww2?

Of the U-boats, 519 were sunk by British, Canadian, or other allied forces, while 175 were destroyed by American forces; 15 were destroyed by the Soviets and 73 were scuttled by their crews before the end of the war for various reasons.

Top 10 Most Successful and Top Scoring uboats of WWII

Did any U-boats survived the entire war?

Two U-boats that survived Operation Deadlight are today museum ships. U-505 was earmarked for scuttling, but American Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery argued successfully that she did not fall under Operation Deadlight.

What happened to the crew of U 505?

All but one of U-505's crew were rescued by the Navy task group. The submarine was towed to Bermuda in secret and her crew were interned at a US prisoner of war camp, where they were denied access to International Red Cross visits.

Are there any U-boat captains still alive?

The last U-boat captain has died at 105. The last surviving German U-boat captain, who terrorized the Atlantic off North Carolina's Outer Banks early in World War II, has died at age 105. Reinhard Hardegen, who once described his exploits to the Observer decades after the war, died June 9, the Washington Post reported.

Was Hitler's U-boat ever found?

In 2014, researchers found the remains of U-576 off the coast of North Carolina, and just last year, the notorious German World War I U-boat UB-29 was found off the coast of Belgian.

What German U-boat sank the most ships?

Hessler (1909–1968) commissioned U-107 in 1940, and on his first patrol sank four ships for a total of 18,514 tons. He became famous for his second patrol – the most successful of the entire war – sinking 14 ships for a total of 86,699 tons.

Who had the best submarines in World War II?

The best record of any US submarine

Commissioned in 1943, USS Tang was a Balao-class diesel-electric submarine with a crew of 87 and an arsenal of 24 torpedoes. Its commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Richard O'Kane, had served on five war patrols as the executive officer of the highly successful USS Wahoo.

Who was the most successful in ww2?

Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann was exceedingly good at aerial combat. While serving in Germany's Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.

How many German submarines were lost in WWII?

In World War II Germany built 1,162 U-boats, of which 785 were destroyed and the remainder surrendered (or were scuttled to avoid surrender) at the capitulation. Of the 632 U-boats sunk at sea, Allied surface ships and shore-based aircraft accounted for the great majority (246 and 245 respectively).

What German U-boat commander sank more enemy tonnage than any other?

Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 – 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War. From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons.

What was the deadliest submarine in ww2?

After sinking to its watery grave on Oct. 25, 1944, the Tang was later credited with taking out 33 enemy ships, carrying out daring attacks and rescuing numerous downed airmen. It earned the WWII reputation as the most lethal Allied sub in the Pacific.

Are there any surviving German U-boats?

Today, the U-2540 is the only U-boat still floating in the sea. The U-2540 is open to visitors and dedicated to the preservation of peace.

How fast was a German U-boat?

Since World War I, nautical technology has evolved at a rapid rate, but in 1914 U-boats were considered quite advanced. These vessels could reach maximum depths of 50 meters or 165 feet, achieve speeds of 16 knots at the surface and eight knots underwater, and had a range of up to 25,000 miles.

How many German U-boats are still missing?

A U-boat of this type, listed for decades as being sunk off Gibraltar, was found on the sea bottom about 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey in 1991. According to the definitive website Uboat.org, a total of 50 German U-boats remained unaccounted for after the end of World War II.

How long would a German U-boat stay at sea?

The Germans' most formidable naval weapon was the U-boat, a submarine far more sophisticated than those built by other nations at the time. The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.

How long could ww2 Subs stay submerged?

Model of the USS Balao (SS-285) Fleet Submarine

Two 126-cell battery groups gave her a submerged top speed of 8.75 knots (16.2 km/hr); holding her speed to 2 knots (4 km/hr), she could remain submerged for 48 hours.

What ship sank the most ships in ww2?

With 33 ships sunk, the USS Tang sank the most tonnage of shipping in World War II for the United States. Its tonnage was revised from the Joint Army–Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC) report, which initially credited Tang with fewer sinkings.

Which aircraft sank the most ships in ww2?

The Swordfish sank more tonnage than any other Allied plane during the World War II.