Herbert Schneider (officer)

Herbert Schneider
Born	(1915-06-25)25 June 1915 Nürnberg
Died	23 February 1943(1943-02-23) (aged 27) Middle Atlantic
Buried	31°27′N 26°22′W
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1934–43
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Unit	AS/88 SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Emden U-123
Commands held	U-522
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Herbert Schneider (25 June 1915 in Nürnberg – 23 February 1943 in the Middle Atlantic) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and 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. He is credited with the sinking of seven ships for a total of 45,826 gross register tons (GRT) and further damaging two ships of 12,479 GRT.

Career

Herbert Schneider began his naval career with the Reichsmarine on 8 April 1934 as a member "Crew 1934" (the incoming class of 1934).. After officer's training, he transferred to the Luftwaffe and received air reconnaissance training in October 1936. In early 1939 (22 February 1939 – 30 April 1939), during the Spanish Civil War, he spent a few months in Spain making eight sorties with the Aufklärungsgruppe See 88 (AS/88—88th sea reconnaissance group) of the "Legion Condor". In October 1940 he returned to the Kriegsmarine. Over the next several months he received U-boat training and became the I. Wachoffizier (1st watch officer) on the U-123. After two patrols, he left to complete commander training, and it was then that he received the commission for the U-522. During his first patrol in the North Atlantic he sank four ships, totalling 20,077 tons and damaged another vessel. During his second patrol, he sunk three ships sunk and damaged another.

Fate

U-522 was sunk by depth charges from the British cutter HMS Totland on 23 February 1943, which resulted in the loss of all hands.

Awards

• Observer Badge (1 October 1937)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (8 April 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (11 June 1940)
  • 1st Class (4 December 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 January 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-522
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 21 November 1942

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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "Herbert Schneider". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 April 2015.