Viktor Schütze
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Viktor Schütze | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | 16 February 1906 |
Died | 23 September 1950 | (aged 44)
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Rank | Kapitän zur See |
Commands held | U-19 2nd U-boat Flotilla |
Battles/wars | Battle of the Atlantic |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Viktor Schütze (16 February 1906 – 23 September 1950), was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.
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 flotillas 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 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] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 October 1939 | U-25 | Baoulé | ![]() |
5,874 | Sunk |
17 January 1940 | U-25 | Enid | ![]() |
1,140 | Sunk |
17 January 1940 | U-25 | Polzella | ![]() |
4,751 | Sunk |
18 January 1940 | U-25 | Pajala | ![]() |
6,873 | Sunk |
22 January 1940 | U-25 | Songa | ![]() |
2,589 | Sunk |
3 February 1940 | U-25 | Armanistan | ![]() |
6,805 | Sunk |
13 February 1940 | U-25 | Chastine Mærsk | ![]() |
5,177 | Sunk |
6 October 1940 | U-103 | Nina Borthen | ![]() |
6,123 | Sunk |
9 October 1940 | U-103 | Delphin | ![]() |
3,816 | Sunk |
9 October 1940 | U-103 | Graigwen | ![]() |
3,697 | Damaged |
9 October 1940 | U-103 | Zannes Gounaris | ![]() |
4,407 | Sunk |
13 October 1940 | U-103 | Nora | ![]() |
1,186 | Sunk |
15 October 1940 | U-103 | Thislegarth | ![]() |
4,747 | Sunk |
21 November 1940 | U-103 | Daydawn | ![]() |
4,768 | Sunk |
21 November 1940 | U-103 | Victoria | ![]() |
6,085 | Sunk |
27 November 1940 | U-103 | Glenmoor | ![]() |
4,393 | Sunk |
28 November 1940 | U-103 | Mount Athos | ![]() |
3,578 | Sunk |
28 November 1940 | U-103 | St. Elwyn | ![]() |
4,940 | Sunk |
8 December 1940 | U-103 | Calabria | ![]() |
5,186 | Sunk |
13 February 1941 | U-103 | Arthur F. Corwin | ![]() |
10,516 | Damaged |
17 February 1941 | U-103 | Edwy R. Brown | ![]() |
10,455 | Sunk |
18 February 1941 | U-103 | Seaforth | ![]() |
5,459 | Sunk |
19 February 1941 | U-103 | Benjamin Franklin | ![]() |
7,034 | Sunk |
25 April 1941 | U-103 | Polyana | ![]() |
2,267 | Sunk |
1 May 1941 | U-103 | Samsø | ![]() |
1,494 | Sunk |
3 May 1941 | U-103 | Wray Castle | ![]() |
4,253 | Sunk |
6 May 1941 | U-103 | Dunkwa | ![]() |
4,752 | Sunk |
6 May 1941 | U-103 | Surat | ![]() |
5,529 | Sunk |
9 May 1941 | U-103 | City of Winchester | ![]() |
7,120 | Sunk |
11 May 1941 | U-103 | City of Shanghai | ![]() |
5,828 | Sunk |
22 May 1941 | U-103 | British Grenadier | ![]() |
6,857 | Sunk |
25 May 1941 | U-103 | Radames | ![]() |
3,575 | Sunk |
25 May 1941 | U-103 | Wangi Wangi | ![]() |
7,789 | Sunk |
8 June 1941 | U-103 | Elmdene | ![]() |
4,853 | Sunk |
29 June 1941 | U-103 | Erani | ![]() |
6,619 | Sunk |
Awards
- Spanisches Marineverdienstkreuz in Weiß (21 August 1939)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (13 November 1939) & 1st Class (21 February 1940)[3]
- 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[4][5]
- 23rd Oak Leaves on 14 July 1941 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-103[4][6]
- War Merit Cross 2nd Class (30 January 1944) & 1st Class (1 September 1944)[3]
Promotions
16 November 1925: | Seekadett (Midshipman)[7] |
1 April 1927: | Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)[7] |
1 June 1928: | Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Ensign)[7] |
1 October 1929: | Leutnant zur See (Second Lieutenant)[7] |
1 July 1931: | Oberleutnant zur See (First Lieutenant)[7] |
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
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-25". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-103". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Busch & Röll 2003, p. 99.
- ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 688.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 391.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 55.
- ^ a b c d e Busch & Röll 2003, p. 98.
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}}
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suggested) (help) - 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.
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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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
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External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Viktor Schütze". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 3 April 2007.