Waldemar Kophamel

Waldemar Kophamel
Born	August 16, 1880 Graudenz
Died	November 4, 1934 (1934-11-05) (aged 54) Plön
Allegiance	German Empire
Service/branch	Kaiserliche Marine
Years of service	1898 – 1920
Rank	Fregattenkapitän
Commands held	U-35, Nov 3, 1914 – November 12, 1915 U-151, July 21, 1917 – December 26, 1918 U-140, Mar 28, 1918 – November 11, 1918
Battles/wars	U-boat Campaign (World War I)
Awards	Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern Order of the Red Eagle 4th class Pour le Mérite

Commander Waldemar Kophamel (August 16, 1880 – November 4, 1934) was a successful and highly decorated German U-boat commander in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I. Kophamel joined the Imperial German Navy on 12 April 1898 and started his military education on a ship named SMS Stosch.

In his time as commander of U-35 and U-140 he succeeded in sinking 55 ships for a total tonnage of 157,473 gross register tons (GRT), including a large American tanker O. B. Jennings 10,289 gross register tons (GRT), named after Oliver Burr Jennings. One warship 298 gross register tons (GRT), TSS Hibernia. Four ships damaged 8,701 gross register tons (GRT), and two warships damaged, 1,475 gross register tons (GRT) including HMS Parthian. One of his notable actions was sinking the Diamond Shoal Lightship No. 71 (LV-71). Before doing so he allowed the crew, as well as survivors they had rescued from another of his victims, SS Merak, to evacuate the ship.

He left the service on 31 August 1920.

Awards and decorations

• Order of the Red Eagle, 4th class (Prussia)
• Lifesaving Medal (Prussia)
• Iron Cross (1914), 1st and 2nd class
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
• Pour le Mérite
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
• Military Merit Cross, 1st class (Mecklenburg-Schwerin)

External links

Uboat.net