Wilhelm Dommes
Wilhelm Dommes | |
---|---|
Born | Berent District, West Prussia | 16 April 1907
Died | 23 January 1990 Hannover | (aged 82)
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service | Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1933–45 |
Rank | Fregattenkapitän |
Commands | U-431 U-178 Southeast Asia U-boat region |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Wilhelm Dommes (16 April 1907 in Berent District, West Prussia – 23 January 1990 in Hannover) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He is notable as being the commander of U-boats in the Indian Ocean,[1] whereby German and Japanese forces fought together in the only time in the war. He was the first commander of the U-boat base, in the former British seaplane base in Penang,[2] where he served as head of the Southeast Asia U-boat region.
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As commander of U-431 and U-178 Wilhelm Dommes is credited with the sinking of eight ships for a total of 40,103 gross register tons (GRT), sinking one auxiliary warship of 313 GRT, two warships of 3,548 long tons (3,605 tonnes), and damaging one ship of 3,560 GRT and one warship of 450 long tons (460 t).
Date | U-boat | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 October 1941 | U-431 | Hatasu | United Kingdom | 3,198 | Sunk |
13 December 1941 | U-431 | Myriel | United Kingdom | 3,560 | Damaged |
29 January 1942 | U-431 | HMS Sotra | Royal Navy | 313 | Sunk |
20 May 1942 | U-431 | Eocene | United Kingdom | 4,216 | Sunk |
15 June 1942 | U-431 | HMS LCT-119 | Royal Navy | 450 | Damaged |
10 November 1942 | U-431 | HMS Martin | Royal Navy | 1,920 | Sunk |
13 November 1942 | U-431 | HNLMS Isaac Sweers | Royal Netherlands Navy | 1,628 | Sunk |
1 June 1943 | U-178 | Salabangka | Netherlands | 6,586 | Sunk |
4 July 1943 | U-178 | Breiviken | Norway | 2,669 | Sunk |
4 July 1943 | U-178 | Michael Livanos | Greece | 4,774 | Sunk |
11 July 1943 | U-178 | Mary Livanos | Greece | 4,771 | Sunk |
14 July 1943 | U-178 | Robert Bacon | United States | 7,197 | Sunk |
17 July 1943 | U-178 | City of Canton | United Kingdom | 6,692 | Sunk |
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 3rd Class (23 January 1937)[4]
- The Return of Sudetenland Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938 (6 September 1940)[4]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (10 February 1942)[4]
- Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (27 July 1942)[4]
- Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare (29 May 1943)[5]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 December 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-431[6][7]
- War Merit Cross with Swords
- U-boat Front Clasp (5 March 1945)[5]
References
Citations
- ^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The U-Boat War in the Indian Ocean". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
- ^ Hildebrand H. & Henriot E., Deutschlands Admirale 1849-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück (1989)
- ^ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u178/html%7Caccess date 24 January 2013
- ^ a b c d e f Busch & Röll 2003, p. 283.
- ^ a b c d Busch & Röll 2003, p. 284.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 164.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 278.
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 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wilhelm Dommes". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- 1907 births
- 1990 deaths
- U-boat commanders (Kriegsmarine)
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor
- Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor
- People from West Prussia
- People from Kościerzyna County
- Reichsmarine personnel
- Military history of Malaya during World War II