Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock
Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Recke |
Born | Bremen | 11 December 1911
Died | 18 April 1986 Bremen | (aged 74)
Allegiance | Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
Service/ | Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1931–45 |
Rank | Fregattenkapitän |
Unit | |
Commands held | U-8 U-5 U-96 9th U-boat Flotilla U-256 11th U-boat Flotilla |
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
After the war, Lehmann-Willenbrock became a merchant ship captain, serving as the first captain of Germany's nuclear freighter Otto Hahn.
Early life and career
Lehmann-Willenbrock was born on 11 December 1911 in Bremen, in what was then the German Empire. He joined the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic in April 1931, as an Officer Candidate, and received his basic training with the Naval Infantry. He was promoted to Sea Cadet in October 1931 and attended Navy Officer Training from March 1932 to January 1933. He was then advanced to the rank of Midshipman and spent the next two years performing at-sea training. In August 1933, he was also appointed as navigation officer of the naval tender "Weser". He was advanced to Senior Midshipman in January 1935.[1]
In April 1935, Lehmann-Willenbrock was commissioned as a Leutnant zur See (Lieutenant) and assigned as signals officer onboard the cruiser Karlsruhe. The following year, in September 1936, he was assigned for five months to the Naval Barracks at Glücksburg before receiving orders to report as Watch officer onboard the sailing vessel Horst Wessel. Lehmann-Willenbrock reported to the ship in February 1937, having received a promotion to Senior Lieutenant one month earlier. He served on the ship for twenty six months before applying to join the German Navy's submarine branch[2]
U-boat service
Lehmann-Willenbrock transferred to the U-boat arm of the German Navy in April 1939. Upon serving as an
Upon the return of U-5, Lehmann-Willenbrock was transferred to the newly commissioned
Lehmann-Willenbrock left U-96 in March 1942 to be promoted to
During his patrols with U-96, Lehmann-Willenbrock was awarded with the
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (2 October 1936)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 April 1940) & 1st Class (31 December 1940)[3]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (2 January 1941)[3]
- Italian Croce di Guerra with Swords (1 November 1941)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 26 February 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-96[4]
- Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-96[4]
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black (8 May 1942)[5]
- War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1944)[3]
- U-boat Front Clasp in Bronze (19 October 1944)[5]
- Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
References
- ^ "U-boat Registry of Officers", German Federal Archives, Entry: Lehmann-Willenbrock Heinrich Fkapt.01.12.44, 11.12.1911-18.04.1986 - U-5, U-96.
- ^ Alman, Karl, Der Landser. Nr. 123 = Ritterkreuzträger. Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock. Pabel Verlag (1963), pg 23-27
- ^ a b c d e Busch & Röll 2003, p. 110.
- ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 499.
- ^ a b Busch & Röll 2003, p. 111.
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.
- 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.