Engelbert Endrass | |
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Born | 2 March 1911 Bamberg |
Died | 21 December 1941 Northeast of Azores |
(aged 30)
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1935–1941 |
Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
Unit | 7th U-boat Flotilla |
Commands held | U-46, May 22, 1940–September 24, 1941 U-567, October 15, 1941 – December 21, 1941 |
Awards | Spanish Cross Iron Cross First Class U-boat War Badge with Diamonds Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves |
Lieutenant Engelbert Endrass (German: Engelbert Endraß) (2 March 1911 – 21 December 1941) was a German U-boat commander in World War II. He commanded the Type VIIB U-boat U-46 and the Type VIIC U-567, sinking twenty-two ships on ten patrols, for a total of 118,528 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 23rd highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. It was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Engelbert Endrass.[Note 1]
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Endrass began his naval career in April 1935. After some months on the cruiser Deutschland and some escort ships, he was assigned in October 1937 to the U-boat force. He joined U-47 in December 1938 as Leutnant zur See. He was first Watch Officer when Günther Prien made his famous Scapa Flow attack and sank HMS Royal Oak. The famous snorting bull emblem on U-47's conning tower was painted by Endrass before they returned.[1]
Endrass remained on U-47 until December 1939, when he left the U-boat and after some training courses took over command of U-46 in May 1940 from Herbert Sohler who failed to have proper success. Endrass had immediate success and sank five ships, including the British auxiliary cruiser HMS Carinthia.[1]
His success continued and on his second patrol with U-46, he sank five more ships, including another British auxiliary cruiser, HMS Dunvegan Castle although the main periscope was damaged. After returning from this patrol Endrass received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Five patrols later he received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.[1]
In September 1941 he left U-46 and a month later took over U-567. On his second patrol he was killed on December 21, 1941, when U-567 was sunk with all hands by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Deptford and corvette HMS Samphire, northeast of the Azores.[1]
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
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Monday, 9 June 1941 | Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe und Oberleutnant zur See Endraß haben als vierter und fünfter Unterseebootkommandant eine Versenkungsziffer von 200 000 BRT überschritten.[5] | Captain Lieutenant Heinrich Liebe and First Lieutenant at Sea Endraß have as fourth and fifth submarine captain exceeded the 200 000 tons sunk. |
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