Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen

Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen
Born 22 February 1913(1913-02-22)
Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
Died 17 August 2000(2000-08-17) (aged 87)
Vancouver, Canada
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1934–1945
Rank Kapitänleutnant
Unit U-23
Commands held U-331
Battles/wars

World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work Interior designer

Commander Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen[a] (22 February 1913 – 17 August 2000) was a German Kapitänleutnant with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Contents

Life

Tiesenhausen sailed with the U-23 and U-331. He achieved his greatest success as a U-boat commander by sinking the British battleship HMS Barham on 25 November 1941.

U-331 was sunk on 17 November 1942, north of Algiers, during "Operation Torch". She had been badly damaged after being attacked by a Lockheed Hudson bomber and signalled surrender, but was attacked and sunk by a Fairey Albacore torpedo-bomber from the British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable. Of her crew 32 were killed and 17 survived including Tiesenhausen. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war, first in England, and then for three years in Canada until 1947, when he returned to Germany. He worked as a joiner, but in late 1951 he returned to Canada. He lived in the Vancouver area for the rest of his life, working as an interior designer, and achieving some note as a nature photographer.[1]

Awards

Combat career

Date U-boat Name of Ship Nationality Tonnage Fate
10 October 1941 U-331 HMS TLC-18 (A 18) British 372 damaged
25 November 1941 U-331 HMS Barham British 31,100 sunk
9 November 1942 U-331 USS Leedstown American 9,135 sunk

Footnotes

References

Citations
  1. ^ "Freiherr Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen". www.uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/men/tiesenhausen.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
  2. ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 190.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Busch & Röll 2003, p. 191.
  4. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 745.
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 3-8132-0515-0.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-748-X.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Williamson, Gordon & Bujeiro, Ramiro (2005). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1941-45. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-642-9.

External links