Walther Schwieger
| Walther Schwieger | |
|---|---|
 Walther Schwieger (1917) | |
| Born |
7 April 1885 Berlin, German Empire |
| Died |
5 September 1917 (aged 32) North Sea |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire |
| Service/branch |
 Kaiserliche Marine |
| Years of service | 1903–17 |
| Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
| Commands held |
U-14, 1 August 1914 – 15 December 1914 U-20, 16 December 1914 – 5 November 1916 U-88, 23 July 1916 – 5 September 1917 |
| Battles/wars | U-boat Campaign (World War I) |
| Awards |
Iron Cross 1st class Pour le Mérite |
Walther Schwieger (7 April 1885 – 5 September 1917) was a U-boat commander in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) during First World War. In 1915, he sank the passenger liner, RMS Lusitania; its sinking with the loss of 124 American lives became one of the reasons why the United States ended its neutrality and joined the Western Allies. Schwieger is the sixth most successful submarine commander in the war.
Military career
In 1903 he joined the Imperial German Navy and from 1911 onwards he served with the U-boat Service. In 1912 he took over the command of the U-14. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and given command of the U-20.
On 7 May 1915, Schwieger was responsible for U-20's torpedoing of the passenger liner RMS Lusitania leading to the deaths of 1,198 people, an event that played a role in the United States' later entry into World War I. He also torpedoed SS Hesperian on 4 September and SS Cymric on 8 May 1916. On 31 May 1917, his U-boat U-88 sank the Miyazaki Maru during that ship's voyage from Yokohama to London, causing the loss of eight lives.
Schwieger was killed in action on 5 September 1917. His U-boat U-88 hit a British mine while being chased by HMS Stonecrop. It sank north of Terschelling at 53°57′N 4°55′E / 53.950°N 4.917°ECoordinates: 53°57′N 4°55′E / 53.950°N 4.917°E with a loss of all hands.
At the time of his death, Schwieger had sunk 49 ships with 183,883 gross register tons (GRT) with three submarines on 34 missions. He was the sixth most successful submarine commander of World War I.
