Viktor Schütze

Viktor Schütze
Born (1906-02-16)16 February 1906
Flensburg
Died 23 September 1950(1950-09-23) (aged 44)
Frankfurt am Main
Allegiance  Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1925–45
Rank Kapitän zur See
Unit SSS Niobe
Hamburg
tender Nordsee
Meteor
Hessen
torpedo boat T-155, G-10
cruiser Admiral Scheer
destroyer Erich Steinbrinck
1st U-boat Flotilla
U-Bootschulflottille
2nd U-boat Flotilla
Commands held

U-19, 1936-01-16 – 1937-09-30
U-11, 1938-08-13 – 1939-09-04
U-25, 1939-09-05 – 1940-05-19
U-103, 1940-06-05 – 1941-08-12
2nd U-boat Flotilla

FdU Ausbildungsflottillen Gotenhafen
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

Viktor Hermann Otto Ludwig Paul Ferdinand Schütze (16 February 1906 – 23 September 1950), was a Kriegsmarine U-boat ace, sinking a total of 35 allied ships totalling 180,053 tons during the Second World War. He is in fifth place amon top-scoring U-boat aces. 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.

Biography

Schütze was born in Flensburg, and started his naval career in the Reichsmarine aboard German torpedo boats in April 1925, before transferring to the new U-boat division ten years later in October 1935. There he commanded U-19 for two years, before being relieved to take destroyer training - before returning to the U-boat arm in command of U-11. When war broke out he commanded U-25, with which he sailed on three patrols, mainly in the Bay of Biscay and off the Portuguese coast.

In July 1940 he assumed command over the Type IXB U-103, and commanded for four patrols in North Atlantic and African waters. In December he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his successes. In August 1941 he retired from front service, taking up positions as Flottillenchef of 2nd U-boat Flotilla. In March 1943 he became the FdU Ausbildungsflottillen (Commander of the training flottillas in the Baltic Sea) in Flensburg-Kappeln, in which position he served until the end of the war.

He died in Frankfurt am Main in 1950.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-25 and U-103 Schütze is credited with the sinking of 35 ships for a total of 180,073 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging two ships of 14,213 GRT.

Date U-boat Name of Ship Nationality Tonnage Fate[1][2]
31 October 1939 U-25 Baoulé  France 5,874 Sunk
17 January 1940 U-25 Enid  Norway 1,140 Sunk
17 January 1940 U-25 Polzella  United Kingdom 4,751 Sunk
18 January 1940 U-25 Pajala  Sweden 6,873 Sunk
22 January 1940 U-25 Songa  Norway 2,589 Sunk
3 February 1940 U-25 Armanistan  United Kingdom 6,805 Sunk
13 February 1940 U-25 Chastine Mærsk  Denmark 5,177 Sunk
6 October 1940 U-103 Nina Borthen  Norway 6,123 Sunk
9 October 1940 U-103 Delphin  Greece 3,816 Sunk
9 October 1940 U-103 Graigwen  United Kingdom 3,697 Damaged
9 October 1940 U-103 Zannes Gounaris  Greece 4,407 Sunk
13 October 1940 U-103 Nora  Estonia 1,186 Sunk
15 October 1940 U-103 Thislegarth  United Kingdom 4,747 Sunk
21 November 1940 U-103 Daydawn  United Kingdom 4,768 Sunk
21 November 1940 U-103 Victoria  Greece 6,085 Sunk
27 November 1940 U-103 Glenmoor  United Kingdom 4,393 Sunk
28 November 1940 U-103 Mount Athos  Greece 3,578 Sunk
28 November 1940 U-103 St. Elwyn  United Kingdom 4,940 Sunk
8 December 1940 U-103 Calabria  United Kingdom 5,186 Sunk
13 February 1941 U-103 Arthur F. Corwin  United Kingdom 10,516 Damaged
17 February 1941 U-103 Edwy R. Brown  United Kingdom 10,455 Sunk
18 February 1941 U-103 Seaforth  United Kingdom 5,459 Sunk
19 February 1941 U-103 Benjamin Franklin  Norway 7,034 Sunk
25 April 1941 U-103 Polyana  Norway 2,267 Sunk
1 May 1941 U-103 Samsø  United Kingdom 1,494 Sunk
3 May 1941 U-103 Wray Castle  United Kingdom 4,253 Sunk
6 May 1941 U-103 Dunkwa  United Kingdom 4,752 Sunk
6 May 1941 U-103 Surat  United Kingdom 5,529 Sunk
9 May 1941 U-103 City of Winchester  United Kingdom 7,120 Sunk
11 May 1941 U-103 City of Shanghai  United Kingdom 5,828 Sunk
22 May 1941 U-103 British Grenadier  United Kingdom 6,857 Sunk
25 May 1941 U-103 Radames  Egypt 3,575 Sunk
25 May 1941 U-103 Wangi Wangi  Netherlands 7,789 Sunk
8 June 1941 U-103 Elmdene  United Kingdom 4,853 Sunk
29 June 1941 U-103 Erani  Italy 6,619 Sunk

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
Wednesday, 4 December 1940 Die deutsche Unterseebootwaffe hatte weitere Erfolge im Handelskrieg gegen England zu verzeichnen. Ein Unterseeboot versenkte sechs bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit 31 500 BRT. Damit hat das unter Führung von Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze stehende Unterseeboot insgesamt 94 500 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffraum versenkt.[8] The German submarine force had further success in the commercial war against England. A submarine sank six armed enemy merchant ships of 31 500 GRT. So the submarine under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Viktor Schütze has sunk a total of 94 500 GRT of enemy merchant shipping.
Tuesday, 10 December 1940 Ein Unterseeboot meldet die Versenkung von zwei bewaffneten feindlichen Handelsschiffen mit zusammen 14 500 BRT. Damit erhöht sich der von Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze auf seiner letzten Feindfahrt erzielte Erfolg auf 45 000 BRT versenkten feindlichen Handelsschiffraumes.[9] A submarine reported the sinking of two armed enemy merchant ships totalling 14 500 GRT. Thus, the total success achieved by Lieutenant Commander Viktor Schütze on his last patrol has increased to 45 000 GRT of enemy merchant shipping sunk.
Tuesday, 27 May 1941 Bei der Vernichtung feindlicher Handelsschiffe westlich von Afrika zeichnete sich das von Korvettenkapitän Schütze geführte Unterseeboot durch die Versenkung von elf Schiffen mit zusammen 56 200 BRT besonders aus.[10] In the destruction of enemy merchant shipping west of Africa, a submarine lead by of Lieutenant Commander Schütze particularly distinguished itself with the sinking of eleven ships for a total of 56 200 GRT.
Sunday, 13 July 1941 Korvettenkapitän Schütze hat bisher insgesamt 37 Schiffe versenkt und damit als siebenter Unterseebootskommandant über 200 000 BRT vernichtet.[11] Lieutenant Commander Schütze has so far sunk a total of 37 ships and thus as the seventh submarine commander destroyed over 200 000 GRT.

Promotions

16 November 1925: Seekadett (Midshipman)[12]
1 April 1927: Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)[12]
1 June 1928: Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Ensign)[12]
1 October 1929: Leutnant zur See (Second Lieutenant)[12]
1 July 1931: Oberleutnant zur See (First Lieutenant)[12]
1 October 1935: Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant)[3]
1 February 1940: Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain), effective as of 1 February 1940 with a rank age date on 1 August 1939[3]
1 March 1943: Fregattenkapitän (Frigate Captain)[3]
1 March 1944: Kapitän zur See (Captain at Sea)[3]

References

Citations

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. 
  • Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2. 
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1. 
  • 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Korvettenkapitän Heinz Fischer		 Commander of 2nd U-boat Flotilla
August, 1941 – January, 1943 		Succeeded by
Fregattenkapitän Ernst Kals
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