Rolf Thomsen
| Rolf Thomsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 May 1915 |
| Died | 26 March 2003 (aged 87) |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany  West Germany |
| Service/branch |
.svg.png){kind=small} Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service |
1936–45 1955–72 |
| Rank |
Kapitänleutnant (Kriegsmarine) Flottillenadmiral (Bundesmarine) |
| Unit |
battleship Schlesien Kampfgeschwader 26 |
| Commands held | U-1202 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Rolf Thomsen (6 May 1915 – 26 March 2003) was a U-boat commander in the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II and later served with the Bundesmarine. As a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, he is known for his exaggerated claims while in command of the German submarine U-1202.
Thomsen served as a naval aviator from 1939 until early 1943. He transferred to the U-boat service on 1 January 1944 and on 27 January 1944 commissioned U-1202. During two patrols, Thomsen claimed to have sunk a destroyer, two corvettes, six freighters and an escort carrier, for which he received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Only one of these ship, Dan Beard, was lost by the Allies.[1]
Thomsen served in the Bundesmarine of West Germany since 1955, achieving the rank of Flotilla Admiral in 1966.[2]
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939( 2nd Class (25 November 1939) & 1st Class (17 May 1940)[3]
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black (August 1940)[3]
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance pilots in Silver (25 April 1941) & in Gold (26 March 1942)[3]
- German Cross in Gold on 14 October 1943 as Kapitänleutnant on U-1004 in the 11. Unterseeboots-Flottille[4]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (3 January 1945)[3]
- U-boat Front Clasp in Bronze (27 January 1945)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Commander's Cross, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
References
Citations
- ↑ Neitzel & Welzer 2012, p. 311.
- ↑ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 495.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Busch & Röll 2003, p. 494.
- ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 475.
- 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 743.
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.
- Neitzel, Sönke; Welzer, Harald (2012). Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing and Dying. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-84983-949-5.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- 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.