Helmut Witte
Helmut Witte
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File:Helmut Witte.jpg | |
Born | Bojendorf on Fehmarn |
6 April 1915
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Duisburg |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ |
Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1934–45 |
Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
Commands held | U-159 |
Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War World War II |
Awards | Spanish Cross Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Other work | Personnel manager |
Helmut Witte (6 April 1915 – 3 October 2005) was a Korvettenkapitän (corvette captain) with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. As commander of the Type IXC U-boat U-159, he sank twenty-three ships on four patrols, for a total of 119,554 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 20th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II.[1] 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.
Career
Witte joined the Reichsmarine in April 1934, serving on the light cruiser Köln, the destroyer Z22 "Anton Schmitt", and on several torpedo boats before transferring to the U-boat arm in July 1940.[1] Witte was 1.WO (second-in-command) on U-107 under Günther Hessler, and took part in the most successful patrol of the war in early 1941, during which 14 ships totalling 86,699 tons were sunk.[2]
Witte commissioned U-159 in October 1941,[1] and in late 1942 accomplished World War II's fourth most successful patrol, sinking 63,730 tons of shipping.[3] In his four patrols in U-159 Witte sank 23 ships in all totalling 119,554 GRT. From June 1943 he served in several staff positions.[1]
Post-war
At the end of the war Witte spent two months as a prisoner of the British. After spells as a farm hand and a factory worker, Witte had a successful business career, and in the 1960s became personnel manager of a large German industrial group. He died in 2005 aged 90.[1]
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (1 April 1938)[4]
- Spanish Cross in Bronze (6 June 1939)[4]
- Iron Cross
- Narvik Shield
- U-Boat War Badge (1939) (10 July 1941)[4]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 October 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-159[5]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 18 June 1942
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on Ribbon (10 December 1980)[4]
- War Merit Cross (1939), Second Class with Swords (30 January 1944)
References in the Wehrmachtbericht
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
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Thursday, 18 June 1942 | Die Unterseeboote unter Führung der Kapitänleutnante Mohr, Topp, Witte und von Rosenstiel und des Oberleutnants zur See Ites haben sich bei der Bekämpfung der feindlichen Versorgungsschiffahrt besonders ausgezeichnet.[6] | The submarines under the leadership of Captain Lieutenant Mohr, Topp, Witte and von Rosenstiel and Lieutenant at Sea Ites have in the fight against the enemy supply shipping particularly distinguished themselves. |
References
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Busch & Röll 2003, p. 267.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 792.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, p. 166.
- Bibliography
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- Pages with broken file links
- Articles containing German-language text
- 1915 births
- 2005 deaths
- People from Fehmarn
- People from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
- U-boat commanders
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- Recipients of the Spanish Cross
- Military personnel referenced in the Wehrmachtbericht
- Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Reichsmarine personnel
- Kriegsmarine personnel
- Recipients of the U-boat Front Clasp
- Recipients of the War Merit Cross, 2nd class