february march commanded boat nazi_germany kriegsmarine world war received knight decoration awarded recognise extreme battlefield bravery outstanding military leadership corvette captain credited sinking ships total gross register tons grt damaging ships destroyer born joined navy period training surface vessels service torpedo boats spanish civil war year world war transferred boat service september torpedoed sank attempted rescue survivors forced rescue boat came attack bomber event known incident resulted order order der entire german boat force forbade rescuing survivors sunken ships entire crew killed action depth charges aircraft march early life pre war service born state february second child export merchant née older sister younger sister charlotte celebrated confirmation graduated oriented secondary school diploma graduation applied naval officer rejected instead studied april aged applied accepted began naval career april member crew incoming class underwent basic military training 2nd department standing ship division baltic_sea april june transferred training ship july october attaining rank october following month stay board cruiser october january advanced rank officer cadet january time command boat commander world war underwent number officer training courses including navigational training cruises survey vessel transferring light cruiser october september stay occasionally interrupted attend training courses wilhelmshaven assignment january leadership adolf_hitler came power germany began navy renamed kriegsmarine served watch officer torpedo boat september november promoted captain lieutenant june participated patrols board spanish waters spanish civil war services awarded bronze june world war outbreak world war continued serve torpedo boats position completed patrols north_sea norwegian waters english channel half years war took command torpedo boat november october transferred switched command torpedo boat jaguar took command march command jaguar given transferred boat force september given command type boat service torpedo boats awarded gold february personally pinned award leather jacket march assigned 4th boat flotilla stettin training boat transferred 2nd boat france december patrol patrol december january uneventful transfer patrol taking passing joined convoy received aerial protection fighter aircraft split reached passing south bypassing slowly approached weather released january january received radio message evening january ordering proceed high speed arrived january second patrol second patrol january march commanded group new land attack february attacking oil command command departed protection early morning january orders conduct simultaneous surprise attack shipping traffic included submarines command command february observing area days came target flat british owned surfaced nmi offshore attacked british anchor fired torpedo bow tubes torpedo attack successful hit amidships loaded crude oil steamer immediately burst flames killing crewmen wounding captain began lift anchor steam away late hit second torpedo fired burst flames sunk hour later water crewmen killed attacked owned tanker arkansas torpedoes struck arkansas partially sank damage moderate caused casualties commander steamed directed men deck guns prepare naval bombardment large oil tank crew naval gun forgot remove barrel ordered fire gun blew gunnery officer von borne wounded badly foot having severed trigger man badly wounded died hours attack ordered gun continue attack causing superficial damage patrol patrol april july sank ships damaged including uss achievement earned reference june armed forces report information bulletin issued headquarters singled individually way honour equivalent mentioned despatches united_kingdom military entered orders decorations section soldier departed protection april destined caribbean_sea prior departure von borne severely wounded second patrol replaced reserve chief engineer reported diesel command assist exchanged cubic metres fuel oil necessary spare parts fuel repaired sighted steamer early afternoon ships warship attacked patrol sunk positioned near ordered observe traffic martinique roughly nautical miles offshore detected ship attacked submerged position firing torpedoes torpedo struck bow second run time observed bow completely blown away engines kept running waters martinique extremely shallow decided pursue destroyer june promoted corvette captain watch officer paul left returning patrol replaced new watch officer later commander entire crew received hero welcome people july people lined streets crew marched railway station official welcome reception fourth patrol incident fourth patrol august november sank organised rescue survivors resulting incident order command departed august heading received order operate convoy august day pursuit found west attacked submerged position avoid detection bright hit torpedoes sank killing members crew gunners sailors survived sinking later sightings september lead favourable attack positions september patrolling coast west_africa midway roughly nautical miles south aft port sighted smoke stack degrees followed target knots mph general direction large ocean liner evident running knots mph favourable attack position ordered attack slowed speed ordered surfaced shots torpedo tubes iii minutes seconds torpedo detonated second hoped capture ship senior officers surprise saw thousand people struggling water immediately began rescue operations sank september der commander boats requesting guidance confirmation proceed responded ordering wolf pack consisting command command command assist immediately ordered following message sent ship assist ship wrecked crew attack providing attacked ship air forces picked men south west german submarine message repeated twice international later changed order slightly italian submarine dispatched parallel assisting supplying survivors numerous kept arriving picked arrived september followed afternoon september heading rendezvous french ships red_cross banners boats attacked bomber lieutenant september attack ordered captain killed number people damaged forced abandon rescue operations majority survivors later rescued british merchant ships french warships cruiser sloop africa event later known incident led admiral issue order boat commanders stated attempt kind rescuing members ships sunk end war unsuccessfully admiral war crime trial prosecution failed fleet admiral testified war japan united_states_navy followed general policy set forth german admiral directive received radio message september indicating 63rd member boat service kriegsmarine awarded germany highest military honour knight issued bottle beer member crew held speech achievements board telling wear decoration september roughly nautical miles south crew repairing minor damage spotted ship target british ship route cape_town attacked submerged position hit torpedo fired tube surfaced approached asked survivors ship sink easily fired rounds gun seven shots gun ordered cease fire direct hit ship stern ammunition magazine explosion slowly sank according member crew sure survivors water provisions captain exact coordinates account attack impression humanitarian actions documented book enemy killed friend jones stating concerned survivors provisions offer additional food water express wish tow distance african coast explained able recently attacked attempting aid survivors fifth patrol death fifth patrol january march march entire crew killed action depth charges aircraft east barbados dropped water bombs altitude feet feet bombs observed hit water feet feet starboard aft lifting breaking followed explosion survivors seen swimming water americans dropped rubber rations men seen reach uss dispatched trinidad rescue survivors search abandoned march chief 2nd boat sent letter parents april indicating son posted missing action march officials announced destruction boat months death service remembrance held january service attended parents sisters members family mayor senior officials local press reported parents accepted loving son return home resting peace lord portrayed german actor mini series sinking summary career ships attacked boat commander credited sinking ships including motor boat board total gross register tons grt damaging ships grt damaging warship metric tons long tons short tons awards bronze june return commemorative medal october 2nd class november 1st class april return commemorative medal october november destroyer war badge december gold february torpedo boat boat war badge march knight september commander june promotions translation notes
Werner Hartenstein