Robert Bartels

Robert Bartels (28 April 1911 – 20 August 1943) was a German U-boat commander in World War II.

Naval career
Robert Bartels joined the Reichsmarine (German Navy) in 1934. From 1937 to June 1940 he served as a Watch Officer on the U-21. He went through U-boat familiarization in July 1940 in preparation for his own command. On 24 July 1940 Bartels commissioned the new Type IID U-139. He left the boat on 20 Dec 1940. From there he went to the 1st U-boat Flotilla and another U-boat familiarization, this time in order to prepare for his command of the larger Type VIIC boat, the U-561 on 13 March 1941. With the U-561 Bartels went out on his first war patrol on 25 May 1941, a 69-day long patrol where he sank one small ship. When he left the boat on 5 September 1942 after 8 patrols he had sunk or destroyed 5 ships for over 21,000 tons and damaged another - the last 3 ships fell to mines laid by U-561. Bartels went through his third U-boat familiarization from September to October 1942 in order to prepare for the much, much larger Type IXD2 boats. These boats were very long range and later convert for transport use. Bartels commissioned the new U-197 on 10 October 1942.

Death
The day before its loss U-197 had met with Wolfgang Lüth's U-181 where Bartels told Lüth he intended to stay in this area and hunt the traffic Lüth had told him about. Their radio chatter had allowed the Allies to pinpoint the location finding Bartel's boat the next day. On 20 August 1943 U-197 was attacked south of Madagascar, in position -28.66667°N, 42.6°W, by a British PBY Catalina aircraft of No. 259 Squadron RAF with six depth charges and slightly damaged. As the aircraft had no more bombs, it attempted to strafe with her machine guns, but the U-boat responded with ferocious AA fire. The aircraft then circled the U-boat at a safe distance and radioed for assistance. The U-boat remained on the surface, perhaps assuming that any support was unlikely, and that the aircraft would eventually have to abandon her vigil. Unfortunately another Catalina, FP 313 of 265 Squadron and piloted by captain Ernest Robin, (receiving the D.F.C. [Distinguished Flying Cross] for the sinking of the vessel), arrived. U-197 promptly crash-dived, and the aircraft dropped three depth charges, two of which detonated to port of the U-boat, but the third hit her squarely, killing all 67 hands.

Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat, commander of GS U-196, was severely criticised by the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) [U-boat headquarters] for his lack of support for U-197. Bartels of U-197 had radioed a distress signal. The correct response by any boat in the vicinity, according to orders, would have been to assist at top speed. The BdU twice ordered U-196 to aid U-197 before Kentrat responded, and by that time U-197 and the entire crew were lost.

Awards

 * Iron Cross 2nd Class - 2 October 1939
 * U-boat War Badge 1939 - 27 November 1939
 * Iron Cross 1st Class - 1941
 * German Cross in Gold - 28 August 1942
 * Bronze Medal of Military Valor - 17 September 1942