Georg Lassen

Lieutenant Commander Georg Lassen (May 12, 1915 – January 18, 2012) was a German U-boat captain who served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was a Watchkeeping Officer on GS U-29 (1936) at the outbreak of the war and later the skipper of the GS U-160 (1941) and winner of the Iron Cross. He sank 26 ships for a total of during 4 patrols, leading to a remarkable average of  per patrol. His total tonnage made him the 10th most successful U-boat ace of the war.

Biography
Lassen was born in Steglitz, a Berlin suburb. He joined the Kriegsmarine as Seekadett on 25 September 1935. When World War II started, Lassen was an Oberleutnant zur See and serving as I. Wach-Offizier (1st Watch Officer) on GS U-29 (1936) under Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart. While serving with U-29 Schuhart sank 13 ships, including the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous (50). On 3 January 1941 Lassen assumed command over the U-29, which served as a training boat in 24th U-boat Flotilla by this time. He ended his command on 14 September.

On 16 October 1941 Lassen commissioned the Type IXC U-Uboat GS U-160 (1941). Lassen spent about four months training the crew and testing the boat with 4th U-boat Flotilla, before U-160 became operational and was transferred to 10th U-boat Flotilla on 1 March 1942.

U-160 left on her first patrol in early March 1942. During this patrol Lassen sank or damaged six ships for a total of. On 10 August 1942 he received the Ritterkreuz. On 1 September he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant. On his fourth and final patrol to South African waters in March 1943 he sank or damaged six ships in less than 5 hours for a total of during the night between 3 March and 4 March. On 8 March 1943 he sank the SS James B. Stephens and on 9 March he received a radio message awarding him with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves). On 14 June 1943 Lassen was transferred away from U-160 to take up duties as a tactics instructor and commander of the "Offiziers-kompanie" in 1. U-Boot-Lehrdivision, a training unit for future U-boat commanders. On 1 April 1945 he was promoted to Korvettenkapitän.

Achievements

 * 26 ships sunk for a total of
 * 5 ships damaged for a total of
 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (5 April 1939)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (26 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (18 July 1940)
 * Memel Medal (26 October 1939)
 * U-boat War Badge (1939) (18 July 1940)
 * U-boat Front Clasp (22 October 1944)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 10 August 1942 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-160
 * 208th Oak Leaves on 7 March 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-160
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 14 April 1942