Herbert Schultze

Captain Herbert Schultze (24 July 1909 – 3 June 1987), was a German U-boat commander of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded GS U-48 (1939) for eight patrols during the early part of the war, sinking  and earning him eighth place on the Aces of the Deep list. Due to several incidents of openly broadcasting his sinkings to alert the Allies of the plight of the crews, he became quite a celebrity even on the allied side. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. It was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Herbert Schultze.

Biography
Schultze was born in Kiel and joined the Reichsmarine in April 1930. On 9 October 1930 he became a Seekadett. Serving aboard the cruisers GERMAN CRUISER Leipzig and GERMAN CRUISER Karlsruhe with other future U-boat aces, including Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock.

In May 1937, with a rank of Oberleutnant zur See, Schultze transferred to the U-boat force, taking command of the Type IIA U-boat GS U-2 (1935) on 31 January 1938. The U-2 was assigned to the U-Bootschulflottille (U-boat school flotilla), and Schultze spent the next year and a half training with the sub.

On 22 April 1939 Schultze commissioned GS U-48 (1939), a Type VIIB U-boat. U-48 was later to become the most successful submarine of the war. U-48 was assigned to 7th U-boat Flotilla, and spent the next four months in training. On 1 June 1939 Schultze was promoted to Kapitänleutnant.

World War II
Soon after the war started on 1 September 1939 Schultze took U-48 out on its first patrol. On 11 September 1939 he sank the British freighter Firby. After the sinking he sent the plain language radio message "cq - cq- cq - transmit to Mr. Churchill. I have sunk the British steamer "Firby". Posit 59.40 North and 13.50 West. Save the crew, if you please. German submarine." This message, addressed to the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill directly, made Schultze famous, both in Germany and Great Britain. He sank two more ships for  during the first patrol.

After returning to base Schultze gave an interview to William L. Shirer, an American reporter, on 29 September 1939. During the interview it was established that Schultze had sunk another British ship, the Royal Sceptre and similarly as the Firby had arranged for the crew to be rescued by another allied ship. The interview was recorded and broadcast both in the United States and Great Britain.

Now something of a media celebrity, Schultze left for four more successful patrols. On 1 March 1940 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his successes. On 20 May 1940 Schultze handed command of the U-48 over to Hans Rudolf Rösing due to illness stemming from a stomach and kidney disorder. Schultze spent five months in hospital recuperating. From October 1940 Schultze took up duties as Second in Command of the 7th U-boat Flotilla, now based in St Nazaire, France.

On 17 December 1940 Schultze resumed command of the U-48, relieving Heinrich Bleichrodt. He led U-48 on three more patrols, and continued sinking enemy shipping at a great rate. Thus Schultze was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 12 June 1941.

On 27 July 1941 Schultze left the U-48 to take command of 3rd U-boat Flotilla operating from La Rochelle. He served in this capacity until March 1942, when he was assigned to the staff of Marinegruppe Nord as Admiral Staff Officer for U-boats. In December 1942 he was assigned to Admiral Karl Dönitz staff. On 1 April 1943 he was promoted to Korvettenkapitän. In March 1944 he was assigned as commander of Department II, Marineschule Mürwik, where he served to the end of the war.

After the war
from the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia

In August 1945 he was employed by the Allies as commander of the Naval Academy Mürwik and the Heinz Krey-bearing. In November 1945, now a civilian, he took the job of manager of the naval facilities in Flensburg-Mürwik until October 1946. In 1956 Schultze joined the Bundesmarine of West Germany and served in a string of staff positions. He became commander of the 3rd Ship home department, served as Staff Officer Personnel (A1) on the command staff of the naval base, was commander of convoy ships, teaching group leader at the Naval Academy Mürwik and head of the volunteer adoption headquarters of the Navy until his retirement on 30 September 1968 with the rank of captain.

Schultze died on 3 June 1987 in London and was buried in Wilhelmshaven; amongst others, former U-boat ace and Bundesmarine admiral Otto Kretschmer spoke at his funeral:

"Deeply respected by friend and foe, revered by his crew, Herbert Schultze was an exemplary naval officer in the best tradition."

Summary of military career
From the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia

Reichsmarine


 * Entry into the Navy. Crew 30 (1 April 1930)
 * Infantry training in II.Abteilung ship master division of the Baltic, Stralsund. (1 April-30 June 1930)
 * Training on board the sail training ship Niobe. (1 July-9 October 1930)
 * Training on board the light cruiser Emden. (10 October 1930-4 January 1932)
 * Infantry course for cadets in the II.Abteilung ship master division of the Baltic, Stralsund. (5 January-31 March 1932)
 * Main course for midshipmen at the Naval Academy Flensburg-Mürwik. (1 April 1932-28 March 1933)
 * Blocking and artillery training course for cadets at the barrier and naval artillery school Kiel-Wik. (29 March-28 June 1933)
 * Torpedo and intelligence course for midshipmen at the Naval Academy Flensburg-Mürwik. (29 June-18 August 1933)
 * Fla-course for cadets at the Coast Artillery School Schilling and Wilhelmshaven. (18–31 August 1933)
 * Torpedo and intelligence course for midshipmen at the Naval Academy Flensburg-Mürwik. (1 September-1 October 1933)
 * Board training and Division Lieutenant on the light cruiser Leipzig. (2 October 1933-7 October 1934)
 * Technical training as radio officer at the intelligence school Flensburg-Mürwik. (8 October-22 December 1934)

Kriegsmarine


 * Second radio technical officer on the light cruiser Leipzig. (23 December 1934-22 September 1935)
 * Second Radio Technical Officer and Division Lieutenant on the light cruiser Karlsruhe. (23 September 1935-5 July 1936)
 * Group officer in the Navy school Flensburg-Mürwik. (6 July 1936-30 March 1937)
 * Training officer for reserve officer candidates in the Marine NCO teaching department of Wesermünde. (31 March-18 May 1937)
 * Commander of students at the submarine school at Neustadt, also Commander of in representation of U5 (type II B) (August 1937) in the U-Bootsschulflottille (19 May-4 October 1937)
 * Torpedo-B and U-torpedo torpedo officer course at the school and intelligence Flensburg-Mürwik. (5 October 1937-29 January 1938)
 * Commander of U-2 (type II B) in the U-Schulflottille. (30 January 1938-16 March 1939)
 * Building instruction U-48 at the Germaniawerft shipyard Kiel. (17 March-21 April 1939)
 * Commander of U-48 (Type VII B) in the Flotilla and WEGENER 7.U Flotilla in Kiel. Following the outbreak of war, in five undersea patrols he sank 16 ships totaling 109,074 tons;22 people died. (22 April 1939-20 May 1940)
 * Hospitalised for severe illness (21 May–October 1940)
 * Chief representative in the 7.U-Boat Flotilla in Kiel. (October-15 December 1940)
 * Commander of U-48 in the 7.U Flotilla in Kiel and St. Nazaire. In three undersea patrols, he sank 10 ships totaling 60,635 GRT;over 143 people (143 proven) died. (16 December 1940-27 July 1941)
 * Chief of the 3rd Flotilla in La Pallice (in February 1942 he had a residence in Bad Nauheim Kurlazarett) (28 July 1941-16 March 1942)
 * Staff officer to the Admiral U-boats in the Marine Group North. (17 March-3 December 1942)

Promotions
from the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia

Reichsmarine


 * Offiziersanwärter (officer cadet) – 1 April 1930
 * Seekadett (naval cadet) – 9 October 1930
 * Fähnrich zur see (midshipman) – 1 January 1932
 * Oberfähnrich zur see (senior midshipman) – 1 April 1934
 * Leutnant zur see (acting sub-lieutenant) – 1 October 1934

Kriegsmarine


 * Oberleutnant zur see (sub-lieutenant) – 1 June 1936
 * Kapitänleutnant (captain lieutenant/lieutenant) – 1 June 1939
 * Korvettenkapitän (corvette captain/lieutenant commander) – 1 April 1943

Bundesmarine
 * Fregattenkapitän (frigate captain/commander) - 2 July 1956
 * Kapitän zur See (captain at sea/captain) - 1 July 1966

Awards

 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (2 October 1936)
 * Olympic Games Decoration (20 April 1937)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (25 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (27 October 1939)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 1 March 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-48
 * 15th Oak Leaves on 12 June 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-48
 * Croce di Guerra with Swords (14 October 1941)
 * U-boat War Badge (1939) (25 October 1939)
 * with Diamonds (15 July 1941)
 * Mentioned three times in the Wehrmachtbericht (26 February 1940, 2 April 1941 and 12 June 1941)

Achievements

 * 26 ships sunk for
 * 1 ship damaged for