Führer der Unterseeboote

The post of Führer der Unterseeboote (FdU) ("Type Commander, Submarines") was the senior commanding officer of the submarine service in the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the Kriegsmarine of World War II, and the title of several senior commands during the war. From January 1936 and until 17 October 1939, Karl Dönitz served in this position. Thereupon Dönitz was named Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (BdU) ("Commander of the U-boats"), and two subordinate FdU posts were established, FdU West ("FdU West") and FdU Ost ("FdU East").

In the further course of the war, several further posts were created:


 * F.d.U. Ausb. - Führer der U-Ausbildungsflottillen: Head of the training flotillas: Viktor Schütze, 7 February 1942 – May 1945
 * F.d.U. Italien - Führer der U-Boote Italien: Head of the U-boats for Italy: Hans-Rudolf Rösing, from July 1942
 * F.d.U. Mitte - Führer der U-Boote Mitte: Head of the U-boats for the central sector
 * F.d.U. Mittelmeer - Führer der U-Boote Mittelmeer: Head of the U-boats for the Mediterranean: Werner Hartmann, January – August 1944
 * F.d.U. Nordmeer - Führer der U-Boote Nordmeer: Head of the U-boats for the North Sea: Reinhard Suhren: January 1943 – May 1944
 * F.d.U. Norwegen - Führer der U-Boote Norwegen: Head of the U-boats for Norway
 * F.d.U. Ost - Führer der U-Boote Ostsee: Head of the U-boats for the Baltic Sea
 * F.d.U. West - Führer der U-Boote im Westraum: Head of the U-boats for the West (France)