Engelbert Endrass

Lieutenant Engelbert Endrass (Engelbert Endraß) (2 March 1911 – 21 December 1941) was a German U-boat commander in World War II. He commanded the Type VIIB U-boat GS U-46 (1938) and the Type VIIC GS U-567, sinking twenty-two ships on ten patrols, for a total of 118,528 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 23rd highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II. 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 Engelbert Endrass.

Career
Endrass began his naval career in April 1935. After some months on the cruiser GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIP Deutschland and service on escort ships, he was assigned in October 1937 to the U-boat force. He joined GS U-47 (1938) in December 1938 as Leutnant zur See. He was first Watch Officer when Günther Prien made his famous Scapa Flow attack and sank HMS Royal Oak (08). The famous snorting bull emblem on U-47's conning tower was painted by Endrass before they returned.

Endrass remained on U-47 until December 1939, when he left the U-boat and after some training courses took over command of GS U-46 (1938) in May 1940 from the relatively unsuccessful Herbert Sohler, who had only sunk two ships in five patrols. Endrass had immediate success and sank five ships, including the British auxiliary cruiser HMS Carinthia.

Endrass' success continued on his second patrol with U-46, sinking five more ships, including another British auxiliary cruiser, HMS Dunvegan Castle although the main periscope was damaged. After returning from this patrol, Endrass received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Five patrols later he received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

In September 1941 Endrass left U-46, which would become a training vessel, and a month later took over GS U-567. On his second patrol he was killed on December 21, 1941, when U-567 was sunk with all hands by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Deptford (U53) and corvette HMS Samphire (K128), northeast of the Azores.

Awards

 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (5 April 1939)
 * Spanish Cross (6 June 1939)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (25 September 1939)
 * 1st Class (17 October 1939)
 * U-boat War Badge (1939) (19 December 1939)
 * with Diamonds (18 July 1941)
 * Italian Croce di Guerra with Swords (1 November 1941)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 5 September 1940 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-46
 * 14th Oak Leaves on 10 June 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-46
 * U-boat War Badge (1939)
 * U-boat War Badge (19 December 1939)
 * U-boat War Badge with Diamonds (18 July 1941)
 * Mentioned seven times in the Wehrmachtbericht