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Revision as of 17:27, 21 February 2016
Albrecht Archilles | |
---|---|
File:Albrect Achilles.jpg Korvettenkapitän Albrecht Achilles after a patrol | |
Born | 25 January 1914 |
Died | 27 September 1943 | (aged 29)
Place of birth | Karlsruhe |
Place of death |
northeast of Bahia, Brazil 12°30′S 35°35′W / 12.5°S 35.583°W |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1934–1943 |
Rank | Korvettenkapitän (posthumous) |
Unit |
SSS Gorch Fock Schleswig-Holstein Gneisenau U-66 |
Commands held | U-161 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards |
Iron Cross 1st Class U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Albrecht Achilles (25 January 1914 – 27 September 1943) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and commander of U-161. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Military career
Albrecht Achilles began his naval career with the Reichsmarine on 8 April 1934 as a member "Crew 1934" (the incoming class of 1934).[Note 1]. He transferred to the U-boat service in April 1940. For one year, he served as a commander trainee as first and second watch officer on board various U-boats, including three patrols on U-66 under the command of Robert-Richard Zapp, before taking over command of U-161 from Kapitänleutnant Hans Witt.
Albrecht Achilles and his entire crew were killed in action when U-161 was sunk northeast of Bahia on 27 September 1943 by depth charges from a U.S. Navy Martin PBM Mariner (VP-74/P-2).
On 16 November 1940 he married Chirstel Busz. The marriage produced two children, daughter Christiane born 1941 and a posthumous son Konrad born 1944.[1]
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As commander of U-161, Achilles is credited with the sinking of 12 merchant ships totalling 60,107 gross register tons (GRT), damaging another ship of 3,305 GRT that it had to be considered a total loss and damaging five further ships of 35,672 GRT. He also sank the United States Lighthouse Service ship Acacia of 1,130 metric tons (1,110 long tons; 1,250 short tons) and damaged the British light cruiser HMS Phoebe (43) 5,450 t (5,360 long tons; 6,010 short tons).
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|
19 February 1942 | British Consul | United Kingdom | 6,940 | Damaged |
19 February 1942 | Mokihana | USA | 7,460 | Damaged |
21 February 1942 | Circe Shell | United Kingdom | 8,207 | Sunk |
23 February 1942 | Lihue | USA | 7,001 | Sunk |
7 March 1942 | Uniwaleco | South Africa | 9,755 | Sunk |
10 March 1942 | Lady Nelson | Canada | 7,970 | Damaged |
10 March 1942 | Umtata | United Kingdom | 8,141 | Damaged |
14 March 1942 | Sarniadoc | Canada | 1,940 | Sunk |
15 March 1942 | USCGC Acacia | USA | 1,130 | Sunk |
16 June 1942 | Nueva Altagracia | Dominican Republic | 30 | Sunk |
22 June 1942 | E.J. Sadler | USA | 9,639 | Sunk |
3 July 1942 | San Pablo | Panama | 3,305 | Total loss |
16 July 1942 | Fairport | USA | 6,165 | Sunk |
23 October 1942 | HMS Phoebe | United Kingdom | 5,450 | Damaged |
8 November 1942 | Bonalder | United Kingdom | 5,161 | Damaged |
8 November 1942 | West Humhaw | USA | 5,527 | Sunk |
29 November 1942 | Tjilboet | Netherlands | 5,760 | Sunk |
12 December 1942 | Ripley | United Kingdom | 4,997 | Sunk |
19 May 1943 | Angelus | Canada | 255 | Sunk |
20 September 1943 | St. Usk | United Kingdom | 5,472 | Sunk |
26 September 1943 | Itapagé | Brazil | 4,998 | Sunk |
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (8 April 1938)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (7 August 1941)[4]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (16 January 1943) as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-161[5][6]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 12 March 1942
Wehrmachtbericht reference
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
---|---|---|
Thursday, 12 March 1942 | Bei den Unternehmungen in Amerikanischen Gewässern zeichneten sie die Unterseeboote unter Führung der Kapitänleutnante Achilles und Nico Clausen besonders aus.[7] |
Submarines under the commands of Kapitänleutnante Achilles and Nico Clausen distinguished themselves in operations in the American sea. |
Dates of rank
- Seekadett on 26 September 1934
- Obermatrose on 1 October 1934
- Oberstabsmatrose on 1 January 1935
- Fähnrich zur See on 1 July 1935
- Oberfähnrich zur See on 1 January 1937
- Leutnant zur See on 16 April 1937
- Oberleutnant zur See on 13 April 1939
- Kapitänleutnant on 14 August 1941
- Korvettenkapitän on 5 April 1945(posthumously)
Notes
- ↑ The German Reichsmarine which was renamed the Kriegsmarine on 1 June 1935.
References
- Citations
- ↑ "Albrecht Achilles" (in German). Kriegsmarine Crew 34. http://www.marineoffiziere-crew-34.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159&Itemid=27. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ↑ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u161/html
- ↑ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 300.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Busch & Röll 2003, p. 301.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 187.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 113.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 54.
- Bibliography
- Busch, Hans-Joachim; Röll (2003) (in German). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945]. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
- Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links
- "Albrecht Achilles". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/men/achilles.htm. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
The original article can be found at Albrecht Achilles (Korvettenkapitän) and the edit history here.