Dr. jur. Kurt Dobratz | |
---|---|
File:File:Kurt Dobratz.jpg | |
Born | April 9, 1904 |
Died | 21 December 1996 (aged 92) |
Place of birth | Stettin |
Place of death | Bremen |
Allegiance |
Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
Service/branch |
Reichsmarine 1923–1935 Luftwaffe 1935–1943 Kriegsmarine 1943–1945 |
Years of service | 1923–1945 |
Rank | Kapitän zur See |
Unit |
Braunschweig SSS Niobe Berlin Hamburg Leipzig Schleswig-Holstein Hannover |
Commands held | U-1232 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Dr. jur. Kurt Dobratz[Note 1] (9 April 1904 – 21 December 1996) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and 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.
From 1 July 1939 until 15 May 1940 Major Dobratz was Gruppenkommandeur of the II.(Kampf)/Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1—2nd Bomber Group of the 1st Demonstration Wing) and at the same time commander of the Fliegerhorst (airfield) Schwerin.[1][unreliable source?] Serving on the staff of the Befehlshaber der U-Boote he succeeded Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg as the last Kommandierender Admiral der U-Boote (Commanding Admiral of the U-boats) during the final days of World War II.
Summary of career[]
Ships attacked[]
As a U-boat commander of U-1232 Kurt Dobratz is credited with the sinking of three ships for a total of 17,355 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging a ship of 2,373 GRT and damaging one ship of 7,176 GRT so severely that it had to be considered a total loss.
Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 January 1945 | Nipiwan Park | Canada | 2,373 | Damaged |
4 January 1945 | Polarland | Norway | 1,591 | Sunk |
14 January 1945 | Athelviking | United Kingdom | 8,779 | Sunk |
14 January 1945 | British Freedom | United Kingdom | 6,985 | Sunk |
14 January 1945 | Martin Van Buren | United States | 7,176 | Total loss |
Awards[]
- Combined Pilots-Observation Badge (1 October 1935)[3]
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award (2 October 1936)[3]
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Bombers in Bronze (15 June 1941)[3]
- Spanish Cruz blanca II. Clase al mérito militar (18 February 1942)[3]
- Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 3rd Class (27 February 1942)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (18 August 1941)
- 1st Class (18 August 1941)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 January 1945 as Kapitän zur See and commander of U-1232[4]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (15 February 1945)
- U-boat Front Clasp (1945)[3]
Notes[]
- ↑ In German a Doctor of Law is abbreviated as Dr. iur. (Doctor iuris) or Dr. jur. (Doctor juris).
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer & Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939-1945 - Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 3-8132-0515-0.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Schumann, Ralf (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 des LG 1 (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-86619-013-9.
External links[]
- "Kurt Dobratz". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/dobratz.htm. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- "Dr. jur. Kurt Dobratz" (in German). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45. http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Kriegsmarine/D/Dobratz-Kurt.htm. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- "Kurt Dobratz" (in German). Lexikon der Wehrmacht. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/D/DobratzK.htm. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
The original article can be found at Kurt Dobratz and the edit history here.