| Siegfried Lüdden | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 May 1916 |
| Died | 13 January 1945 (aged 28) |
| Place of birth | Neubrandenburg |
| Place of death | Kiel |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1936–1945 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän (posthumous) |
| Unit | U-141 |
| Commands held | U-188 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Siegfried Lüdden (20 May 1916 – 13 January 1945) 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. Lüdden is credited with the sinking of 8 ships of 49,725 gross register tons (GRT) and one warship, the HMS Beverley, and damaging a further ship of 9,977 GRT. Among others, he and Korvettenkapitän Wilhelm Franken were killed on 13 January 1945 when a fire broke out on the accommodation ship Daressalem in Kiel harbor.
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As a U-boat commander of U-188 Siegfried Lüdden is credited with the sinking of eight 49,725 gross register tons (GRT) and one warship, the HMS Beverley, and damaging a further ship of 9,977 GRT.
| Date | Name of ship | Flag | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 April 1943 | HMS Beverley |  United Kingdom
|
1,190 | sunk at 52°19′N 40°28′W / 52.317°N 40.467°W |
| 21 September 1943 | Cornelia P. Spencer | United States | 7,176 | sunk at 02°08′N 50°10′E / 2.133°N 50.167°E |
| 5 October 1943 | Britannia |  United Kingdom
|
9,977 | damaged at 24°21′N 58°02′E / 24.35°N 58.033°E |
| 20 January 1944 | Fort Buckingham | United Kingdom
|
7,122 | sunk at 08°19′N 66°40′E / 8.317°N 66.667°E |
| 25 January 1944 | Fort la Maune | United Kingdom
|
7,130 | sunk at 13°04′N 56°30′E / 13.067°N 56.5°E |
| 26 January 1944 | Samouri | United Kingdom
|
7,219 | sunk at 13°13′N 55°56′E / 13.217°N 55.933°E |
| 26 January 1944 | Surada | United Kingdom
|
5,427 | sunk at 13°00′N 55°15′E / 13°N 55.25°E |
| 29 January 1944 | Olga E. Embiricos |  Greece
|
4,677 | sunk at 12°30′N 50°10′E / 12.5°N 50.167°E |
| 3 February 1944 | Chung Cheng |  Chile
|
7,176 | sunk at 13°00′N 54°20′E / 13°N 54.333°E |
| 9 February 1944 | Viva |  Norway
|
3,798 | sunk at 12°30′N 57°50′E / 12.5°N 57.833°E |
Awards
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (29 December 1941) [2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 February 1944 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-188[3]
- U-boat Front Clasp (27 September 1944)[2]
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). 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links
The original article can be found at Siegfried Lüdden and the edit history here.