Erich Würdemann


Erich Würdemann was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

In April 1933, Würdemann joined the Reichsmarine, which became the Kriegsmarine two years later. During the first year of the war he served on the destroyer Paul Jacobi, before transferring to the U-boat force in November 1940. After the usual training he served for one patrol aboard under Wolfgang Lüth, before commissioning the Type IXC U-boat in September 1941. He sailed on 5 war patrols, sank 15 merchant ships for a total of and damaged 3 ships of a combined.
Würdemann's most successful patrol took him into the Gulf of Mexico in May 1942, where he sank nine ships and damaged three. His next patrol took him to the waters off West Africa, where he sank another five ships and was involved in the Laconia incident. After U-156 sank the passenger liner, which was carrying 450 British and Polish soldiers and about 1,800 Italian prisoners of war, the U-boat commenced rescue operations, and was joined by others in the area, including U-506; but the U-boats were later attacked by an American aircraft, which resulted in Admiral Dönitz issuing an order to the Navy not to pick up survivors.
Würdemann sailed to the waters off South Africa in early 1943 and sank two more ships. Finally, on 14 July 1943, six days into his fifth patrol, Würdemann was killed, along with all but six of his crew, when U-506 was sunk in the Atlantic west of Vigo, Spain by depth charges dropped from a Consolidated B-24 Liberator of the United States Army Air Forces' 1st Antisubmarine Squadron.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of Erich Würdemann is credited with the sinking of 13 ships for a total of, further damaging three ships of and damaging one ship of so severely that it was a total loss.
DateNameNationalityTonnage
Fate
3 May 1942Sama567Sunk
10 May 1942Aurora7,050Damaged
13 May 1942David McKelvy6,821Total loss
16 May 1942Sun9,002Damaged
16 May 1942William C. McTarnahan7,366Damaged
17 May 1942Gulfoil5,189Sunk
19 May 1942Heredia4,732Sunk
20 May 1942Halo6,986Sunk
20 May 1942Yorkmoor4,457Sunk
31 May 1942Fred W. Green2,292Sunk
21 August 1942City of Wellington5,733Sunk
23 August 1942Hamla4,416Sunk
5 September 1942Myrmidon6,278Sunk
13 September 1942Lima3,764Sunk
23 September 1942Siam II6,637Sunk
7 March 1943Sabor5,212Sunk
9 March 1943Tabor4,758Sunk

Awards