Otto Kretschmer

He enrolled at Exeter University (then University College of the South West of England) and studied under Professor Jacob Wilhelm Schopp (b. 1871), a German–born naturalised Briton.

He mastered the English language and came to respect British education: its practical focus complemented his scientific and theoretical–based German background.

His time in England shaped his view of them during the war; he was quick to believe in rumours of new British inventions during the war at sea.

He returned home upon his mother's death from tetanus in a medical malpractice incident.

He did not return to England from his hiatus, but travelled through France, Switzerland and Italy.

Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 – 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War.

Kretschmer was born in Heidau near Neisse, then in the German Empire on 1 May 1912 to Friedrich Wilhelm Otto and Alice (née Herbig) Kretschmer.

His father was a teacher at the local Volkschule (primary school), which Otto attended from 1918 to 1921.

He then moved to a Realgymnasium (secondary school).

In the aftermath of World War I the Kretschmer family remained aloof from the political Turbulence of the Weimar era.

Kretschmer indulged in sporting pastimes and scientific interests.

Kretschmer achieved good results in mathematics and chemistry and passed his Abitur (school-leaving certificate) at 17.

The report contained the remark, "Kretschmer demonstrated his extraordinary courage in many instances. He wants to be a naval officer."

Kretschmer was too young to enlist at 17 and his father sent him to England to broaden his horizons.

The renaming of the navy was a symbolic gesture, to erase the unpleasant memories of the 1920s and symbolise a new era.

According to one historian, Kretschmer was a patriot and loyal to the government, but later "eschewed Nazi efforts to glorify his success through propaganda."

During Kretschmer's stay on Köln, he attended an aircraft catapult course at Travemünde.

Kretschmer entered the Reichsmarine (Weimar Navy) on 1 April 1930 as See Offizier Anwärter (naval officer cadet).

Kretschmer formed part of "Crew 30" (the incoming class of 1930), 78–strong intake of officer candidates.

He underwent basic military training in the 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund (1 April 1930 – 30 June 1930).

Kretschmer was transferred to the training ship Niobe (1 July 1930 – 9 October 1930), attaining the rank of Seekadett (cadet) on 9 October 1930 before embarking on a 14-month stay on board the cruiser Emden (10 October 1930 – 4 January 1932), which took him to the Far East through the Mediterranean and Suez canal.

The Emden made stops in Ceylon, the Philippines, China and Japan; then Guam, South Africa, Angola and Spain on the return journey.

A month after the Emden's return to Wilhelmshaven on 2 December 1931, Kretschmer and his crew mates were promoted to the rank of Fähnrich zur See (midshipman) on 1 January 1932.

Following his journey on Emden, Kretschmer attended a naval infantry course for cadets at Stralsund (5 January–31 March 1932), before starting with the main cadet course at the Naval Academy Mürwik on 1 April 1932, including his first U-boat course at Mürwik (25 September – 1 October 1933).

On 2 October 1933, Kretschmer was transferred to the pocket battleship as a gunnery officer during a trip to Denmark.

In 1933 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power.

This stay was interrupted for an aerial defense training course at Warnemünde (5–10 March 1934).

On 19 March 1934, his stay on Deutschland ended and he was transferred to the light cruiser GERMAN CRUISER Köln (20 March – 26 September 1934).

Kretschmer was present for gunnery exercises in the North and Baltic Sea.

At Eckernförde on the 25/26 July 1934 Hitler boarded the ship to observe the exercise.

During this assignment, Kretschmer was promoted to Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Midshipman) on 1 April 1934.

During another torpedo training course at Flensburg-Mürwik (27 September – 21 December 1934), Kretschmer received his commission as Leutnant zur See (Junior Sub-Lieutenant/Ensign) on 1 October 1934.

On 22 December 1934, Kretschmer was again on Köln serving as the ship's second torpedo officer.

The establishment of the Wehrmacht (Nazi German Armed Forces) in 1935 divided the major branches of the armed forces.

The Reichsmarine was renamed the Kriegsmarine, a Nazi creation.

The OKM was established as the supreme command of the navy responsible for all facets of naval warfare.

From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons.

For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards.

He earned the nickname "Silent Otto", both for his successful use of the "silent running" capability of U-boats and for his reluctance to transmit radio messages during patrols.

After the war he served in the German Federal Navy, from which he retired in 1970 with the flag rank of commodore.