Günther Krech
Encyclopedia
Günther Krech was a German
U-boat
commander in World War II
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. As commander of he sank twenty ships, totalling 101,696 tons, and damaged two ships (15,070 tons). He is thirty-third in the list of U-Boat aces of World War II.
before transferring to the U-boat arm in November 1939. He received his first combat experience in under Joachim Schepke
. He left the boat in November 1940, and in February 1941 commissioned . In ten combat patrols, mostly in the Atlantic and in Caribbean waters, he sank 19 merchant ships for a total of 100,771 tons, including the naval trawler
. He also damaged two merchant ships for a total of 15,070 GRT, and sank the corvette
.
U-558 was sunk by depth charge
s from a Halifax
from No. 58 Squadron RAF
, and a B-24 Liberator
from 19th Antisubmarine Squadron
USAAF on 20 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay
, north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain. Only Krech, the Leitender Ingenieur ("Leading Engineer"), and three men of the gun crew survived. Krech remained in Allied captivity until after the war. He died in 2000.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
commander in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. As commander of he sank twenty ships, totalling 101,696 tons, and damaged two ships (15,070 tons). He is thirty-third in the list of U-Boat aces of World War II.
Career
Krech joined the German Navy in April 1933, initially training as an observer and pilot in the MarinefliegerMarineflieger
The Marineflieger is the naval air arm of the German Navy.-History:During the First World War, naval aviators were part of the Kaiserliche Marine...
before transferring to the U-boat arm in November 1939. He received his first combat experience in under Joachim Schepke
Joachim Schepke
Lieutenant-Commander Joachim Schepke was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the seventh recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme...
. He left the boat in November 1940, and in February 1941 commissioned . In ten combat patrols, mostly in the Atlantic and in Caribbean waters, he sank 19 merchant ships for a total of 100,771 tons, including the naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
. He also damaged two merchant ships for a total of 15,070 GRT, and sank the corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
.
U-558 was sunk by depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s from a Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
from No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.- History :No. 58 Squadron was first formed at Cramlington, Northumberland, on 8 June 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps....
, and a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
from 19th Antisubmarine Squadron
19th Antisubmarine Squadron
The 19th Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 479th Antisubmarine Group, based at RAF Podington, England...
USAAF on 20 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain. Only Krech, the Leitender Ingenieur ("Leading Engineer"), and three men of the gun crew survived. Krech remained in Allied captivity until after the war. He died in 2000.
Awards
- Luftwaffe Observation Badge (2 November 1936)
- Memel MedalMemel MedalThe Return of Memel Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period, and the last of the series of Occupation Medals.-Description:...
(9 May 1940) - Sudetenland MedalSudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
(3 September 1940) - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (12 October 1940 – 23 October 1940)
- 1st Class (26 September 1940)
- U-boat War BadgeU-boat War BadgeThe U-Boat War Badge was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II.-History:The U-boat War Badge was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols...
(1939) (26 September 1940) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 17 September 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-558 - Mentioned in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 26 February 1942