Hans Rose
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Commander
Hans Rose was one of the most successful and highly decorated German U-boat
commander
in the Kaiserliche Marine
during .
Rose was one of the most respected and brave U-boat commanders and famous for his humanity and fairness in battle. Sometimes when he torpedoed a ship he would wait until all the lifeboat
s were filled, he would then throw a tow line, give the victims food, keeping all the survivors together until a rescuing destroyer
appeared on the horizon when he would let go and submerge. There exist many reports of him caring for survivors even when putting his own boat at risk.
Rose sank 79 ships for a total of 213,987 tons during the entire war.
, much to the amazement of the American authorities. He proceeded to dock and then invite the American Naval Officers and their wives aboard to view his gleaming vessel. After delivering a message to the German
Ambassador
he proceeded offshore to the Lightship Nantucket
. He sent five or six ships to the bottom having questioned their captains on their cargo and ordered the abandonment of their ships.
On March 11, 1917 Rose, still in command of U-53, torpedoed and sunk the 6705 tons Cunard Liner .
On December 6, 1917 Rose torpedoed and sunk which was the first American destroyer to be lost during the First World War. The torpedo hit Jacob Jones at 3000 yards (2,743.2 m), the longest successful torpedo shot on record. On December 20, 1917 Rose was awarded the Pour le Mérite
for his achievements in the tonnage war. He owned also the Ritterkreuz des Hohenzollerschen Hausordens mit Schwertern.
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Hans Rose was one of the most successful and highly decorated German 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
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
during .
Rose was one of the most respected and brave U-boat commanders and famous for his humanity and fairness in battle. Sometimes when he torpedoed a ship he would wait until all the lifeboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
s were filled, he would then throw a tow line, give the victims food, keeping all the survivors together until a rescuing destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
appeared on the horizon when he would let go and submerge. There exist many reports of him caring for survivors even when putting his own boat at risk.
Rose sank 79 ships for a total of 213,987 tons during the entire war.
World War I
In September 1916 Rose brought U-53 to Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, much to the amazement of the American authorities. He proceeded to dock and then invite the American Naval Officers and their wives aboard to view his gleaming vessel. After delivering a message to the German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
he proceeded offshore to the Lightship Nantucket
Lightship Nantucket
The Lightship Nantucket station was the name given to the lightvessel which marked the hazardous Nantucket Shoals in Massachusetts. Several ships have been commissioned and served at the Nantucket Shoals lightship station and have been called Nantucket...
. He sent five or six ships to the bottom having questioned their captains on their cargo and ordered the abandonment of their ships.
On March 11, 1917 Rose, still in command of U-53, torpedoed and sunk the 6705 tons Cunard Liner .
On December 6, 1917 Rose torpedoed and sunk which was the first American destroyer to be lost during the First World War. The torpedo hit Jacob Jones at 3000 yards (2,743.2 m), the longest successful torpedo shot on record. On December 20, 1917 Rose was awarded the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
for his achievements in the tonnage war. He owned also the Ritterkreuz des Hohenzollerschen Hausordens mit Schwertern.
World War II
Hans Rose was in command of 1. Unterseeboots-Ausbildungsabteilung (Uboat training unit) from February 1940 to May 1940.External links
- uboat.net webpage - Description of uboat commands and sinkings by Hans Rose
- theirishriviera.com webpage - Info about RMS Folia
- National Maritime Museum webpage - Portrait of Commander Rose on the deck of U-53 in the collection of the National Maritime MuseumNational Maritime MuseumThe National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...