Heinrich Timm
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Timm 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.
's submarine
with depth charges in the Heligoland Bight
, then forcing her to the surface and then being scuttled.
Timm won the Iron Cross
during the Norwegian invasion
in May 1940, and then he transferred into the U-boat
fleet. After U-Boat commander's training at Pillau, in September 1941 Timm took commande of the new Type VIIC
U-boat . After training missions in the Baltic Sea
, the U-251 was assigned to the 11th U-boat Flotilla, which was based at Bergen, Norway, in April 1942. Timm next commanded nine war patrols into the Arctic Sea, on the prowl against the arctic convoys of World War II
to the northern seaports of the Soviet Union
. There, the U-251 sank two merchant ships: The first one, on 3 May 1942, was the 6,135 ton British merchant ship SS Jutland of Convoy PQ-15, while the second, in July 1942, was the American cargo ship from the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17. Timm also took part in "Operation Wunderland
" in the Kara Sea
, surfacing close to Uyedineniya Island
and destroying a Soviet weather station with cannonfire from his deck gun.
When the U-251 was decommissioned to be overhauled in June 1943, Timm and his crew were sent to take over the new Type IXD2
U-boat , and after training missions in the Baltic Sea, they sailed her to the Indian Ocean
during mid-1944 to join the Monsun Gruppe
of U-boats prowing in the Indian Ocean and farther east, from Japanese-held naval bases.
The U-862 sank five merchantmen and also shot down a British
Catalina
flying boat
of No. 265 Squadron RAF
while en route. On 5 July, Timm received notification of his promotion to Korvettenkapitän.
Then, while patrolling off eastern Australia
in late 1944 and early 1945, Timm sank two American Liberty ship
merchantmen. In January 1945, the U-862 entered and departed from the Port of Napier
, New Zealand, undetected. This later gave rise to the widely circulated post-war "tall tale" that Timm lead members of his crew ashore near Napier in order to milk some cows to supplement their meagre rations.
After the surrender
of Nazi Germany
on May 7, 1945, all of the German U-boat crews in the Far East were interned
by the Japanese Empire at Singapore
, and their U-boats were confiscated by the Imperial Japanese Navy
. The U-862 was commissioned into the Japanese Navy as the I-502.
Korvettenkapitän Timm and his crewmen were still being held in Singapore when units of the Royal Navy
arrived there on September 12, 1945. The German seamen were taken into custody by the British, and they were taken to Great Britain
during July 1946, and then still held prisoner, even though Nazi Germany had surrendered over a year earlier.
Korvettenkapitän Timm was finally released from British captivity in April 1948.
. Timm finally retired from the Bundesmarine in 1966 with the rank of Fregattenkapitän.
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...
.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Naval career
Timm joined the Kriegsmarine in October 1933. He first served as a junior officer aboard the minesweepers M-132 and M-110, before taking command of M-7 in July 1939. His first success came on 9 January 1940 when he attacked the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
with depth charges in the Heligoland Bight
Heligoland Bight
The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river...
, then forcing her to the surface and then being scuttled.
Timm won the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The 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....
during the Norwegian invasion
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
in May 1940, and then he transferred into the 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...
fleet. After U-Boat commander's training at Pillau, in September 1941 Timm took commande of the new Type VIIC
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
U-boat . After training missions in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, the U-251 was assigned to the 11th U-boat Flotilla, which was based at Bergen, Norway, in April 1942. Timm next commanded nine war patrols into the Arctic Sea, on the prowl against the arctic convoys of World War II
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
to the northern seaports of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. There, the U-251 sank two merchant ships: The first one, on 3 May 1942, was the 6,135 ton British merchant ship SS Jutland of Convoy PQ-15, while the second, in July 1942, was the American cargo ship from the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17. Timm also took part in "Operation Wunderland
Operation Wunderland
Operation Wunderland was a large-scale operation undertaken in summer 1942 by the Kriegsmarine during World War II in the waters of the Northern Sea Route close to the Arctic Ocean...
" in the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
, surfacing close to Uyedineniya Island
Uyedineniya Island
Uyedineniya Island is an island located in the central part of the Kara Sea, roughly midway between Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya. Its latitude is 77° 29' N and its longitude 82° 30' E...
and destroying a Soviet weather station with cannonfire from his deck gun.
When the U-251 was decommissioned to be overhauled in June 1943, Timm and his crew were sent to take over the new Type IXD2
German Type IX submarine
The Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the eastern United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for...
U-boat , and after training missions in the Baltic Sea, they sailed her to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
during mid-1944 to join the Monsun Gruppe
Monsun Gruppe
The Monsun Gruppe or Monsoon Group was a force of German U-boats that operated in the Pacific and Indian Oceans during World War II...
of U-boats prowing in the Indian Ocean and farther east, from Japanese-held naval bases.
The U-862 sank five merchantmen and also shot down a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
of No. 265 Squadron RAF
No. 265 Squadron RAF
No. 265 Squadron RAF was an anti-submarine squadron of the Royal Air Force during two world wars.-Formation and World War I:Though the squadron was officially formed somewhere in August 1918 at Gibraltar from three former RNAS flights to perform anti-submarine patrols, there is no evidence that the...
while en route. On 5 July, Timm received notification of his promotion to Korvettenkapitän.
Then, while patrolling off eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in late 1944 and early 1945, Timm sank two American Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
merchantmen. In January 1945, the U-862 entered and departed from the Port of Napier
Port of Napier
The Port of Napier is located on Hawke Bay in Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.The port is connected to the rail network via the Ahuriri Branch....
, New Zealand, undetected. This later gave rise to the widely circulated post-war "tall tale" that Timm lead members of his crew ashore near Napier in order to milk some cows to supplement their meagre rations.
After the surrender
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
on May 7, 1945, all of the German U-boat crews in the Far East were interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
by the Japanese Empire at Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and their U-boats were confiscated by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. The U-862 was commissioned into the Japanese Navy as the I-502.
Korvettenkapitän Timm and his crewmen were still being held in Singapore when units of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
arrived there on September 12, 1945. The German seamen were taken into custody by the British, and they were taken to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
during July 1946, and then still held prisoner, even though Nazi Germany had surrendered over a year earlier.
Korvettenkapitän Timm was finally released from British captivity in April 1948.
Timm's Postwar Activities
Timm joined the new West German Bundesmarine (navy) when it was established in 1956. Timm served in several positions, including that of the first commander of the West German frigate ScharnhorstHMS Mermaid (U30)
HMS Mermaid was a Modified Black Swan class sloop of the Royal Navy.Mermaid, built by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, Scotland, was laid down on 8 September 1942, launched on 11 November 1943, and completed 12 May 1944....
. Timm finally retired from the Bundesmarine in 1966 with the rank of Fregattenkapitän.
| Date | Ship | Tons | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| In U-251 | |||
| 3 May 1942 | Jutland | 6,153 |  United Kingdom |
| 10 July 1942 | 5,255 |  United States |
|
| In U-862 | |||
| 25 July 1944 | Robin Goodfellow | 6,885 | United States |
| 13 August 1944 | Radbury | 3,614 | United Kingdom |
| 16 August 1944 | Empire Lancer | 7,037 | United Kingdom |
| 18 August 1944 | Nairung | 5,414 | United Kingdom |
| 19 August 1944 | Wayfarer | 5,068 | United Kingdom |
| 24 December 1944 | Robert J. Walker | 7,180 | United States |
| 6 February 1945 | Peter Silvester | 7,176 | United States |
Awards
- Dienstauszeichnung IV. Klasse (4 October 1937)
- 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:...
(26 October 1939) - Sudetenland MedalSudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
(1 October 1938) - 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 (10 January 1940)
- 1st Class (16 May 1940)
- German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold on 12 February 1942 as Kapitänleutnant on U-251 in the 6th U-boat Flotilla - U-boat Front ClaspU-boat Front ClaspThe U-boat Front Clasp or U-boat Combat Clasp, as it is better known, was a German badge that was awarded to holders of the U-boat War Badge to recognize continued combat service and valor during World War II.-History:...
(29 September 1944) - 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 1944 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-862
External links
See also
- Axis naval activity in Australian watersAxis naval activity in Australian watersAlthough Australia was remote from the main battlefronts, there was considerable Axis naval activity in Australian waters during the Second World War. A total of 54 German and Japanese warships and submarines entered Australian waters between 1940 and 1945 and attacked ships, ports and other targets...