Otto Schuhart
Encyclopedia
Otto Schuhart was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. He was also a 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. Schuhart commanded the , sinking twelve ships on nine patrols, for a total of of Allied merchant shipping. Schuhart is credited for the sinking of the aircraft carrier
on 17 September 1939, the first British warship to be lost in the war.
on 1 April 1929 as a member "Crew 1929" (the incoming class of 1929).. After training on the sailing ship he entered the Naval Academy at Mürwik. He served on the light cruiser , which served as a school ship and in the light cruiser . In 1932 Schuhart was assigned to the old pre-dreadnought
. After service as a company commander in the II. Marine-Artillerieabteilung, Schuhart joined Unterseebootsflottille Weddingen as officer of the watch on board of , based in Wilhelmshaven
. In 1938 he became commander of in the U-Bootschule. In December 1938 he was given command of U-25.
In 1939 Schuhart was transferred to U-29. Oberleutnant zur See Georg Lassen
was U-29s I. Wachoffizier (first watch officer) on all seven patrols under the command of Schuhart. Right after the outbreak World War II
, on 17 September 1939, Schuhart encountered the British carrier HMS Courageous. After stalking her for two hours, Schuhart saw his opportunity when Courageous turned into the wind to launch her aircraft. This manoeuvre put the ship right across the bow of the U-29, which then fired three torpedoes. Two of the torpedoes struck the ship on her port side, and she capsized and sank in 15 minutes with the loss of 518 of her crew, including her captain. During the war Schuhart sank twelve ships on nine patrols, for a total of 67,277 tons of Allied merchant shipping. After transferring back to land, Schuhart became commander of 1. U-Lehr Division ("1st U-boat Training Division") and later of 21st U-boat Flotilla in Pillau. From 1944-1945 he was commander of I./Marineschule Flensburg-Mürwik. After the German capitulation he commanded a marine battalion until August 1945. Until December 1945 he served in the German mine clearing service
.
In 1955 Schuhart entered the Bundeswehr
where he served in various land based capacities. Upon his retirement on 30 September 1967, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz I class.
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during 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...
. He was also a 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. Schuhart commanded the , sinking twelve ships on nine patrols, for a total of of Allied merchant shipping. Schuhart is credited for the sinking of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
on 17 September 1939, the first British warship to be lost in the war.
Career
Schuhart began his naval career with the ReichsmarineReichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
on 1 April 1929 as a member "Crew 1929" (the incoming class of 1929).. After training on the sailing ship he entered the Naval Academy at Mürwik. He served on the light cruiser , which served as a school ship and in the light cruiser . In 1932 Schuhart was assigned to the old pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
. After service as a company commander in the II. Marine-Artillerieabteilung, Schuhart joined Unterseebootsflottille Weddingen as officer of the watch on board of , based in Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
. In 1938 he became commander of in the U-Bootschule. In December 1938 he was given command of U-25.
In 1939 Schuhart was transferred to U-29. Oberleutnant zur See Georg Lassen
Georg Lassen
Lieutenant Commander Georg Lassen is a former German U-boat captain who served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was a Watchkeeping Officer on at the outbreak of the war and later the skipper of the and winner of the Iron Cross. He sank 26 ships for a total of during 4 patrols,...
was U-29s I. Wachoffizier (first watch officer) on all seven patrols under the command of Schuhart. Right after the outbreak 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...
, on 17 September 1939, Schuhart encountered the British carrier HMS Courageous. After stalking her for two hours, Schuhart saw his opportunity when Courageous turned into the wind to launch her aircraft. This manoeuvre put the ship right across the bow of the U-29, which then fired three torpedoes. Two of the torpedoes struck the ship on her port side, and she capsized and sank in 15 minutes with the loss of 518 of her crew, including her captain. During the war Schuhart sank twelve ships on nine patrols, for a total of 67,277 tons of Allied merchant shipping. After transferring back to land, Schuhart became commander of 1. U-Lehr Division ("1st U-boat Training Division") and later of 21st U-boat Flotilla in Pillau. From 1944-1945 he was commander of I./Marineschule Flensburg-Mürwik. After the German capitulation he commanded a marine battalion until August 1945. Until December 1945 he served in the German mine clearing service
German Mine Sweeping Administration
The German Mine Sweeping Administration was formed from former crews and vessels of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine for the purpose of mine sweeping after the Second World War, predominantly in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and existed from June 1945 to January 1948.-History:The GMSA was formed on 21...
.
In 1955 Schuhart entered the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
where he served in various land based capacities. Upon his retirement on 30 September 1967, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz I class.
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service AwardWehrmacht Long Service AwardThe Wehrmacht Long Service Award was a military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a given years of military service...
4th Class (2 October 1936) - 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 (26 September 1939)
- 1st Class (26 September 1939)
- War Merit CrossWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
- 2nd Class (30 January 1944)
- 1st Class (1 September 1944)
- 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) (16 December 1939) - 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 16 May 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-29 - Cross of MeritBundesverdienstkreuzThe Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
1st class (30 September 1967) - Mentioned three times 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....
(19 September 1939, 14 March 1940 and 3 July 1940)