Hello Ryan, Kretschhmer sank the most, then I think it was Erich Topp and them Wolfgang Luth with U 181. [ 25 February 2002: Message edited by: C.Evans ]</p>
maybe stating the obvious here but check www.uboat.net I am sure all your Q's will be A'd there....plus a short book review by myself...
No, I do not think so. Otto Kretschmer was the best u-boat commander on WWII. He sunk nearly half than Lothar Arnauld de la Perière; I think about 320.000 tons... Perhaps the tonnage is wrong, but he was the in the top. Did not you know that he bet with Prien and Schepke? They betted who had 100.000 first, later 200.000 and later 300.000. Kretschmer won their buddies their money. And their ships were sunk the same week... They were friends who shared everything. Even fate.
Hello Friedrich--I think you are correct--I was answering from memory but I now do recall th=at Kretschmer did have the most tonnage. Its a shame he died a few years ago, I sure would have loved to have met him.
I suggest that you all go to uboat.net - The U-boat Wars 1939-1945 and 1914-1918 and Allied Warships of WWII There you will find all you need to know. I also suggest the books "Operation Drumbeat" and "Iron Coffins" As an interesting aside, my father, who served in ww2 on tin cans, told me as a young man about a brave German U-Boat captain, who would not fire his deck gun toward shore in NJ for fear of hitting civilians on the beach. He placed his boat between the beach and the ship he was attacking, so his rounds were fired out to sea. He almost ran his boat aground for his troubles. I believe that this is mentioned in Operation Drumbeat, and I think that the captain was Otto Kretschmer This kind of Chivalry no longer exists. JimA
Sorry, but it wasn't Otto Kretschmer, U-99 was sunk and Kretschmer captured on March 17, 1941. This was well before Operation Drumbeat. The commander you mention could be Reinhard Hardegen, captain of U-123. Although, I would have to do go back and check my books for confirmation. None the less, Kretschmer treated survivors from his victims very well. He provided food, drink, blankets, and directions if needed.
