The Men - The Commander listing

Harro Schacht

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 26)

Successes
19 ships sunk for a total of 77.143 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 6.561 GRT

Born	15 Dec, 1907	Cuxhaven
Died	13 Jan, 1943	South Atlantic

Korvettenkapitän Harro Schacht

Ranks

1 Apr, 1928	Fähnrich zur See
1 Jun, 1930	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct, 1930	Leutnant zur See
1 Aug, 1932	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1936	Kapitänleutnant
1 Oct, 1940	Korvettenkapitän
1 Jan, 1944	Fregattenkapitän (posthumous)

Decorations

29 Mar, 1940	Spanish Cross
19 Apr, 1940	Iron Cross 2nd Class
6 Jun, 1942	Iron Cross 1st Class
6 Jun, 1942	U-boat War Badge 1939
9 Jan, 1943	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-507

8 Oct, 1941

13 Jan, 1943 (+)

4 patrols (224 days)

Personal information

Korvettenkapitän Harro Schacht

Harro Schacht began his naval career, like Merten, von Stockhausen, and Rollmann, in April 1926. He served some years on the light cruisers Emden and Nürnberg, and in 1937 took a staff position in the OKM.

In June 1941 he joined the U-boat force and after the usual training he made a short patrol on the "Red Devil Boat" U-552 under Erich Topp as commander-in-training. In October 1941 he commissioned the Type IXC U-boat U-507. During his third patrol in the South Atlantic in August 1942, Schacht sank six Brazilian ships outside Brazilian territorial waters. The Brazilian government used these sinkings as a reason to declare war on Germany. A month later U-507 took part in the rescue operations during the Laconia incident.

Harro Schacht was killed when U-507 was sunk with all hands on 13 January, 1943 in the South Atlantic by bombs from a US Catalina aircraft.

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-507	7 Mar, 1942	Hamburg	8 Mar, 1942	Helgoland		2 days
2.	U-507	12 Mar, 1942	Helgoland	25 Mar, 1942	Lorient	Patrol	14 days
3.	U-507	4 Apr, 1942	Lorient	4 Jun, 1942	Lorient	Patrol	62 days
4.	U-507	4 Jul, 1942	Lorient	12 Oct, 1942	Lorient	Patrol	101 days
5.	U-507	24 Nov, 1942	Lorient	26 Nov, 1942	Lorient		3 days
6.	U-507	28 Nov, 1942	Lorient	13 Jan, 1943	Sunk	Patrol	47 days

Ships hit by Harro Schacht

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
30 Apr, 1942	U-507	Federal	2.881		am
4 May, 1942	U-507	Norlindo	2.686		am
5 May, 1942	U-507	Joseph M. Cudahy	6.950		am
5 May, 1942	U-507	Munger T. Ball	5.104		am
6 May, 1942	U-507	Alcoa Puritan	6.759		am
7 May, 1942	U-507	Ontario	3.099		ho
8 May, 1942	U-507	Torny	2.424		nw
12 May, 1942	U-507	Virginia	10.731		am
13 May, 1942	U-507	Gulfprince	6.561		am		damaged
16 May, 1942	U-507	Amapala	4.148		ho
16 Aug, 1942	U-507	Annibal Benévolo	1.905		bz
16 Aug, 1942	U-507	Araraquara	4.872		bz
16 Aug, 1942	U-507	Baependy	4.801		bz
17 Aug, 1942	U-507	Arará	1.075		bz
17 Aug, 1942	U-507	Itagiba	2.169		bz
19 Aug, 1942	U-507	Jacyra	89		bz
22 Aug, 1942	U-507	Hammaren	3.220		sw	OS-36
27 Dec, 1942	U-507	Oakbank	5.154		br

3 Jan, 1943	U-507	Baron Dechmont	3.675		br
8 Jan, 1943	U-507	Yorkwood	5.401		br
			83.704
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.