The Men - The Commander listing

Kurt Diggins

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 34)


Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 7,584 GRT

Born  17 Oct 1912 Gut Mohrberg, Eckernförde
Died  1 Mar 2007(94)


Ranks

8 Apr 1934Offiziersanwärter
1 Jul 1935Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1937Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1937Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1939Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jan 1942Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

Dec 1939Iron Cross 2nd Class
1940Minesweeper War Badge
15 Jul 1941Fleet War Badge
16 Oct 1942U-boat War Badge 1939
1943Iron Cross 1st Class
16 Aug 1943Italienische Tapferkeitsmedaille in Bronze "Medaglia di Bronzo al Valore Militare"

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-458 12 Dec 1941 22 Aug 1943   7 patrols (170 days) 

Oberleutnant Diggins was Langsdorff's Flag Lieutenant on the Graf Spee (Grove, 2001).

After the Graf Spee was scuttled in December 1939, Diggins escaped from Montevideo to Buenos Aires by stowing away in the river ferry, and from there made his way back to Germany. In 1957 he joined the Bundesmarine.

This information quoted from Rust's Naval Officers Under (1991) Hitler amplifies on the escape attempt:

"internees from the pocket battleship Graf Spee -- Kurt Diggins, Rolf Schauenburg, Detlef Spiering and Karl-Heinrich Vagt -- upon crossing the River Plate from Uruguay to Argentina, faced comparatively minor difficulties in making their way home from that neutral and traditionally anglophobic South American country. The greatest challenge seems to have been to get from Uruguay to Argentina. It took Diggins no fewer than 18 attempts before he succeeded in reaching Buenos Aires from Montevideo as a stowaway on a river steamer. He then left for home disguised as a Romanian."

Sources

Grove, E. (2001). Price of Disobedience.
Rust, E. (1991). Naval Officers Under Hitler.

Patrol info for Kurt Diggins


 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-458 21 Jun 1942  Kiel  27 Aug 1942  St. Nazaire  Patrol 1,68 days
2. U-458 1 Oct 1942  St. Nazaire  15 Oct 1942  La Spezia  Patrol 2,15 days
3. U-458 26 Oct 1942  La Spezia  15 Nov 1942  La Spezia  Patrol 3,21 days
4. U-458 6 Feb 1943  La Spezia  11 Mar 1943  Toulon  Patrol 4,34 days
5. U-458 19 May 1943  Toulon  19 May 1943  Toulon   1 days
6. U-458 25 May 1943  Toulon  31 May 1943  Toulon  Patrol 5,7 days
7. U-458 21 Jun 1943  Toulon  6 Jul 1943  Toulon  Patrol 6,16 days
8. U-458 14 Aug 1943  Toulon  22 Aug 1943  Sunk  Patrol 7,9 days
7 patrols, 170 days at sea

Ships hit by Kurt Diggins

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
30 Jun 1942U-458 Mosfruit2,714nw
5 Aug 1942U-458 Arletta4,870brON-115
 7,584

2 ships sunk (7,584 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.


About ranks and decorations
Special thanks to Fernando Almeida for data on ranks and decorations.

Listing of all U-boat commanders