Günther Krech

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 33)


Successes
17 ships sunk, total tonnage 93,186 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 913 GRT
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 15,070 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 6,672 GRT

Born  21 Sep 1914 Wilhelmshaven
Died  3 Jun 2000(85)Wuppertal, Germany


Günther Krech

Ranks

1 Apr 1933 Offiziersanwärter
23 Sep 1933 Seekadett
1 Jul 1934 Fähnrich zur See
1 Aug 1936 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1936 Leutnant zur See
1 Jun 1938 Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1941 Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

  Iron Cross 2nd Class
26 Sep 1940 Iron Cross 1st Class
26 Sep 1941 U-boat War Badge 1939
17 Sep 1942 Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-558 20 Feb 1941 20 Jul 1943   10 patrols (437 days) 

Günther Krech began his naval career in April 1933. Later, like Reinhard Hardegen and several other officers who would go on to become successful U-boat commanders, he was seconded to the Luftwaffe. His secondment lasted for three years, spent mostly in staff positions, at one point with Luftwaffe High Command (Führers der Luftwaffe). In November 1939 Krech returned to the Kriegsmarine and began U-boat training. He received his first combat experience as 1st Watch Officer (IWO) on U-100 under Kptlt. Schepke. He left the boat in November 1940 and after Commander training with the 24th Flotilla he commissioned U-558 in 1941.

Günther Krech 2
Günther Krech returning from patrol

Over ten patrols, mostly in the Atlantic and Caribbean, he sank or destroyed 19 ships. U-558 was sunk by US aircraft on 20 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay (Niestlé, 1998). Only Kptlt. Krech, the LI and three men from the gun crew survived. Günther Krech then spent some years in Allied captivity.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Günther Krech

 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-558 1 Jun 1941  Kiel  9 Jul 1941  Brest  Patrol 1,39 days
2. U-558 28 Jul 1941  Brest  7 Aug 1941  Brest  Patrol 2,11 days
3. U-558 25 Aug 1941  Brest  16 Sep 1941  Brest  Patrol 3,23 days
4. U-558 11 Oct 1941  Brest  25 Oct 1941  Brest  Patrol 4,15 days
5. U-558 24 Nov 1941  Brest  7 Dec 1941  Brest  Patrol 5,14 days
6. U-558 10 Feb 1942  Brest  11 Mar 1942  Brest  Patrol 6,30 days
7. U-558 12 Apr 1942  Brest  21 Jun 1942  Brest  Patrol 7,71 days
8. U-558 29 Jul 1942  Brest  16 Oct 1942  Brest  Patrol 8,80 days
9. U-558 9 Jan 1943  Brest  29 Mar 1943  Brest  Patrol 9,80 days
10. U-558 8 May 1943  Brest  20 Jul 1943  Sunk  Patrol 10,74 days
10 patrols, 437 days at sea

Ships hit by Günther Krech

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
28 Aug 1941U-558 Otaio10,298brOS-4
15 Oct 1941U-558 Vancouver Island9,472ca
17 Oct 1941U-558 W.C. Teagle9,552brSC-48
17 Oct 1941U-558 Erviken6,595nwSC-48
17 Oct 1941U-558 Rym1,369nwSC-48
 
24 Feb 1942U-558 Anadara (d.)8,009brONS-67
24 Feb 1942U-558 Inverarder5,578brONS-67
24 Feb 1942U-558 Eidanger9,432nwONS-67
12 May 1942U-558 HMS Bedfordshire (FY 141)913br
18 May 1942U-558 Fauna1,254nl
21 May 1942U-558 Troisdoc1,925ca
23 May 1942U-558 William Boyce Thompson (d.)7,061am
25 May 1942U-558 Beatrice3,451am
27 May 1942U-558 Jack2,622am
2 Jun 1942U-558 Triton2,078nl
25 Aug 1942U-558 Amakura1,987brWAT-15
13 Sep 1942U-558 Suriname7,915nlTAG-5
13 Sep 1942U-558 Empire Lugard7,241brTAG-5
13 Sep 1942U-558 Vilja (t.)6,672nwTAG-5
16 Sep 1942U-558 Commercial Trader2,606am
 
23 Feb 1943U-558 Empire Norseman9,811brUC-1
 115,841

19 ships sunk (100,771 tons) and 2 ships damaged (15,070 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.
(d.) means the ship was damaged.
(t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).


About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.

Media links


German U-boat Commanders of World War II

Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim


In Some Foreign Field

Naisawald, L. VanLoan

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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