Ernst Hechler
Korvettenkapitän (Crew 29)
| Successes 2 warships sunk for a total of 1.960 tons 1 warship damaged for a total of 1.400 tons 2 ships a total loss for a total of 11.844 GRT |
| Born | 21 Nov, 1907 | Lauterbach, Oberhessen |
| Died | 23 Oct, 1965 | Alzey |
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Ranks
Decorations
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Personal information
Ernst Hechler began his naval career in April 1929. After serving more than a year on the light cruiser Königsberg and a year as instructor of future officers on the Marineschule Mürwik, in May 1935 he transferred to the newly formed Luftwaffe, where he remained for more than eight years. There he was squadron leader and later held various staff positions. For flying more than 60 combat flights he received both Iron Crosses and the Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold.
In July 1943, at the age of 35, he transferred back to the Kriegsmarine completed U-boat training. In February 1944 he commissioned U-870 and eight months later left the base at Horten, Norway for his first and only patrol. In the first part of this patrol U-870 transmitted weather reports which were needed for the ongoing offensive in the Ardennes. Then Hechler sank three ships and damaged two more, an outstanding total for a maiden patrol at that stage of the war. Hechler claimed three additional sinkings which have as yet not been confirmed. One month before the successful boat headed home, her commander received the Knights Cross via radio.
Unfortunately U-870 was destroyed in Bremen on 30 March, 1945 by US bombs. Ernst Hechler served the two last months of war on the staff of BdU op as A I op.
Patrol info
| U-boat | Departure | Arrival | |||||
| 1. | U-870 | 31 Oct, 1944 | Kiel | 3 Nov, 1944 | Horten | 4 days | |
| 2. | U-870 | 10 Nov, 1944 | Horten | 20 Feb, 1945 | Kristiansand | Patrol | 103 days |
| 3. | U-870 | 25 Feb, 1945 | Kristiansand | 27 Feb, 1945 | Flensburg | 3 days | |
Ships hit by Ernst Hechler
| Date | Boat | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Convoy | Fate * | |
| 20 Dec, 1944 | U-870 | USS Fogg (DE 57) | 1.400 |  | am | damaged | |
| 20 Dec, 1944 | U-870 | USS LST-359 | 1.625 | | am | ||
| 3 Jan, 1945 | U-870 | Henry Miller | 7.207 | | am | GUS-63 | total loss |
| 9 Jan, 1945 | U-870 | FFL L´Enjoue (W 44) | 335 |  | fr | GC-107 | |
| 10 Jan, 1945 | U-870 | Blackheath | 4.637 |  | br | KMS-76 | total loss |
| 15.204 | |||||||
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk. | |||||||
Decorations and ranks information is in many cases not complete. If you can help on any of those missing that would be great.