The Men - The Commander listing

Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 36)

Successes
3 ships sunk for a total of 10.969 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 206 tons
2 ships damaged for a total of 17.179 GRT

Born	16 Jun, 1917	Berlin-Wilmersdorf
Died	2 Jul, 1944	Atlantic, south-west of Tenerife

Kapitänleutnant Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel

Ranks

10 Sep, 1936	Seekadett
1 May, 1937	Fähnrich zur See
1 Jul, 1938	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct, 1938	Leutnant zur See
1 Oct, 1940	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1943	Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

24 Apr, 1940	U-boat War Badge 1939
26 Apr, 1940	Iron Cross 2nd Class
3 Jul, 1940	Iron Cross 1st Class
3 Feb, 1944	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-140	7 Apr, 1941	-	9 Dec, 1941	2 patrols (30 days)
U-96	28 Mar, 1942	-	15 Mar, 1943	3 patrols (158 days)
U-543	21 Apr, 1943	-	2 Jul, 1944 (+)	2 patrols (174 days)

Personal information

Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel began his naval career in April 1936. After six months on the torpedo boat Luchs he transferred to the U-boat force in October 1938. Starting in December 1939 he served as II WO on board U-46 under the command of Kptlt. Sohler and later under Kptlt. Endrass.

In March 1941 he left U-46 and after receiving commander training took command of U-140. He made two patrols with U-140 in the Baltic during the summer of 1941 and sank the Soviet submarine M-94 (206 tons). In April 1942 he replaced the successful commander of U-96, Kptlt. Lehmann-Willenbrock. On his second patrol with U-96 he sank four ships and damaged the British tanker F. J. Wolfe (12,190 tons).

In March 1943 Hellriegel left U-96 and a month later commissioned the Type IXC/40 boat U-543. This made him one of very few commanders who made patrols with each of the three main types of U-boats. He died when U-543 was sunk with all hands by a US aircraft in July 1944.

Oberleutnant Hellriegel (left) on the conning tower of U-96 after a patrol.

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-140	19 Jun, 1941	Gotenhafen	30 Jun, 1941	Gotenhafen	Patrol	12 days
2.	U-140	7 Jul, 1941	Gotenhafen	24 Jul, 1941	Gotenhafen	Patrol	18 days
3.	U-96	23 Apr, 1942	St. Nazaire	1 Jul, 1942	St. Nazaire	Patrol	70 days
4.	U-96	24 Aug, 1942	St. Nazaire	5 Oct, 1942	St. Nazaire	Patrol	43 days
5.	U-96	26 Dec, 1942	St. Nazaire	8 Feb, 1943	Königsberg	Patrol	45 days
6.	U-543	9 Nov, 1943	Kiel	24 Jan, 1944	Lorient	Patrol	77 days
7.	U-543	28 Mar, 1944	Lorient	2 Jul, 1944	Sunk	Patrol	97 days

Ships hit by Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
21 Jul, 1941	U-140	M-94	206		sj

10 Sep, 1942	U-96	Elisabeth van Belgie	4.241		be	ON-127
10 Sep, 1942	U-96	F.J. Wolfe	12.190		br	ON-127	damaged
10 Sep, 1942	U-96	Sveve	6.313		nw	ON-127
11 Sep, 1942	U-96	Delães	415		pt
25 Sep, 1942	U-96	New York	4.989		br	RB-1	damaged
			28.354
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.