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


Kapitänleutnant Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel

Ranks

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

Decorations

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

U-boat Commands

U-1407 Apr, 1941 - 9 Dec, 1941  2 patrols (30 days) 
U-9628 Mar, 1942 - 15 Mar, 1943  3 patrols (158 days) 
U-54321 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-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-140 19 Jun, 1941  Gotenhafen30 Jun, 1941  GotenhafenPatrol12 days
2. U-140 7 Jul, 1941  Gotenhafen24 Jul, 1941  GotenhafenPatrol18 days
3. U-96 23 Apr, 1942  St. Nazaire1 Jul, 1942  St. NazairePatrol70 days
4. U-96 24 Aug, 1942  St. Nazaire5 Oct, 1942  St. NazairePatrol43 days
5. U-96 26 Dec, 1942  St. Nazaire8 Feb, 1943  KönigsbergPatrol45 days
6. U-543 9 Nov, 1943  Kiel24 Jan, 1944  LorientPatrol77 days
7. U-543 28 Mar, 1944  Lorient2 Jul, 1944  SunkPatrol97 days

Ships hit by Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel


DateBoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
21 Jul, 1941 U-140M-94206 sj 
 
10 Sep, 1942 U-96Elisabeth van Belgie4.241 be ON-127 
10 Sep, 1942 U-96F.J. Wolfe12.190 br ON-127 damaged
10 Sep, 1942 U-96Sveve6.313 nw ON-127 
11 Sep, 1942 U-96Delães415 pt 
25 Sep, 1942 U-96New York4.989 br RB-1 damaged
 28.354

* 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.

Listing of all U-boat commanders