The Men - The Commander listing

Werner Henke

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 33)


Successes
21 ships sunk for a total of 131,769 GRT
2 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 19,277 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 6,034 GRT
1 warship damaged for a total of 1,920 tons
1 ship a total loss for a total of 4,668 GRT
1 warship a total loss for a total of 1,350 tons

Born  13 May 1909 Rudak, Thorn
Died  15 Jun 1944(35)Fort Hunt, USA


Kapitänleutnant Werner Henke

Ranks

1 Jul 1934Fähnrich zur See
8 Apr 1936Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1936Leutnant zur See
18 May 1938Oberleutnant zur See
31 Dec 1941Kapitänleutnant
18 Mar 1945Korvettenkapitän (posthumous)

Decorations

6 Jun 1939Iron Cross 2nd Class
6 Jun 1939Spanish Cross
4 May 1941U-boat War Badge 1939
4 Oct 1941Iron Cross 1st Class
17 Dec 1942Knights Cross
4 Jul 1943Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-515 21 Feb 1942 9 Apr 1944   7 patrols (341 days) 

Personal information

Werner Henke had his first naval experience on board the warships Admiral Scheer and Schleswig-Holstein. His first U-boat was U-124 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Schulz. The last of his four patrols with the "Edelweissboot" he completed under the later famous Kapitänleutnant 'Jochen' Mohr .

In February 1942 Henke took command of his own boat, U-515. He put in an outstanding performance during his third patrol on the night of 30 April to 1 May, 1943, when he attacked convoy TS 37 90 miles south of Freetown, sinking 8 ships in 8 hours for a total of 49,456 tons. After this patrol Henke was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross.


Werner Henke (left) on board U-515, writing in the war diary (KTB)

Henke was captured when U-515 was sunk at 1510hrs on 9 April, 1944 in the mid-Atlantic north of Madeira at 34.35N, 19.18W by bombs from the US escort carrier USS Guadalcanal and depth charges from the destroyer escorts USS Pope, Pillsbury, Chatelain and Flaherty. 16 of the crew were killed and about 40 survived.


The gravestone of Werner Henke in Fort George G. Meade
Henke was shot and killed while attempting to escape from the interrogation center at Ft. Hunt, Virginia on 15 June, 1944. It is reported that he simply walked towards the fence in broad daylight and slowly began to climbing it. When he continued to climb after the guards shouted for him to stop, he was fatally shot. It is thought that he chose this form of suicide because he believed he faced extradition and a "showcase" trial as a war criminal. Henke is buried in the Soldiers Cemetery at Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland.

On 18 July, 1944 Admiral Dönitz issued the following day-order for the U-boat force:




 DER OBERBEFEHLSHABER				BERLIN W 32
   DER KRIEGSMARINE				Tirpitzufer 22-26

 		 Tagesbefehl an die Ubootwaffe
		================================


Der Ubootskommandant Kapitänleutnant Werner H e n k e , Träger
des Eichenlaubs zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, ist bei dem
Versuch aus Gefangenschaft zu fliehen, gefallen. Wir haben in ihm
einen unserer Besten verloren. Er vereinigte rücksichtsloses 
Draufgängertum mit Umsicht und und hervorragendem taktischen Können.
Im Kampf gegen Geleitzüge, Einzelfahrer und Kriegsschiffe hat er
sich aufs höchste bewährt und 26 Schiffe mit 166 ooo BRT, einen
Kreuzer und einen Zerstörer vernichtet.
Wir senken in Trauer unsere Fahnen vor dem eisenharten, tapferen
Kämpfer, dem Vorbild seiner begeistert hinter ihm stehenden Be-
satzung, unserem guten Kameraden. Der Kampf gegen den Feind, dem
er erlag, wird fortgeführt.

				    	Dönitz 

Befehlsstelle der Ubootsführung 	Der Oberbefehlshaber der
      den 18.Juli 1944			Kriegsmarine und Befehlshaber
					der Unterseeboote

(Commander Kapitänleutnant Werner H e n k e , recipient of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves to the Iron Cross, was killed during an attempt to escape from captivity. We have lost one of our best. He combined reckless daring with prudence and outstanding tactical ability. He proved himself against convoys, independent merchantmen and warships, and sinking 26 ships for a total of 166,000 tons, one cruiser and one destroyer. We strike the colors for a man of iron and a brave fighter, who was an inspiring example to his crew, and for a good comrade. The struggle against the enemy, in which he was killed, will continue.)

Patrol info for Werner Henke


 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-515 12 Aug 1942  Kiel  13 Aug 1942  Kristiansand   2 days
2. U-515 15 Aug 1942  Kristiansand  14 Oct 1942  Lorient  Patrol 1,61 days
3. U-515 7 Nov 1942  Lorient  6 Jan 1943  Lorient  Patrol 2,61 days
4. U-515 21 Feb 1943  Lorient  24 Jun 1943  Lorient  Patrol 3,124 days
5. U-515 21 Aug 1943  Lorient  22 Aug 1943  Lorient  Patrol 4,2 days
6. U-515 29 Aug 1943  Lorient  12 Sep 1943  Lorient  Patrol 5,15 days
7. U-515 1 Nov 1943  Lorient  3 Nov 1943  St. Nazaire   3 days
8. U-515 9 Nov 1943  St. Nazaire  14 Jan 1944  Lorient  Patrol 6,67 days
9. U-515 30 Mar 1944  Lorient  9 Apr 1944  Sunk  Patrol 7,11 days
7 patrols, 341 days at sea

Ships hit by Werner Henke


Date BoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
12 Sep, 1942 U-515 Stanvac Melbourne10,013  pa  
12 Sep, 1942 U-515 Woensdrecht4,668  nl  total loss
13 Sep, 1942 U-515 Nimba1,854  pa  
13 Sep, 1942 U-515 Ocean Vanguard7,174  br  
14 Sep, 1942 U-515 Harborough5,415  br  
15 Sep, 1942 U-515 Sørholt4,801  nw  
17 Sep, 1942 U-515 Mae5,607  am  
20 Sep, 1942 U-515 Reedpool4,838  br  
23 Sep, 1942 U-515 Antinous6,034  am  damaged
23 Sep, 1942 U-515 Lindvangen2,412  nw  
12 Nov, 1942 U-515 HMS Hecla (F 20)10,850  br  Torch 
12 Nov, 1942 U-515 HMS Marne (G 35)1,920  br  Torch damaged
7 Dec, 1942 U-515 Ceramic18,713  br  ON-149 
 
4 Mar, 1943 U-515 California Star8,300  br  
9 Apr, 1943 U-515 Bamako2,357  fr  
30 Apr, 1943 U-515 Bandar Shahpour5,236  br  TS-37 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515 Corabella5,682  br  TS-37 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515 Kota Tjandi7,295  nl  TS-37 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515 Nagina6,551  br  TS-37 
1 May, 1943 U-515 City of Singapore6,555  br  TS-37 
1 May, 1943 U-515 Clan Macpherson6,940  br  TS-37 
1 May, 1943 U-515 Mokambo4,996  be  TS-37 
9 May, 1943 U-515 Corneville4,544  nw  
18 Nov, 1943 U-515 HMS Chanticleer (U 05)1,350  br  MKS-30 total loss
17 Dec, 1943 U-515 Kingswood5,080  br  
20 Dec, 1943 U-515 Phemius7,406  br  
24 Dec, 1943 U-515 HMS Dumana8,427  br  STL-8 
 165,018

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.



Lone Wolf
Mulligan, Timothy P.


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Books dealing with this subject include:

Klarschiff zum Gefecht. Busch, Fritz-Otto, Paus, Peter and Alman, Karl, 1998.
Lone Wolf. Mulligan, Timothy P., 1993. (transl.)
Verdammter Atlantik. Herlin, Hans, 1994. (transl.)


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