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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, 1909Rudak, Thorn
Died  15 Jun, 1944Fort 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-51521 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


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-515 12 Aug, 1942  Kiel13 Aug, 1942  Kristiansand 2 days
2. U-515 15 Aug, 1942  Kristiansand14 Oct, 1942  LorientPatrol61 days
3. U-515 7 Nov, 1942  Lorient6 Jan, 1943  LorientPatrol61 days
4. U-515 21 Feb, 1943  Lorient24 Jun, 1943  LorientPatrol124 days
5. U-515 21 Aug, 1943  Lorient22 Aug, 1943  LorientPatrol2 days
6. U-515 29 Aug, 1943  Lorient12 Sep, 1943  LorientPatrol15 days
7. U-515 1 Nov, 1943  Lorient3 Nov, 1943  St. Nazaire 3 days
8. U-515 9 Nov, 1943  St. Nazaire14 Jan, 1944  LorientPatrol67 days
9. U-515 30 Mar, 1944  Lorient9 Apr, 1944  SunkPatrol11 days

Ships hit by Werner Henke


DateBoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
12 Sep, 1942 U-515Stanvac Melbourne10.013 pa 
12 Sep, 1942 U-515Woensdrecht4.668 nl total loss
13 Sep, 1942 U-515Nimba1.854 pa 
13 Sep, 1942 U-515Ocean Vanguard7.174 br 
14 Sep, 1942 U-515Harborough5.415 br 
15 Sep, 1942 U-515Sørholt4.801 nw 
17 Sep, 1942 U-515Mae5.607 am 
20 Sep, 1942 U-515Reedpool4.838 br 
23 Sep, 1942 U-515Antinous6.034 am damaged
23 Sep, 1942 U-515Lindvangen2.412 nw 
12 Nov, 1942 U-515HMS Hecla (F 20)10.850 br Torch 
12 Nov, 1942 U-515HMS Marne (G 35)1.920 br Torch damaged
7 Dec, 1942 U-515Ceramic18.713 br ON-149 
 
4 Mar, 1943 U-515California Star8.300 br 
9 Apr, 1943 U-515Bamako2.357 fr 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515Bandar Shahpour5.236 br TS-37 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515Corabella5.682 br TS-37 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515Kota Tjandi7.295 nl TS-37 
30 Apr, 1943 U-515Nagina6.551 br TS-37 
1 May, 1943 U-515City of Singapore6.555 br TS-37 
1 May, 1943 U-515Clan Macpherson6.940 br TS-37 
1 May, 1943 U-515Mokambo4.996 be TS-37 
9 May, 1943 U-515Corneville4.544 nw 
18 Nov, 1943 U-515HMS Chanticleer (U 05)1.350 br MKS-30 total loss
17 Dec, 1943 U-515Kingswood5.080 br 
20 Dec, 1943 U-515Phemius7.406 br 
24 Dec, 1943 U-515HMS Dumana8.427 br STL-8 
 165.018

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.



Verdammter Atlantik
Herlin, Hans

Buy this title at
amazon.de 		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.)


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