Heinz Krey

Leutnant (Ing.) (Crew XII/39)


Born 31 December, 1921 Wiesbaden
Died 23 May, 1943 North Atlantic

Heinz Krey
Heinz Krey

Decorations

28/09/1942 : Ubootskriegsabzeichen 1939
22/05/1943 : Iron Cross 2nd class (EK II)
22/05/1943 : Iron Cross 1st class (EK I)
04/09/1943 : Knights Cross (100)

Ranks

01/05/1940 Kadett
01/11/1940 Fähnrich (Ing.)
01/11/1941 Oberfähnrich (Ing.)
01/04/1942 Leutnant (Ing.)

U-boat Career

U-703 VIIC 2 patrols, 45 days 07.42 - 11.42
U-752 VIIC LI; 2 patrols, 68 days 01.43 - 05.43
* He was not a commander of those boats

Heinz Krey started his naval career in December 1939 at the age of 17. During his officer training he rode on the school ship Schleswig-Holstein and on the mine sweeper M-84.

From July 1941 he got a U-boat training and was in autumn 1941 detached on U-567. After some further courses he rode for two patrols on U-703 and became the Chief Engineer on U-752 in January 1943.

On 23 May, 1943 a British Swordfish aircraft attacked the U-boat and killed the commander and some men on the conning tower. Leutnant (Ing.) Heinz Krey took over the command and ordered all men to abandon the U-boat. Because two British destroyers arrived quickly and tried to captured the boat, Heinz Krey set the explosive charges and blew up the boat. He went down with U-752, losing his life. For that outstanding and unselfish feat he got posthumously the Knights Cross.

He was 21 years and 6 months old, when he died and earned this high decoration.


Sources:

Dörr, Manfred
Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Bootwaffe
Band 2. K - Z
Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1989
ISBN 3-7648-1153-6