uboat.net

Helmut Rosenbaum

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 32)


Successes
6 ships sunk for a total of 35.171 GRT
3 warships sunk for a total of 22.692 tons (lost aboard transport ships)

Born  11 May, 1913Döbeln, Leipzig
Died  10 May, 1944near Constanza (Romania)


Helmut Rosenbaum

Ranks

4 Nov, 1932Seekadett
1 Jan, 1934Fähnrich zur See
1 Sep, 1935Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Jan, 1936Leutnant zur See
1 Oct, 1937Oberleutnant zur See
1 Feb, 1940Kapitänleutnant
3 Aug, 1944Korvettenkapitän (posthumous)

Decorations

6 Jun, 1939Spanish Cross
16 Apr, 1940Iron Cross 2nd Class
4 Mar, 1941U-boat War Badge 1939
25 Apr, 1941Iron Cross 1st Class
12 Aug, 1942Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-217 Mar, 1939 - 5 Aug, 1940  2 patrols (27 days) 
U-7330 Sep, 1940 - 10 Sep, 1942  8 patrols (238 days) 

Personal information

Rosenbaum
Kapitänleutnant Helmut Rosenbaum after patrol

Helmut Rosenbaum joined the Navy in August 1932. After some months on the light cruisers Königsberg and Nürnberg he transferred in February 1937 to the U-boat force, where he completed the solid pre-war training program. He then served as watch officer on several U-boats before taking command of U-2 in February 1939. He left the boat after two patrols and two months later commissioned the Type VII U-boat U-73.

After five patrols in the North Atlantic, Helmut Rosenbaum managed the breakthrough into the Mediterranean on 14 January, 1942. There he scored his greatest victory when he sank the British aircraft carrier HMS Eagle on 11 August, 1942.

He left U-73 in October 1942 and became the commander of the 30th flotilla, which fought in the Black Sea. Helmut Rosenbaum was killed in an air crash on 10 May 1944.


Patrol info


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-2 15 Mar, 1940  Kiel29 Mar, 1940  WilhelmshavenPatrol15 days
2. U-2 4 Apr, 1940  Wilhelmshaven15 Apr, 1940  WilhelmshavenPatrol12 days
3. U-73 8 Feb, 1941  Helgoland2 Mar, 1941  LorientPatrol23 days
4. U-73 25 Mar, 1941  Lorient24 Apr, 1941  St. NazairePatrol31 days
5. U-73 20 May, 1941  St. Nazaire24 Jun, 1941  St. NazairePatrol36 days
6. U-73 29 Jul, 1941  St. Nazaire2 Aug, 1941  St. Nazaire 5 days
7. U-73 7 Aug, 1941  St. Nazaire7 Sep, 1941  St. NazairePatrol32 days
8. U-73 11 Oct, 1941  St. Nazaire11 Nov, 1941  St. NazairePatrol32 days
9. U-73 4 Jan, 1942  St. Nazaire12 Feb, 1942  La SpeziaPatrol40 days
10. U-73 16 Mar, 1942  La Spezia26 Mar, 1942  La SpeziaPatrol11 days
11. U-73 4 Aug, 1942  La Spezia5 Sep, 1942  La SpeziaPatrol33 days

Ships hit by Helmut Rosenbaum


DateBoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
24 Feb, 1941 U-73Waynegate4.260 br OB-288 
3 Apr, 1941 U-73Alderpool4.313 br SC-26 
3 Apr, 1941 U-73British Viscount6.895 br SC-26 
3 Apr, 1941 U-73Indier5.409 be SC-26 
3 Apr, 1941 U-73Westpool5.724 br SC-26 
20 Apr, 1941 U-73Empire Endurance8.570 br 
20 Apr, 1941 U-73HMS ML-1003 [Trans.]46 br 
20 Apr, 1941 U-73HMS ML-1037 [Trans.]46 br 
 
11 Aug, 1942 U-73HMS Eagle (94)22.600 br WS-21S 
 57.863

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.
[Trans.] indicates the vessel was lost while being transported on another vessel.


Decorations and ranks information is in many cases not complete. If you can help on any of those missing that would be great.

Men who sank over 50,000 tons

Listing of all U-boat commanders