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Joachim Schepke

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 30)

Successes 36 ships sunk for a total of 153,677 GRT 4 ships damaged for a total of 17,229 GRT 1 ship a total loss for a total of 2,205 GRT

Personal information

Kptlt. Schepke on board during the return

Joachim Schepke began his naval career in April 1930. He spent two years on the cruiser Deutschland before, like Günther Prien, he transferred to the U-boat force in October 1935. Later he spent 18 months as an instructor in the torpedo-school at Flensburg, but in 1938 he became commander of the training U-boat U-3. With U-3 he achieved his first successes, before leaving the U-boat in January 1940.

He then took command of U-19 and sank nine ships for a total of 15,715 tons.

In May 1940 he commissioned U-100, a Type VIIB U-boat. On his first patrol from Kiel to Lorient in August 1940, he sank six ships for a total of 25,812 tons and damaged one ship.

But Kapitänleutnant Schepke became well known as commander of U-100 in September 1940. On his second patrol with this boat, in two days he sank seven ships for a total of 50,340 tons. Two days later he received the Knights Cross.

Kapitänleutnant Schepke in the public

Kptlt. Schepke in Berlin 6 weeks before his death

Also outstanding was the day of 23 November, 1940, when Schepke sank seven ships totaling 24,601 tons. One week later he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross.

In 1940 he published a book, U-Boot Fahrer von heute (U-boat men of today), describing life on a U-boat in simple terms. This book is illustrated with his own paintings.

Schepke, a handsome young man, was nicknamed Ihrer Majestät bestaussehender Offizier (Her Majesty's best-looking officer. The expression Ihrer Majestät is used to indicate the country's leader, and is not referring to royalty in this case!).

In February 1941 he spoke in the Berlin Sportpalast to thousands of young Germans about the U-boat war.

Joachim Schepke was killed when U-100 was sunk at 0318hrs on 17 March, 1941 southeast of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W after being rammed and depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc. Vanoc spotted U-100 with her early radar in heavy fog and chased the contact. 38 men were killed, including Schepke, who is said to have been caught on the bridge when the boat was rammed. Six crew members survived.

(You can also find some very good information on this biography page for Joachim Schepke. It is part of the highly recommend site Canonesa, Convoy HX 72 & U-100 by Tom Purnell.)

Date	U-boat	Commander		Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy
30 Sep 1939	U-3	Joachim Schepke		Gun	1,198		sw
30 Sep 1939	U-3	Joachim Schepke		Vendia	1,150		da
9 Jan 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Manx	1,343		nw
23 Jan 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Baltanglia	1,523		br
23 Jan 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Pluto	1,598		nw
25 Jan 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Everene	4,434		le
25 Jan 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Gudveig	1,300		nw
19 Mar 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Charkow	1,026		da
19 Mar 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Minsk	1,229		da
20 Mar 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Bothal	2,109		da
20 Mar 1940	U-19	Joachim Schepke		Viking	1,153		da
16 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Empire Merchant	4,864		br	OA-198
25 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Jamaica Pioneer	5,471		br
29 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Alida Gorthon	2,373		sw	OA-204
29 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Astra II	2,393		br	OA-204
29 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Dalblair	4,608		br	OA-204
29 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Empire Moose	6,103		br	OA-204
29 Aug 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Hartismere (d.)	5,498		br	OA-204
21 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Canonesa	8,286		br	HX-72
21 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Dalcairn	4,608		br	HX-72
21 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Torinia	10,364		br	HX-72
22 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Empire Airman	6,586		br	HX-72
22 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Frederick S. Fales	10,525		br	HX-72
22 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Scholar	3,940		br	HX-72
22 Sep 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Simla	6,031		nw	HX-72
18 Oct 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Boekelo (d.)	2,118		nl	SC-7
18 Oct 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Shekatika (d.)	5,458		br	SC-7
19 Oct 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Blairspey (d.)	4,155		br	SC-7
20 Oct 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Caprella	8,230		br	HX-79
20 Oct 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Loch Lomond	5,452		br	HX-79
20 Oct 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Sitala	6,218		br	HX-79
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Bradfyne	4,740		br	SC-11
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Bruse (t.)	2,205		nw	SC-11
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Bussum	3,636		nl	SC-11
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Justitia	4,562		br	SC-11
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Leise Mærsk	3,136		br	SC-11
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Ootmarsum	3,628		nl	SC-11
23 Nov 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Salonica	2,694		nw	SC-11
14 Dec 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Euphorbia	3,380		br	OB-256
14 Dec 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Kyleglen	3,670		br	OB-256
18 Dec 1940	U-100	Joachim Schepke		Napier Star	10,116		br
					173,111
37 ships sunk (155,882 tons) and 4 ships damaged (17,229 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged. (t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).

About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.

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