The Men - The Commander listing

Klaus Scholtz

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 27)

Successes
24 ships sunk for a total of 111,546 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 16,644 GRT

Born	22 Mar 1908		Magdeburg
Died	1 May 1987	(79)	Bad Schwartau

Fregattenkapitän Klaus Scholtz

Ranks

1 Nov 1927	Seekadett
18 Mar 1929	Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1931	Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1933	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1936	Kapitänleutnant
1 Nov 1941	Korvettenkapitän
1 Jul 1944	Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

26 Dec 1941	Knights Cross
10 Sep 1942	Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-108	22 Oct 1940	14 Oct 1942	8 patrols (361 days)

Personal information

Kapitänleutnant Klaus Scholtz

Klaus Scholtz began his naval career in 1927 and spent most of the time until the war began on torpedo boats (G-8, G-11 and Jaguar).

In April 1940 he transferred to the U-boat force. After only four months of training he commissioned U-108, a large Type IXB boat. On his first patrol in February 1941 he sank two ships for a total of 8,078 tons.

His second patrol was very successful, as in April 1941 he sank the British armed merchant cruiser AMC Rajputana (16,644 tons) in the Straits of Denmark.

This dramatic chase is described in the following radio message sent by U-108:

FT an BdU. Eingetroffen Operationsgebiet Donnerstag, 10. April; Samstag, 12. April Hilfskreuzer gesichtet. Erster Angriff ein Torpedo, Fehlschuß. Zweiter Angriff: Zweierfächer. Gegner weggezackt. Verfolgung bis Eisgrenze. Angriff bei Dunkelheit abgebrochen. 13. April Hilfskreuzer gesichtet und Angriff. Dreierfächer. Zwei Treffer, ein Torpedoversager. Hilfskreuzer gestoppt. Fangschuß. Gegner gesunken. An Untergangsstelle zwei Zerstörer und Sunderland. Name des Hilfskreuzers 'Rajputana'.

(Radiogram to BdU. Reached operational area on Thursday 10 April; Saturday 12 April armed merchant cruiser in sight. First attack one torpedo, failure firing. Second attack: double shot. Enemy zigzagging. Pursuit to the edge of the ice. Attack terminated by darkness. 13 April sighted and attacked armed merchant cruiser. Triple shot. Two hits, one torpedo failure. Armed merchant cruiser stopped. Coup de grace. Enemy sunk. At sinking position two destroyers and a Sunderland. Name of the armed merchant cruiser 'Rajputana'.)

The BdU answered a half hour later:

Gut gemacht! Kommandant und Besatzung ausspreche Anerkennung. Rückmarsch. Dönitz.

Well done. Express acknowledgment to commander and crew. Return to base. Dönitz.

Kptlt. Scholtz on the conning tower

On the next three patrols Scholtz led U-108 against convoys in the Atlantic. In January 1942 she left Lorient to join the second wave of U-boats attacking shipping off the US east coast in the follow-up to Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat). There Scholtz sank five ships for a total of 20,082 tons.

His last two patrols in US and Caribbean waters were also successful. In October 1942 Klaus Scholtz left U-108 and became commander of the 12th Flotilla in Bordeaux.

To this flotilla were attached most of the long-range boats, which operated in the south Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. During August 1944 most of the boats left the base for Flensburg. The flotilla's history ended in August 1944 when it was dissolved. The remaining men (some 220) under Fregkpt. Klaus Scholtz attempted to march overland back to Germany. They left Bordeaux on 26 August, 1944 but were captured on 11 September by American forces in Beaujancie/Loire (France). Klaus Scholtz then spent the next 18 months in US captivity.

After the war he served from 1953 to 1956 in the naval arm of Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Frontier Guard), then transferred to the Bundesmarine. He was then commander of several naval bases, including Kiel, Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven. In 1966 he retired as Kapitän zur See.

Patrol info for Klaus Scholtz

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-108	15 Feb 1941	Wilhelmshaven	12 Mar 1941	Lorient	Patrol 1,	26 days
2.	U-108	3 Apr 1941	Lorient	2 May 1941	Lorient	Patrol 2,	30 days
3.	U-108	25 May 1941	Lorient	7 Jul 1941	Lorient	Patrol 3,	44 days
4.	U-108	19 Aug 1941	Lorient	21 Oct 1941	Lorient	Patrol 4,	64 days
5.	U-108	9 Dec 1941	Lorient	25 Dec 1941	Lorient	Patrol 5,	17 days
6.	U-108	8 Jan 1942	Lorient	4 Mar 1942	Lorient	Patrol 6,	56 days
7.	U-108	30 Mar 1942	Lorient	1 Jun 1942	Lorient	Patrol 7,	64 days
8.	U-108	13 Jul 1942	Lorient	10 Sep 1942	Lorient	Patrol 8,	60 days
8 patrols, 361 days at sea

Ships hit by Klaus Scholtz

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
22 Feb, 1941	U-108	Texelstroom	1,617		nl
28 Feb, 1941	U-108	Effna	6,461		br
13 Apr, 1941	U-108	HMS Rajputana (F 35)	16,644		br	HX-117
2 Jun, 1941	U-108	Michael E.	7,628		br	OB-327
8 Jun, 1941	U-108	Baron Nairn	3,164		br	OB-328
8 Jun, 1941	U-108	Dirphys	4,240		gr
10 Jun, 1941	U-108	Christian Krohg	1,992		nw	OB-329
25 Jun, 1941	U-108	Ellinico	3,059		gr	OG-65
25 Jun, 1941	U-108	Nicolas Pateras	4,362		gr	OB-336
1 Jul, 1941	U-108	Toronto City	2,486		br
14 Dec, 1941	U-108	Cassequel	4,751		pt
19 Dec, 1941	U-108	Ruckinge	2,869		br	HG-76

8 Feb, 1942	U-108	Ocean Venture	7,174		br
9 Feb, 1942	U-108	Tolosa	1,974		nw
12 Feb, 1942	U-108	Blink	2,701		nw
16 Feb, 1942	U-108	Ramapo	2,968		pa
18 Feb, 1942	U-108	Somme	5,265		br	ON-62
25 Apr, 1942	U-108	Modesta	3,849		br
29 Apr, 1942	U-108	Mobiloil	9,925		am
5 May, 1942	U-108	Afoundria	5,010		am
6 May, 1942	U-108	Abgara	4,422		le
20 May, 1942	U-108	Norland	8,134		nw	ON-93
3 Aug, 1942	U-108	Tricula	6,221		br
7 Aug, 1942	U-108	Breñas	2,687		nw
17 Aug, 1942	U-108	Louisiana	8,587		am
			128,190
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.