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Heinrich Schonder

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 34)


Successes
14 ships sunk for a total of 28.333 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 1.050 tons
1 ship damaged for a total of 155 GRT
1 warship damaged for a total of 1.690 tons

Born  23 Jul, 1910Erfurt
Died  24 Jun, 1943North Atlantic


Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schonder

Ranks

26 Sep, 1934Seekadett
1 Jul, 1935Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan, 1937Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr, 1937Leutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1939Oberleutnant zur See
1 Sep, 1941Kapitänleutnant
1 Jun, 1943Korvettenkapitän

Decorations

1 Oct, 1939Iron Cross 2nd Class
1 Dec, 1939U-boat War Badge 1939
23 Jul, 1940Iron Cross 1st Class
19 Aug, 1942Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-53Dec, 1939 - Jan, 1940  No war patrols 
U-581 Jul, 1940 - 24 Nov, 1940  4 patrols (56 days) 
U-7718 Jan, 1941 - 2 Sep, 1942  8 patrols (210 days) 
U-20022 Dec, 1942 - 24 Jun, 1943 (+)  1 patrol (13 days) 

Personal information


Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schonder on board

Heinrich Schonder began his naval career in April 1935. After some months on the torpedo boat Falke he transferred to the U-boat force in January 1938.

He served for two years on several U-boats as watch officer before taking command of the Type IIC U-boat U-58 in June 1940. On four patrols, mostly in the North Atlantic, he sank four ships.

He left U-58 and in January 1941 commissioned the Type VIIC U-boat U-77. After three patrols in the North Atlantic he managed the breakthrough into the Mediterranean in December 1941. He made six patrols there and sank among other ships the British the frigate HMS Grove and damaged the destroyer HMS Kimberley.

'Hein' Schonder left U-77 in September 1942 and three months later commissioned the Type IX-D2 U-boat U-200 which was sunk on her first patrol with all hands on 24 June, 1943 southwest of Iceland by a RAF Liberator aircraft.


Patrol info


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-58 6 Jul, 1940  Kiel 22 Jul, 1940  Lorient Patrol,17 days
2. U-58 29 Jul, 1940  Lorient 12 Aug, 1940  Lorient Patrol,15 days
3. U-58 2 Sep, 1940  Lorient 20 Sep, 1940  Lorient Patrol,19 days
4. U-58 2 Oct, 1940  Lorient 12 Oct, 1940  Bergen  11 days
5. U-58 14 Oct, 1940  Bergen 18 Oct, 1940  Kiel Patrol,5 days
6. U-77 29 May, 1941  Kiel 7 Jul, 1941  St. Nazaire Patrol,40 days
7. U-77 2 Aug, 1941  St. Nazaire 10 Sep, 1941  St. Nazaire Patrol,40 days
8. U-77 11 Oct, 1941  St. Nazaire 13 Nov, 1941  Lorient Patrol,34 days
9. U-77 10 Dec, 1941  Lorient 19 Dec, 1941  Messina Patrol,10 days
10. U-77 21 Dec, 1941  Messina 14 Jan, 1942  Salamis Patrol,25 days
11. U-77 28 Mar, 1942  Salamis 3 Apr, 1942  Salamis Patrol,7 days
12. U-77 7 Apr, 1942  Salamis 11 Apr, 1942  La Spezia  5 days
13. U-77 6 Jun, 1942  La Spezia 17 Jun, 1942  Salamis  12 days
14. U-77 23 Jun, 1942  Salamis 9 Jul, 1942  Salamis Patrol,17 days
15. U-77 16 Jul, 1942  Salamis 21 Aug, 1942  Salamis Patrol,37 days
16. U-77 25 Aug, 1942  Salamis 30 Aug, 1942  Pola  6 days
17. U-200 12 Jun, 1943  Kiel 24 Jun, 1943  Sunk Patrol,13 days

13 patrols, 279 days at sea

Ships hit by Heinrich Schonder


Date BoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
18 Jul, 1940 U-58Gyda1.591 nw 
4 Aug, 1940 U-58Pindos4.360 gr SL-40 
8 Oct, 1940 U-58Confield4.956 br HX-76 
 
13 Jun, 1941 U-77Tresillian4.743 br OB-330 
22 Jun, 1941 U-77Arakaka2.379 br 
25 Jun, 1941 U-77Anna Bulgaris4.603 gr 
15 Dec, 1941 U-77Empire Barracuda4.972 br 
 
12 Jan, 1942 U-77HMS Kimberley (F 50)1.690 br damaged
12 Jun, 1942 U-77HMS Grove (L 77)1.050 br MW-11 
22 Jul, 1942 U-77Vassiliki140 gr 
24 Jul, 1942 U-77Toufic El Rahman30 sy 
30 Jul, 1942 U-77Fany43 ag 
1 Aug, 1942 U-77St. Simon100 ag 
6 Aug, 1942 U-77Adnan155 ag damaged
6 Aug, 1942 U-77Ezzet158 ag 
10 Aug, 1942 U-77Kharouf158 pl 
16 Aug, 1942 U-77Daniel100 pl 
 31.228

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.


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

Listing of all U-boat commanders