The Men - The Commander listing

Reinhard Suhren

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 35)


Successes
18 ships sunk for a total of 95,544 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 900 tons
4 ships damaged for a total of 28,907 GRT

Born  16 Apr 1916 Langenschwalbach, Taunus
Died  25 Aug 1984(68)Halstenbek/ Hamburg

Ranks

5 Apr 1935Offiziersanwärter
25 Sep 1935Seekadett
1 Jul 1936Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1938Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1938Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1939Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jan 1942Kapitänleutnant
1 Sep 1942Korvettenkapitän
1 Jun 1944Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

25 Sep 1939Iron Cross 2nd Class
21 Dec 1939U-boat War Badge 1939
25 Feb 1940Iron Cross 1st Class
3 Nov 1940Knights Cross
31 Dec 1941Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
Mar, 1942U-boat War Badge with Diamonds
1 Sep 1942Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords
30 Jan 1944War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-564 3 Apr 1941 1 Oct 1942   6 patrols (284 days) 

Personal information

Reinhard Suhren began his U-boat career in March 1938 with the usual training. Then he spent a year as I WO on the most successful U-boat, U-48, where he received the Knights Cross. In April 1941 he took command of U-564, and in August 1941 he sank the British corvette HMS Zinnia.

In October 1942 he left the boat and became an instructor in the 2nd ULD. Later he served in the 27th U-boat flotilla along with Korvettenkapitän Erich Topp.

During the last year of the war Fregattenkapitän Suhren was the FdU Nordwegen (Commander in Chief of U-boats in Norwegian waters) and from September 1944 the FdU Nordmeer.

Patrol info for Reinhard Suhren


 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-564 17 Jun 1941  Kiel  27 Jul 1941  Brest  Patrol 1,41 days
2. U-564 16 Aug 1941  Brest  27 Aug 1941  Brest  Patrol 2,12 days
3. U-564 16 Sep 1941  Brest  1 Nov 1941  Lorient  Patrol 3,47 days
4. U-564 11 Jan 1942  Lorient  12 Jan 1942  La Pallice   2 days
5. U-564 18 Jan 1942  La Pallice  6 Mar 1942  Brest  Patrol 4,48 days
6. U-564 4 Apr 1942  Brest  6 Jun 1942  Brest  Patrol 5,64 days
7. U-564 9 Jul 1942  Brest  18 Sep 1942  Brest  Patrol 6,72 days
6 patrols, 284 days at sea

Ships hit by Reinhard Suhren


Date BoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
27 Jun, 1941 U-564 Kongsgaard9,467  nw  HX-133 damaged
27 Jun, 1941 U-564 Maasdam8,812  nl  HX-133 
27 Jun, 1941 U-564 Malaya II8,651  br  HX-133 
29 Jun, 1941 U-564 Hekla1,215  is  
22 Aug, 1941 U-564 Clonlara1,203  ir  OG-71 
22 Aug, 1941 U-564 Empire Oak484  br  OG-71 
23 Aug, 1941 U-564 HMS Zinnia (K 98)900  br  OG-71 
24 Oct, 1941 U-564 Alhama1,352  br  HG-75 
24 Oct, 1941 U-564 Ariosto2,176  br  HG-75 
24 Oct, 1941 U-564 Carsbreck3,670  br  HG-75 
 
11 Feb, 1942 U-564 Victolite11,410  ca  
16 Feb, 1942 U-564 Opalia6,195  br  damaged
3 May, 1942 U-564 Ocean Venus7,174  br  
4 May, 1942 U-564 Eclipse9,767  br  ON-87 damaged
5 May, 1942 U-564 Delisle3,478  am  damaged
8 May, 1942 U-564 Ohioan6,078  am  
9 May, 1942 U-564 Lubrafol7,138  pa  
14 May, 1942 U-564 Potrero del Llano4,000  me  
19 Jul, 1942 U-564 Empire Hawksbill5,724  br  OS-34 
19 Jul, 1942 U-564 Lavington Court5,372  br  OS-34 
19 Aug, 1942 U-564 British Consul6,940  br  TAW(S) 
19 Aug, 1942 U-564 Empire Cloud5,969  br  TAW(S) 
30 Aug, 1942 U-564 Vardaas8,176  nw  
 125,351

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.



Teddy Suhren - Ace of Aces
Suhren / Brustat-Naval: trans. Frank James


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Books dealing with this subject include:

Nasses Eichenlaub. Brustat-Naval, Fritz, 1995.
Submarine Design. Gabler, Ulrich, 1986.
Teddy Suhren - Ace of Aces. Suhren / Brustat-Naval: trans. Frank James, 2006.
Unterseebootsbau. Gabler, Ulrich, 1996. (transl.)

Special thanks to Fernando Almeida for data on ranks and decorations.

Men who sank over 50,000 tons

Listing of all U-boat commanders