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Ralph Wenninger
Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/07)
| Successes 98 ships sunk with a total of 102,638 GRT 7 ships damaged with a total of 27,849 GRT 1 ship taken as prize with a total of 0 GRTNo ships sunk or damaged |
| Born: | 22 Apr 1890 | |
| Died: | 13 Mar 1945 | Italy |
 | Ranks
Decorations
|
U-boat Commands
| UB 11 | 4 Mar 1915 | - | 10 Mar 1915 |
| UB 17 | 4 May 1915 | - | 6 Feb 1916 |
| UB 17 | 16 Apr 1916 | - | 27 Jun 1916 |
| UC 17 | 23 Jul 1916 | - | 21 May 1917 |
| UB 55 | 1 Jul 1917 | - | 22 Apr 1918 |
Notes
Wenninger joined the U-boat force in December 1914. He first served on the UB 17 from 4 May 1915 on, then on UC 17 from 23 July 1916 and took command of UB 55 on 1 July 1917.
In November 1917 he was promoted to Kptlt. and on 30 March 1918 he was awarded the Pour le Mérite. He became a prisoner of war with a part of his crew on 22 April 1918 after UB 55 hit a mine in the Dover Barrage while running underwater. Between 15 and 20 men escaped from the sinking submarine, but only 8 were found alive by the British trawler Mate. One of the men died on the ship while being transported to Dover.
Wenninger remained in the navy and joined the Luftwaffe on 1 March 1935 as a Oberst, even became General der Flieger on the 1st November 1940. He died in Italy under unknown circumstances on the 13 March 1945.
He sank a total of 97 merchant vessels or 100.306 BRT.