WWI U-boat commanders

Most Successful U-boat Commanders

Below are the 20 most successful U-boat commanders of World War One.

CommanderSuccesses
1.Kptlt. Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière195 ships sunk or captured (455,868 tons)
7 ships damaged (31,810 tons)
2.Kptlt. Walter Forstmann149 ships sunk or captured (391,602 tons)
7 ships damaged (30,552 tons)
3.Kptlt. Max Valentiner144 ships sunk or captured (299,453 tons)
6 ships damaged (33,151 tons)
4.Kptlt. Otto Steinbrinck206 ships sunk or captured (245,411 tons)
10 ships damaged (60,669 tons)
5.Kptlt. Hans Rose82 ships sunk or captured (221,106 tons)
9 ships damaged (45,606 tons)
6.Kptlt. Gustav Sieß56 ships sunk or captured (188,895 tons)
9 ships damaged (35,657 tons)
7.Kptlt. Walther Schwieger49 ships sunk or captured (185,211 tons)
4 ships damaged (3,488 tons)
8. Wolfgang Steinbauer50 ships sunk or captured (181,532 tons)
11 ships damaged (60,193 tons)
9.Kptlt. Claus Rücker80 ships sunk or captured (174,655 tons)
3 ships damaged (9,951 tons)
10.Oblt. Reinhold Saltzwedel111 ships sunk or captured (173,207 tons)
10 ships damaged (17,131 tons)
11.Kptlt. Kurt Hartwig48 ships sunk or captured (163,285 tons)
6 ships damaged (27,902 tons)
12.KrvKpt. Waldemar Kophamel56 ships sunk or captured (157,771 tons)
4 ships damaged (6,104 tons)
13.Kptlt. Hans von Mellenthin58 ships sunk or captured (154,813 tons)
6 ships damaged (31,405 tons)
14.Kptlt. Otto Wünsche77 ships sunk or captured (153,630 tons)
6 ships damaged (25,276 tons)
15.Oblt. Johannes Lohs77 ships sunk or captured (148,290 tons)
16 ships damaged (89,369 tons)
16.Kptlt. Robert Moraht46 ships sunk or captured (147,869 tons)
3 ships damaged (9,420 tons)
17.Kptlt. Konrad Gansser56 ships sunk or captured (143,225 tons)
3 ships damaged (10,771 tons)
18.Kptlt. Rudolf Schneider45 ships sunk or captured (140,783 tons)
5 ships damaged (21,956 tons)
19.Kptlt. Otto Schultze54 ships sunk or captured (137,779 tons)
8 ships damaged (26,945 tons)
20.Oblt. Erwin Waßner91 ships sunk or captured (136,530 tons)
5 ships damaged (15,297 tons)


These 20 commanders sank 1,730 ships for a total of 4,000,915 tons.

WWI U-boat commanders