Emil Klusmeier

Kapitänleutnant


Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 4,669 GRT

Born  27 Jul 1912 Bochum
Died  19 Jan 1982(69)


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Ranks

1 Apr 1942 Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1943 Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1945 Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-2340 16 Oct 1944 30 Mar 1945   No war patrols 
U-2336 1 Apr 1945 15 May 1945   1 patrol (14 days) 

Emil Klusmeier joined the German Navy (Reichsmarine) in 1930. He served as ObStrm and Watch Officer on U-boats from Oct 1937 to Sept 1940 including on the U-5 from 1938-39.

From Oct 1940 to Dec 1943 Emil Klusmeier served on the BdU Operations staff. He went through specialized courses from Jan to April 1944 and then went to U-963 (Oblt. Karl Boddenberg) for his U-boat Commander sea training. They only went out on one 3 day patrol as the D Day landings took place at this time.

Leaving the boat in July 1944 Klusmeier began his U-boat familiarization (Baubelehrung) with the new small Elektro boats of type XXIII. He then took command of the new U-2340 on 16 Oct 1944 and began his workup training with the 32nd (Training) Flotilla in the Baltic.

On 30 March 1945 his U-2340 was destroyed during British bombing raid on Hamburg (Niestlé, 1998). The next day he took command of its sister boat, the U-2336, from Oblt. Jürgen Vockel who died in the same raid (Busch & Röll, 1999).

Operations with his type XXIII boat

Klusmeier sailed from Kiel, Germany on 18 April 1945 and arrived at Larvik 5 days later. From there he sailed on 1 May for its first operational patrol. On 7 May 1945 Emil Klusmeir's U-2336 torpedoed the last ships of the war when he sank the Avondale Park and Sneland near May Island in the Firth of Fort in Scotland. He then headed home and arrived at Kiel for surrender on 14 May.

After the surrender Kptlt. Emil Klusmeier was detained for a short while, being released in July 1945.

Emil Klusmeier helped design and write the battle instructions for the new type XXIII elektro boats. He then volunteered for command to test his ideas in action.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Emil Klusmeier

 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-2336 18 Apr 1945  Kiel  23 Apr 1945  Larvik   6 days
2. U-2336 1 May 1945  Larvik  14 May 1945  Kiel, Germany  Patrol 1,14 days

Ships hit by Emil Klusmeier

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
7 May 1945U-2336 Avondale Park2,878caEN-591
7 May 1945U-2336 Sneland I1,791nwEN-591
 4,669

2 ships sunk (4,669 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.

Media links


German U-boat Commanders of World War II

Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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