WWI U-boat commanders

Hans Walther

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/02)

Successes
39 ships sunk with a total of 84,791 GRT
3 warships sunk with a total of 18,471 tons
3 ships damaged with a total of 12,201 GRT
1 warship damaged with a total of 1,250 tons
2 ships taken as prize with a total of 4,956 GRT

Born:25 Dec 1883 Patschkau, Silesia (now Paczków, Poland) 
Died:4 Jan 1950 Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein 

Hans Walther

Ranks

1 Apr 1902 Seekadett
11 Apr 1903 Fähnrich zur See
29 Sep 1905 Leutnant zur See
30 Mar 1908 Oberleutnant zur See
22 Mar 1914 Kapitänleutnant
1 Mar 1921 Korvettenkapitän
1 Apr 1928 Fregattenkapitän
30 Sep 1929 Out of naval service
30 Sep 1929 Kapitän zur See (Charakter)
30 Sep 1929 Kapitän zur See (Charakter) (Ergänzungsoffizier)
1 Apr 1938 Kapitän zur See (Ergänzungsoffizier)
1 Jan 1941 Konteradmiral

Decorations

7 Sep 1907  Order of the Crown
 Iron Cross 2nd class
 Iron Cross 1st class
23 Sep 1916  Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
9 Jan 1917  Pour le Mérite
 Military Merit Cross
1918 or later  Friedrich-August Cross (Oldenburg)
 U-Boat War Badge

U-boat Commands

U 172 Mar 1915 - 9 Jan 1916
U 528 May 1916 - 18 Sep 1917

Notes

Born in 1883. Entered the Kaiserliche Marine as Seekadett in 1902. In 1913 was at the U-Boot Schule and afterwards CO of U 3. During 1914 served on the SMS Augsburg as Torpedo officer and on U9 early 1915. Later in the war command of U 17 and U 52. On the 19th of August 1916 he sank the light cruiser HMS Nottingham (5.440 BRT) and on the 20th November of that year the French battleship Suffren (12.750 BRT). 21st July 1917 the British submarine C34 became another of his victims east of Far Isle.

In 1917 he became Chef der U Flottille Flandern I. After the war he remained with the navy and was promoted Korvettenkapitän in 1921. In 1929 he left service as Kapitän zur See and became Führer des Verbandes der Unterseebott Kameradschaften.

In 1936 he re-entered service as Kapitän zur See. The photo on the left is of Hans later in his career.

Ships hit by Hans Walther

DateU-boat Name of shipType of shipTonsNat.
 
12 Jun 1915 U 17 CocosSailing vessel85da
12 Jun 1915 U 17 DesablaTanker6,047br
18 Jun 1915 U 17  AilsaSteamer876br
8 Aug 1915 U 17 GlenravelSteamer1,092br
8 Aug 1915 U 17  MalmlandSteamer3,676sw
10 Aug 1915 U 17 UtopiaSteamer155br
14 Aug 1915 U 17 GloriaTrawler130br
15 Aug 1915 U 17 Götaland (p.)Steamer3,538sw
15 Aug 1915 U 17 MarieSailing vessel158da
16 Aug 1915 U 17 RomulusSteamer819nw
16 Aug 1915 U 17 TelloSteamer1,218nw
24 Oct 1915 U 17  Rumina (p.)Steamer1,418sw
 
11 Jul 1916 U 52 OnwardNavy Trawler266br
19 Aug 1916 U 52  Nottingham (hms)Light cruiser5,400br
26 Sep 1916 U 52 Conqueror IiNavy Yacht526br
26 Sep 1916 U 52 Sarah AliceNavy trawler299br
26 Sep 1916 U 52 St. GothardSteamer2,788br
25 Nov 1916 U 52 Egyptiana (d.)Steamer3,818br
25 Nov 1916 U 52  SuffrenBattleship12,750fr
10 Dec 1916 U 52 Emma LauransSailing vessel2,153fr
 
30 Mar 1917 U 52 Michelina CatalanoSailing vessel78it
4 Apr 1917 U 52  MissourianSteamer7,924am
4 Apr 1917 U 52 RavennaPassenger steamer4,101it
5 Apr 1917 U 52 Angel MarinaSailing vessel257it
7 Apr 1917 U 52 SewardSteamer2,471am
8 Apr 1917 U 52 AlbaSteamer1,639it
9 Apr 1917 U 52 EsterelSteamer2,574fr
11 Apr 1917 U 52  AnsgarSailing vessel301da
12 Apr 1917 U 52 GlencliffeSteamer3,673br
14 Apr 1917 U 52 Tres MacsAuxiliary motor163pt
15 Apr 1917 U 52 Cabo Blanco (d.)Steamer2,163sp
16 Apr 1917 U 52 CriosSteamer4,116gr
19 Apr 1917 U 52 Senhora Da ConceicaoSailing vessel206pt
20 Apr 1917 U 52 CaithnessSteamer3,500br
21 Apr 1917 U 52 Heather (d.)Sloop1,250br
23 Apr 1917 U 52 AcadiaSailing vessel1,556nw
6 Jul 1917 U 52 FloraPassenger steamer818nw
9 Jul 1917 U 52 Prince AbbasSteamer2,030br
11 Jul 1917 U 52 VandaSteamer1,646sw
12 Jul 1917 U 52 FredrikaSteamer1,851sw
17 Jul 1917 U 52 C 34Submarine321br
20 Aug 1917 U 52 BulyssesTanker6,127br
1 Sep 1917 U 52 TarapacaSailing vessel2,506fr
2 Sep 1917 U 52 WentworthSteamer3,828br
4 Sep 1917 U 52  PeerlessSteamer3,112br
5 Sep 1917 U 52 EchungaTanker6,285br
5 Sep 1917 U 52 San Dunstano (d.)Tanker6,220br
11 Sep 1917 U 52 TobolSteamer3,741ru
 121,669
44 ships sunk (108,218 tons) and 4 ships damaged (13,451 tons).


Legend
(d.) means the ship was damaged.
(p.) means the ship was taken as prize (included in ships & tonnage lost).
We have a picture of this vessel.

Media links


Kaiserliche Marine U-Boote 1914-1918

Dufeil, Yves

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