WWI U-boat commanders

Wilhelm Werner

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/05)

Successes
63 ships sunk with a total of 130,499 GRT
7 ships damaged with a total of 26,161 GRT
2 ships taken as prize with a total of 3,466 GRT

Born:6 Jun 1888 Apola 
Died:14 May 1945 Falkenau, Saxe 


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Ranks

1 Apr 1905 Seekadett
7 Apr 1906 Fähnrich zur See
28 Sep 1908 Leutnant zur See
5 Sep 1911 Oberleutnant zur See
24 Apr 1916 Kapitänleutnant
1 Mar 1920 Out of naval service

Decorations

prewar  Order of the Crown
 Iron Cross 2nd class
 Iron Cross 1st class
   U-Boat War Badge
15 Feb 1918  Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
18 Aug 1918  Pour le Mérite
   Prussian Medal Fifteen year of Service

U-boat Commands

UB 918 Feb 1915 - 28 Feb 1915
UB 76 May 1915 - 11 Apr 1916
U 559 Jun 1916 - 9 Aug 1918

Notes

Took command of U55 on 9.6.1916, contrary to previous indication 1.1.17.

Received the Pour le Mérite on the same day as Kaplt. Paul Hundius. Awarded for outstanding leadership and distinguished naval planning and successful submarine operations and also given in recognition of the sinking of a total of 206.000 BRT of enemy shipping.

After the war he stood accused of a number of war crimes; Sinking without warning the Clearfield, Artist,Trevone, Torrington, Toro and attacking the hospital ships Rewa and Guildford Castle.

In the course of time this was reduced to a single charge of sinking the SS Torrington and murdering the whole crew save the captain who was taken prisoner.

He never appeared at the Leipzig trials, he fled Germany to work on a coffee plantation in Brazil. After some years he returned to Germany and even became a National Socialist member of the Reichstag.

He was placed on the retired list 1st March 1920.

Ships hit by Wilhelm Werner

DateU-boat Name of shipType of shipTonsNat.
 
15 Sep 1915 UB 7 PatagoniaSteamer6,011br
 
8 Apr 1916 UB 7 SAL’DAGANSailing vessel75ru
9 Apr 1916 UB 7 GryozaSailing vessel119ru
28 Sep 1916 U 55 OrsinoNavy Trawler172br
30 Sep 1916 U 55 Atle (p.)Steamer1,725sw
30 Sep 1916 U 55 Talavera (p.)Steamer1,741sw
24 Oct 1916 U 55 ClearfieldTanker4,229br
28 Oct 1916 U 55 MarinaSteamer5,204br
 
22 Jan 1917 U 55 EthelFishing vessel (smack)23br
23 Jan 1917 U 55 EdenSailing vessel142ru
23 Jan 1917 U 55 SallandSteamer3,657nl
27 Jan 1917 U 55 ArtistSteamer3,570br
30 Jan 1917 U 55 EuonymusFishing vessel (smack)60br
30 Jan 1917 U 55 Helena And SamuelFishing vessel (smack)59br
30 Jan 1917 U 55 MarcelleTrawler219be
30 Jan 1917 U 55 MeritFishing vessel (smack)39br
30 Jan 1917 U 55 TrevoneFishing vessel (smack)46br
30 Jan 1917 U 55 W.A.H.Fishing vessel (smack)47br
30 Jan 1917 U 55 WetherillFishing vessel (smack)46br
31 Jan 1917 U 55 DundeeSteamer2,290ca
31 Jan 1917 U 55 Saint LeonSailing vessel230fr
31 Jan 1917 U 55 YvonneSailing vessel87fr
1 Feb 1917 U 55 AdaFishing vessel (smack)24br
1 Feb 1917 U 55 EssoniteSteamer589br
1 Feb 1917 U 55 InverlyonFishing vessel (smack)59br
2 Feb 1917 U 55 PomoschnickSailing vessel167ru
6 Feb 1917 U 55 Saxon BritonSteamer1,337br
7 Feb 1917 U 55 YolaSteamer3,504br
4 Apr 1917 U 55 H. B. Linnemann (d.)Sailing vessel444da
5 Apr 1917 U 55 ViljaSteamer1,049nw
6 Apr 1917 U 55 Vine BranchSteamer3,442br
8 Apr 1917 U 55 PetridgeSteamer1,712br
8 Apr 1917 U 55  TorringtonSteamer5,597br
8 Apr 1917 U 55 UmvotiSteamer2,616br
12 Apr 1917 U 55 ToroSteamer3,066br
15 Apr 1917 U 55  AstræaSailing vessel260da
17 Apr 1917 U 55 CairnhillSteamer4,981br
8 Jun 1917 U 55 Russian Prince (d.)Tanker4,158br
9 Jun 1917 U 55 AchillesSteamer641br
11 Jun 1917 U 55  Ausonia (d.)Passenger steamer8,153br
12 Jun 1917 U 55 Coronado (d.)Steamer6,539br
23 Jun 1917 U 55 SophieSailing vessel89da
23 Jun 1917 U 55 StarSailing vessel120da
31 Jul 1917 U 55 Belgian PrinceSteamer4,765br
6 Aug 1917 U 55 EugeniaSteamer4,835it
9 Aug 1917 U 55 Oakfield (d.)Steamer3,618br
12 Aug 1917 U 55 FalklandSteamer4,877nw
17 Aug 1917 U 55 EdinaSteamer455br
18 Aug 1917 U 55 Benjamin StevensonNavy Trawler255br
 
4 Jan 1918 U 55  RewaHospital ship7,305br
5 Jan 1918 U 55 War BaronSteamer6,240br
9 Jan 1918 U 55 UlaSteamer839nw
16 Jan 1918 U 55 GenevieveSteamer1,598fr
20 Jan 1918 U 55 HIRONDELLESailing vessel28fr
21 Jan 1918 U 55 Maria CaterinaFishing vessel (sail)71nl
26 Feb 1918 U 55 EumaeusSteamer6,696br
26 Feb 1918 U 55 MoucheSailing vessel65fr
1 Mar 1918 U 55 BorgaSteamer1,046br
7 Mar 1918 U 55 BriseSailing vessel160fr
7 Mar 1918 U 55 Saint GeorgesSailing vessel102fr
7 Mar 1918 U 55 Saint JosephSailing vessel434fr
8 Mar 1918 U 55 MadelineSteamer2,890br
10 Mar 1918 U 55 CristinaSteamer2,083sp
15 May 1918 U 55 War Grange (d.)Steamer3,100br
16 May 1918 U 55 TagonaSteamer2,004ca
17 May 1918 U 55 MotricineTanker4,047fr
18 May 1918 U 55 Denbigh HallSteamer4,943br
18 May 1918 U 55 ScholarSteamer1,635br
16 Jul 1918 U 55 MiefieldSailing vessel1,368nw
17 Jul 1918 U 55  CarpathiaPassenger steamer13,603br
23 Jul 1918 U 55 Anna SofieSteamer2,577br
31 Jul 1918 U 55 Zwaantje Cornelia (d.)Sailing vessel149nl
 160,126
65 ships sunk (133,965 tons) and 7 ships damaged (26,161 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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