Hans-Heinrich Döhler
| Hans-Heinrich Döhler | |
|---|---|
| Born |
5 December 1917 Bad Schwartau, Schleswig-Holstein, German Empire |
| Died |
22 February 1943 (aged 25) North Atlantic Ocean |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
.svg.png){kind=small} Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1937–43 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant zur See |
| Commands held |
U-21 U-606 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | U-boat War Badge 1939, Iron Cross 1st Class |
Hans-Heinrich Döhler (5 December 1917 – 22 February 1943) was a German U-boat commander[1] in World War II.
Naval career
Hans-Heinrich Döhler joined Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in 1937. He served on the heavy cruiser Deutschland (later renamed Lützow) from July 1939 to April 1940. He went through U-boat training from April to September 1940. From September 1940 to June 1941 he served with the 2. Unterseeboots-Lehrdivision[2] (2. U-boat Training Division). In July 1941 Döhler became the Second Watch Officer on U-751, serving under the command of Gerhard Bigalk. He went out on two patrols with the boat, spending 67 days at sea. Döhler went through U-boat Commander training with the 26th U-boat Flotilla from November to December 1941. Upon completing the course he commanded the "duck" U-21, a school boat, from 4 January 1942 to 24 September 1942. On 2 October 1942 Döhler took command of the Type VIIC boat U-606. After only two weeks with the new command he left Bergen, Norway to his first war patrol in the North Atlantic. U-606 left for its second patrol on 4 January 1943 and spend 50 days in the North Atlantic. On 22 February Döhler sank two ships (12,302) and damaged one (4,959) from Convoy ON 166.[3]
Fate
Döhler was killed on 22 February 1943 when U-606 was sunk in the North Atlantic by depth charges from the US coastguard cutter Campbell and the Polish destroyer Burza.
Summary of Career
Ships sunk
| Date | U-boat | Name of ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 October 1942 | U-606 | Gurney E. Newlin |  United States |
8,225 | Sunk |
| 22 February 1943 | U-606 | Chattanooga City | United States |
5,687 | Sunk |
| 22 February 1943 | U-606 | Empire Redshank |  United Kingdom |
6,615 | Sunk |
Awards
- Iron Cross 2nd Class - November 1939
- U-boat War Badge 1939 - 9 November 1941
- Iron Cross 1st Class - 6 December 1942
References
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Heinrich Döhler". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
- ↑ Busch, R.; Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
- ↑ Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.