Wilhelm Dommes

Wilhelm Dommes (16 April 1907 in Berent District, West Prussia – 23 January 1990 in Hannover) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He is notable as being the commander of U-boats in the Indian Ocean,[1] whereby German and Japanese forces fought together in the only time in the war. He was the first commander of the U-boat base, in the former British seaplane base in Penang,[2] where he served as head of the Southeast Asia U-boat region.

Wilhelm Dommes
Born(1907-04-16)16 April 1907
Berent District, West Prussia
Died23 January 1990(1990-01-23) (aged 82)
Hannover
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Kriegsmarine
Years of service1933–45
RankFregattenkapitän
Commands heldU-431
U-178
Southeast Asia U-boat region
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of U-431 and U-178 Wilhelm Dommes is credited with the sinking of eight ships for a total of 40,103 gross register tons (GRT), sinking one auxiliary warship of 313 GRT, two warships of 3,548 long tons (3,605 tonnes), and damaging one ship of 3,560 GRT and one warship of 450 long tons (460 t).

Date U-boat Ship Nationality Tonnage Fate[3]
2 October 1941 U-431 Hatasu  United Kingdom 3,198 Sunk
13 December 1941 U-431 Myriel  United Kingdom 3,560 Damaged
29 January 1942 U-431 HMS Sotra  Royal Navy 313 Sunk
20 May 1942 U-431 Eocene  United Kingdom 4,216 Sunk
15 June 1942 U-431 HMS LCT-119  Royal Navy 450 Damaged
10 November 1942 U-431 HMS Martin  Royal Navy 1,920 Sunk
13 November 1942 U-431 HNLMS Isaac Sweers  Royal Netherlands Navy 1,628 Sunk
1 June 1943 U-178 Salabangka  Netherlands 6,586 Sunk
4 July 1943 U-178 Breiviken  Norway 2,669 Sunk
4 July 1943 U-178 Michael Livanos  Greece 4,774 Sunk
11 July 1943 U-178 Mary Livanos  Greece 4,771 Sunk
14 July 1943 U-178 Robert Bacon  United States 7,197 Sunk
17 July 1943 U-178 City of Canton  United Kingdom 6,692 Sunk

Awards

References

Citations
  1. Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The U-Boat War in the Indian Ocean". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
  2. Hildebrand H. & Henriot E., Deutschlands Admirale 1849-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück (1989)
  3. http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u178/html%7Caccess date 24 January 2013
  4. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 283.
  5. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 284.
  6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 164.
  7. Scherzer 2007, p. 278.

Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wilhelm Dommes". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
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