Description

Otto Kretschmer was only in combat from September 1939 until March 1941 but was Germanys highestscoring Uboat commander sinking fortyseven ships This definitive work details his personal story and the political backdrop from his earliest days

After completing his officer training and time on the training ship Niobe he served aboard the light cruiser Emden In December 1934 he was transferred to the light cruiser Kln then in January 1936 made the move to the fledgling Uboat service During the Spanish Civil War Kretschmer was involved in several patrols as part of the international nonintervention force

He demonstrated a cool approach to combat his mantra one torpedo for one ship proved that the best way for his boat to succeed against a convoy was to remain surfaced as much as possible penetrating the convoy and using the boats high speed and small silhouette to avoid retaliation

His nickname Silent Otto referred to his ability to remain undetected and his reluctance to provide the regular radio reports required by Dnitz Alongside his military skill was a character that remained rooted in the traditions of the Prussian military