Adalbert Schnee
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Commander
Adalbert Schnee (31 December 1913 – 4 November 1982) was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. He commanded the U-boat
s , , , and , sinking twenty-one merchant ships on twelve patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping, and received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He is thirty-seventh in the list of U-Boat aces of World War II.
, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Otto Kretschmer
, completing five combat patrols as 1.WO (second-in-command), between October 1939 and January 1940.
Schnee's first command, from January to July 1940, was the Type IIA U-boat
, in which he sailed on only a single short patrol in April supporting "Operation Weserübung
" (the invasion of Norway).
His next command, between July and October 1940, was the Type IIC U-boat
. In her he sailed on three more patrols around the coasts of the British Isles
sinking two ships for a total of 3,188 tons, and damaging one of 15,434 tons.
Schnee commanded the Type IIB
training boat during November 1940, but as this class of U-boat were withdrawn from front-line service, in January 1941 Schnee was given command of the newer, larger Type VIIC U-boat
.
Schnee sailed on seven combat patrols in U-201 between April 1941 and August 1942, sinking 19 merchant ships (totalling 87,001 tons) and damaged two others (13,386 tons). He also sank two British Royal Navy auxiliary warships, the fighter catapult ship
and the anti-submarine naval trawler . In August 1941 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, and in July 1942 with the Oak Leaves.
In October 1942 Schnee joined the BdU
staff. In his position as the Geleitzugs-Admiralstabsoffizier, he planned and organized operations against Allied convoys.
In September 1944 Schnee took command of the new Elektroboot
, one of only two Type XXI U-boats
to go on patrol ( being the other). U-2511s first and only patrol began on 3 May 1945 at Bergen
. The next day Schnee received the cease-fire order, prior to the German surrender
, and a few hours later spotted a group of British warships. Simulating an attack, he evaded the destroyer screen, closed to within 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) of the British cruiser , and then left the area without being detected. U-2511 returned to Bergen on 5 May to surrender as ordered. Schnee spoke to officers from Norfolk a few days later, who could not believe that U-2511 was able to get so close without any sonar contact. Schnee is said to have requested a comparison the respective ship's logs, which confirmed his account. His Leitender Ingenieur ("Engineer Officer") on this patrol was Gerd Suhren
.
. In October 1945 he was called to testify at the trial of Heinz-Wilhelm Eck
and the officers of , for their actions after the sinking of . Although appearing for the defence, Schnee was forced to admit he would not have acted as Eck did. He then worked for some years as a commercial representative before becoming the director of a sailing school on Elba
. He was also for many years the chairman of the Verband der U-Boots-Fahrer ("Association of U-boat Crews") in Germany. He died in 1982.
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Adalbert Schnee (31 December 1913 – 4 November 1982) was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He commanded the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s , , , and , sinking twenty-one merchant ships on twelve patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping, and received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He is thirty-seventh in the list of U-Boat aces of World War II.
Career
Schnee joined the Kriegsmarine in April 1934. After serving aboard the light cruiser , he transferred to the U-boat arm in May 1937. He spent two years on board the Type IIB U-boatGerman Type II submarine
The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal U-boat, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag and built in 1933 by the...
, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Otto Kretschmer
Otto Kretschmer
Flotilla Admiral Otto Kretschmer was a German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak...
, completing five combat patrols as 1.WO (second-in-command), between October 1939 and January 1940.
Schnee's first command, from January to July 1940, was the Type IIA U-boat
German Type II submarine
The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal U-boat, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag and built in 1933 by the...
, in which he sailed on only a single short patrol in April supporting "Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
" (the invasion of Norway).
His next command, between July and October 1940, was the Type IIC U-boat
German Type II submarine
The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal U-boat, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag and built in 1933 by the...
. In her he sailed on three more patrols around the coasts of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
sinking two ships for a total of 3,188 tons, and damaging one of 15,434 tons.
Schnee commanded the Type IIB
German Type II submarine
The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal U-boat, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag and built in 1933 by the...
training boat during November 1940, but as this class of U-boat were withdrawn from front-line service, in January 1941 Schnee was given command of the newer, larger Type VIIC U-boat
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
.
Schnee sailed on seven combat patrols in U-201 between April 1941 and August 1942, sinking 19 merchant ships (totalling 87,001 tons) and damaged two others (13,386 tons). He also sank two British Royal Navy auxiliary warships, the fighter catapult ship
Fighter catapult ship
Fighter catapult ships also known as Catapult Armed Ships were an attempt by the Royal Navy to provide air cover at sea. Five ships were acquired and commissioned as Naval vessels early in the Second World War and these were used to accompany convoys....
and the anti-submarine naval trawler . In August 1941 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
, and in July 1942 with the Oak Leaves.
In October 1942 Schnee joined the BdU
Befehlshaber der U-Boote
Befehlshaber der U-Boote was the title of the supreme commander of the Kriegsmarines U-boat Arm during World War II. The term also referred to the Command HQ of the U-boat arm itself....
staff. In his position as the Geleitzugs-Admiralstabsoffizier, he planned and organized operations against Allied convoys.
In September 1944 Schnee took command of the new Elektroboot
Elektroboot
An elektroboot was the first submarine designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as submersibles that could submerge as a temporary means to escape detection or launch an attack.- History :...
, one of only two Type XXI U-boats
German Type XXI submarine
Type XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
to go on patrol ( being the other). U-2511s first and only patrol began on 3 May 1945 at Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. The next day Schnee received the cease-fire order, prior to the German surrender
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, and a few hours later spotted a group of British warships. Simulating an attack, he evaded the destroyer screen, closed to within 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) of the British cruiser , and then left the area without being detected. U-2511 returned to Bergen on 5 May to surrender as ordered. Schnee spoke to officers from Norfolk a few days later, who could not believe that U-2511 was able to get so close without any sonar contact. Schnee is said to have requested a comparison the respective ship's logs, which confirmed his account. His Leitender Ingenieur ("Engineer Officer") on this patrol was Gerd Suhren
Gerd Suhren
Gerd Suhren was a German U-boat engineer in World War II and older brother of Fregattenkapitän and Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords recipient Reinhard Suhren.- Biography :...
.
Post-war
After the war Schnee served for six months in a German minesweeper unitGerman Mine Sweeping Administration
The German Mine Sweeping Administration was formed from former crews and vessels of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine for the purpose of mine sweeping after the Second World War, predominantly in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and existed from June 1945 to January 1948.-History:The GMSA was formed on 21...
. In October 1945 he was called to testify at the trial of Heinz-Wilhelm Eck
Heinz-Wilhelm Eck
Heinz-Wilhelm Eck was a German U-Boat commander of the Second World War, who was tried, convicted, condemned and executed postwar for ordering his crew to shoot the survivors of a Greek merchantman sunk by .-Service history:...
and the officers of , for their actions after the sinking of . Although appearing for the defence, Schnee was forced to admit he would not have acted as Eck did. He then worked for some years as a commercial representative before becoming the director of a sailing school on Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
. He was also for many years the chairman of the Verband der U-Boots-Fahrer ("Association of U-boat Crews") in Germany. He died in 1982.
War record
| Date | Ship | Tonnage | Nationality | Convoy | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In U-60 | |||||
| 13 August 1940 | Nils Gorthon | 1,787 |  Sweden |
HX-62 | Sunk |
| 31 August 1940 | Volendam | 15,434 |  Netherlands |
OB-205 | Damaged |
| 3 September 1940 | Ulva | 1,401 |  United Kingdom |
Sunk | |
| In U-201 | |||||
| 2 May 1941 | Capulet | 8,190 | United Kingdom |
HX-121 | Sunk |
| 9 May 1941 | Empire Cloud | 5,969 | United Kingdom |
OB-318 | Damaged |
| Gregalia | 5,802 | United Kingdom |
OB-318 | Sunk | |
| 19 August 1941 | Aguila | 3,255 | United Kingdom |
OG-71 | Sunk |
| Ciscar | 1,809 | United Kingdom |
OG-71 | Sunk | |
| 23 August 1941 | Aldergrove | 1,974 | United Kingdom |
OG-71 | Sunk |
| Stork | 787 | United Kingdom |
OG-71 | Sunk | |
| 21 September 1941 | Lissa | 1,511 | United Kingdom |
OG-74 | Sunk |
| Rhineland | 1,381 | United Kingdom |
OG-74 | Sunk | |
| Runa | 1,575 | United Kingdom |
OG-74 | Sunk | |
| 27 September 1941 | Cervantes | 1,810 | United Kingdom |
HG-73 | Sunk |
| 5,155 | United Kingdom |
HG-73 | Sunk | ||
| Margareta | 3,103 | United Kingdom |
HG-73 | Sunk | |
| 18 April 1942 | Victoria | 7,417 |  Argentina |
Damaged | |
| 21 April 1942 | Bris | 2,027 |  Norway |
Sunk | |
| 22 April 1942 | Derryheen | 7,217 | United Kingdom |
Sunk | |
| San Jacinto | 6,069 |  United States |
Sunk | ||
| 6 July 1942 | Avila Star | 14,443 | United Kingdom |
Sunk | |
| 12 July 1942 | Cortona | 7,093 | United Kingdom |
OS-33 | Sunk |
| Siris | 5,242 | United Kingdom |
OS-33 | Sunk | |
| 13 July 1942 | Sithonia | 6,723 | United Kingdom |
OS-33 | Sunk |
| 15 July 1942 | British Yeoman | 6,990 | United Kingdom |
Sunk | |
| 25 July 1942 | 545 | United Kingdom |
Sunk | ||
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
- 2nd Class (21 October 1939)
- 1st Class (15 August 1940)
- U-boat War BadgeU-boat War BadgeThe U-Boat War Badge was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II.-History:The U-boat War Badge was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols...
(1939) (27 November 1939) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 30 August 1941 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-201
- 105th Oak Leaves on 15 July 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-201