Helmut Rosenbaum
Encyclopedia
Helmut Rosenbaum was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. He is also a recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. His greatest achievement as U-boat
commander was the sinking of the British aircraft carrier
HMS Eagle
on 11 August 1942.
.
In August 1942 Rosenbaum attempted an attack on a convoy of Operation Pedestal
bound for Malta
. On 11 August 1942 he made contact and fired four torpedoes at the aircraft carrier
HMS Eagle
sinking her in the engagement.
Helmut Rosenbaum was killed in an airplane crash on 5 October 1944 near Constanţa
in Romania
as commander of the 30th U-boat Flotilla. Rosenbaum was on his way to a meeting with the commanding admiral of the Black Sea.
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 It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine.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 is also a recipient of the coveted 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...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. His greatest achievement as 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...
commander was the sinking of the British aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (1918)
HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924...
on 11 August 1942.
Military career
Helmut Rosenbaum commissioned U 73 on 30 September 1940 after completing his first patrols in U 2. He sank one ship on his first patrol and four ships on his second patrol, the first in the North Atlantic. In February 1942 U 73 was heavily bombed during his first Mediterranean patrol but nevertheless managed to reach La SpeziaLa Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
.
In August 1942 Rosenbaum attempted an attack on a convoy of Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
bound for Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. On 11 August 1942 he made contact and fired four torpedoes at the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (1918)
HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924...
sinking her in the engagement.
Helmut Rosenbaum was killed in an airplane crash on 5 October 1944 near Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
as commander of the 30th U-boat Flotilla. Rosenbaum was on his way to a meeting with the commanding admiral of the Black Sea.
Awards
- Dienstauszeichnung 4th Class (15 August 1936)
- 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....
(1939)- 2nd Class (15 April 1940)
- 1st Class (25 April 1941)
- 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...
(4 March 1941) - Silver Medal of Military ValorSilver Medal of Military ValorThe Silver Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on May 21, 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal...
(17 September 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight'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...
on 12 August 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-73 - Mentioned twice in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
(4 April 1941 and 12 August 1942)
Combat career
| Date | U-boat | Name of Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 February 1941 | U 73 | Waynegate | British | 4,260 | Sunk |
| 3 April 1941 | U 73 | Alderpool | British | 4,313 | Sunk |
| 3 April 1941 | U 73 | British Viscount | British | 6,895 | Sunk |
| 3 April 1941 | U 73 | Indier | Belgian | 5,409 | Sunk |
| 3 April 1941 | U 73 | Westpool | British | 5,724 | Sunk |
| 20 April 1941 | U 73 | Empire Endurance | British | 8,570 | Sunk |
| 20 April 1941 | U 73 | HMS ML-1003 | British | 46 | Sunk |
| 20 April 1941 | U 73 | HMS ML-1037 | British | 46 | Sunk |
| 11 August 1942 | U 73 | HMS Eagle HMS Eagle (1918) HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924... |
British | 22,600 | Sunk |