Jürgen Oesten
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Oesten was a Korvettenkapitän in the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. He commanded the U-boat
s and , and then served as a staff officer before returning to command . He sank nineteen ships for a total of , and damaged four others for to become number 29 on the list of the highest scoring U-Boat aces of World War II.
, Berlin
, Oesten joined the Reichsmarine
in April 1933. After serving aboard the cruiser
s and he transferred to the U-boat arm in May 1937, and was appointed watch officer of . In August 1939 Oesten commissioned , sailing on nine patrols, and sinking five ships. Taking command of in September 1940, he sailed on three patrols sinking another ten ships. On 20 March 1941 during an attack on convoy SL-68 he damaged the British battleship
. In October 1941 Oesten became the first commander of the 9th U-boat Flotilla based in Brest, France
. In March 1942 he joined the staff of FdU
Nordmeer directing the U-boat war in the Norwegian Sea
. In September 1943 Oesten returned to active duty in , sailing to Penang
to join the Monsun Gruppe
of U-boats operating in the Indian Ocean, and sinking another four ships, bringing his career total to 19 ships sunk, totalling 101,744 GRT, and four ships damaged (51,668 GRT). U-861 left Soerabaya
, Dutch East Indies
, in January 1945 carrying a cargo of vital materials, but only two torpedoes, and reached Trondheim
, Norway, in April, just before the German surrender
. Oesten was a technical advisor for the 2005 submarine simulator
Silent Hunter III
.
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 It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine.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 , and then served as a staff officer before returning to command . He sank nineteen ships for a total of , and damaged four others for to become number 29 on the list of the highest scoring U-Boat aces of World War II.
Career
Born in GrunewaldGrunewald
Grunewald is a locality within the Berliner borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Famous for the homonymous forest, until 2001 administrative reform it was part of the former district of Wilmersdorf.-Geography:The locality is situated in the western side of the city and is separated from...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Oesten joined the Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
in April 1933. After serving aboard the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s and he transferred to the U-boat arm in May 1937, and was appointed watch officer of . In August 1939 Oesten commissioned , sailing on nine patrols, and sinking five ships. Taking command of in September 1940, he sailed on three patrols sinking another ten ships. On 20 March 1941 during an attack on convoy SL-68 he damaged the British battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
. In October 1941 Oesten became the first commander of the 9th U-boat Flotilla based in Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. In March 1942 he joined the staff of FdU
Führer der U-Boote
The post of Führer der U-Boote was the senior commanding officer of the submarine service in the pre-World War II German Kriegsmarine, and the title of several senior commands during the war. From January 1936 and until 17 October 1939, Karl Dönitz served in this position...
Nordmeer directing the U-boat war in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
. In September 1943 Oesten returned to active duty in , sailing to Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
to join the Monsun Gruppe
Monsun Gruppe
The Monsun Gruppe or Monsoon Group was a force of German U-boats that operated in the Pacific and Indian Oceans during World War II...
of U-boats operating in the Indian Ocean, and sinking another four ships, bringing his career total to 19 ships sunk, totalling 101,744 GRT, and four ships damaged (51,668 GRT). U-861 left Soerabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
, in January 1945 carrying a cargo of vital materials, but only two torpedoes, and reached Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway, in April, just before 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...
. Oesten was a technical advisor for the 2005 submarine simulator
Submarine simulator
A submarine simulator, or subsim for short, is usually a computer game in which the player commands a submarine. The usual form of the game is to go on a series of missions, each of which features a number of encounters where the goal is to sink surface ships and to survive counterattacks by...
Silent Hunter III
Silent Hunter III
Silent Hunter III is a submarine simulation developed by Ubisoft Romania and published by Ubisoft. It was released for the PC on March 15, 2005. Like Silent Hunter II, it places the player in command of a German U-Boat during World War II and the Battle of the Atlantic...
.
Awards
- Spanish CrossSpanish CrossThe Spanish Cross was an award of Germany given to Germans who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for Franco.- History :With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Germany sent the Condor Legion to give military aid to Francisco Franco's nationalist forces.On April 14, 1939, Germany...
in bronze without swords (6 June 1939) - 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 (3 December 1939)
- 1st Class (27 February 1940)
- Sudetenland MedalSudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
(20 December 1939) - 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 26 March 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-106 - Mentioned 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....
on 22 March 1941