Reinhard Suhren
Encyclopedia
Commander
Reinhard "Teddy" Suhren (16 April 1916 – 25 August 1984) was a German
U-boat
commander
in World War II
and younger brother of Korvettenkapitän (Ing.) and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) recipient Gerd Suhren
. Suhren began his U-boat career in March 1938. He spent a year as 1st watch officer on U-48 where he received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. In April 1941 he took command of U-564. He is credited with the sinking of 18 merchant vessels of , 1 war ship of 900 tons and damaged 4 merchant vessels of for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub mit Schwertern).
Suhren left the boat and became an instructor in October 1942. He then served in the 27th U-boat flotilla along with Korvettenkapitän Erich Topp
. During the last year of the war Fregattenkapitän Suhren was the Führer der U-Boote Norwegen
(Leader of U-boats in Norwegian waters) and from September 1944 the Commander-in-Chief of U-boats of the North Sea.
and joined the Reichsmarine
on 5 April 1935 after he had received his Abitur
from the Landständischen Oberschule in Bautzen
. He received his military basic training in the 2nd company (2. Kompanie) in the 2nd department (II. Abteilung) of the standing ship division (Schiffsstammdivision) of the Baltic Sea
in Stralsund
(5 April 1934–17 June 1935). He was then transferred to the school ship
Gorch Fock
(18 June 1935–26 September 1935) attaining the rank of Seekadett
on 25 September 1935.
for assisting in the sinking of of allied shipping. In April 1941 he took command of U-564, and in August 1941 he sank the British
corvette
HMS Zinnia
. In May 1942 he sunk the Mexican oil tanker
Potrero del Llano
. The sinking of this ship, compounded with U-106's attack on another tank, the Faja de Oro
, would bring Mexico to declare war on the Axis powers.
In October 1942 he left the boat and became an instructor. Later he served in the 27th U-boat Flotilla along with Korvettenkapitän Erich Topp
. During the last year of the war the newly appointed Fregattenkapitän Suhren was Führer der U-Boote in Norwegian waters and from September 1944 for the North Sea
.
His parents and sister committed suicide in 1945, after failing to escape from the Sudetenland
.
, Suhren greeted his friend Hein Uphoff with the words "Hein, Hein, sind die Nazis noch am Ruder?" Literally translating to "Hein, Hein, are the Nazis still at the rudder?" This made news in the entire U-Boat service.
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Reinhard "Teddy" Suhren (16 April 1916 – 25 August 1984) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 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...
and younger brother of Korvettenkapitän (Ing.) and 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...
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) recipient 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 :...
. Suhren began his U-boat career in March 1938. He spent a year as 1st watch officer on U-48 where he received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. In April 1941 he took command of U-564. He is credited with the sinking of 18 merchant vessels of , 1 war ship of 900 tons and damaged 4 merchant vessels of for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
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...
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub mit Schwertern).
Suhren left the boat and became an instructor in October 1942. He then served in the 27th U-boat flotilla along with Korvettenkapitän Erich Topp
Erich Topp
Rear Admiral Erich Topp was the third most successful of German U-Boot Experten commanders of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
. During the last year of the war Fregattenkapitän Suhren was the Führer der U-Boote Norwegen
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...
(Leader of U-boats in Norwegian waters) and from September 1944 the Commander-in-Chief of U-boats of the North Sea.
Biography
Suhren was born on 16 April 1916 in Langenschwalbach in the TaunusTaunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
and 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...
on 5 April 1935 after he had received his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
from the Landständischen Oberschule in Bautzen
Bautzen
Bautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...
. He received his military basic training in the 2nd company (2. Kompanie) in the 2nd department (II. Abteilung) of the standing ship division (Schiffsstammdivision) of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
(5 April 1934–17 June 1935). He was then transferred to the school ship
School ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is especially used for ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classrooms....
Gorch Fock
Gorch Fock (1933)
The Gorch Fock I is a German three-mast barque, the first of a series built as school ships for the German Reichsmarine in 1933. She was taken as war reparations by the USSR after World War II and renamed Tovarishch...
(18 June 1935–26 September 1935) attaining the rank of Seekadett
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on 25 September 1935.
World War II
He spent a year as first Watch Officer on U-48, where he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight'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...
for assisting in the sinking of of allied shipping. In April 1941 he took command of U-564, and in August 1941 he sank the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
HMS Zinnia
HMS Zinnia (K98)
HMS Zinnia was a that served in the Royal Navy.She was built at Smiths Dock Company, South Bank-on-Tees, launched on 28 November 1940 and commissioned on 30 March 1941....
. In May 1942 he sunk the Mexican oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
Potrero del Llano
Potrero del Llano
SS Potrero del Llano was an oil tanker built in 1912. She sailed for a number of companies, and survived service in the First World War, only to be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War while sailing under the Mexican flag off the coast of Florida...
. The sinking of this ship, compounded with U-106's attack on another tank, the Faja de Oro
Faja de Oro
SS Faja de Oro was an oil tanker built in 1914. She sailed for a number of companies, and survived service in the First World War, only to be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War while sailing under the Mexican flag in the Gulf of Mexico...
, would bring Mexico to declare war on the Axis powers.
In October 1942 he left the boat and became an instructor. Later he served in the 27th U-boat Flotilla along with Korvettenkapitän Erich Topp
Erich Topp
Rear Admiral Erich Topp was the third most successful of German U-Boot Experten commanders of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
. During the last year of the war the newly appointed Fregattenkapitän Suhren was Führer der U-Boote in Norwegian waters and from September 1944 for the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
His parents and sister committed suicide in 1945, after failing to escape from the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
.
Summary of career
Reinhard Suhren is credited with the destruction of 18 merchant ships for a total of , 1 warship sunk for a total of and damaged 4 ships for a total of .| Date | U-boat | Name of Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1941 | U-564 | Kongsgaard |  Norwegian |
9,467 | damaged at 60°00′N 30°42′W |
| 27 June 1941 | U-564 | Maasdam |  Netherlands |
8,812 | sunk at 60°00′N 30°35′W |
| 27 June 1941 | U-564 | Malaya II |  British |
8,651 | sunk at 59°56′N 30°35′W |
| 29 June 1941 | U-564 | Hekla |  Icelandic |
1,215 | sunk at 58°20′N 43°00′W |
| 22 August 1941 | U-564 | Clonlara |  Irish |
1,203 | sunk at 40°43′N 11°39′W |
| 22 August 1941 | U-564 | Empire Oak | British |
484 | sunk at 40°43′N 11°39′W |
| 23 August 1941 | U-564 | HMS Zinnia (K98) HMS Zinnia (K98) HMS Zinnia was a that served in the Royal Navy.She was built at Smiths Dock Company, South Bank-on-Tees, launched on 28 November 1940 and commissioned on 30 March 1941.... |
British |
900 | sunk at 40°25′N 10°40′W |
| 24 October 1941 | U-564 | Alhama | British |
1,352 | sunk at 35°42′N 10°58′W |
| 24 October 1941 | U-564 | Ariosto | British |
2,176 | sunk at 36°20′N 10°50′W |
| 24 October 1941 | U-564 | Carsbreck | British |
3,670 | sunk at 36°20′N 10°50′W |
| 11 February 1942 | U-564 | Victolite |  Canadian |
11,410 | sunk at 36°12′N 67°14′W |
| 16 February 1942 | U-564 | Opalia | British |
6,195 | damaged at 37°38′N 66°07′W |
| 3 May 1942 | U-564 | Ocean Venus | British |
7,174 | sunk at 28°21′N 80°23′W |
| 4 May 1942 | U-564 | Eclipse | British |
9,767 | damaged at 26°30′N 80°00′W |
| 5 May 1942 | U-564 | Delisle |  American |
3,478 | damaged at 27°06′N 80°03′W |
| 8 May 1942 | U-564 | Ohioan | American |
6,078 | sunk at 26°31′N 79°59′W |
| 9 May 1942 | U-564 | Lubrafol |  Panaman |
7,138 | sunk at 26°26′N 80°00′W |
| 14 May 1942 | U-564 | Potrero del Llano Potrero del Llano SS Potrero del Llano was an oil tanker built in 1912. She sailed for a number of companies, and survived service in the First World War, only to be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War while sailing under the Mexican flag off the coast of Florida... |
 Mexican |
4,000 | sunk at 25°35′N 80°06′W |
| 19 July 1942 | U-564 | Empire Hawksbill | British |
5,724 | sunk at 42°29′N 25°56′W |
| 19 July 1942 | U-564 | Lavington Court | British |
5,372 | sunk at 42°38′N 25°28′W |
| 19 August 1942 | U-564 | SS British Consul SS British Consul The SS British Consul was a tanker built by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland in 1922 and operated by the British Tanker Company.-First Sinking:... |
British |
6,940 | sunk at 11°58′N 62°38′W |
| 19 August 1942 | U-564 | SS Empire Cloud SS Empire Cloud Empire Cloud was a 5,969 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1940 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport . She was torpedoed on her maiden voyage, but repaired and returned to service. In 1942, she was torpedoed and sank whilst under tow to... |
British |
5,969 | sunk at 11°58′N 62°38′W |
| 30 August 1942 | U-564 | Vardaas | Norwegian |
8,176 | sunk at 11°35′N 60°40′W |
Awards
- The Return of Sudetenland Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938Sudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
(20 December 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 (25 September 1939)
- 1st Class (25 February 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) (21 December 1939)- with Diamonds (1 January 1942)
- War Merit CrossWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1944) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and SwordsKnight'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 3 November 1940 as Oberleutnant zur See and 1st watch officer on U-48
- 56th Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-564
- 18th Swords on 1 September 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-564
- 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 17 February 1945
Quotes
After returning from his last and longest mission, when U-564 came to the port of BrestBrest, 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...
, Suhren greeted his friend Hein Uphoff with the words "Hein, Hein, sind die Nazis noch am Ruder?" Literally translating to "Hein, Hein, are the Nazis still at the rudder?" This made news in the entire U-Boat service.