Otto Schultze

Otto Schultze

Otto Schultze
Born (1884-05-11)11 May 1884
Oldenburg
Died 22 January 1966(1966-01-22) (aged 81)
Hamburg
Allegiance German Empire German Empire (to 1919)
Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Kaiserliche Marine
 Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1900–1942
Rank Generaladmiral
Unit SMS König
Commands held U-63
SMS Elsass
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Pour le Mérite
Relations Heinz-Otto Schultze (son)

Otto Schultze (11 May 1884 – 22 January 1966) was a Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Pour le Mérite during World War I. The Pour le Mérite was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I. As a U boat commander during World War I, he was credited with the sinking of 53 ships for a total of 132,531 long tons (134,658 t), including the HMS Falmouth and SS Transylvania.[1]

Biography

Schultze joined the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) on 7 April 1900 as a Seekadett (sea cadet). He initially served on König during World War I before transferring to the U-boat service in 1915, taking command of U-63. He surrendered command of U-63 in mid-December 1917. He then served as a first officer of the admiral staff of the commander in chief of the U-boats at the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, he held the position of chief of the I. U-Boot-Flottille (1st U boat Flotilla). Between the wars, he held various staff positions. From September 1927-September 1929, he was commander of Elsass.[2] In October, he took command of the Marinestation der Nordsee (North Sea Naval Station). He was promoted to Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) in 1934 and to Admiral in 1936 retiring in 1937. With the outbreak of World War II, he was reactivated into active service.

Legacy

His son Heinz-Otto Schultze was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross—was a U-boat commander during World War II and was killed in action on 25 November 1943 when U-849 was sunk in the South Atlantic by depth charges from an American B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Otto Schultze retired on 31 August 1942.[3]

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Schultze". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Hildebrand, Röhr and Steinmetz 1990b, p. 34.
  3. ↑ Huß & Viohl 2003, p. 263.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rangliste der Deutschen Reichsmarine, Hrsg.: Reichswehrministerium, Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1929, p. 40.
  5. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 556.
Bibliography
  • Hildebrand, Hans H. and Henriot, Ernest (1990a). Deutschlands Admirale 1849-1945 Band 3: P-Z (in German). Biblio Verlag. Osnabrück. ISBN 3-7648-1499-3.
  • Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert; Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1990b). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe. Biographien - ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart. (10 Bände) (in German). Mundus Verlag. 
  • Huß, Jürgen & Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939-1945. Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 3-925480-79-X.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
Military offices
Preceded by
Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster		 Commanding Admiral France
2 March 1941 – 8 August 1942 		Succeeded by
Admiral Wilhelm Marschall
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