Otto Schuhart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 4 September 1909 Hamburg, German Empire |
| Died | 10 March 1990 (aged 80) Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
| Allegiance |  Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service |  Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service | 1929–45, 1955–67 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän (Wehrmacht) Kapitän zur See (Bundeswehr) |
| Commands | U-8, U-25, U-29 21st U-boat Flotilla |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Federal Cross of Merit 1st class |
Otto Schuhart (4 September 1909 – 10 March 1990) was a German submarine commander during World War II, who commanded the U-boat U-29 and was credited with the sinking of the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous on 17 September 1939, the first British warship to be lost in the war. In total Schuhart claimed thirteen ships sunk on seven war patrols, for a total of 67,277 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied merchant shipping and one warship of 22,500 long tons (22,900 tonnes).
Born in Hamburg, Schuhart joined the Reichsmarine (navy) of the Weimar Republic in 1929, transferring to the U-boat force in 1936. Following the sinking of HMS Courageous the entire crew of U-29 received the Iron Cross 2nd Class while Schuhart as commander received both classes of the Iron Cross, 2nd and 1st Class. After a further six war patrols, Schuhart became commander of the 1st U-boat Training Division and later of the 21st U-boat Flotilla. He spent the last months of the war at the Naval Academy at Mürwik. After World War II he worked in various civil jobs and in 1955 rejoined military service in the Bundesmarine of the Federal Republic of Germany. He retired in 1967 and died on 10 March 1990 in Stuttgart.