Otto Kretschmer | |
|---|---|
 Kapitänleutnant Kretschmer, November 1940 | |
| Nickname(s) | Otto der Schweiger (Silent Otto)[1] |
| Born | 1 May 1912 Heidau, Neisse, German Empire (now Hajduki Nyskie, Poland) |
| Died | 5 August 1998 (aged 86) Straubing, Germany |
| Allegiance |  Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
| Service |  Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Navy |
| Years of service | 1930–1945 1955–1970 |
| Rank | Reichsmarine (1930–1935):
Kriegsmarine (1935–1945): Bundesmarine (1955–1970): |
| Unit | 2nd U-boat Flotilla 1st U-boat Flotilla 7th U-boat Flotilla |
| Commands | U-35, 31 July 1937 – 15 August 1937 U-23, 1 October 1937 – 1 April 1940 U-99, 18 April 1940 – 17 March 1941 |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 – 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War.
From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 44 ships, including one warship, a total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. He earned the nickname "Silent Otto", both for his successful use of the "silent running" capability of U-boats and for his reluctance to transmit radio messages during patrols. After the war he served in the German Federal Navy, from which he retired in 1970 with the flag rank of commodore.
- ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 717.