Hans-Heinrich Döhler

Hans-Heinrich Döhler (5 December 1917 – 22 February 1943) was a German U-boat commander[1] in World War II.

Hans-Heinrich Döhler
Born(1917-12-05)5 December 1917
Bad Schwartau, Schleswig-Holstein, German Empire
Died22 February 1943(1943-02-22) (aged 25)
North Atlantic Ocean
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Kriegsmarine
Years of service1937–43
RankOberleutnant zur See
Commands heldU-21
U-606
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsU-boat War Badge 1939, Iron Cross 1st Class

Hans-Heinrich Döhler joined Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in 1937. He served on the heavy cruiser Deutschland (later renamed Lützow) from July 1939 to April 1940. He went through U-boat training from April to September 1940. From September 1940 to June 1941 he served with the 2. Unterseeboots-Lehrdivision[2] (2. U-boat Training Division). In July 1941 Döhler became the Second Watch Officer on U-751, serving under the command of Gerhard Bigalk. He went out on two patrols with the boat, spending 67 days at sea. Döhler went through U-boat Commander training with the 26th U-boat Flotilla from November to December 1941. Upon completing the course he commanded the "duck" U-21, a school boat, from 4 January 1942 to 24 September 1942. On 2 October 1942 Döhler took command of the Type VIIC boat U-606. After only two weeks with the new command he left Bergen, Norway to his first war patrol in the North Atlantic. U-606 left for its second patrol on 4 January 1943 and spend 50 days in the North Atlantic. On 22 February Döhler sank two ships (12,302) and damaged one (4,959) from Convoy ON 166.[3]

Fate

Döhler was killed on 22 February 1943 when U-606 was sunk in the North Atlantic by depth charges from the US coastguard cutter Campbell and the Polish destroyer Burza.

Summary of Career

Ships sunk
DateU-boatName of shipNationalityTonnageFate
28 October 1942 U-606 Gurney E. Newlin  United States 8,225 Sunk
22 February 1943 U-606 Chattanooga City  United States 5,687 Sunk
22 February 1943 U-606 Empire Redshank  United Kingdom 6,615 Sunk

Awards
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gollark: Some offense.
gollark: You can't even add an emoji without repeatedly messing up in convoluted wyas.
gollark: Not really.

References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Heinrich Döhler". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  2. Busch, R.; Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
  3. Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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