Walther Schwieger

Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger (Wilhem Otto Walther Schwieger) (7 April 1885 – 5 September 1917) was a U-boat commander in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) during First World War. In 1915, he sank the passenger liner RMS Lusitania with the loss of 1,198 lives.

Walther Schwieger
Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger (1917)
Born7 April 1885
Berlin, German Empire
Died5 September 1917 (1917-09-06) (aged 32)
North Sea, off Terschelling, Netherlands
Allegiance German Empire
Service/branch Imperial German Navy
Years of service1903–17
Rank Kapitänleutnant
Commands heldU-14, 1 August – 85 December 1914
U-20, 16 December 1914 – 5 November 1916
U-88, 23 July 1916 – 5 September 1917
Battles/warsU-boat Campaign (World War I)
AwardsPour le Mérite

Military career
Schwieger (bottom right) in a 1906 group photograph of torpedo division students

In 1903 he joined the Imperial German Navy and from 1911 onwards he served with the U-boat Service. In 1912 he took over the command of the U-14. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and given command of the U-20.

On 7 May 1915, Schwieger was responsible for U-20's sinking passenger liner RMS Lusitania leading to the deaths of 1,198 people, an event that played a role in the United States' later entry into World War I. He also torpedoed SS Hesperian on 4 September 1915 and SS Cymric on 8 May 1916. On 31 May 1917, his U-boat U-88 sank the Miyazaki Maru during that ship's voyage from Yokohama to London, causing the loss of eight lives.

Schwieger was killed in action on 5 September 1917. His U-boat U-88 was sunk by the British Q Ship HMS Stonecrop [1]. It sank north of Terschelling at 53°57′N 4°55′E with a loss of all hands.

During his wartime career, Schwieger captained three different submarines, on a total of 34 missions. He sank 49 ships, measuring 183,883 gross register tons (GRT). He was the sixth most successful submarine commander of World War I. Walther was represented in the docudrama Lusitania: Terror At Sea in 2007, where he was played by actor Florian Panzner.

References
  1. The Killing Time E.A.Gray p.137-8
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walther Schwieger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
  • Maritimequest U-20 Photo Gallery


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