Asmus Nicolai Clausen

Korvettenkapitän


Successes
23 ships sunk, total tonnage 73,428 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,379 tons

Born  2 Jun 1911 Flensburg
Died  16 May 1943(31)South Atlantic


Kapitänleutnant Nicolai Clausen

Ranks

1 May 1937 Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1937 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1938 Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1939 Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jan 1941 Kapitänleutnant
5 Apr 1945 Korvettenkapitän (posthumous)

Decorations

28 Feb 1940 Iron Cross 2nd Class
18 Apr 1940 U-boat War Badge 1939
10 Jun 1940 Iron Cross 1st Class
13 Mar 1942 Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-142 4 Sep 1940 13 Oct 1940   No war patrols 
U-37 26 Oct 1940 2 May 1941   3 patrols (85 days) 
U-129 21 May 1941 13 May 1942   4 patrols (180 days) 
U-182 30 Jun 1942 16 May 1943  (+)  1 patrol (159 days) 


Kptlt. 'Niko' Clausen on board

Nicolai Clausen joined the Reichsmarine in October 1929 as a seaman. He spent the next few years on torpedo boats (T-185 and G-10) and on the Segelschulschiff (sailing school ship) Gorch Fock. In September 1935 he transferred to the new U-boat force and after some months of training, joined U-26 under Kptlt. Werner Hartmann in April 1936.

In March 1937 he entered Marineschule (Naval Academy) Mürwik and received several months of officer training. In the next two years he served on the battlecruiser Admiral Graf Spee and the minesweeper M-134.

When war broke out in autumn 1939, his former commander Werner Hartmann requested his services, and Niko Clausen became the 1st Watch Officer (I WO) on U-37. He completed three patrols on U-37, mostly in the Atlantic, and on returning from the first patrol received his Iron Cross 2nd Class (EK II) from Karl Dönitz personally (see a photo).

He left U-37 in summer 1940 and in August commissioned the type IID U-boat U-142. After only two months he returned to U-37 to replace Victor Oehrn as commander. In May 1941 he left U-37, which then became a training boat. Three weeks later he commissioned the type IXC U-boat U-129.

The first three patrols on U-129, mostly in the Atlantic, ended without success, but during the fourth patrol, in Caribbean waters, Niko Clausen sank seven ships with a total of 25,613 tons. During this patrol he was awarded the Knights Cross. After returning from this patrol in May 1942 he turned over command of U-129 to Hans-Ludwig Witt.

In July 1942 Kptlt. Clausen commissioned U-182, another long range boat. On his first patrol, in the Indian Ocean, he sank five ships totalling 30,071 tons. On the return journey, U-182 was lost with all hands, sunk on 16 May 1943 by the American destroyers USS MacKenzie and Lamb.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.

Patrol info for Asmus Nicolai Clausen

 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-37 28 Nov 1940  Lorient  7 Jan 1941  Lorient  Patrol 1,41 days
2. U-37 30 Jan 1941  Lorient  18 Feb 1941  Lorient  Patrol 2,20 days
3. U-37 27 Feb 1941  Lorient  22 Mar 1941  Kiel  Patrol 3,24 days
4. U-129 23 Jul 1941  Kiel  24 Jul 1941  Horten   2 days
5. U-129 3 Aug 1941  Horten  30 Aug 1941  Lorient  Patrol 4,28 days
6. U-129 27 Sep 1941  Lorient  8 Oct 1941  Lorient  Patrol 5,12 days
7. U-129 21 Oct 1941  Lorient  28 Dec 1941  Lorient  Patrol 6,69 days
8. U-129 25 Jan 1942  Lorient  5 Apr 1942  Lorient  Patrol 7,71 days
9. U-182 9 Dec 1942  Horten  16 May 1943  Sunk  Patrol 8,159 days
8 patrols, 424 days at sea

Ships hit by Asmus Nicolai Clausen

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
1 Dec 1940U-37 Palmella1,578brOG-46
2 Dec 1940U-37 Gwalia1,258swOG-46
2 Dec 1940U-37 Jeanne M.2,465brOG-46
4 Dec 1940U-37 Daphne1,513swOG-46
16 Dec 1940U-37 San Carlos223sp
19 Dec 1940U-37 Rhône2,785fr
19 Dec 1940U-37 Sfax (Q 182)1,379fr
 
9 Feb 1941U-37 Courland1,325brHG-53
9 Feb 1941U-37 Estrellano1,983brHG-53
10 Feb 1941U-37 Brandenburg1,473brHG-53
7 Mar 1941U-37 Mentor3,050grOB-292
12 Mar 1941U-37 Pétursey91is
 
20 Feb 1942U-129 Nordvangen2,400nw
23 Feb 1942U-129 George L. Torian1,754ca
23 Feb 1942U-129 West Zeda5,658am
23 Feb 1942U-129 Lennox1,904ca
28 Feb 1942U-129 Bayou2,605pa
3 Mar 1942U-129 Mary5,104am
7 Mar 1942U-129 Steel Age6,188am
 
15 Jan 1943U-182 Ocean Courage7,173br
17 Feb 1943U-182 Llanashe4,836br
10 Mar 1943U-182 Richard D. Spaight7,177am
5 Apr 1943U-182 Aloe5,047br
1 May 1943U-182 Adelfotis5,838gr
 74,807

24 ships sunk (74,807 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.

Men who sank over 50,000 tons

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


German U-boat Commanders of World War II

Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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