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Hans-Joachim Horrer

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 33)


Successes
1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 417 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 2.847 GRT

Born  6 Feb, 1908Dortmund
Died  14 Sep, 1942Arctic Ocean


Ranks

1 Feb, 1940Kapitänleutnant
1 Sep, 1942Korvettenkapitän

Decorations

U-boat Commands

U-55530 Jan, 1941 - 25 Aug, 1941  No war patrols 
U-58925 Sep, 1941 - 14 Sep, 1942 (+)  8 patrols (99 days) 

Personal information

Hans-Joachim Horrer joined the Kriegsmarine in 1933 and went through the usual officer training. He was a Gunnery Officer and Watch Officer on the destroyer Z 9 Wolfgang Zenker from July 1938 to April 1940 when the destroyer was sunk during the fierce battles of Narvik, Norway.

Horrer then started his U-boat officer training which lasted from July 1940 to January 1941. He was then assigned to the almost completed type VIIC U-555 as Baubelehrung commander on Jan 18, then taking command of the boat upon commission on Jan 30, 1941. He served on the boat until 25 Aug, 1941 but never went on patrol.

He again served as Baubelehrung commander with the 8. KLA from 26 Aug to 24 Sept. He then took command of the new type VIIC boat U-589. He went on 8 patrols with the boat and was lost with his entire crew when the boat was sunk south-west of Spitzbergen on 14 Sep 1942.

Sources

Busch, R. & Röll, H. (1999). German U-boat Commanders of World War II.

Patrol info


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-589 23 Feb, 1942  Kiel 26 Feb, 1942  Helgoland  4 days
2. U-589 28 Feb, 1942  Helgoland 21 Mar, 1942  Kirkenes Patrol,22 days
3. U-589 24 Mar, 1942  Kirkenes 2 Apr, 1942  Kirkenes Patrol,10 days
4. U-589 8 Apr, 1942  Kirkenes 20 Apr, 1942  Kirkenes Patrol,13 days
5. U-589 29 Apr, 1942  Kirkenes 6 May, 1942  Kirkenes Patrol,8 days
6. U-589 8 May, 1942  Kirkenes 12 May, 1942  Skjomenfjord  5 days
7. U-589 16 May, 1942  Skjomenfjord 23 May, 1942  Narvik  8 days
8. U-589 26 May, 1942  Narvik 28 May, 1942  Bergen Patrol,3 days
9. U-589 17 Jul, 1942  Bergen 12 Aug, 1942  Skjomenfjord Patrol,27 days
10. U-589 23 Aug, 1942  Skjomenfjord 1 Sep, 1942  Narvik Patrol,10 days
11. U-589 9 Sep, 1942  Narvik 14 Sep, 1942  Sunk Patrol,6 days

8 patrols, 99 days at sea

Ships hit by Hans-Joachim Horrer


Date BoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
1 May, 1942 U-589Tsiolkovskij2.847 sj QP-11 damaged
11 Oct, 1942 U-589Musson (No 23) [Mine]417 sj 
 3.264

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.
[Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine.


Decorations and ranks information is in many cases not complete. If you can help on any of those missing that would be great.

Listing of all U-boat commanders