Hermann Kottmann

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 36)


Successes
2 ships sunk for a total of 12,309 GRT

Born  4 Dec 1915 Hannover
Died  30 Jun 1955(39)

No picture of
Hermann Kottmann
available now.


If you can get us one that would be great. If you can help with any information on this man please contact us at gummi@uboat.net.

Ranks

3 Apr 1936Offiziersanwärter
10 Sep 1936Seekadett
1 May 1937Fähnrich zur See
1 Jul 1938Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1938Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1940Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1943Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-203 21 Sep 1942 25 Apr 1943   3 patrols (79 days) 

Personal information

Hermann Kottmann entered the navy in 1936. He was gunnery officer on the Graf Spee. Interned in Argentina when the Graf Spee was scuttled, he escaped to Chile, crossed the Pacific on a Japanese vessel, and then served in the SS for one year. The he joined the U-boat arm, served under Friedrich Guggenberger, then was executive officer on U-203 before becoming commander of that boat.

After U-203 was sunk he was taken captive, and eventually ended up at the Papago Park POW camp in Arizona (USA). On 12 February, 1944 he participated in an escape from that camp. In company with two other U-boat commanders, he crossed the Mexican border and continued on for thirty miles before being captured and returned to Papago Park.

Patrol info for Hermann Kottmann


 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-203 15 Oct 1942  Brest  6 Nov 1942  Lorient  Patrol 1,23 days
2. U-203 6 Dec 1942  Lorient  7 Jan 1943  Brest  Patrol 2,33 days
3. U-203 3 Apr 1943  Brest  25 Apr 1943  Sunk  Patrol 3,23 days
3 patrols, 79 days at sea

Ships hit by Hermann Kottmann

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
29 Oct 1942U-203 Hopecastle5,178brSL-125
30 Oct 1942U-203 Corinaldo7,131brSL-125
 12,309

2 ships sunk (12,309 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.


About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.

Listing of all U-boat commanders