The Men - The Commander listing

Werner Hartmann

Kapitän zur See (Crew 21)

Successes
26 ships sunk for a total of 115.337 GRT

Born	11 Dec, 1902	Silstedt, Harz
Died	26 Apr, 1963	Ussel / Waldeck

Werner Hartmann wearing his Knights Cross

Ranks

1 Apr, 1923	Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct, 1925	Leutnant zur See
1 Jul, 1927	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct, 1933	Kapitänleutnant
1 Jul, 1937	Korvettenkapitän
1 Apr, 1941	Fregattenkapitän
1 Apr, 1943	Kapitän zur See

Decorations

8 Nov, 1939	Iron Cross 2nd Class
8 Nov, 1939	Iron Cross 1st Class
7 Dec, 1939	U-boat War Badge 1939
9 May, 1940	Knights Cross
5 Nov, 1944	Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

U-boat Commands

U-26	11 May, 1936	-	30 Sep, 1938	No war patrols
U-37	25 Sep, 1939	-	6 May, 1940	3 patrols (86 days)
U-198	3 Nov, 1942	-	15 Jan, 1944	1 patrol (200 days)

Personal information

Werner Hartmann spent the first years of his career as commander of the torpedo boats Seeadler and Albatros. In 1935 he transferred to the U-boat arm and remained there through the end of World War II. With his first U-boat, U-26, he patrolled in Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War in 1937-38. I WO on board was the later famous Oberleutnant z. S. Günther Prien.

During the first months of the war Hartmann was Commander both of U-37 and of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla. In October 1939 an attempt was made to direct a wolfpack from another U-boat at sea. This leader was Korvkpt. Hartmann. But this strategy proved inefficient, and BdU decided henceforth to direct the boats from land.

After only three patrols Hartmann received the Knights Cross. Then for six months he was I. Asto in the BdU-staff. In November 1940 he became the commander of the 2nd ULD and a year later took command of the 27th U-boat flotilla in Gotenhafen.

In November 1942 he took over one of the large IXD2 boats and completed with U-198 the third longest (200 days) patrol ever undertaken.

In 1944 he became FdU Mittelmeer (FdU Mediterranean) and in this function received the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.

Left: Werner Hartmann (left) just back from his incredible patrol.

After the war he spent several years in the Bundesmarine (German postwar Navy).

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-37	5 Oct, 1939	Wilhelmshaven	8 Nov, 1939	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol,	35 days
2.	U-37	28 Jan, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	27 Feb, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol,	31 days
3.	U-37	30 Mar, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	18 Apr, 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol,	20 days
4.	U-198	9 Mar, 1943	Kiel	24 Sep, 1943	Bordeaux	Patrol,	200 days
					4 patrols, 286 days at sea

Ships hit by Werner Hartmann

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
8 Oct, 1939	U-37	Vistula	1.018		sw
12 Oct, 1939	U-37	Aris	4.810		gr
15 Oct, 1939	U-37	Vermont	5.186		fr
17 Oct, 1939	U-37	Yorkshire	10.183		br	HG-3
24 Oct, 1939	U-37	Ledbury	3.528		br
24 Oct, 1939	U-37	Menin Ridge	2.474		br
24 Oct, 1939	U-37	Tafna	4.413		br
30 Oct, 1939	U-37	Thrasyvoulos	3.693		gr

4 Feb, 1940	U-37	Hop	1.365		nw
4 Feb, 1940	U-37	Leo Dawson	4.330		br
10 Feb, 1940	U-37	Silja	1.259		nw
11 Feb, 1940	U-37	Togimo	290		br
15 Feb, 1940	U-37	Aase	1.206		da
17 Feb, 1940	U-37	Pyrrhus	7.418		br	OG-18
18 Feb, 1940	U-37	Ellin	4.917		gr
18 Feb, 1940	U-37	P.L.M. 15	3.754		fr	10-RS
10 Apr, 1940	U-37	Sveaborg	9.076		sw
10 Apr, 1940	U-37	Tosca	5.128		nw
12 Apr, 1940	U-37	Stancliffe	4.511		br

17 May, 1943	U-198	Northmoor	4.392		br	LMD-17
29 May, 1943	U-198	Hopetarn	5.231		br
5 Jun, 1943	U-198	Dumra	2.304		br
6 Jun, 1943	U-198	William King	7.176		am
6 Jul, 1943	U-198	Hydraios	4.476		gr
7 Jul, 1943	U-198	Leana	4.742		br
1 Aug, 1943	U-198	Mangkalihat	8.457		nl	BC-2
			115.337
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.