Horst Hofmann

Obersteuermann

(Kriegsmarine since 1937)

Born 18 January, 1919 Cranzahl/ Erzgebirge
Died 14 June, 1978 Lübeck


Obersteuermann Horst Hofmann

Decorations

          1939 : Ubootskriegsabzeichen 1939
25/02/1940 : Iron Cross 2nd class (EK II)
30/08/1940 : Iron Cross 1st class (EK I)
01/04/1943 : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (69)
20/05/1944 : Knights Cross (118)

Ranks

01/10/1938 Matrosengefreiter
01/10/1939 Matrosenobergefreiter
01/12/1940 Bootsmannsmaat
01/12/1942 Oberbootsmannsmaat
01/09/1943 Obersteuermann

U-boat Career
U-48 VIIB 9 (?) patrols, 224 (?) days 04.39 - 01.41
U-134 VIIC 7 patrols, 265 days* 07.41 - 03.43
U-672 VIIC 4 patrols, 155 days* 10.43 - 07.44

* Hofmann did not command these boats

Horst Hofmann started his duty in the Kriegsmarine in November 1937. Since April 1938 he received an U-boat training and a year later he became a crew member of the newly commissioned U-48. He rode for nearly two years on U-48 before he left the boat.

From July 1941 he rode for one and half year on U-134 in the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic. In March 1943 he left U-134 and joined the Navigationsschule in Gotenhafen to became a Quartermaster (Obersteuermann). In this position he was on board of U-672, when the U-boat was sunk on 18 July, 1944 by depth charges from the British escort ship Balfour.

Obersteuermann Horst Hofmann was captured and spent more than 3 years in captivity before he returned in October 1947.

Source


D�rr, Manfred
Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Bootwaffe
Band 1. A - J
Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1988
ISBN 3-7648-1153-6