The Men - The Commander listing

Hans-Werner Kraus

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 34)

Successes
7 ships sunk for a total of 12.606 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 96 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 2.590 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged for a total of 6.746 GRT

Born	1 Jul, 1915	Beulwitz, Saalfeld
Died	25 Aug, 1990

Kapitänleutnant Hans Werner Kraus

Ranks

26 Sep, 1934	Seekadett
1 Jul, 1935	Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan, 1937	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr, 1937	Leutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1939	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Nov, 1941	Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

29 Apr, 1940	U-boat War Badge 1939
8 Jul, 1940	Iron Cross 2nd Class
28 Sep, 1940	Iron Cross 1st Class
19 Jun, 1942	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-83	8 Feb, 1941	-	21 Sep, 1942	9 patrols (212 days)
U-199	28 Nov, 1942	-	31 Jul, 1943	1 patrol (80 days)

Personal information

Hans Werner Kraus on board

Hans Werner Kraus began his naval career in April 1934. Later he served on the light cruiser Königsberg. In October 1939 he transferred to the U-boat force. After the usual training he replaced 'Bertl' Endraß on U-47 as IWO. After five successful patrols with Günther Prien he left the boat in November 1940 and three months later commissioned U-83.

On 18 December, 1941, during his third patrol with U-83, he broke through the Straits of Gibraltar. After six patrols in the Mediterranean he left the boat.

On 28 November, 1942 Kraus commissioned the Type IXD boat U-199. The boat was sunk on her first patrol leaving only 12 survivors on 31 July, 1943 by aircraft near the Brazilian coast.

Hans Werner Kraus then spent nearly three years in American captivity. He arrived at Fort Hunt on 18 August, 1943 and was held there until 6 September. He was then transferred to Crossville, and then to Papago Park on 27 January, 1944. Kraus was one of the 25 POWs who escaped from this camp during the night of 23-24 December, 1944. A week later, Kraus and his companion Helmut Drescher had traveled 43 miles, but Drescher suffered an injury which compelled them to surrender. They were returned to Papago Park.

In February 1946 Kraus was sent to Camp Shanks, New York, and then to a compound in the British zone of Germany near Münster, before being released.

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-83	26 Jul, 1941	Kiel	9 Sep, 1941	Brest	Patrol,	46 days
2.	U-83	28 Sep, 1941	Brest	31 Oct, 1941	Brest	Patrol,	34 days
3.	U-83	11 Dec, 1941	Brest	23 Dec, 1941	Messina	Patrol,	13 days
4.	U-83	25 Dec, 1941	Messina	30 Dec, 1941	Salamis	Patrol,	6 days
5.	U-83	12 Feb, 1942	Salamis	24 Feb, 1942	Salamis	Patrol,	13 days
6.	U-83	10 Mar, 1942	Salamis	21 Mar, 1942	Salamis	Patrol,	12 days
7.	U-83	24 Mar, 1942	Salamis	28 Mar, 1942	La Spezia		5 days
8.	U-83	5 Apr, 1942	La Spezia	30 May, 1942	Salamis	Patrol,	56 days
9.	U-83	4 Jun, 1942	Salamis	20 Jun, 1942	La Spezia	Patrol,	17 days
10.	U-83	6 Aug, 1942	La Spezia	20 Aug, 1942	Salamis	Patrol,	15 days
11.	U-83	31 Aug, 1942	Salamis	4 Sep, 1942	La Spezia		5 days
12.	U-199	13 May, 1943	Kiel	31 Jul, 1943	Sunk	Patrol,	80 days
					10 patrols, 292 days at sea

Ships hit by Hans-Werner Kraus

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
12 Oct, 1941	U-83	Corte Real	2.044		pt
26 Oct, 1941	U-83	HMS Ariguani (F 105)	6.746		br	HG-75	damaged

17 Mar, 1942	U-83	Crista	2.590		br	AT-34	damaged
8 Jun, 1942	U-83	Esther	100		pl
8 Jun, 1942	U-83	Said	231		ag
9 Jun, 1942	U-83	Typhoon	175		pl
13 Jun, 1942	U-83	HMS Farouk	96		br
17 Aug, 1942	U-83	Princess Marguerite	5.875		ca

4 Jul, 1943	U-199	Changri-Lá	20		bz
24 Jul, 1943	U-199	Henzada	4.161		br
			22.038
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.