The Men - The Commander listing

Hans Rudolf Rösing

Kapitän zur See (Crew 24)

Successes
12 ships sunk for a total of 60.702 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 5.888 GRT

Born	28 Sep, 1905	Wilhelmshaven
Died	16 Dec, 2004	Kiel, Germany

Hans Rudolf Rösing

Ranks

1 Apr, 1925	Seekadett
1 Apr, 1926	Fähnrich zur See
1 May, 1928	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct, 1928	Leutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1930	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1935	Kapitänleutnant
1 Jul, 1939	Korvettenkapitän
1 Feb, 1943	Fregattenkapitän
1 Mar, 1943	Kapitän zur See

Decorations

13 Feb, 1940	Iron Cross 2nd Class
3 Jul, 1940	Iron Cross 1st Class
29 Aug, 1940	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-11	21 Sep, 1935	-	1 Oct, 1937	No war patrols
U-35	6 Dec, 1936	-	Feb, 1937	No war patrols (Acting CO)
U-10	Oct, 1937	-	Aug, 1938	No war patrols
U-48	21 May, 1940	-	3 Sep, 1940	2 patrols (57 days)

Personal information

Hans Rudolf Rösing

Hans Rudolf Rösing began his naval career in March 1924. He served on the light cruisers Nymphe and Königsberg in the late 1920s.

In 1930 and 1931 Oblt. Rösing was one of a handful of Reichsmarine officers who secretly served as crewmembers on foreign-built submarines. This was the only means for the future U-boat force to gain experience at sea.

After two years as commander on S-15 and S-3, and two years in the U-Boot-Abwehr-Schule (to become the U-boat school), in September 1935 he commissioned the newly built U-11. He commanded the U-boat for two years. During early 1937 he made a patrol with U-35 to Ponta Delgada in the Azores.

Beginning in October 1937 he spent one year in the Torpedoerprobungskommando (TEK), where new torpedoes were tested. In December 1938 he became the commander of the 5th U-Flotilla (Flotilla Emsmann). After a week in the BdU staff he became the commander of the 7th Flotilla in January 1940.

In May 1940 Rösing took over command of U-48 from Kptlt. Herbert Schultze. On the next two patrols, mostly in the North Atlantic, he sank 12 ships for a total of 60,701 tons and after his second patrol received the Knights Cross.

From September 1940 to February 1941 he served as the liaison U-boat officer to the Italian submarines in Bordeaux (Betasom). From March to August 1941 he was the commander of the 3rd Flotilla, before serving for some months in the BdU staff.

Konteradmiral Hans Rudolf Rösing

In July 1942 he became the FdU West, where he was responsible for all U-boats stationed in France (except the Mediterranean). In Fall 1944 he moved to Norway, where he continued to serve in this position.

After the surrender he spent more than a year in Allied captivity.

In 1956 he joined the Bundesmarine, in 1957 becoming commander of the Marine-Abschnittskommando Nordsee (Navy section command North Sea). In 1962 he was named Befehlshaber im Wehrbereich I (Chief of Military District I).

Hans Rudolf Rösing retired in 1965 as Konteradmiral. In 1966 he was decorated for his postwar achievements with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Merit Cross).

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-48	26 May, 1940	Kiel	29 Jun, 1940	Kiel	Patrol	35 days
2.	U-48	7 Aug, 1940	Kiel	28 Aug, 1940	Lorient	Patrol	22 days

Ships hit by Hans Rudolf Rösing

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
5 Jun, 1940	U-48	Stancor	798		br
7 Jun, 1940	U-48	Eros	5.888		br		damaged
7 Jun, 1940	U-48	Frances Massey	4.212		br
11 Jun, 1940	U-48	Violando N. Goulandris	3.598		gr
19 Jun, 1940	U-48	Baron Loudoun	3.164		br	HGF-34
19 Jun, 1940	U-48	British Monarch	5.661		br	HGF-34
19 Jun, 1940	U-48	Tudor	6.607		nw	HGF-34
20 Jun, 1940	U-48	Moordrecht	7.493		nl	HX-49
16 Aug, 1940	U-48	Hedrun	2.325		sw	OB-197
19 Aug, 1940	U-48	Ville de Gand	7.590		be
24 Aug, 1940	U-48	La Brea	6.666		br	HX-65
25 Aug, 1940	U-48	Athelcrest	6.825		br	HX-65A
25 Aug, 1940	U-48	Empire Merlin	5.763		br	HX-65A
			66.590
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.