The Men - The Commander listing

Erwin Rostin

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 33)

Successes
17 ships sunk for a total of 101,321 GRT
2 ships damaged for a total of 15,264 GRT

Born	8 Oct 1907		Güstrow, Mecklenburg
Died	30 Jun 1942	(34)	West Atlantic, west of Bermudas

Erwin Rostin

Ranks

1 Jan 1934	Fähnrich zur See
1 Sep 1935	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1936	Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1937	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1940	Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

10 Oct 1939	Iron Cross 2nd Class
21 Nov 1940	Iron Cross 1st Class
28 Jun 1942	Knights Cross
1 Jul 1942	U-boat War Badge 1939 (posthumous)

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-158	25 Sep 1941	30 Jun 1942 (+)	2 patrols (111 days)

Personal information

Erwin Rostin began his naval career in October 1933. Later he served as commander on the minesweepers M-98 and M-21. In March 1941 he transferred to the U-boat force. After the usual training but without any previous battle experience, he commissioned U-158, and after four months of training undertook his first war patrol, in which he sank four ships for a total of 29,234 tons off the US east coast. He reported a fifth ship sunk on this patrol, but there is no confirmation for this claim.

One month after his return he began a second patrol on 4 May 1942. This became one of the most successful patrols of the war, with U-158 sinking 12 ships for a total of 62,536 tons. Unfortunately the boat was sunk with all hands on 30 June, 1942 by an American aircraft. Kptlt. Rostin received his Knights Cross two days before he died in this attack.

Patrol info for Erwin Rostin

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-158	2 Feb 1942	Wilhelmshaven	2 Feb 1942	Helgoland		1 days
2.	U-158	7 Feb 1942	Helgoland	31 Mar 1942	Lorient	Patrol 1,	53 days
3.	U-158	4 May 1942	Lorient	30 Jun 1942	Sunk	Patrol 2,	58 days
2 patrols, 111 days at sea

Ships hit by Erwin Rostin

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
24 Feb, 1942	U-158	Diloma	8,146		br	ONS-67	damaged
24 Feb, 1942	U-158	Empire Celt	8,032		br	ONS-67
1 Mar, 1942	U-158	Finnanger	9,551		nw	ONS-67
11 Mar, 1942	U-158	Caribsea	2,609		am
13 Mar, 1942	U-158	John D. Gill	11,641		am
15 Mar, 1942	U-158	Ario	6,952		am
15 Mar, 1942	U-158	Olean	7,118		am		damaged
20 May, 1942	U-158	Darina	8,113		br	ON-93
22 May, 1942	U-158	Frank B. Baird	1,748		ca
2 Jun, 1942	U-158	Knoxville City	5,686		am
4 Jun, 1942	U-158	Nidarnes	2,647		nw
5 Jun, 1942	U-158	Velma Lykes	2,572		am
7 Jun, 1942	U-158	Hermis	5,234		pa
11 Jun, 1942	U-158	Sheherazade	13,467		pa
12 Jun, 1942	U-158	Cities Service Toledo	8,192		am
17 Jun, 1942	U-158	Moira	1,560		nw
17 Jun, 1942	U-158	San Blas	3,601		pa
23 Jun, 1942	U-158	Major General Henry Gibbins	5,766		am
29 Jun, 1942	U-158	Everalda	3,950		le
			116,585
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.