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Joachim Schepke

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 30)


Successes
36 ships sunk for a total of 153.677 GRT
4 ships damaged for a total of 17.229 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 2.205 GRT

Born  8 Mar, 1912Flensburg
Died  17 Mar, 1941North Atlantic


Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke

Ranks

9 Oct, 1930Seekadett
1 Apr, 1931Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct, 1934Leutnant zur See
1 Jun, 1936Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jun, 1939Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

27 Feb, 1940Iron Cross 1st Class
24 Sep, 1940Knights Cross
1 Dec, 1940Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

U-boat Commands

U-329 Oct, 1938 - 2 Jan, 1940  3 patrols (24 days) 
U-193 Jan, 1940 - 30 Apr, 1940  5 patrols (64 days) 
U-10030 May, 1940 - 17 Mar, 1941 (+)  6 patrols (112 days) 

Personal information


Kptlt. Schepke on board during the return

Joachim Schepke began his naval career in April 1930. He spent two years on the cruiser Deutschland before, like Günther Prien, he transferred to the U-boat force in October 1935. Later he spent 18 months as an instructor in the torpedo-school at Flensburg, but in 1938 he became commander of the training U-boat U-3. With U-3 he achieved his first successes, before leaving the U-boat in January 1940.

He then took command of U-19 and sank nine ships for a total of 15,715 tons.

In May 1940 he commissioned U-100, a Type VIIB U-boat. On his first patrol from Kiel to Lorient in August 1940, he sank six ships for a total of 25,812 tons and damaged one ship.

But Kapitänleutnant Schepke became well known as commander of U-100 in September 1940. On his second patrol with this boat, in two days he sank seven ships for a total of 50,340 tons. Two days later he received the Knights Cross.


Kapitänleutnant Schepke in the public


Kptlt. Schepke in Berlin 6 weeks before his death

Also outstanding was the day of 23 November, 1940, when Schepke sank seven ships totaling 24,601 tons. One week later he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross.

In 1940 he published a book, U-Boot Fahrer von heute (U-boat men of today), describing life on a U-boat in simple terms. This book is illustrated with his own paintings.

Schepke, a handsome young man, was nicknamed Ihrer Majestät bestaussehender Offizier (Her Majesty's best-looking officer. The expression Ihrer Majestät is used to indicate the country's leader, and is not referring to royalty in this case!).

In February 1941 he spoke in the Berlin Sportpalast to thousands of young Germans about the U-boat war.

Joachim Schepke was killed when U-100 was sunk at 0318hrs on 17 March, 1941 southeast of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W after being rammed and depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc. Vanoc spotted U-100 with her early radar in heavy fog and chased the contact. 38 men were killed, including Schepke, who is said to have been caught on the bridge when the boat was rammed. Six crew members survived.


(You can also find some very good information on this biography page for Joachim Schepke. It is part of the highly recommend site Canonesa, Convoy HX 72 & U-100 by Tom Purnell.)


Patrol info


 U-boatDeparture Arrival  
1. U-3 4 Sep, 1939  Wilhelmshaven8 Sep, 1939  WilhelmshavenPatrol5 days
2. U-3 13 Sep, 1939  Wilhelmshaven24 Sep, 1939  WilhelmshavenPatrol12 days
3. U-3 27 Sep, 1939  Wilhelmshaven3 Oct, 1939  KielPatrol7 days
4. U-19 4 Jan, 1940  Kiel12 Jan, 1940  KielPatrol9 days
5. U-19 18 Jan, 1940  Kiel28 Jan, 1940  WilhelmshavenPatrol11 days
6. U-19 14 Feb, 1940  Wilhelmshaven26 Feb, 1940  WilhelmshavenPatrol13 days
7. U-19 14 Mar, 1940  Wilhelmshaven23 Mar, 1940  WilhelmshavenPatrol10 days
8. U-19 3 Apr, 1940  Wilhelmshaven23 Apr, 1940  KielPatrol21 days
9. U-100 9 Aug, 1940  Kiel1 Sep, 1940  LorientPatrol24 days
10. U-100 11 Sep, 1940  Lorient25 Sep, 1940  LorientPatrol15 days
11. U-100 12 Oct, 1940  Lorient23 Oct, 1940  LorientPatrol12 days
12. U-100 7 Nov, 1940  Lorient27 Nov, 1940  LorientPatrol21 days
13. U-100 2 Dec, 1940  Lorient1 Jan, 1941  KielPatrol31 days
14. U-100 9 Mar, 1941  Kiel17 Mar, 1941  SunkPatrol9 days

Ships hit by Joachim Schepke


DateBoatName of shipTonsNat.ConvoyFate *
30 Sep, 1939 U-3Gun1.198 sw 
30 Sep, 1939 U-3Vendia1.150 da 
 
9 Jan, 1940 U-19Manx1.343 nw 
23 Jan, 1940 U-19Baltanglia1.523 br 
23 Jan, 1940 U-19Pluto1.598 nw 
25 Jan, 1940 U-19Everene4.434 le 
25 Jan, 1940 U-19Gudveig1.300 nw 
19 Mar, 1940 U-19Charkow1.026 da 
19 Mar, 1940 U-19Minsk1.229 da 
20 Mar, 1940 U-19Bothal2.109 da 
20 Mar, 1940 U-19Viking1.153 da 
16 Aug, 1940 U-100Empire Merchant4.864 br OA-198 
25 Aug, 1940 U-100Jamaica Pioneer5.471 br 
29 Aug, 1940 U-100Alida Gorthon2.373 sw OA-204 
29 Aug, 1940 U-100Astra II2.393 br OA-204 
29 Aug, 1940 U-100Dalblair4.608 br OA-204 
29 Aug, 1940 U-100Empire Moose6.103 br OA-204 
29 Aug, 1940 U-100Hartismere5.498 br OA-204 damaged
21 Sep, 1940 U-100Canonesa8.286 br HX-72 
21 Sep, 1940 U-100Dalcairn4.608 br HX-72 
21 Sep, 1940 U-100Torinia10.364 br HX-72 
22 Sep, 1940 U-100Empire Airman6.586 br HX-72 
22 Sep, 1940 U-100Frederick S. Fales10.525 br HX-72 
22 Sep, 1940 U-100Scholar3.940 br HX-72 
22 Sep, 1940 U-100Simla6.031 nw HX-72 
18 Oct, 1940 U-100Boekelo2.118 nl SC-7 damaged
18 Oct, 1940 U-100Shekatika5.458 br SC-7 damaged
19 Oct, 1940 U-100Blairspey4.155 br SC-7 damaged
20 Oct, 1940 U-100Caprella8.230 br HX-79 
20 Oct, 1940 U-100Loch Lomond5.452 br HX-79 
20 Oct, 1940 U-100Sitala6.218 br HX-79 
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Bradfyne4.740 br SC-11 
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Bruse2.205 nw SC-11 total loss
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Bussum3.636 nl SC-11 
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Justitia4.562 br SC-11 
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Leise Mærsk3.136 br SC-11 
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Ootmarsum3.628 nl SC-11 
23 Nov, 1940 U-100Salonica2.694 nw SC-11 
14 Dec, 1940 U-100Euphorbia3.380 br OB-256 
14 Dec, 1940 U-100Kyleglen3.670 br OB-256 
18 Dec, 1940 U-100Napier Star10.116 br 
 173.111

* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.



Wolf

Vause, Jordan

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Books dealing with this subject include:

The Bowmanville Break, Shelley, Sidney, 1968
U-Boot Fahrer von heute, Schepke, Joachim, 1940
Wolf, Vause, Jordan, 1997 (transl.)


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Listing of all U-boat commanders