The Men - The Commander listing

Richard Zapp

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 26)

Successes
16 ships sunk for a total of 106.200 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 12.502 GRT

Born	3 Apr, 1904	Germersheim, Pfalz
Died	17 Jul, 1964

Korvettenkapitän Richard Zapp

Ranks

12 Oct, 1926	Seekadett
1 Apr, 1928	Fähnrich zur See
1 Jun, 1930	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct, 1930	Leutnant zur See
1 May, 1933	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr, 1936	Kapitänleutnant
1 Apr, 1941	Korvettenkapitän
1 Jan, 1945	Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

14 May, 1941	U-boat War Badge 1939
6 Aug, 1941	Iron Cross 2nd Class
6 Aug, 1941	Iron Cross 1st Class
23 Apr, 1942	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-66

2 Jan, 1941

21 Jun, 1942

5 patrols (264 days)

Personal information

Richard Zapp began his naval career in May 1923. Later he served on minesweepers and in naval anti-aircraft units (Marineflak) before transferring in April 1940 to the U-boat force. After the usual training he served for one short patrol on U-46 under Oblt. Engelbert Endrass, where he participated in the battle against HX-79 in October 1940.

Richard Zapp commissioned U-66 in January 1941. After three patrols in Atlantic waters, he was one of the five boats operating in the first wave of operation Paukenschlag. On this patrol he sank five ships for a total of 33,456 tons. Also successful was his second patrol in US waters with six ships sunk for a total of 43,946 tons. After this patrol Korvkpt. Zapp left the boat and became the commander of the 3rd Flotilla in La Rochelle, France. In the last months of the war he also took command of the Marine Regiment Zapp and defended the U-boat base at La Rochelle right up to the end of the war in May 1945. He then spent more than two years in French captivity.

Korvkpt. Richard Zapp on U-66 after patrol.

Patrol info

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-66	13 May, 1941	Kiel	11 Jun, 1941	Lorient	Patrol,	30 days
2.	U-66	23 Jun, 1941	Lorient	5 Aug, 1941	Lorient	Patrol,	44 days
3.	U-66	28 Aug, 1941	Lorient	9 Nov, 1941	Lorient	Patrol,	74 days
4.	U-66	25 Dec, 1941	Lorient	10 Feb, 1942	Lorient	Patrol,	48 days
5.	U-66	21 Mar, 1942	Lorient	27 May, 1942	Lorient	Patrol,	68 days
					5 patrols, 264 days at sea

Ships hit by Richard Zapp

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
29 Jun, 1941	U-66	George J. Goulandris	4.345		gr	SL-78
29 Jun, 1941	U-66	Kalypso Vergotti	5.686		gr	SL-78
30 Jun, 1941	U-66	Saint Anselm	5.614		br	SL-78
19 Jul, 1941	U-66	Holmside	3.433		br	OG-67
26 Sep, 1941	U-66	I.C. White	7.052		pa

18 Jan, 1942	U-66	Allan Jackson	6.635		am
19 Jan, 1942	U-66	Lady Hawkins	7.988		ca
22 Jan, 1942	U-66	Olympic	5.335		pa
24 Jan, 1942	U-66	Empire Gem	8.139		br
24 Jan, 1942	U-66	Venore	8.017		am
14 Apr, 1942	U-66	Korthion	2.116		gr
16 Apr, 1942	U-66	Amsterdam	7.329		nl
17 Apr, 1942	U-66	Heinrich von Riedemann	11.020		pa
26 Apr, 1942	U-66	Alcoa Partner	5.513		am
29 Apr, 1942	U-66	Harry G. Seidel	10.354		pa
2 May, 1942	U-66	Sandar	7.624		nw
3 May, 1942	U-66	Geo. W. McKnight	12.502		br	ON-87	damaged
			118.702
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk.