Karl-Hermann Schneidewind

Korvettenkapitän

Successes
1 ship sunk, total tonnage 1,564 GRT

Born	7 Mar 1907		Hann-Münden
Died	12 Oct 1965	(58)

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
		Iron Cross 1st Class
19 Apr 1945		German Cross in Gold

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-1064	29 Jul 1944	9 May 1945	1 patrol (62 days)

Karl-Hermann Schneidewind joined the Reichsmarine in 1927. He served in the Luftwaffe during 1942 and 1943, being promoted to Major. In Sep 1943 he transferred back to the Kriegsmarine with the rank of Korvettenkapitän, and underwent U-boat training from Sept 1943 to March 1944. This was followed by U-Boat Commander Training with the 3rd ULD and the 24th (Training) Flotilla until June 1944, when he began U-boat construction familiarization (Baubelehrung) in preparation for his first command (Busch & Röll, 1999).

He commissioned the type VIIC/41 U-boat U-1064 at Kiel on 19 July 1944, and after 5-6 months of working-up exercises in the Baltic (Busch & Röll, 1999), the boat and its crew were ready for active service in Jan 1945. KvrKpt. Schneidewind took the boat from Kiel to Norway, leaving Bergen for the first, and only, patrol on 7 Feb 1945 (Busch & Röll, 1997).

On 21 Feb 1945 U-1064 attacked convoy UR 155, claiming three ships sunk (17,000 tons total), but in fact only the Icelandic steamer Dettifoss (1,564 tons) was sunk (Rohwer, 1998).

Icelandic steamer Dettifoss sunk by U-1064 on 21 Feb 1945. Photo courtesy of Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore

Unlike many U-boats at this time, U-1064 returned safely to port at Trondheim, Norway on 9 April, having spent 62 days at sea. A month later she was surrendered there (Waller & Niestlé, 2010).

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Karl-Hermann Schneidewind

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-1064	16 Jan 1945	Kiel	17 Jan 1945	Kalundborg		2 days
2.	U-1064	22 Jan 1945	Kalundborg	23 Jan 1945	Horten		2 days
3.	U-1064	29 Jan 1945	Horten	2 Feb 1945	Bergen		5 days
4.	U-1064	7 Feb 1945	Bergen	9 Apr 1945	Trondheim	Patrol 1,	62 days