Klaus Scholtz

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 27)

Successes
24 ships sunk, total tonnage 111,546 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 16,644 GRT

Born	22 Mar 1908		Magdeburg
Died	1 May 1987	(79)	Bad Schwartau, Germany

Fregattenkapitän Klaus Scholtz

Ranks

11 Oct 1927		Seekadett
1 Apr 1929		Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1931		Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1933		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1936		Kapitänleutnant
1 Nov 1941		Korvettenkapitän
1 Jul 1944		Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
		Iron Cross 1st Class
26 Dec 1941		Knights Cross
10 Sep 1942		Knights Cross with Oak Leaves

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-108	22 Oct 1940	14 Oct 1942	8 patrols (361 days)

Kapitänleutnant Klaus Scholtz

Klaus Scholtz began his naval career in 1927 and spent most of his time before war began on torpedo boats (G-8, G-11 and Jaguar). He was Jaguar’s commanding officer from June 1937 to April 1939.

In April 1940 he transferred to the U-boat force. After only four months of training he commissioned U-108, a large type IXB boat. On his first patrol in February 1941 he sank two ships with a total of 8,078 tons.

His second patrol was very successful: in April 1941 he sank the British armed merchant cruiser AMC Rajputana (16,644 tons) in the Straits of Denmark.

This dramatic chase is described in the following radio message sent by U-108:

FT an BdU. Eingetroffen Operationsgebiet Donnerstag, 10. April; Samstag, 12. April Hilfskreuzer gesichtet. Erster Angriff ein Torpedo, Fehlschuß. Zweiter Angriff: Zweierfächer. Gegner weggezackt. Verfolgung bis Eisgrenze. Angriff bei Dunkelheit abgebrochen. 13. April Hilfskreuzer gesichtet und Angriff. Dreierfächer. Zwei Treffer, ein Torpedoversager. Hilfskreuzer gestoppt. Fangschuß. Gegner gesunken. An Untergangsstelle zwei Zerstörer und Sunderland. Name des Hilfskreuzers 'Rajputana'.

(Radiogram to BdU. Reached operational area on Thursday 10 April; Saturday 12 April armed merchant cruiser in sight. First attack one torpedo, failure firing. Second attack: double shot. Enemy zigzagging. Pursuit to the edge of the ice. Attack terminated by darkness. 13 April sighted and attacked armed merchant cruiser. Triple shot. Two hits, one torpedo failure. Armed merchant cruiser stopped. Coup de grace. Enemy sunk. At sinking position two destroyers and a Sunderland. Name of the armed merchant cruiser 'Rajputana'.)

The BdU answered a half hour later:

Gut gemacht! Kommandant und Besatzung ausspreche Anerkennung. Rückmarsch. Dönitz.

Well done. Express acknowledgment to commander and crew. Return to base. Dönitz.

Kptlt. Scholtz on the conning tower

On the next three patrols Scholtz led U-108 against convoys in the Atlantic. In January 1942 she left Lorient to join the second wave of U-boats attacking shipping off the US east coast in the follow-up to Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat). There Scholtz sank five ships with a total of 20,082 tons.

His last two patrols in US and Caribbean waters were also successful. In October 1942 Klaus Scholtz left U-108 to command the 12th Flotilla based at Bordeaux.

This flotilla included most of the long-range type IX boats, which operated in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. During August 1944 most of the boats left the base for Flensburg. The flotilla's history ended in August 1944 when it was dissolved. The remaining men (some 220) under Fregkpt. Klaus Scholtz attempted to march overland back to Germany. They left Bordeaux on 26 August 1944 but were captured on 11 September by American forces in Beaujancie/Loire (France). Klaus Scholtz then spent the next 18 months in US captivity.

After the war he served from 1953 to 1956 in the naval arm of the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Frontier Guard), then transferred to the Bundesmarine (Federal German Navy). He commanded several naval bases, including Kiel, Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven. In 1966 he retired with the rank of Kapitän zur See.

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).
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Klaus Scholtz

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-108	15 Feb 1941	Wilhelmshaven	12 Mar 1941	Lorient	Patrol 1,	26 days
2.	U-108	3 Apr 1941	Lorient	2 May 1941	Lorient	Patrol 2,	30 days
3.	U-108	25 May 1941	Lorient	7 Jul 1941	Lorient	Patrol 3,	44 days
4.	U-108	19 Aug 1941	Lorient	21 Oct 1941	Lorient	Patrol 4,	64 days
5.	U-108	9 Dec 1941	Lorient	25 Dec 1941	Lorient	Patrol 5,	17 days
6.	U-108	8 Jan 1942	Lorient	4 Mar 1942	Lorient	Patrol 6,	56 days
7.	U-108	30 Mar 1942	Lorient	1 Jun 1942	Lorient	Patrol 7,	64 days
8.	U-108	13 Jul 1942	Lorient	10 Sep 1942	Lorient	Patrol 8,	60 days
8 patrols, 361 days at sea

Ships hit by Klaus Scholtz

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
22 Feb 1941	U-108	Texelstroom	1,617	nl
28 Feb 1941	U-108	Effna	6,461	br
13 Apr 1941	U-108	HMS Rajputana (F 35)	16,644	br	HX-117
2 Jun 1941	U-108	Michael E.	7,628	br	OB-327
8 Jun 1941	U-108	Baron Nairn	3,164	br	OB-328
8 Jun 1941	U-108	Dirphys	4,240	gr	OB-328
10 Jun 1941	U-108	Christian Krohg	1,992	nw	OB-329
25 Jun 1941	U-108	Ellinico	3,059	gr	OG-65
25 Jun 1941	U-108	Nicolas Pateras	4,362	gr	OB-336
1 Jul 1941	U-108	Toronto City	2,486	br
14 Dec 1941	U-108	Cassequel	4,751	pt
19 Dec 1941	U-108	Ruckinge	2,869	br	HG-76

8 Feb 1942	U-108	Ocean Venture	7,174	br
9 Feb 1942	U-108	Tolosa	1,974	nw
12 Feb 1942	U-108	Blink	2,701	nw
16 Feb 1942	U-108	Ramapo	2,968	pa
18 Feb 1942	U-108	Somme	5,265	br	ON-62
25 Apr 1942	U-108	Modesta	3,849	br
29 Apr 1942	U-108	Mobiloil	9,925	am
5 May 1942	U-108	Afoundria	5,010	am
6 May 1942	U-108	Abgara	4,422	le
20 May 1942	U-108	Norland	8,134	nw	ON-93
3 Aug 1942	U-108	Tricula	6,221	br	E-6
7 Aug 1942	U-108	Breñas	2,687	nw
17 Aug 1942	U-108	Louisiana	8,587	am
			128,190
25 ships sunk (128,190 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.