Ferdinand Graf von Arco

Oberleutnant zur See (Crew I/41)

No ships sunk or damaged.

Born	6 Jun 1921		Gotschdorf, Jägerndorf, Sudetenland
Died	19 Feb 2004	(82)	Pörtschach, Germany

If you can help with photo or any information on this Officer please contact us at gummi@uboat.net.

Ranks

1 Jan 1941		Offiziersanwärter
1 Dec 1941		Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1942		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Jul 1943		Leutnant zur See
1 Jan 1945		Oberleutnant zur See

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-151	1 Sep 1944	5 May 1945	No war patrols

Graf Ferdinand von Arco joined the Kriegsmarine in 1941. He went through base training and then U-boat training from Jan 1941 until June 1943 when he was sent to the training boat U-346 in the Baltic Sea to learn the ropes as a Watch Officer (WO).

In July 1943 Ferdinand Graf von Arco was sent to the U-617 in the Mediterranean as its Second Watch Officer (2WO). There he served under the famous Knight Cross winner Ktplt. Albrecht Brandi.

First War patrol

On 28 Aug 1943 Ferdinand Graf von Arco sailed from Toulon, France on his first - and ultimately only - war patrol with U-617. They operated in the area east of the Straits of Gibraltar where they sank one British destroyer.

British destroyer HMS Puckeridge (L 108) sunk by U-617 on 6 Sept 1943.

Their luck ran out on 12 Sept when the boat was forced aground off Morocco after being found and bombed at night by British Wellington aircraft and then another Wellington until the boat was grounded without loss of life. The wreck was destroyed afterwards by British forces (see photo on U-617's page).

All 49 men survived but were interned by Spain, finally returned to Germany in April 1944.

First Command

Graf Ferdinand von Arco commanded the small training U-boat U-151 from 1 Sep 1944 to 2 May 1945 when he scuttled the boat like over 220 of his comrades.

The grave of Ferdinand Graf von Arco (1921-2004) on the cemetery of Poertschach on the Lake Woerth, municipalilty Poertschach on the Lake Woerth, district Klagenfurt-Land, Carinthia, Austria (photo source).