Alexander Gelhaar

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 27)

Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 19,313 GRT

Born	24 Nov 1908		Frankfurt
Died	14 Oct 1939	(30)	North Atlantic

Ranks

11 Oct 1927		Seekadett
1 Apr 1929		Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1931		Leutnant zur See
1 Jul 1933		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1936		Kapitänleutnant

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-1	1 Oct 1936	2 Feb 1938	No war patrols
U-45	25 Jun 1938	14 Oct 1939 (+)	2 patrols (34 days)

Alexander Gelhaar joined the Reichsmarine in 1927. He was one of the select few who received a very thorough pre-war U-boat training. He studied U-boat theories and methods from Sept 1935 to Sept 1936 (Busch & Röll, 1999).

Gelhaar commanded the small "duck" school boat U-1 from 1 Oct 1936 to 2 Feb 1938. He then wen through several staff positions until he began his U-boat familiarization (Baubelehrung) in preparation for his next command. On 25 June 1938 he commissioned the brand new type VIIC boat U-45 at Kiel (Busch & Röll, 1999).

When the war seemed imminent Gelhaar was ordered to take his boat out from Kiel on 19 Aug 1939, two weeks prior to the actual outbreak of war. He patrolled around the British Isles and returned on 15 Sept 1939 (Busch & Röll, 1997).

U-45 was lost with all hands of 38 men when it was sunk on 14 Oct 1939 south-west of Ireland, in position 50.58N, 12.57W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Inglefield, HMS Ivanhoe and HMS Intrepid (Niestlé, 1998).