Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 34)


Successes
4 ships sunk, total tonnage 31,611 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,010 tons

Born  29 Dec 1914 Dresden-Blasewitz
Died  25 Nov 1944(29)Northern Channel


Ranks

8 Apr 1934 Offiziersanwärter
1 Jul 1935 Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1937 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1937 Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1939 Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1942 Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

 Iron Cross 2nd Class
  Iron Cross 1st Class
1941 Fleet War Badge
12 Sep 1944 German Cross in Gold

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-482 1 Dec 1943 25 Nov 1944  (+)  2 patrols (50 days) 

At the outbreak of war Graf von Toppolczan was an adjutant at Gotenhafen Naval HQ, and in 1940 he left the staff at the Coastal Artillery detachment there to serve on the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. He joined the Ubootwaffe (U-boat arm) in March 1943, commissioned U-482 in December, and died with the rest of her crew when she was sunk by depth charges in Nov 1944.

A younger brother of Kptlt. Graf von Toppolczan's died on active service in 1943. He was an Oberst (Group Captain) in the Luftwaffe when lost in action. Another brother survived the war and reached an advanced age.

Patrol info for Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen

 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-482 6 Aug 1944  Kiel  8 Aug 1944  Horten   3 days
2. U-482 14 Aug 1944  Horten  16 Aug 1944  Bergen   3 days
3. U-482 16 Aug 1944  Bergen  26 Sep 1944  Bergen  Patrol 1,42 days
4. U-482 18 Nov 1944  Bergen  25 Nov 1944  Sunk  Patrol 2,8 days
2 patrols, 50 days at sea

Ships hit by Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
30 Aug 1944U-482 Jacksonville10,448amCU-36
1 Sep 1944U-482 HMS Hurst Castle (K 416)1,010br
3 Sep 1944U-482 Fjordheim4,115nwONF-251
8 Sep 1944U-482 Empire Heritage15,702brHX-305
8 Sep 1944U-482 Pinto1,346brHX-305
 32,621

5 ships sunk (32,621 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.


About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


German U-boat Commanders of World War II

Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim


Naval Officers Under Hitler

Rust, Eric C.

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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