Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

Knight's Cross And Oak-Leaves Recipient Engelbert Endrass

Discussion in 'German WWII Medals and Awards' started by Jim, Sep 12, 2007.

  1. Jim

    Jim Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2006
    Messages:
    3,324
    Likes Received:
    15
    via War44
    Kapitanleutnant Engelbert Endrass

    Engelbert 'Bertl' Endrass was born in Bamberg on 2 March 1911. Another former officer in the Merchant Navy who transferred to the Kriegsmarine, Endrass joined the U-boat branch in 1937. He saw service on non-intervention patrolling during the Spanish Civil War and was decorated with the Spanish Cross in Bronze.

    A fine portrait study of Engelbert Endrass. Endrass learned his craft well under Prien. When his Knight's Cross was awarded he was referred to in several publicity announcements as 'ein schuler Priens' ('one of Prien's pupils'). The astonishing successes achieved by Endrass, however, suggest that, had he lived longer, he may well have surpassed his tutor.

    [​IMG]

    Endrass joined the crew of U-47 as a Leutnant zur See and Watch Officer under the command of Gunther Prien and was part of U-47's crew that sunk the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow. Under the tutelage of the great ace, Endrass was allowed to develop and hone his own skills on three war cruises with U-47, to say nothing of earning the Iron Cross in both Second and First classes. Finally, in December 1939, he was sent on a U-boat commander training course and in May 1940, as an Oberleutnant zur See, was given command of his own boat, U-46.

    On his first war cruise as a commander in his own right, Endrass sank five enemy ships totalling over 35,000 tons, one of which was an armed auxiliary cruiser, HMS Carinthia. His second war cruise coincidentally netted the same number of victims, with incredibly, yet another armed auxiliary cruiser, this time HMS Dunvegan Castle, and brought his total to over 60,000 tons sunk. On his return from his second war cruise, on 6 September 1940, he was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Endrass continued his successful command of U-46: his score reached 133,800 tons sunk, and on 10 June 1941 he was awarded the Oak-Leaves for his Knight's Cross - only the 14th soldier of the Armed Forces to be so decorated. Shortly afterwards he also received the U-boat Badge with Diamonds from Grossadmiral Raeder.
    In July 1941, Endrass was promoted to Kapitanleutnant zur See and was given command of a new boat, U-567. However, with this transfer Endrass's luck ran out. On 21 December 1941, during its first war cruise, Endrass was directed to attack a newly located convoy. He managed to sink a 3,300 ton steamer, but was then attacked by British escort vessels HMS Deptford and HMS Sapphire north of the Azores. U-567 was sunk with all hands. His tally of enemy shipping sunk stood at over 137,000 tons - an incredible achievement, considering this was amassed in a little over 18 months. At that point it was also one of the highest scores of enemy shipping sunk. Had he survived there seems little doubt that he would have gone on to become one of the greatest of all the U-boat aces.

    Endrass too was immortalised in art. This painting shows him on the bridge of his U-boat, binoculars in hand. The leather deck coat he wears was typical of the clothing much favoured by seagoing personnel, and especially by members of the U-boat flotillas.

    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page