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Front page -The Men
| Born | 28 Dec 1900 | Lübeck | |
| Died | 27 Nov 1995 | (94) | Hamburg, Germany |
| Ranks
Decorations |
U-boat Commands
| U-boat | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-162 | 9 Sep 1941 | 3 Sep 1942 | 3 patrols (162 days) |
At the beginning of the war Jürgen Wattenberg was navigation officer of the famous pocket battleshipAdmiral Graf Spee, which was scuttled off Montevideo, Uruguay in December 1939. He escaped from internment and reached Germany in May 1940.
He joined the U-boat force in October 1940. He served as commander-in-training (Kommandantenschüler) onU-103 before commissioning thetype IXCU-162 in September 1941. His boat was sunk on its third patrol in September 1942 by three British destroyers northeast of Trinidad.
One of the oldest Commanders
Jürgen Wattenberg was one of theoldest U-boat commanders of WWII to depart on patrol when he tookU-162 out from Kiel, Germany on 7 Feb 1942. He was a little over 41 years old at the time. He enjoyed considerable success as captain ofU-162 before being captured, sinking 14 ships with a total of over 82,000 GRT.
Eventful captivity
Wattenberg spent more than three years in Allied captivity. He arrived at Fort Hunt, Virgina in September 1942 and was then transferred to Crossville POW camp, Tennessee on 16 October. On 27 January 1944 he was moved again, to the camp at Papago Park, Scottsdale, Arizona. He organised and led the escape of 25 POWs from this camp during the night of 23-24 December 1944, and remained at large the longest, until 28 January.
Wattenberg was transferred to Camp Shanks, Orangeburg, NY in February 1946, and from there to a compound in the British zone of Germany near Münster before finally being released. He later became manager of the Lübeck branch of the Bavaria & St. Pauli Brewery.
Sources
Busch, R & Röll, H-J. (1998).German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Patrol info for Jürgen Wattenberg
| U-boat | Departure | Arrival | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | U-162 | 7 Feb 1942 | Kiel | 18 Mar 1942 | Lorient | Patrol 1, | 40 days | |
| 2. | U-162 | 7 Apr 1942 | Lorient | 8 Jun 1942 | Lorient | Patrol 2, | 63 days | |
| 3. | U-162 | 7 Jul 1942 | Lorient | 3 Sep 1942 | Sunk | Patrol 3, | 59 days | |
| 3 patrols, 162 days at sea | ||||||||
Ships hit by Jürgen Wattenberg
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Convoy | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Feb 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg |  | White Crest | 4,365 |  | br | ONS-67 |
| 30 Apr 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Athelempress | 8,941 | | br | OS-25 |
| 1 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Parnahyba | 6,692 |  | bz | |
| 4 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Florence M. Douglas | 119 | | br | |
| 4 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Eastern Sword | 3,785 |  | am | |
| 7 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | Frank Seamans | 4,271 |  | nw | ||
| 9 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Mont Louis | 1,905 |  | ca | |
| 13 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Esso Houston | 7,699 | | am | |
| 14 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | British Colony | 6,917 | | br | |
| 18 May 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Beth | 6,852 | | nw | |
| 19 Aug 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | West Celina | 5,722 | | am | TAW(S) | |
| 24 Aug 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Moena | 9,286 |  | nl | |
| 26 Aug 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Thelma | 8,297 | | nw | |
| 30 Aug 1942 | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg | | Star of Oregon | 7,176 | | am | |
| 82,027 | ||||||||
14 ships sunk (82,027 tons). Legend | ||||||||
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