Werner Riecken

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve

Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 10,604 GRT

Born	8 Jun 1912		Neumünster
Died	29 Apr 1945	(32)	North Atlantic

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

Ranks

1 Jul 1943

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
		Iron Cross 1st Class
22 Mar 1945		German Cross in Gold

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-1017	17 Jun 1944	29 Apr 1945 (+)	2 patrols (81 days)

Werner Riecken, possibly someone elevated from the enlisted ranks to officer status during the war, did not belong to Crew 34 as is often claimed. He may have been belatedly attached to the Crew for mere administrative purposes by the Navy’s personnel office, but he did not share the common training experience of the Crew’s regular members (Rust, 2009).

Sources

Rust, E. (2009) E-mail correspondence. Author of Naval Officers under Hitler.

Patrol info for Werner Riecken

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-1017	18 Dec 1944	Kiel	23 Dec 1944	Horten		6 days
2.	U-1017	28 Dec 1944	Horten	2 Mar 1945	Trondheim	Patrol 1,	65 days
3.	U-1017	14 Apr 1945	Trondheim	29 Apr 1945	Sunk	Patrol 2,	16 days
2 patrols, 81 days at sea

Ships hit by Werner Riecken

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
6 Feb 1945	U-1017	Everleigh	5,222	br	TBC-60
11 Feb 1945	U-1017	Persier	5,382	be	BTC-65
			10,604
2 ships sunk (10,604 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.