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Born	28 Sep 1905		Wilhelmshaven
Died	16 Dec 2004	(99)	Kiel, Germany

Hans Rudolf Rösing

Ranks 19 Jun 1925   Seekadett 1 Apr 1926   Fähnrich zur See 1 May 1928   Oberfähnrich zur See 1 Oct 1928   Leutnant zur See 1 Jul 1930   Oberleutnant zur See 1 Apr 1935   Kapitänleutnant 1 Jul 1939   Korvettenkapitän 1 Feb 1943   Fregattenkapitän 1 Jun 1944   Kapitän zur See Decorations 13 Feb 1940   Iron Cross 2nd Class 3 Jul 1940   Iron Cross 1st Class 29 Aug 1940   Knights Cross

Hans Rudolf Rösing

Hans Rudolf Rösing began his naval career in March 1924. He served on the light cruisers Nymphe and Königsberg in the late 1920s.

In 1930 and 1931 Oblt. Rösing was one of a handful of Reichsmarine officers who secretly served on foreign submarines (in his case with the Swedish Navy). This was the only means for the future U-boat force to gain experience at sea.

After two years commanding E-boats (Schnellboot) S-15 and S-3, and two years at U-Boot-Abwehr-Schule (Anti-submarine Warfare School, later to become the U-boat training school), in September 1935 he commissioned the small 'duck' boat U-11, and commanded her for two years. He then took over the larger type VIIA U-boat U-35 from Kplt Klaus Ewerth, and in early 1937 made a patrol to Ponta Delgada in the Azores.

Starting in October 1937 he spent a year at TEK (Torpedoerprobungskommando, Torpedo Proving Section, which tested new torpedoes). In December 1938 he became the commander of the 5th (Training) Flotilla U-Flotilla (Flotilla Emsmann). Then, after a week on the BdU (Commander-in-Chief U-boats) staff, in January 1940 he took command of the 7th Flotilla .

In May 1940 Rösing took over U-48 (Schultze). On the next two patrols, mostly in the North Atlantic, he sank 12 ships totalling 60,701 tons, after the second patrol being awarded the Knights Cross.

From September 1940 to February 1941 he was U-boat liason officer for Italian submarines at Bordeaux (Betasom). Then from March to August 1941 he led the 3rd Flotilla, before returning for some months to BdU.

Konteradmiral Hans Rudolf Rösing

In July 1942 he became the FdU West (Commander of U-boats West), where he was responsible for all U-boats stationed in France (except the Mediterranean). In the autumn of 1944 he moved to Norway, where he continued to serve in this position.

After the surrender he spent more than a year in Allied captivity.

In 1956 he joined the Bundesmarine, in 1957 becoming commander of the Marine-Abschnittskommando Nordsee (Naval section Command North Sea).

In 1962 he was made Befehlshaber im Wehrbereich I (Chief of Military District I).

Hans Rudolf Rösing retired in 1965 with the rank of Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral). In 1966 he was decorated for his postwar achievements with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Merit Cross).

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

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