Reinhard Suhren

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 35)

Successes
18 ships sunk, total tonnage 95,544 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 900 tons
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 28,907 GRT

Born	16 Apr 1916		Langenschwalbach, Taunus
Died	25 Aug 1984	(68)	Halstenbek/ Hamburg, Germany

Ranks

5 Apr 1935		Offiziersanwärter
25 Sep 1935		Seekadett
1 Jul 1936		Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1938		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1938		Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1939		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jan 1942		Kapitänleutnant
1 Sep 1942		Korvettenkapitän
1 Jun 1944		Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

25 Sep 1939		Iron Cross 2nd Class
21 Dec 1939		U-boat War Badge 1939
25 Feb 1940		Iron Cross 1st Class
3 Nov 1940		Knights Cross
31 Dec 1941		Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
Mar, 1942		U-boat War Badge with Diamonds
1 Sep 1942		Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords
30 Jan 1944		War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-564	3 Apr 1941	1 Oct 1942	6 patrols (284 days)

Reinhard Suhren's U-boat career commenced in March 1938 with the standard training. He then spent a year as I WO (1st Watch Officer) on the most successful U-boat, U-48, during which he was awarded the Knights Cross. In April 1941 he commissioned U-564, and in August 1941 he sank the British corvette HMS Zinnia (Rohwer, 1998).

In October 1942 he left U-564 to become an instructor with the 2nd ULD (U-boat Training Division). Later he served in the 27th (Training) Flotilla (as Chief of Staff) with Korvettenkapitän Erich Topp.

During the last year of the war Fregattenkapitän Suhren was the FdU Nordwegen (Commander in Chief of U-boats in Norwegian waters) and from September 1944, FdU Nordmeer (Northern waters between Norway and Greenland.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Reinhard Suhren

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-564	17 Jun 1941	Kiel	27 Jul 1941	Brest	Patrol 1,	41 days
2.	U-564	16 Aug 1941	Brest	27 Aug 1941	Brest	Patrol 2,	12 days
3.	U-564	16 Sep 1941	Brest	1 Nov 1941	Lorient	Patrol 3,	47 days
4.	U-564	11 Jan 1942	Lorient	12 Jan 1942	La Pallice		2 days
5.	U-564	18 Jan 1942	La Pallice	6 Mar 1942	Brest	Patrol 4,	48 days
6.	U-564	4 Apr 1942	Brest	6 Jun 1942	Brest	Patrol 5,	64 days
7.	U-564	9 Jul 1942	Brest	18 Sep 1942	Brest	Patrol 6,	72 days
6 patrols, 284 days at sea

Ships hit by Reinhard Suhren

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
27 Jun 1941	U-564	Maasdam	8,812	nl	HX-133
27 Jun 1941	U-564	Malaya II	8,651	br	HX-133
27 Jun 1941	U-564	Kongsgaard (d.)	9,467	nw	HX-133
29 Jun 1941	U-564	Hekla	1,215	is
22 Aug 1941	U-564	Clonlara	1,203	ir	OG-71
22 Aug 1941	U-564	Empire Oak	484	br	OG-71
23 Aug 1941	U-564	HMS Zinnia (K 98)	900	br	OG-71
24 Oct 1941	U-564	Carsbreck	3,670	br	HG-75
24 Oct 1941	U-564	Alhama	1,352	br	HG-75
24 Oct 1941	U-564	Ariosto	2,176	br	HG-75

11 Feb 1942	U-564	Victolite	11,410	ca
16 Feb 1942	U-564	Opalia (d.)	6,195	br
3 May 1942	U-564	Ocean Venus	7,174	br
4 May 1942	U-564	Eclipse (d.)	9,767	br	ON-87
5 May 1942	U-564	Delisle (d.)	3,478	am
8 May 1942	U-564	Ohioan	6,078	am
9 May 1942	U-564	Lubrafol	7,138	pa
14 May 1942	U-564	Potrero del Llano	4,000	me
19 Jul 1942	U-564	Empire Hawksbill	5,724	br	OS-34
19 Jul 1942	U-564	Lavington Court	5,372	br	OS-34
19 Aug 1942	U-564	British Consul	6,940	br	TAW(S)
19 Aug 1942	U-564	Empire Cloud	5,969	br	TAW(S)
30 Aug 1942	U-564	Vardaas	8,176	nw
			125,351
19 ships sunk (96,444 tons) and 4 ships damaged (28,907 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.