The Men - U-boat Commanders

Eberhard Dahlhaus

Oberleutnant zur See (Crew 38)


Successes
1 ship sunk, total tonnage 7,176 GRT

Born  24 Jul 1920 Hagen
Died  30 Aug 1943(23)North Atlantic

Ranks

1 Oct 1938 Offiziersanwärter
1 Jul 1939 Seekadett
1 Dec 1939 Fähnrich zur See
1 Aug 1940 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1941 Leutnant zur See
1 Jan 1943 Oberleutnant zur See

Decorations

27 Mar 1942 U-boat War Badge 1939
Jun 1942 Iron Cross 2nd Class
1942 Iron Cross 1st Class

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-634 28 Jan 1943 30 Aug 1943  (+)  3 patrols (153 days) 

Dahlhaus underwent U-boat training from July 1939 to May 1941, assigned to the new type VIIC U-753 while she was being built. He served as a Watch Officer on U-753 for 18 months from June 1941 to Dec 1942. After U-boat Kommandantenschiesslehrgang (Commanding officer course) from then until Jan 1943, he took over command of U-634, another type VIIC, from Obltnt. Hans-Günther Brosin on 28 Jan.

Youngest U-boat commander
When Dahlhaus sailed from Bergen, Norway on 18 Feb. 1943 he was, at only 22 years of age, the youngest U-boat commander at that time (see the final list). Although he was nonetheless already an experienced U-boat officer, his first command came at a time when U-boats were being sunk at an alarming rate, and after two patrols on U-634, on his third she was sunk with all hands on 30 August 1943.

Sources
Blair, C. (1998). Hitler's U-boat War, vol 2
Busch, R., Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat Commanders of WWII

Patrol info for Eberhard Dahlhaus

 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-634 9 Feb 1943  Kiel  13 Feb 1943  Bergen   5 days
2. U-634 18 Feb 1943  Bergen  23 Mar 1943  Lorient  Patrol 1,34 days
3. U-634 15 Apr 1943  Lorient  23 May 1943  Brest  Patrol 2,39 days
4. U-634 12 Jun 1943  Brest  30 Aug 1943  Sunk  Patrol 3,80 days
3 patrols, 153 days at sea

Ships hit by Eberhard Dahlhaus

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
2 Mar 1943U-634 Meriwether Lewis7,176amHX-227
 7,176

1 ship sunk (7,176 tons).


About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.

Media links


German U-boat Commanders of World War II
Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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