Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 29)

Successes
10 ships sunk, total tonnage 19,261 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 3,670 GRT

Born	27 Jan 1908		Halle an der Saale
Died	12 Feb 1940	(32)	Firth of Clyde

Ranks

1 Apr 1929		Offiziersanwärter
10 Oct 1929		Seekadett
1 Jan 1931		Fähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1933		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1933		Leutnant zur See
1 Jun 1935		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Aug 1938		Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

30 Sep 1939		Iron Cross 2nd Class
27 Nov 1939		U-boat War Badge 1939
1939		Iron Cross 1st Class

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-4	30 Sep 1937	28 Oct 1938	No war patrols
U-33	29 Oct 1938	12 Feb 1940 (+)	3 patrols (78 days)

Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky joined the Kriegsmarine in 1929. He served as a Watch Officer (WO) on U-20 Feb 1936 - Sept 1937, when he took command of the small type IIA U-boat U-4 on 30 Sept 1937.

Von Dresky left U-4 on 28 Oct 1938, and the following day took command of the larger type VIIA U-boat U-33. On his first two patrols he sank ten small ships (19,261 tons) and destroyed another of 3,670 tons.

For his third patrol he was sent to the Firth of Clyde lay eight TMC mines close to the British naval base there - a highly dangerous task. When he nosed his boat into the Firth she was detected by the British minesweeper HMS Gleaner, but von Dresky mistook her for a cruiser and thought she would pass him and head for open waters. He thus dived, and after Gleaner dropped six depth charges on the boat, surprising the Germans, and causing severe damage and several leaks, the boat bottomed at only 36m (119 ft). Over the next hour, two more batches of depth charges followed, which caused further damage. Von Dresky ordered the boat to surface and then scuttle, distributing the Enigma cipher machine wheels to three of his men to throw into the sea away from the boat.

The freezing cold water temperatures meant only 17 men survived the sinking, and 25 died from the shock of immersion and hypothermia, including Kptlt. von Dresky (Blair, 1996, Sebag-Montefiore, 2001). One of the survivors had failed to dispose of his cipher wheels, and they were discovered by the British. They played a crucial part in the British breaking of the German navy Enigma codes (Sebag-Montefiore, 2001).

Sources

Blair, C. (1996). Hitler’s U-boat War. The Hunters, 1939-1942.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Sebag-Montefiore, H. (2001). Enigma, The Battle for the Code.

Patrol info for Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-33	19 Aug 1939	Wilhelmshaven	28 Sep 1939	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 1,	41 days
2.	U-33	29 Oct 1939	Wilhelmshaven	26 Nov 1939	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 2,	29 days
3.	U-33	5 Feb 1940	Wilhelmshaven	12 Feb 1940	Sunk	Patrol 3,	8 days
3 patrols, 78 days at sea

Ships hit by Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons
7 Sep 1939	U-33	Olivegrove	4,060	br
16 Sep 1939	U-33	Arkleside	1,567	br
24 Sep 1939	U-33	Caldew	287	br
20 Nov 1939	U-33	Thomas Hankins	276	br
20 Nov 1939	U-33	Delphine	250	br
20 Nov 1939	U-33	Sea Sweeper	329	br
21 Nov 1939	U-33	Sulby	287	br
21 Nov 1939	U-33	William Humphries	276	br
23 Nov 1939	U-33	Borkum (t.)	3,670	dt
25 Dec 1939	U-33	Stanholme [Mine]	2,473	br

16 Jan 1940	U-33	Inverdargle [Mine]	9,456	br
			22,931
11 ships sunk (22,931 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost). [Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine laid by said U-boat.