Emil Klusmeier

Kapitänleutnant

Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 4,669 GRT

Born	27 Jul 1912		Bochum
Died	19 Jan 1982	(69)

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

Ranks

1 Apr 1942		Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1943		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1945		Kapitänleutnant

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-2340	16 Oct 1944	30 Mar 1945	No war patrols
U-2336	1 Apr 1945	15 May 1945	1 patrol (14 days)

Emil Klusmeier joined the German Navy (Reichsmarine) in 1930. He served as ObStrm and Watch Officer on U-boats from Oct 1937 to Sept 1940 including on the U-5 from 1938-39.

From Oct 1940 to Dec 1943 Emil Klusmeier served on the BdU Operations staff. He went through specialized courses from Jan to April 1944 and then went to U-963 (Oblt. Karl Boddenberg) for his U-boat Commander sea training. They only went out on one 3 day patrol as the D Day landings took place at this time.

Leaving the boat in July 1944 Klusmeier began his U-boat familiarization (Baubelehrung) with the new small Elektro boats of type XXIII. He then took command of the new U-2340 on 16 Oct 1944 and began his workup training with the 32nd (Training) Flotilla in the Baltic.

On 30 March 1945 his U-2340 was destroyed during British bombing raid on Hamburg (Niestlé, 1998). The next day he took command of its sister boat, the U-2336, from Oblt. Jürgen Vockel who died in the same raid (Busch & Röll, 1999).

Operations with his type XXIII boat

Klusmeier sailed from Kiel, Germany on 18 April 1945 and arrived at Larvik 5 days later. From there he sailed on 1 May for its first operational patrol. On 7 May 1945 Emil Klusmeir's U-2336 torpedoed the last ships of the war when he sank the Avondale Park and Sneland near May Island in the Firth of Fort in Scotland. He then headed home and arrived at Kiel for surrender on 14 May.

After the surrender Kptlt. Emil Klusmeier was detained for a short while, being released in July 1945.

Emil Klusmeier helped design and write the battle instructions for the new type XXIII elektro boats. He then volunteered for command to test his ideas in action.

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).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Emil Klusmeier

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-2336	18 Apr 1945	Kiel	23 Apr 1945	Larvik		6 days
2.	U-2336	1 May 1945	Larvik	14 May 1945	Kiel, Germany	Patrol 1,	14 days

Ships hit by Emil Klusmeier

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
7 May 1945	U-2336	Avondale Park	2,878	ca	EN-591
7 May 1945	U-2336	Sneland I	1,791	nw	EN-591
			4,669
2 ships sunk (4,669 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.