Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 34)

Successes
4 ships sunk, total tonnage 31,611 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,010 tons

Born	29 Dec 1914		Dresden-Blasewitz
Died	25 Nov 1944	(29)	Northern Channel

Ranks

8 Apr 1934		Offiziersanwärter
1 Jul 1935		Fähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1937		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1937		Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1939		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1942		Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
		Iron Cross 1st Class
1941		Fleet War Badge
12 Sep 1944		German Cross in Gold

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-482	1 Dec 1943	25 Nov 1944 (+)	2 patrols (50 days)

At the outbreak of war Graf von Toppolczan was an adjutant at Gotenhafen Naval HQ, and in 1940 he left the staff at the Coastal Artillery detachment there to serve on the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. He joined the Ubootwaffe (U-boat arm) in March 1943, commissioned U-482 in December, and died with the rest of her crew when she was sunk by depth charges in Nov 1944.

A younger brother of Kptlt. Graf von Toppolczan's died on active service in 1943. He was an Oberst (Group Captain) in the Luftwaffe when lost in action. Another brother survived the war and reached an advanced age.

Patrol info for Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-482	6 Aug 1944	Kiel	8 Aug 1944	Horten		3 days
2.	U-482	14 Aug 1944	Horten	16 Aug 1944	Bergen		3 days
3.	U-482	16 Aug 1944	Bergen	26 Sep 1944	Bergen	Patrol 1,	42 days
4.	U-482	18 Nov 1944	Bergen	25 Nov 1944	Sunk	Patrol 2,	8 days
2 patrols, 50 days at sea

Ships hit by Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
30 Aug 1944	U-482	Jacksonville	10,448	am	CU-36
1 Sep 1944	U-482	HMS Hurst Castle (K 416)	1,010	br
3 Sep 1944	U-482	Fjordheim	4,115	nw	ONF-251
8 Sep 1944	U-482	Empire Heritage	15,702	br	HX-305
8 Sep 1944	U-482	Pinto	1,346	br	HX-305
			32,621
5 ships sunk (32,621 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.

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.