Ernst Kals
Kapitän zur See (Crew 24)
Successes 17 ships sunk, total tonnage 111,249 GRT 3 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 34,407 GRT 1 ship damaged, total tonnage 6,986 GRT |
Born | 2 Aug 1905 | Glauchau, Saxony | |
Died | 2 Nov 1979 | (74) | Emden, Germany |
Ranks
Decorations
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U-boat Commands
U-boat | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
U-130 | 11 Jun 1941 | 1 Jan 1943 | 5 patrols (286 days) |
Ernst Kals began his 18-year career in the German Navy in 1924. After a few years on torpedo boats and light cruisers he transferred to the U-boat arm in October 1940. After one patrol in U-37, in June 1941 he commissioned U-130.
He was one of the first five commanders to operate off the US east coast in Operation Drumbeat, and on the next patrol Kals operated in the Caribbean, where he shelled the oil depot at Bullenbay (Curacao) with the deck gun.
His greatest success was achieved on 12 November 1942, when he attacked heavily guarded transport ships in the Fedala roads off Morocco. In five minutes he sank three large transport vessels with a total of 34,507 tons.
In January 1943 he became commander of the 2nd Flotilla at Lorient, and later Chief of Staff Lorient Naval Command.
Ernst Kals was was held in French captivity from May 1945 to January 1948.Sources
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.
Patrol info for Ernst Kals
U-boat | Departure | Arrival | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | U-130 | 1 Dec 1941 | Kiel | 16 Dec 1941 | Lorient | Patrol 1, | 16 days | |
2. | U-130 | 27 Dec 1941 | Lorient | 25 Feb 1942 | Lorient | Patrol 2, | 61 days | |
3. | U-130 | 24 Mar 1942 | Lorient | 6 Jun 1942 | Lorient | Patrol 3, | 75 days | |
4. | U-130 | 4 Jul 1942 | Lorient | 12 Sep 1942 | Lorient | Patrol 4, | 71 days | |
5. | U-130 | 29 Oct 1942 | Lorient | 30 Dec 1942 | Lorient | Patrol 5, | 63 days | |
5 patrols, 286 days at sea |
Ships hit by Ernst Kals
Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Convoy | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 Dec 1941 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Star of Luxor | 5,298 | ag | SC-57 | ||
10 Dec 1941 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Kirnwood | 3,829 | br | SC-57 | ||
10 Dec 1941 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Kurdistan | 5,844 | br | SC-57 | ||
13 Jan 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Frisco | 1,582 | nw | |||
13 Jan 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Friar Rock | 5,427 | pa | SC-64 | ||
21 Jan 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Alexandra Høegh | 8,248 | nw | |||
25 Jan 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Varanger | 9,305 | nw | |||
27 Jan 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Francis E. Powell | 7,096 | am | |||
27 Jan 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Halo (d.) | 6,986 | am | |||
11 Apr 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Grenanger | 5,393 | nw | |||
12 Apr 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Esso Boston | 7,699 | am | |||
25 Jul 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Tankexpress | 10,095 | nw | |||
27 Jul 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Elmwood | 7,167 | br | |||
30 Jul 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Danmark | 8,391 | br | |||
9 Aug 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Malmanger | 7,078 | nw | E-5 | ||
11 Aug 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Mirlo | 7,455 | nw | E-6 | ||
25 Aug 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Viking Star | 6,445 | br | |||
26 Aug 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | Beechwood | 4,897 | br | |||
12 Nov 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | USS Edward Rutledge (AP 52) | 9,360 | am | UGF-1 | ||
12 Nov 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | USS Hugh L. Scott (AP 43) | 12,479 | am | UGF-1 | ||
12 Nov 1942 | U-130 | Ernst Kals | USS Tasker H. Bliss (AP 42) | 12,568 | am | UGF-1 | ||
152,642 | ||||||||
20 ships sunk (145,656 tons) and 1 ship damaged (6,986 tons). Legend |
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