Günther Krech

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 33)

Successes
17 ships sunk, total tonnage 93,186 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 913 GRT
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 15,070 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 6,672 GRT

Born	21 Sep 1914		Wilhelmshaven
Died	3 Jun 2000	(85)	Wuppertal, Germany

Günther Krech

Ranks

1 Apr 1933		Offiziersanwärter
23 Sep 1933		Seekadett
1 Jul 1934		Fähnrich zur See
1 Aug 1936		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1936		Leutnant zur See
1 Jun 1938		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1941		Kapitänleutnant

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
26 Sep 1940		Iron Cross 1st Class
26 Sep 1941		U-boat War Badge 1939
17 Sep 1942		Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-558	20 Feb 1941	20 Jul 1943	10 patrols (437 days)

Günther Krech began his naval career in April 1933. Later, like Reinhard Hardegen and several other officers who would go on to become successful U-boat commanders, he was seconded to the Luftwaffe. His secondment lasted for three years, spent mostly in staff positions, at one point with Luftwaffe High Command (Führers der Luftwaffe). In November 1939 Krech returned to the Kriegsmarine and began U-boat training. He received his first combat experience as 1st Watch Officer (IWO) on U-100 under Kptlt. Schepke. He left the boat in November 1940 and after Commander training with the 24th Flotilla he commissioned U-558 in 1941.

Günther Krech 2
Günther Krech returning from patrol

Over ten patrols, mostly in the Atlantic and Caribbean, he sank or destroyed 19 ships. U-558 was sunk by US aircraft on 20 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay (Niestlé, 1998). Only Kptlt. Krech, the LI and three men from the gun crew survived. Günther Krech then spent some years in Allied captivity.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). 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 Günther Krech

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-558	1 Jun 1941	Kiel	9 Jul 1941	Brest	Patrol 1,	39 days
2.	U-558	28 Jul 1941	Brest	7 Aug 1941	Brest	Patrol 2,	11 days
3.	U-558	25 Aug 1941	Brest	16 Sep 1941	Brest	Patrol 3,	23 days
4.	U-558	11 Oct 1941	Brest	25 Oct 1941	Brest	Patrol 4,	15 days
5.	U-558	24 Nov 1941	Brest	7 Dec 1941	Brest	Patrol 5,	14 days
6.	U-558	10 Feb 1942	Brest	11 Mar 1942	Brest	Patrol 6,	30 days
7.	U-558	12 Apr 1942	Brest	21 Jun 1942	Brest	Patrol 7,	71 days
8.	U-558	29 Jul 1942	Brest	16 Oct 1942	Brest	Patrol 8,	80 days
9.	U-558	9 Jan 1943	Brest	29 Mar 1943	Brest	Patrol 9,	80 days
10.	U-558	8 May 1943	Brest	20 Jul 1943	Sunk	Patrol 10,	74 days
10 patrols, 437 days at sea

Ships hit by Günther Krech

Date	U-boat	Commander	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
28 Aug 1941	U-558	Günther Krech	Otaio	10,298	br	OS-4
15 Oct 1941	U-558	Günther Krech	Vancouver Island	9,472	ca
17 Oct 1941	U-558	Günther Krech	W.C. Teagle	9,552	br	SC-48
17 Oct 1941	U-558	Günther Krech	Erviken	6,595	nw	SC-48
17 Oct 1941	U-558	Günther Krech	Rym	1,369	nw	SC-48

24 Feb 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Anadara (d.)	8,009	br	ONS-67
24 Feb 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Inverarder	5,578	br	ONS-67
24 Feb 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Eidanger	9,432	nw	ONS-67
12 May 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	HMS Bedfordshire (FY 141)	913	br
18 May 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Fauna	1,254	nl
21 May 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Troisdoc	1,925	ca
23 May 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	William Boyce Thompson (d.)	7,061	am
25 May 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Beatrice	3,451	am
27 May 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Jack	2,622	am
2 Jun 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Triton	2,078	nl
25 Aug 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Amakura	1,987	br	WAT-15
13 Sep 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Suriname	7,915	nl	TAG-5
13 Sep 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Empire Lugard	7,241	br	TAG-5
13 Sep 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Vilja (t.)	6,672	nw	TAG-5
16 Sep 1942	U-558	Günther Krech	Commercial Trader	2,606	am

23 Feb 1943	U-558	Günther Krech	Empire Norseman	9,811	br	UC-1
				115,841
19 ships sunk (100,771 tons) and 2 ships damaged (15,070 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged. (t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).

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.