Hans Lehmann

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve (entry, Jahrgang 38)

Successes
1 ship sunk, total tonnage 1,603 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 105 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,287 GRT

Born	24 Sep 1915		Brunsbüttelkoog, Germany
Died	25 Nov 1981	(66)	Maschen near Hamburg, Germany

Oberleutnant zur See d. R. Hans Lehmann

Ranks

1 Apr 1943

Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd Class
27 May 1942		Iron Cross 1st Class
		U-boat Front Clasp
27 May 1943		U-boat War Badge 1939
28 Dec 1944		German Cross in Gold
8 May 1945		Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-997	23 Sep 1943	9 May 1945	7 patrols (167 days)

Hans Lehmann joined the Kriegsmarine in November 1938 and after serving on the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper during Feb - March 1940 and spending over three years on minesweepers, he transferred to the U-bootwaffe in June 1942.

After a few months as watch officer on U-359 and U-454, he commissioned the type VIIC/41 U-boat U-997 in July 1943.

From May 1944 he took her on several successful patrols in Arctic waters, sinking two ships and damaging one other. He was the last U-boat commander to be awarded the Knights Cross.

In May 1945 he surrendered his U-boat at the Port of Londonderry at Lisahally in Northern Ireland (Niestlé, 1998). The boat was scuttled during Operation Deadlight and OLt zS Lehmann was taken into Allied captivity.

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.

Patrol info for Hans Lehmann

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-997	25 Apr 1944	Kiel	29 Apr 1944	Egersund		5 days
2.	U-997	16 May 1944	Egersund	16 May 1944	Bergen		1 days
3.	U-997	18 May 1944	Bergen	22 May 1944	Bogenbucht		5 days
4.	U-997	25 May 1944	Bogenbucht	22 Jun 1944	Hammerfest	Patrol 1,	29 days
5.	U-997	18 Jul 1944	Hammerfest	20 Jul 1944	Hammerfest		3 days
6.	U-997	6 Aug 1944	Hammerfest	2 Sep 1944	Narvik	Patrol 2,	28 days
7.	U-997	13 Sep 1944	Narvik	2 Oct 1944	Bogenbucht	Patrol 3,	20 days
8.	U-997	8 Oct 1944	Bogenbucht	10 Oct 1944	Hammerfest		3 days
9.	U-997	14 Oct 1944	Hammerfest	9 Nov 1944	Narvik	Patrol 4,	27 days
10.	U-997	21 Nov 1944	Narvik	26 Dec 1944	Narvik	Patrol 5,	36 days
11.	U-997	27 Dec 1944	Narvik	29 Dec 1944	Trondheim		3 days
12.	U-997	22 Feb 1945	Trondheim	26 Feb 1945	Kilbotn		5 days
13.	U-997	7 Mar 1945	Kilbotn	8 Mar 1945	Kilbotn		2 days
14.	U-997	12 Mar 1945	Kilbotn	24 Mar 1945	Narvik	Patrol 6,	13 days
15.	U-997	17 Apr 1945	Narvik	30 Apr 1945	Narvik	Patrol 7,	14 days
16.	U-997	12 May 1945	Narvik	12 May 1945	Skjomenfjord		1 days
17.	U-997	15 May 1945	Skjomenfjord	19 May 1945	Loch Eriboll, UK		5 days
7 patrols, 167 days at sea

Ships hit by Hans Lehmann

Date	U-boat	Commander	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
7 Dec 1944	U-997	Hans Lehmann	BO-229	105	sj

22 Apr 1945	U-997	Hans Lehmann	Idefjord (d.)	4,287	nw	PK-9
22 Apr 1945	U-997	Hans Lehmann	Onega	1,603	sj	PK-9
				5,995
2 ships sunk (1,708 tons) and 1 ship damaged (4,287 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.