WWI U-boat commanders

Hans Walther

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/02)

Successes
39 ships sunk with a total of 84,791 GRT
3 warships sunk with a total of 18,471 tons
3 ships damaged with a total of 12,201 GRT
1 warship damaged with a total of 1,250 tons
2 ships taken as prize with a total of 4,956 GRT

Born:	25 Dec 1883	Patschkau, Silesia (now Paczków, Poland)
Died:	4 Jan 1950	Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein

Ranks

1 Apr 1902		Seekadett
11 Apr 1903		Fähnrich zur See
29 Sep 1905		Leutnant zur See
30 Mar 1908		Oberleutnant zur See
22 Mar 1914		Kapitänleutnant
1 Mar 1921		Korvettenkapitän
1 Apr 1928		Fregattenkapitän
30 Sep 1929		Out of naval service
30 Sep 1929		Kapitän zur See (Charakter)
30 Sep 1929		Kapitän zur See (Charakter) (Ergänzungsoffizier)
1 Apr 1938		Kapitän zur See (Ergänzungsoffizier)
1 Jan 1941		Konteradmiral

Decorations

7 Sep 1907		Order of the Crown
		Iron Cross 2nd class
		Iron Cross 1st class
23 Sep 1916		Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
9 Jan 1917		Pour le Mérite
		Military Merit Cross
1918 or later		Friedrich-August Cross (Oldenburg)
		U-Boat War Badge

U-boat Commands

U 17	2 Mar 1915	-	9 Jan 1916
U 52	8 May 1916	-	18 Sep 1917

Notes

Born in 1883. Entered the Kaiserliche Marine as Seekadett in 1902. In 1913 was at the U-Boot Schule and afterwards CO of U 3. During 1914 served on the SMS Augsburg as Torpedo officer and on U9 early 1915. Later in the war command of U 17 and U 52. On the 19th of August 1916 he sank the light cruiser HMS Nottingham (5.440 BRT) and on the 20th November of that year the French battleship Suffren (12.750 BRT). 21st July 1917 the British submarine C34 became another of his victims east of Far Isle.

In 1917 he became Chef der U Flottille Flandern I. After the war he remained with the navy and was promoted Korvettenkapitän in 1921. In 1929 he left service as Kapitän zur See and became Führer des Verbandes der Unterseebott Kameradschaften.

In 1936 he re-entered service as Kapitän zur See. The photo on the left is of Hans later in his career.

Ships hit by Hans Walther

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Type of ship	Tons

12 Jun 1915	U 17	Cocos	Sailing vessel	85	da
12 Jun 1915	U 17	Desabla	Tanker	6,047	br
18 Jun 1915	U 17	Ailsa	Steamer	876	br
8 Aug 1915	U 17	Glenravel	Steamer	1,092	br
8 Aug 1915	U 17	Malmland	Steamer	3,676	sw
10 Aug 1915	U 17	Utopia	Steamer	155	br
14 Aug 1915	U 17	Gloria	Trawler	130	br
15 Aug 1915	U 17	Götaland (p.)	Steamer	3,538	sw
15 Aug 1915	U 17	Marie	Sailing vessel	158	da
16 Aug 1915	U 17	Romulus	Steamer	819	nw
16 Aug 1915	U 17	Tello	Steamer	1,218	nw
24 Oct 1915	U 17	Rumina (p.)	Steamer	1,418	sw

11 Jul 1916	U 52	Onward	Navy Trawler	266	br
19 Aug 1916	U 52	Nottingham (hms)	Light cruiser	5,400	br
26 Sep 1916	U 52	Conqueror Ii	Navy Yacht	526	br
26 Sep 1916	U 52	Sarah Alice	Navy trawler	299	br
26 Sep 1916	U 52	St. Gothard	Steamer	2,788	br
25 Nov 1916	U 52	Egyptiana (d.)	Steamer	3,818	br
25 Nov 1916	U 52	Suffren	Battleship	12,750	fr
10 Dec 1916	U 52	Emma Laurans	Sailing vessel	2,153	fr

30 Mar 1917	U 52	Michelina Catalano	Sailing vessel	78	it
4 Apr 1917	U 52	Missourian	Steamer	7,924	am
4 Apr 1917	U 52	Ravenna	Passenger steamer	4,101	it
5 Apr 1917	U 52	Angel Marina	Sailing vessel	257	it
7 Apr 1917	U 52	Seward	Steamer	2,471	am
8 Apr 1917	U 52	Alba	Steamer	1,639	it
9 Apr 1917	U 52	Esterel	Steamer	2,574	fr
11 Apr 1917	U 52	Ansgar	Sailing vessel	301	da
12 Apr 1917	U 52	Glencliffe	Steamer	3,673	br
14 Apr 1917	U 52	Tres Macs	Auxiliary motor	163	pt
15 Apr 1917	U 52	Cabo Blanco (d.)	Steamer	2,163	sp
16 Apr 1917	U 52	Crios	Steamer	4,116	gr
19 Apr 1917	U 52	Senhora Da Conceicao	Sailing vessel	206	pt
20 Apr 1917	U 52	Caithness	Steamer	3,500	br
21 Apr 1917	U 52	Heather (d.)	Sloop	1,250	br
23 Apr 1917	U 52	Acadia	Sailing vessel	1,556	nw
6 Jul 1917	U 52	Flora	Passenger steamer	818	nw
9 Jul 1917	U 52	Prince Abbas	Steamer	2,030	br
11 Jul 1917	U 52	Vanda	Steamer	1,646	sw
12 Jul 1917	U 52	Fredrika	Steamer	1,851	sw
17 Jul 1917	U 52	C 34	Submarine	321	br
20 Aug 1917	U 52	Bulysses	Tanker	6,127	br
1 Sep 1917	U 52	Tarapaca	Sailing vessel	2,506	fr
2 Sep 1917	U 52	Wentworth	Steamer	3,828	br
4 Sep 1917	U 52	Peerless	Steamer	3,112	br
5 Sep 1917	U 52	Echunga	Tanker	6,285	br
5 Sep 1917	U 52	San Dunstano (d.)	Tanker	6,220	br
11 Sep 1917	U 52	Tobol	Steamer	3,741	ru
				121,669
44 ships sunk (108,218 tons) and 4 ships damaged (13,451 tons). Legend (d.) means the ship was damaged. (p.) means the ship was taken as prize (included in ships & tonnage lost). We have a picture of this vessel.