Wilhelm Werner

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/05)

Successes
63 ships sunk with a total of 130,499 GRT
7 ships damaged with a total of 26,161 GRT
2 ships taken as prize with a total of 3,466 GRT

Born:	6 Jun 1888	Apola
Died:	14 May 1945	Falkenau, Saxe

If you can help with photo or any information on this Officer please contact us at gummi@uboat.net.

Ranks

1 Apr 1905		Seekadett
7 Apr 1906		Fähnrich zur See
28 Sep 1908		Leutnant zur See
5 Sep 1911		Oberleutnant zur See
24 Apr 1916		Kapitänleutnant
1 Mar 1920		Out of naval service

Decorations

24 Jun 1911		Order of the Crown
		Iron Cross 2nd class
		Iron Cross 1st class
		U-Boat War Badge
15 Feb 1918		Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
18 Aug 1918		Pour le Mérite
		Prussian Medal Fifteen year of Service

U-boat Commands

UB 9	18 Feb 1915	-	28 Feb 1915
UB 7	6 May 1915	-	11 Apr 1916
U 55	9 Jun 1916	-	9 Aug 1918

Notes

Took command of U55 on 9.6.1916, contrary to previous indication 1.1.17.

Received the Pour le Mérite on the same day as Kaplt. Paul Hundius. Awarded for outstanding leadership and distinguished naval planning and successful submarine operations and also given in recognition of the sinking of a total of 206.000 BRT of enemy shipping.

After the war he stood accused of a number of war crimes; Sinking without warning the Clearfield, Artist,Trevone, Torrington, Toro and attacking the hospital ships Rewa and Guildford Castle.

In the course of time this was reduced to a single charge of sinking the SS Torrington and murdering the whole crew save the captain who was taken prisoner.

He never appeared at the Leipzig trials, he fled Germany to work on a coffee plantation in Brazil. After some years he returned to Germany and even became a National Socialist member of the Reichstag.

He was placed on the retired list 1st March 1920.

Ships hit by Wilhelm Werner

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Type of ship	Tons

15 Sep 1915	UB 7	Patagonia	Steamer	6,011	br

8 Apr 1916	UB 7	SAL’DAGAN	Sailing vessel	75	ru
9 Apr 1916	UB 7	Gryoza	Sailing vessel	119	ru
28 Sep 1916	U 55	Orsino	Navy Trawler	172	br
30 Sep 1916	U 55	Atle (p.)	Steamer	1,725	sw
30 Sep 1916	U 55	Talavera (p.)	Steamer	1,741	sw
24 Oct 1916	U 55	Clearfield	Tanker	4,229	br
28 Oct 1916	U 55	Marina	Steamer	5,204	br

22 Jan 1917	U 55	Ethel	Fishing vessel (smack)	23	br
23 Jan 1917	U 55	Eden	Sailing vessel	142	ru
23 Jan 1917	U 55	Salland	Steamer	3,657	nl
27 Jan 1917	U 55	Artist	Steamer	3,570	br
30 Jan 1917	U 55	Euonymus	Fishing vessel (smack)	60	br
30 Jan 1917	U 55	Helena And Samuel	Fishing vessel (smack)	59	br
30 Jan 1917	U 55	Marcelle	Trawler	219	be
30 Jan 1917	U 55	Merit	Fishing vessel (smack)	39	br
30 Jan 1917	U 55	Trevone	Fishing vessel (smack)	46	br
30 Jan 1917	U 55	W.A.H.	Fishing vessel (smack)	47	br
30 Jan 1917	U 55	Wetherill	Fishing vessel (smack)	46	br
31 Jan 1917	U 55	Dundee	Steamer	2,290	ca
31 Jan 1917	U 55	Saint Leon	Sailing vessel	230	fr
31 Jan 1917	U 55	Yvonne	Sailing vessel	87	fr
1 Feb 1917	U 55	Ada	Fishing vessel (smack)	24	br
1 Feb 1917	U 55	Essonite	Steamer	589	br
1 Feb 1917	U 55	Inverlyon	Fishing vessel (smack)	59	br
2 Feb 1917	U 55	Pomoschnick	Sailing vessel	167	ru
6 Feb 1917	U 55	Saxon Briton	Steamer	1,337	br
7 Feb 1917	U 55	Yola	Steamer	3,504	br
4 Apr 1917	U 55	H. B. Linnemann (d.)	Sailing vessel	444	da
5 Apr 1917	U 55	Vilja	Steamer	1,049	nw
6 Apr 1917	U 55	Vine Branch	Steamer	3,442	br
8 Apr 1917	U 55	Petridge	Steamer	1,712	br
8 Apr 1917	U 55	Torrington	Steamer	5,597	br
8 Apr 1917	U 55	Umvoti	Steamer	2,616	br
12 Apr 1917	U 55	Toro	Steamer	3,066	br
15 Apr 1917	U 55	Astræa	Sailing vessel	260	da
17 Apr 1917	U 55	Cairnhill	Steamer	4,981	br
8 Jun 1917	U 55	Russian Prince (d.)	Tanker	4,158	br
9 Jun 1917	U 55	Achilles	Steamer	641	br
11 Jun 1917	U 55	Ausonia (d.)	Passenger steamer	8,153	br
12 Jun 1917	U 55	Coronado (d.)	Steamer	6,539	br
23 Jun 1917	U 55	Sophie	Sailing vessel	89	da
23 Jun 1917	U 55	Star	Sailing vessel	120	da
31 Jul 1917	U 55	Belgian Prince	Steamer	4,765	br
6 Aug 1917	U 55	Eugenia	Steamer	4,835	it
9 Aug 1917	U 55	Oakfield (d.)	Steamer	3,618	br
12 Aug 1917	U 55	Falkland	Steamer	4,877	nw
17 Aug 1917	U 55	Edina	Steamer	455	br
18 Aug 1917	U 55	Benjamin Stevenson	Navy Trawler	255	br

4 Jan 1918	U 55	Rewa	Hospital ship	7,305	br
5 Jan 1918	U 55	War Baron	Steamer	6,240	br
9 Jan 1918	U 55	Ula	Steamer	839	nw
16 Jan 1918	U 55	Genevieve	Steamer	1,598	fr
20 Jan 1918	U 55	HIRONDELLE	Sailing vessel	28	fr
21 Jan 1918	U 55	Maria Caterina	Fishing vessel (sail)	71	nl
26 Feb 1918	U 55	Eumaeus	Steamer	6,696	br
26 Feb 1918	U 55	Mouche	Sailing vessel	65	fr
1 Mar 1918	U 55	Borga	Steamer	1,046	br
7 Mar 1918	U 55	Brise	Sailing vessel	160	fr
7 Mar 1918	U 55	Saint Georges	Sailing vessel	102	fr
7 Mar 1918	U 55	Saint Joseph	Sailing vessel	434	fr
8 Mar 1918	U 55	Madeline	Steamer	2,890	br
10 Mar 1918	U 55	Cristina	Steamer	2,083	sp
15 May 1918	U 55	War Grange (d.)	Steamer	3,100	br
16 May 1918	U 55	Tagona	Steamer	2,004	ca
17 May 1918	U 55	Motricine	Tanker	4,047	fr
18 May 1918	U 55	Denbigh Hall	Steamer	4,943	br
18 May 1918	U 55	Scholar	Steamer	1,635	br
16 Jul 1918	U 55	Miefield	Sailing vessel	1,368	nw
17 Jul 1918	U 55	Carpathia	Passenger steamer	13,603	br
23 Jul 1918	U 55	Anna Sofie	Steamer	2,577	br
31 Jul 1918	U 55	Zwaantje Cornelia (d.)	Sailing vessel	149	nl
				160,126
65 ships sunk (133,965 tons) and 7 ships damaged (26,161 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.