Werner Fürbringer

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 4/07)

Successes
101 ships sunk with a total of 97,881 GRT
6 ships damaged with a total of 10,201 GRT

Born:	2 Oct 1888	Braunschweig
Died:	8 Feb 1982	Braunschweig

Ranks

3 Apr 1907		Seekadett
21 Apr 1908		Fähnrich zur See
28 Sep 1910		Leutnant zur See
27 Sep 1913		Oberleutnant zur See
16 Nov 1917		Kapitänleutnant
6 Mar 1920		Out of naval service
1 Oct 1933		Korvettenkapitän
15 May 1935		Fregattenkapitän
1 Oct 1937		Kapitän zur See (Ergänzungsoffizier)
1 Dec 1942		Konteradmiral

Decorations

		Iron Cross 2nd class
		Iron Cross 1st class
27 Aug 1916		Royal House Order of Hohenzollern

U-boat Commands

UB 2	20 Feb 1915	-	7 Mar 1916
UB 17	10 Mar 1916	-	16 Mar 1916
UB 39	29 Apr 1916	-	7 Nov 1916
UC 70	22 Nov 1916	-	22 Jun 1917
UC 17	22 May 1917	-	3 Aug 1917
UB 58	10 Aug 1917	-	7 Feb 1918
UB 110	23 Mar 1918	-	19 Jul 1918

Notes

Werner Fürbringer entered the Navy as a marine in Seekadett April 3 1907 by attending the basic course on the training ship SMS Charlotte until March 31 1908. He attended the Naval Academy from April 1, 1908 September 30, 1909, being promoted Fähnrich zur See (21/04/1908). The light cruiser SMS Roon participated in the Asian mission from 1909 to November 1910 being promoted to Leutnant zur See (28/09/1910), when back home was assigned to the armoured cruiser SMS Scharnhost until November 1912. At his request and then got to participate in the course Submarine lasting three months, after which it was shipped as wacht officer on the boat school SM U-1 from January to August 1913.

Promoted to Oberleutnant zur See (27.09.1913) was transferred with the same position on the new submarine oceanic SM U-20 under the U-Boote III Flotilla under the command of Kptlt. Otto Dröscher and Walther Schwiger beginning his war career.

In February 1915 he obtained his first command on the submarine SM UB-2 serving in Flanders Flotilla. Throughout the war he continued to be seconded to this group commanding various units including submarines also two mine-laying, earning accolades with a total of 106,914 tons, sank 102 merchant ships. He was promoted Kapitänleutnant November 16, 1917, and while he was in command of his latest submarine SM UB 110 was attacked with depth charges, 19 July 1918 off the coast of Scarborough and damaged, was forced to re-emerge and finally sunk by HMS Garry. 13 of the crew members were killed and he was captured along with the survivors. Returning from the prison was placed at the disposal of the Naval Command in Kiel until March 1920, when he retired from active service. From 1 January 1927 to 30 September 1933 he was appointed civilian employee at the Naval Command. Promoted Korvettenkapitän October 1, 1933, was taken into service as an instructor and consultant to the Submarine School until 1938 he is also in the last months of 1937 also served as commander of the department and promoted to Kapitän zur See.

Placed at the disposal of the Supreme Command of the Navy, he was awarded in 1938 the position of Chief of the Statistical Office of the Navy and later in 1939 like Chief of Exports of Armaments. At the beginning of the II world war, he was appointed commander of Submarine Defense Department of the Supreme Command of the Navy, which he held until October 31 1942, promoted Konteradmiral when he was appointed Inspector of Armaments of the Eastern Territories. On June 30, 1943 obtained the leave. He died at 94 years in the hometown of Brunswick on 8 Feb. 1982.

His older brother, Gerhardt Fürbringer, was also a U-boat Commander. He was captured when his U-40 was sunk on 23 June 1915.

Thoughts on submarine warfare prior to 1939
In the period immediately prior to the Second World War, Fübringer seems to have written a memorandum (cited in Padfield’s War Beneath the Sea, 1995 ed. p.48) arguing against a U-boat war against England until a way could be found to render U-boats immune to ASDIC, arguing that to commit the valuable U-boat crews [to such a war] would be irresponsible. Moreover, he argued that naval air power would be necessary to destroy convoy escorts and that in the future the roles of the navy and air forces would be so interconnected that these elements must be welded into unity by the outbreak of the war if heavy failures are not to result.

Ships hit by Werner Fürbringer

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Type of ship	Tons

9 Jun 1915	UB 2	Britannia	Fishing vessel (smack)	43	br
9 Jun 1915	UB 2	Edward	Fishing vessel (smack)	52	br
9 Jun 1915	UB 2	Laurestina	Fishing vessel (smack)	48	br
9 Jun 1915	UB 2	Quivive	Fishing vessel (smack)	50	br
9 Jun 1915	UB 2	Welfare	Fishing vessel (smack)	45	br
10 Jun 1915	UB 2	Intrepid	Fishing vessel (smack)	59	br
23 Aug 1915	UB 2	Miura	Navy Trawler	257	br
7 Sep 1915	UB 2	Constance	Fishing vessel (smack)	57	br
7 Sep 1915	UB 2	Emmanuel	Fishing vessel (smack)	44	br
10 Sep 1915	UB 2	Boy Ernie	Fishing vessel	47	br

26 Feb 1916	UB 2	Arbonne	Steamer	672	br
10 Jul 1916	UB 39	Staffa	Trawler	176	br
13 Jul 1916	UB 39	Dalhousie	Drifter	89	br
13 Jul 1916	UB 39	Florence	Trawler	149	br
13 Jul 1916	UB 39	Mary Ann	fishing vessel	5	br
13 Jul 1916	UB 39	Success	fishing vessel	6	br
14 Jul 1916	UB 39	Ben Aden	Fishing vessel	176	br
14 Jul 1916	UB 39	Bute	Trawler	176	br
14 Jul 1916	UB 39	Girls Friend	Drifter	55	br
14 Jul 1916	UB 39	Langley Castle	Drifter	93	br
14 Jul 1916	UB 39	Recorder	Trawler	149	br
1 Aug 1916	UB 39	Braconash	Fishing vessel	192	br
1 Aug 1916	UB 39	Helvetia	Trawler	167	br
1 Aug 1916	UB 39	King James	Fishing vessel	163	br
1 Aug 1916	UB 39	Rhodesia	Trawler	110	br
1 Aug 1916	UB 39	Tatiana	Trawler	285	br
1 Aug 1916	UB 39	Zeeland	Steamer	1,292	nl
2 Aug 1916	UB 39	Olympia	Trawler	221	br
2 Aug 1916	UB 39	Smiling Morn	Trawler	126	br
2 Aug 1916	UB 39	Twiddler	Drifter	99	br
3 Aug 1916	UB 39	Trawler Prince	Trawler	126	br
3 Aug 1916	UB 39	Lucania	Drifter	92	br
3 Aug 1916	UB 39	Merchant Prince	Trawler	130	br
3 Aug 1916	UB 39	Destro (d.)	Steamer	859	br
4 Aug 1916	UB 39	Jägersborg	Steamer	1,797	da
4 Aug 1916	UB 39	Stamfordham	Steamer	921	br
5 Aug 1916	UB 39	Egyptian Prince	Trawler	129	br
5 Aug 1916	UB 39	St. Olive	Trawler	202	br
6 Sep 1916	UB 39	Ancona (d.)	Steamer	1,168	br
6 Sep 1916	UB 39	Strathtay	Steamer	4,428	br
6 Sep 1916	UB 39	Tagus	Steamer	937	br
7 Sep 1916	UB 39	Marguerite	Sailing vessel	102	fr
7 Sep 1916	UB 39	Alcyon	Sailing vessel	163	fr
7 Sep 1916	UB 39	Heathdene	Steamer	3,541	br
7 Sep 1916	UB 39	Messicano	Steamer	4,065	it
8 Sep 1916	UB 39	Jeune Union	Sailing vessel	267	fr
8 Sep 1916	UB 39	Lyderhorn	Steamer	939	nw
8 Sep 1916	UB 39	Olazarri	Steamer	2,585	sp
9 Sep 1916	UB 39	Europe	Sailing vessel	356	fr
9 Sep 1916	UB 39	Pronto	Steamer	1,411	nw
10 Sep 1916	UB 39	Lexie	Steamer	3,778	br
11 Sep 1916	UB 39	Fredavore	steamer	1,577	nw
20 Oct 1916	UB 39	Midland	Steamer	4,247	br
20 Oct 1916	UB 39	Secundo	Steamer	1,512	nw
21 Oct 1916	UB 39	Hebe	Steamer	775	da
21 Oct 1916	UB 39	Helga	Steamer	1,182	da
22 Oct 1916	UB 39	Alix	Steamer	1,584	nw

14 Feb 1917	UC 70	Marthe Yvonne	Pilot boat	30	fr
16 Mar 1917	UC 70	Cordouan	Pilot boat	28	fr
16 Mar 1917	UC 70	Marguerite Vi (d.)	Q-ship	852	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	ALCIDE MARIE	Fishing vessel	26	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	Camille Emile	Fishing vessel	20	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	DIEU TE GARDE	Fishing vessel	30	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	Juliette	Fishing vessel	29	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	Louis Xiv	Fishing vessel (sail)	44	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	NOTRE DAME DU PERPETUEL SECOURS	Fishing vessel	29	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	NOZAL	Fishing vessel	34	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	RENEE ISLANDER	Fishing vessel	25	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	RUPELLA	Fishing vessel	38	fr
17 Mar 1917	UC 70	Tasso	Steamer	1,859	br
18 Mar 1917	UC 70	Madone	Fishing vessel (dundee)	31	fr
18 Mar 1917	UC 70	Entente Cordiale	Fishing vessel (dundee)	22	fr
18 Mar 1917	UC 70	Felicite Albert	Fishing vessel (dundee)	32	fr
18 Mar 1917	UC 70	HYACINTHE YVONNE	Sailing vessel	43	fr
19 Mar 1917	UC 70	Bergsli	Steamer	2,133	nw
19 Mar 1917	UC 70	Michel	Steamer	1,773	fr
24 Mar 1917	UC 70	Tapir	tug	200	fr
16 Apr 1917	UC 70	Eduard	Sailing vessel	476	br
17 Apr 1917	UC 70	Nirvana (d.)	Steamer	6,021	br
30 Apr 1917	UC 70	Eden	Steamer	1,304	nw
7 May 1917	UC 70	Lowmount	Steamer	2,070	br
18 May 1917	UC 70	C.E.C.G.	Sailing vessel	47	br
18 May 1917	UC 70	Dromore	Steamer	268	br
23 May 1917	UC 70	Begona N°3	Steamer	2,699	sp
27 May 1917	UC 70	General De Boisdeffre	Sailing vessel	2,195	fr
28 May 1917	UC 70	Ancona	Steamer	1,168	br
18 Jun 1917	UC 17	Borneo	Navy Trawler	211	br
19 Jun 1917	UC 17	Kate And Annie	Sailing vessel	96	br
19 Jun 1917	UC 17	Mary Ann (d.)	Sailing vessel	164	br
21 Jun 1917	UC 17	Childe Harold	Sailing vessel	781	am
21 Jun 1917	UC 17	Scheria	Steamer	2,727	it
24 Jun 1917	UC 17	Clan Davidson	Steamer	6,486	br
24 Jun 1917	UC 17	Crown Of Arragon	Steamer	4,550	br
25 Jun 1917	UC 17	Galena	Sailing vessel	1,073	am
25 Jun 1917	UC 17	Saxon Monarch	Steamer	4,828	br
20 Jul 1917	UC 17	City Of Florence	Steamer	5,399	br
21 Jul 1917	UC 17	Augustus Welt	Sailing vessel	1,221	am
13 Oct 1917	UB 58	Bethel	Sailing vessel	257	nw
13 Oct 1917	UB 58	Esmeralda	Sailing vessel	830	sw
19 Nov 1917	UB 58	Minnie Coles	Sailing vessel	116	br
19 Dec 1917	UB 58	Saint Andre	Steamer	2,457	fr
22 Dec 1917	UB 58	Clan Cameron	Steamer	3,595	br
22 Dec 1917	UB 58	Start	Steamer	728	nw

26 Jan 1918	UB 58	Louie Bell	Sailing vessel	118	br
28 Jan 1918	UB 58	W. H. L.	Sailing vessel	97	br
10 Jul 1918	UB 110	Sprucol (d.)	Tanker	1,137	br
16 Jul 1918	UB 110	Southborough	Steamer	3,709	br
				108,082
101 ships sunk (97,881 tons) and 6 ships damaged (10,201 tons). Legend (d.) means the ship was damaged. We have a picture of this vessel.