Georg Staats
Georg Staats | |
---|---|
Born |
Bremen | 13 March 1916
Died |
12 November 1943 27) Bay of Biscay | (aged
Buried at | (46°00′N 07°30′W / 46.000°N 7.500°W) |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1935–43 |
Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
Unit |
SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Emden cruiser Karlsruhe battleship Gneisenau U-5, U-A |
Commands held |
U-80 U-508 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Georg Staats (13 March 1916 in Bremen – 12 November 1943 in the Bay of Biscay) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He and the entire crew of U-508 were killed in the Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal by depth charges from a US Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber.
Career
Staats was born on 13 March 1916 in Bremen. He was appointed Seekadett (midshipman) on 25 September 1935 and completed his training on the light cruiser Karlsruhe and the battleship Gneisenau. He was transferred to the U.boat force in April 1939 as an Leutnant zur See. In 1939 and 1940 he served as watch officer of U-5 and U-A.
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As commander of U-508 Staats is credited with the sinking of 14 merchant ships for a total of 74,087 gross register tons (GRT).
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 August 1942 | Manzanillo | Cuba | 1,025 | Sunk |
12 August 1942 | Santiago de Cuba | Cuba | 1,685 | Sunk |
7 November 1942 | Lindenhall | United Kingdom | 5,248 | Sunk |
7 November 1942 | Nathaniel Hawthorn | USA | 7,176 | Sunk |
17 November 1942 | City of Corinth | United Kingdom | 5,318 | Sunk |
27 November 1942 | Clan Mcfadyen | United Kingdom | 6,191 | Sunk |
28 November 1942 | Empire Cromwell | United Kingdom | 5,970 | Sunk |
1 December 1942 | Trevalgan | United Kingdom | 5,299 | Sunk |
2 December 1942 | City of Bath | United Kingdom | 5,079 | Sunk |
3 December 1942 | Solon II | United Kingdom | 4,561 | Sunk |
9 December 1942 | Nigerian | United Kingdom | 5,423 | Sunk |
9 July 1943 | De La Salle | United Kingdom | 8,400 | Sunk |
9 July 1943 | Manchester Citizen | United Kingdom | 5,343 | Sunk |
18 July 1943 | Incomati | United Kingdom | 7,369 | Sunk |
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (5 April 1939)[2]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (28 August 1940)[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 July 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-508[3][4]
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Georg Staats". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2013.