Günther Hessler

Günther Hessler
File:Günther Hessler.jpg Günther Hessler after the Knight's Cross presentation
Born	(1909-06-14)14 June 1909 Beerfelde, Märkisch-Oderland
Died	Bochum
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1927–45
Rank	Fregattenkapitän
Unit	SSS Niobe Berlin tender Frauenlob Meteor Schlesien torpedo boat Greif aviso Grille Gneisenau
Commands held	torpedo boat Falke U-107
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations	Karl Dönitz (father in law)

Günther Hessler (14 June 1909 – 4 April 1968) was a Kriegsmarine Fregattenkapitän during World War II. He commanded the Type IXB U-boat U-107, sinking twenty-one ships on three patrols, totalling 118,822 GRT of Allied shipping, of which 86,699 GRT was sunk on one patrol alone. He stands 21st on the list of highest scoring U-Boat aces of World War II. Hessler was also a 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 bravery in combat or successful military leadership.

Career

Günther Hessler joined the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic on 5 April 1927 as a member of "Crew 1927" (the incoming class of 1927). He underwent basic military training in the 8th company, 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund (5 April 1927 – 3 July 1927). Hessler was then transferred to the training ship SSS Niobe (4 July 1927 – 31 October 1927), attaining the rank of Seekadett (midshipman) on 1 October 1927. After more than 16 months aboard the light cruiser Berlin (1 November 1927 – 17 March 1929) he underwent officer cadet training at the Naval Academy at Mürwik, which included navigational training cruises on the tender Frauenlob and the survey vessel Meteor. Hessler then advanced in rank to Fähnrich zur See (officer cadet) on 1 April 1929.

U-107 returning from war patrol November 1941

On 2 October 1936 he was appointed watch officer on the Aviso Grille, Adolf Hitler's state yacht, and on 30 March 1938 transferred to the battleship Gneisenau. In 1937 he married Karl Dönitz's daughter, Ursula. The marriage produced two sons, Peter and Klaus, and a daughter, Ute. Hessler took command of torpedo-boat Falke on 27 March 1938. He remained in this position until 8 January 1940, earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 18 November 1939. Falke was assigned to the 5th Torpedobootflottille on 4 April 1939. On the outbreak of World War II Falke was tasked with laying defensive naval mines and escort and security duties in the North Sea. In April 1940 Hessler transferred to the U-boat arm, and six months later commissioned the U-107, without, unusually, having served as either a 1. Wachoffizier (1. WO—1st watch officer) or a Kommandantenschüler ("Commander-in-Training").

On his first patrol (24 January 1941 – 1 March 1941) Hessler sank four ships with a total of 18,514 GRT, but he became famous on his second patrol (29 March 1941 – 2 July 1941) — the most successful patrol of the entire war — sinking 14 ships with a total of 86,699 GRT. Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Witte was his first watch officer on these two patrols.

His third patrol (6 September 1941 – 11 November 1941) accounted for another three ships, totalling 13,641 tons, giving Hessler a career tally of 21 ships totalling 118,822 GRT, including two Royal Navy ocean boarding vessels HMS Crispin and Manistee. Hessler then handed over command of U-107 to Harald Gelhaus and transferred to the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU). He served on the naval staff as 1. Admiralstabsoffizier (Asto—officer of the admiralty staff) from 24 November 1941 until the end of the war in Europe on 8 May 1945.

Post-war

After the war Hessler spent over a year in Allied captivity, and testified at the Nuremberg Trials on behalf of the Ubootwaffe and his father-in-law, Großadmiral Karl Dönitz. In 1947 Hessler was commissioned to write The U-Boat War in the Atlantic, a definitive account of the German U-boat offensive, by the British Royal Navy. Assisted by Alfred Hoschatt, the former commander of U-378 and also a staff officer of the BdU, he completed the three volume work in 1951. Hessler died in 1968 aged 58.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-107 Günther Hessler is credited with the sinking of 19 merchant ships with a total of 108,411 gross register tons (GRT) and two auxiliary warships of 10,411 GRT.

Date	Name of ship	Flag	Tonnage	Fate
3 February 1941	Empire Citizen	United Kingdom	4,683	Sunk at
3 February 1941	HMS Crispin	Royal Navy	5,051	Sunk at
6 February 1941	Maplecourt	Canada	3,388	Sunk at
23 February 1941	HMS Manistee (F 104)	Royal Navy	5,360	Sunk at
8 April 1941	Eskdene	United Kingdom	3,829	Sunk at
8 April 1941	Helena Margareta	United Kingdom	3,316	Sunk at
9 April 1941	Harpathian	United Kingdom	4,671	Sunk at
9 April 1941	Duffield	United Kingdom	8,516	Sunk at
21 April 1941	Calchas	United Kingdom	10,305	Sunk at
30 April 1941	Lassell	United Kingdom	7,417	Sunk at
17 May 1941	Marisa	Netherlands	8,029	Sunk at
18 May 1941	Piako	United Kingdom	8,286	Sunk at
27 May 1941	Colonial	United Kingdom	5,108	Sunk at
28 May 1941	Papalemos	Greece	3,748	Sunk at
31 May 1941	Sire	United Kingdom	5,664	Sunk at
1 June 1941	Alfred Jones	United Kingdom	5,013	Sunk at
8 June 1941	Adda	United Kingdom	7,816	Sunk at
13 June 1941	Pandias	Greece	4,981	Sunk at
24 September 1941	John Holt	United Kingdom	4,975	Sunk at
24 September 1941	Dixcove	United Kingdom	3,790	Sunk at
24 September 1941	Lafian	United Kingdom	4,876	Sunk at

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 November 1939)
  • 1st Class (1 March 1941)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (3 July 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 June 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-107
• German Cross in Gold on 9 November 1944 as Korvettenkapitän with the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht on 1 May 1941 and 8 June 1941

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Thursday, 1 May 1941	Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung des Kapitänleutnants Heßler meldet die Versenkung eines Dampfers von 7000 BRT. Damit hat dieses Unterseeboot auf seiner jetzigen Unternehmung bereits 42 650 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffraum versenkt.	A submarine under the leadership of Captain Lieutenant Heßler reported the sinking of 7,000 GRT steamer. So far this submarine has sunk 42 650 GRT of enemy merchant shipping on this undertaking.
Sunday, 8 June 1941	Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung von Kapitänleutnant Heßler versenkte 21 250 BRT. Damit hat dieses Boot bei dieser Unternehmung insgesamt sieben Schiffe mit zusammen 42 641 BRT vernichtet.	A submarine under the leadership of Captain Lieutenant Heßler sunk 21,250 GRT. With that this boat has destroyed a total of seven ships in this undertaking, totalling 42,641 GRT.

Works

• Great Britain Ministry of Defence (Navy) and Hessler, Günther (1989). U Boat War in the Atlantic 1939–1945: German Naval History. Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0117726031.

References

Notes

Bibliography