Albrecht Achilles (Korvettenkapitän)

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For other uses, see Albrecht Achilles.
Albrecht Archilles
25 January 1914(1914-01-25) – 27 September 1943 (aged 29)
Place of birth Karlsruhe
Place of death northeast of Bahia, Brazil
12°30′S, 35°35′W
Allegiance Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Naval flag of Nazi Germany Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1934 - 1943
Rank Korvettenkapitän (posthumous)
Unit battleship "Schleswig-Holstein"
battlecruiser "Gneisenau"
U-66
Commands held U-161
Awards Iron Cross 1st Class
U-boat War Badge
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Albrecht Achilles (25 January 1914 – 27 September 1943) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and commander of U-161.

Contents

[edit] Military career

Albrecht Achilles joined the Kriegsmarine in April 1934 and tranferred to the U-boat service in April 1940. For one year he served as a commander trainee as first and second watch officer on board various U-boats, including three patrols on U-66 under the command of Richard Zapp, before taking over command of U-161 from Kapitänleutnant Hans Witt.

Whilst commander of U-161 Achilles is credited with the sinking of 15 merchant ships totalling 64,842 tons. Achilles also sank the United States Lighthouse Service ship Acacia and damaged the British light cruiser HMS Phoebe on 23 October 1942.

Albrecht Achilles and his entire crew were killed in action when U-161 was sunk northeast of Bahia on 27 September 1943 by depth charges from a US Mariner aircraft (USN VP-74/P-2).

[edit] Awards

[edit] References

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Kurowski, Franz. Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1995. ISBN 0-88740-748-X.

[edit] External links

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