S Boat crews

[415]

I'm wondering if it's possible to get a list of names of crew members on any particular S Boat? I'm trying figure out which S Boat that a relative of mine served on. He unfortunately was KIA and I have found three S Boats that were sunk by British air planes on the same day he is listed as KIA. They are S 178, S 179 and S 189. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Chris

[Eric JB]

same question .......... same reply !

A name and rank will be most welcome - to try to answer your question !

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=344853

You ask for help but do not give any information.

When you do not want to go public, perhaps you can provide me with some information in an email or pm.

[415]

Oops, my apologise.

His name was Walter Wiedemann, Born 25.01.1925. He is listed on the volksbund as Gefreiter so I would assume that means he was a Matrosengefreiter. He was born in a small village named Destedt. His family was never notified that he was killed. He just never came home after the war. His mother( my Ure Ure Gross Mutter) spent the rest of her life trying to find out what happened. His sister has also spent the majority of her life searching to. I contacted the volksbund a few moths back and they said in the 80’s a book was given to Germany I believe by the French with a bunch of names of sailors who were killed and the dates they were killed. His name was in that book. But I guess the German government never notified the surviving family members.

Here's also a picture of him.

Thanks,

Chris

[Eric JB]

Hi Chris,

No need for an apology !

Sorry to say that I don't have him listed in the material I have.

Best you can do is to contact the WASt in Berlin.

Talking about a busy day/night in the Channel !!!

Not only that three S-Boote, as it is possible that he served on another ship.

12/13-6-1944.

S.138 damaged.
S.100, S.84, S.143, S.169, S.173, S.188, S.171, S.172 attacked by aircraft.
S.169 damaged.
S.178, S.189, S.197 and R.97 sunk by "Strike Wing" Beaufighter RAF Squadron 143 and 236.
S.181, M.402 and R.99 damaged.


13-6-1944.

M.343 sunk.
M.412, M.422, M.432, M.422 and M.452 damaged.
V.203 and M.4615 damaged.
M.83 sunk.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[415]

Thanks for your help Eric-Jan. I've mailed a letter to the WASt in Berlin, but haven't heard back from them yet. I know it takes a number of months to get a response back because of how busy they are. Once again thanks Eric-Jan.

Chris

[415]

I received his military records from the DD WASt and his is listed in the 9th Schnellbootflottille but the boat is unknown. Were any schnellboot sunk on that date from the 9th Schnellbootflottille? Also it says he was a maschinengefreiter, I’m not sure exactly what that means, a certain type of Gefreiter I presume?

[Simon O.]

KM OR ranks include their trade branch designation, in this case a machinist so he'll have worked in the boat's engine room

[415]

Ok thanks

[415]

I was in Germany a few weeks ago and I saw Uncle Walters’s sister. She showed me a document that I had not seen before. It had a statement from a comrade. It turns out he didn't go missing in June 1944, he actually went missing in September 1944. He was a mechanic on the S-145. They scuttled the S-145 by Brest in Southern France and were sent inland to report to the 2nd Fallschirmjager Division. They reported in and that's when he and my Uncle Walter separated. The next day the comrade had been captured and became a POW. He ran into a couple of their other comrades and he asked them where Walter was and they told him he was dead. His statement did say exactly what happened, just that he had been killed.

[415]

I was going over the document I had received from DD WASt and I had missed something. He was awarded his Schnellboot badge on April 27, 1944. I know some one had asked me if I knew the date.

Chris