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Asmus Nicolai ClausenGerman submarine officer, corvette captain
Date of Birth: 02.06.1911
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Early Life and Naval Career
- Submarine Service
- World War II
- Command of U-129
- Command of U-182
- Death and Legacy
Early Life and Naval Career
In October 1929, Wolfgang Lüth joined the German Navy as a sailor, serving on destroyers. After training on the training ship "Gorch Fock," he transferred to the nascent submarine fleet in September 1935.
Submarine Service
From April 1936, Lüth served on the U-26 under the command of Werner Hartmann. He graduated from the naval academy in Mürwik in 1937. In 1939, he was promoted to Lieutenant. Before the war, he served on the battleship "Admiral Graf Spee" and the minesweeper M-134.
World War II
Command of U-37In autumn 1939, Hartmann invited Lüth to become his first watch officer on the U-37. Lüth participated in a patrol in the Atlantic and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class from Dönitz himself upon his return. On September 4, 1940, Lüth was appointed commander of the U-142, but he was soon transferred to the U-37 on October 26. He commanded the U-37 on three patrols, sinking 12 ships over 85 days at sea.
Command of U-129
From May 25, 1941, Lüth commanded the U-129. He led the boat on four patrols (180 days). The first three patrols were in the Atlantic, while the final one was in the Caribbean Sea, where he sank seven ships totaling 25,613 tons.
Command of U-182
On June 30, 1943, Lüth took command of the submarine cruiser U-182. He embarked on a 189-day patrol in the Indian Ocean, where he sank five ships totaling 30,071 tons.
Death and Legacy
On March 13, 1942, Lüth was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. However, during his return from the Indian Ocean, the U-182 was sunk by the American destroyer "Mackenzie." Lüth and his entire crew perished.
Throughout the war, Lüth sank a total of 24 ships with a displacement of 74,807 tons. He remains one of the most successful German submarine commanders of World War II.
