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Werner HartensteinGerman submariner from World War II
Date of Birth: 24.02.1908
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Werner Hartenstein
Werner Hartenstein was a German submarine commander during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was born on April 1, 1928, and joined the Reichsmarine on that same date in 1928. After training on various ships, including the "Niobe" and the light cruiser "Emden," he served on the light cruiser "Karlsruhe." From September 1939 to March 1941, he commanded the torpedo boat "Jaguar." In April 1941, he joined the submarine forces and in September, he was assigned to command U-156. From January 1942 to January 1943, he completed five successful combat patrols and sank approximately 114,000 gross register tons of enemy ships.
The Laconia Incident
On September 12, 1942, off the coast of West Africa, Hartenstein attacked the British transport ship "Laconia" (19,695 gross register tons). The ship was carrying over 2,741 people, including 1,809 Italian prisoners of war. Following the sinking, a rescue operation began involving U-507, which was nearby. Hartenstein's submarine took several lifeboats in tow and rescued many survivors. Despite displaying prominent Red Cross flags, the submarine came under attack by American aircraft and was severely damaged. Several of the rescued individuals perished during the bombing. This bombing led to the issuance of the "Laconia Order" by Karl Dönitz on September 17, 1942, which prohibited German military vessels from undertaking any actions to rescue people from sunken ships.
Final Battle and Sinking
In mid-January 1943, Hartenstein embarked on his final combat patrol. On March 8, 1943, east of Barbados, his submarine, along with the entire crew, was sunk by an American "Catalina" aircraft.
Rank and Awards
Werner Hartenstein held several ranks during his military career, including Oberfähnrich zur See (January 1, 1930), Oberleutnant zur See (October 1, 1932), Kapitänleutnant (June 1, 1937), and Korvettenkapitän (Captain 3rd rank) (June 1, 1942).
He received numerous awards and honors, including the Spanish Cross in Bronze (June 6, 1939), Iron Cross (1939), Iron Cross 2nd Class (November 16, 1939), Iron Cross 1st Class (April 27, 1940), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (September 17, 1942), War Badge for Destroyer (December 24, 1940), U-Boat War Badge (March 17, 1942), German Cross in Gold (February 2, 1942), and was mentioned in the "Wehrmachtbericht" on June 6, 1942.
