Years of service 1934–451958–72 Name Hans Heidtmann | ||
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Born 8 August 1914Railway Station Gleschendorf/Ponitz district of Lubeck ( 1914-08-08 ) Rank Kapitanleutnant (Kriegsmarine)Kapitan zur See (Bundesmarine) Unit SSS Gorch Fockcruiser EmdenPanzerschiff DeutschlandU-14 Died April 5, 1976, Hamburg, Germany | ||
Hans Heidtmann (8 August 1914 in Lubeck – 5 April 1976 in Hamburg) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and 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 battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
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U-559 under the command of Heidtmann came under attack by several British warships and an aircraft on 30 October 1942. Fatally damaged and forced to the surface, the U-boat was abandoned after scuttling herself in the Mediterranean. A British boarding party, consisting of Lieutenant Francis Anthony Blair Fasson, Able Seaman Colin Grazier, and Canteen Assistant Tommy Brown, from destroyer HMS Petard recovered the cryptographic materials, but the U-boat sank before the Enigma cipher machine could be brought out. Eight German crewmen and two British seamen were lost, and 37 German survivors were taken prisoner of war.
Ships attacked
As a U-boat commander of U-559 Hans Heidtmann is credited with the sinking of four ships for a total of 11,811 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging two ships of 6,117 GRT that they had to be declared a total loss and sinkging one warship, HMAS Parramatta, of 1,060 metric tons (1,040 long tons; 1,170 short tons).