Years of service 1900–1942 Unit SMS Konig Name Otto Schultze Children Heinz-Otto Schultze | Rank Generaladmiral Commands held U-63
SMS Elsass Awards Pour le Merite Battles and wars World War I, World War II | |
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Born 11 May 1884
Oldenburg ( 1884-05-11 ) Allegiance German Empire (to 1919)
Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany Service/branch Kaiserliche Marine
Reichsmarine
Kriegsmarine Died January 22, 1966, Hamburg, Germany | ||
Otto Schultze (11 May 1884 – 22 January 1966) was a Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Pour le Merite during World War I. The Pour le Merite was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I. As a U boat commander during World War I, he was credited with the sinking of 53 ships for a total of 132,531 long tons (134,658 t), including the HMS Falmouth and SS Transylvania.
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Biography
Schultze joined the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) on 7 April 1900 as a Seekadett (sea cadet). He initially served on Konig during World War I before transferring to the U boat service in 1915, taking command of U-63. He surrendered command of U-63 in mid-December 1917. He then served a first officer of the admiral staff of the commander in chief of the U boats at the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, he held the position of chief of the I. U-Boot-Flottille (1st U boat Flotilla). Between the wars, he held various staff positions. From September 1927-September 1929, he was commander of Elsass. In October, he took command of the Marinestation der Nordsee (North Sea Naval Station). He was promoted to Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) in 1934 and to Admiral in 1936 retiring in 1937. With the outbreak of World War II, he was reactivated into active service.
Legacy
His son Heinz-Otto Schultze was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross—was a U-boat commander during World War II and was killed in action on 25 November 1943 when U-849 was sunk in the South Atlantic by depth charges from an American B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Otto Schultze retired on 31 August 1942.