Allegiance Nazi Germany Service/branch Kriegsmarine Name Wilhelm Dommes | Rank Fregattenkapitan Years of service 1933–45 | |
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Born 16 April 1907
Buchberg ( 1907-04-16 ) Died January 23, 1990, Hanover, Germany Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Commands held German submarine U-431, German submarine U-178 | ||
Wilhelm Dommes (16 April 1907 in Berent District, West Prussia – 23 January 1990 in Hannover) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He is notable as being the commander of U-boats in the Indian Ocean, whereby German and Japanese forces fought together in the only time in the war. He was the first commander of the U-boat base, in the former British seaplane base in Penang, where he served as head of the Southeast Asia U-boat region.
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Ships attacked
As commander of U-431 and U-178 Wilhelm Dommes is credited with the sinking of eight ships for a total of 40,103 gross register tons (GRT), sinking one auxiliary warship of 313 GRT, two warships of 3,548 long tons (3,605 tonnes), and damaging one ship of 3,560 GRT and one warship of 450 long tons (460 t).