Walther Schwieger
| Walther Schwieger | |
|---|---|
| 7 April 1885 – 5 September 1917 (aged 32) | |
| 150px Walther Schwieger (1917) | |
| Place of birth | Berlin |
| Place of death | North Sea |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Kaiserliche Marine |
| Years of service | 1903 - 1917 |
| Rank | Kapitänleutnant |
| Commands held | Template:SMU, 1 Aug 1914 – 15 Dec 1914 Template:SMU, 16 Dec 1914 – 5 Nov 1916 Template:SMU, 23 Jul 1916 – 5 Sep 1917 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of the Atlantic (1914-1918) |
| Awards | Iron Cross 1st class Pour le Mérite |
Lieutenant Walther Schwieger (7 April 1885, Berlin - 5 September 1917, North Sea) was a German U-boat commander during the First World War, noted for his role in the sinking of the Lusitania.
In the year 1903 he joined the Kaiserliche Marine and from 1911 onwards he served with the U-boatwaffe. In 1912 he took over the command of the Template:SMU. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and given command of the Template:SMU.
On 7 May 1915, Schwieger was responsible for U-20's torpedoing of the passenger liner RMS Lusitania leading to the deaths of 1,198 people, an event that played a role in the United States' later entry into World War I. He also torpedoed SS Hesperian on 4 September and SS Cymric on 8 May 1916.
Schwieger was killed in Action when his U-boat, Template:SMU, was chased by HMS Stonecrop, hit a British mine, and sank on 5 September 1917, north of Terschelling.
At the time of his death, Schwieger had sunk 49 ships with 183,883 gross register tons (GRT) with three submarines on 34 missions. He was the sixth most successful submarine commander of World War I. His body remains entombed in U-88.
External links
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