Siegfried von Forstner

Siegfried von Forstner was a Korvettenkapitän in the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. He is chiefly remembered as a U-boat commander, credited with sinking over 100,000 gross register tons of Allied shipping. Von Forstner was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest military award in Germany at the time, and was killed in action during a confrontation in the Atlantic Ocean.

Early life and career

Siegfried von Forstner was born on 19 September 1910 in Berlin, the capital of the German Empire. He entered the Reichsmarine in 1930, beginning his naval training aboard the sail training ship ''Gorch Fock''. His early career included service on the light cruiser ''Karlsruhe'' and the battleship ''Schleswig-Holstein''. In 1937, he transferred to the newly expanding U-boat arm, serving as a watch officer on ''U-27'' under the command of Hans-Georg von Friedeburg. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, von Forstner underwent commander training and was appointed to his first command, the Type II coastal U-boat ''U-59'', in December 1939.

World War II service

Von Forstner's first war patrols in the North Sea and off the coast of Norway were conducted with U-59. In June 1940, he took command of the larger Type VII U-boat ''U-402'', which he would lead for the remainder of his career. Operating primarily in the North Atlantic and later off the eastern coast of North America and in the Caribbean Sea, von Forstner became a highly successful commander. His most notable engagements included attacks on several convoys, such as Convoy SC 107 and Convoy ON 166, where he demonstrated aggressive tactics. On 4 October 1943, while attacking Convoy SC 143 south of Iceland, U-402 was located, depth-charged, and sunk with all hands by Lockheed Ventura aircraft from the United States Navy squadron VB-128 and the Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 10 Squadron RCAF.

Post-war life and death

Siegfried von Forstner was declared missing in action following the loss of U-402 on 4 October 1943 in the Atlantic Ocean. As his U-boat was lost with all 50 crewmen, he had no post-war life. The wreck of U-402 has not been definitively located. His fate remained a mystery until postwar analysis of Allied records confirmed the circumstances of his death. His name is listed among the missing at the German war cemetery and memorial site.

Awards and decorations

During his service, Siegfried von Forstner received several military honors. His awards included the Iron Cross Second Class and First Class. For sinking over 100,000 tons of Allied shipping, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 March 1943. He was also a recipient of the U-boat War Badge and the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Bronze, the latter for his service as an aerial observer earlier in his career. The recommendation for his Knight's Cross was endorsed by Karl Dönitz, the commander of the Kriegsmarine's U-boat arm.

Category:German military personnel killed in World War II Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Category:U-boat commanders