Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel

Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel
Born	16 June 1917 Berlin-Wilmersdorf
Died	2 July 1944 (aged 27) Atlantic Ocean, south-west of Tenerife 25°34′N 21°36′W / 25.567°N 21.600°W
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1936–44
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Commands held	U-140 U-96 U-543
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel (16 June 1917 – 2 July 1944) was a Kapitänleutnant with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He sailed with U-140, U-96 and U-543, sinking three ships on seven patrols, for a total of 10.969 tons of Allied shipping. He was also a 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.

Hellriegel and the entire crew of U-543 were killed by depth charges and a homing torpedo from TBF Avenger aircraft (VC-58) of the US escort carrier USS Wake Island on 2 July 1944.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-140, U-96 and U-543 Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel is credited with the sinking of 3 merchant ships for a total of 10,969 gross register tons (GRT), a warship of 206 GRT and damaging two ships of 17,179 GRT.

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Flag	Tonnage	Fate
21 July 1941	U-140	submarine M-94	Soviet Navy	206	Sunk at 58°51′N 22°02′E / 58.850°N 22.033°E
10 September 1942	U-96	Elisabeth van Belgie	Belgium	4,241	Sunk at 51°30′N 28°25′W / 51.500°N 28.417°W
10 September 1942	U-96	F.J. Wolfe	United Kingdom	12,190	Damaged at 51°30′N 28°25′W / 51.500°N 28.417°W
10 September 1942	U-96	Sveve	Norway	6,313	Sunk at 51°28′N 28°30′W / 51.467°N 28.500°W
11 September 1942	U-96	Delães	Portugal	415	Sunk at 50°03′N 29°32′W / 50.050°N 29.533°W
25 September 1942	U-96	New York	United Kingdom	4,989	Damaged at 54°34′N 25°44′W / 54.567°N 25.733°W

Awards

• U-boat War Badge (1939) (24 April 1940)^[1]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (26 April 1940)^[1]
  • 1st Class (3 July 1940)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 February 1944 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-543^[2]

References

Citations

1. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 422.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 221.

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
• Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "Hans-Jürgen Hellriegel". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2013.