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SHARKHUNTERS International
History of the German submarine U-4

Much of this information, the data, the photos etc. comes directly from the veterans, the veterans' organizations and is the most accurate available anywhere..............much of this information is not even known elsewhere.
 

                    No men lost

The first Skipper of U-4 was Korvettenkapitän Hannes Weingärtner who also commanded U-10, U-16 and U-851 where he was KIA.  However, the first combat Skipper was Oberleutnant zur See Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt who later commanded U-20 in the Black Sea Fleet (the 30th U-Bootflottille).

On 11 March 1940 command passed to Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Peter Hinsch who also commanded U-140 and U-569.

Other Skippers who trained aboard U-2 include:
   Kapitänleutnant Bernbeck who also commanded U-10, U-16 and U-851 where he was KIA;
   Oberleutnant zur See H. Reiger who also commanded U-1205;
   Kapitänleutnant Hans-Jürgen Zetsche who also commanded U-20, U-560 and U-591;
   Kapitänleutnant Sander who also commanded U-72;
   Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky who also commanded U-33 where he was KIA;
   Oberleutnant zur See Friederich Wilhelm Marienfeld who also commanded U-1228;
   Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Leimkuhler who also commanded U-225 where he was KIA;
   Oberleutnant zur See Duppe who also commanded U-2505;
   Oberleutnant zur See E. Reiger who also commanded U-416 where he was KIA.
                 NOTE - Sharkhunters Member's names appear in bold capital letters.

U-4 operated off the Norwegian coast 4 September through 14 September 1939; and again from 19 September through 29 September 1939.  Her last combat patrol covered 11 March through 14 April 1940 before she was transferred from combat duty to a training flotilla where she became a schulboot (school boat).

U-4 was decommissioned on 1 August 1944 and surrendered to the Allies in May of 1945.  She was broken up by the Allies after the war.

                  SHIPS SUNK BY U-4 (von Klot-Heydenfeldt commanding)

                  SHIPS SUNK BY U-4 (Hinsch commanding)

                        
                                 HMS THISTLE (N 24)
                                   ___________________________________

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Many thanks to our friend and Sharkhunters Member since 1987 GEORG HÖGEL for all the conning tower emblems used in our monthly KTB Magazine and also here on the pages of our website.  GEORG was radioman aboard U-30, the first boat into combat, the first to sink a ship (the liner ATHENIA) and the first into an occupied French port.  When that Skipper (Lemp) took command of U-110, GEORG was one of the former crew to transfer to the new boat under Lemp.  After the war, he was Professor of Art at a major German university.