JOHANN-OTTO KRIEG (199-1986)

Kriegsmarine, U-Bootwaffe then K-Verband

U-81

“HANNO” KRIEG was I.W.O. aboard U-81 under FRIEDERICH GUGGENBERGER (269-1987) when they attacked a Royal Navy task force in the western Mediterranean. They sank the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL and damaged the battleship HMS MALAYA so badly that she was in the shipyards and out of action for much of the war.

After GUGGENBERGER was given command of another submarine, KRIEG was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See and given command of U-81 on 23 December 1942. After that boat was destroyed on 9 January 1944 he was transferred into the Kleinkampfverband – the small boat group. He commanded a fleet of one and two-man submarines and one man torpedoes. When he transferred to the K-Band, he brought some of the crew of U-81 with him including GERHARD RICHTER (214-1986) and gave him his own one-man submarine. This is an indication of how bad things were turning for Germany at that late stage of the war …RICHTER held the rank of Oberfunkmaat – Petty Officer, Radio!

KRIEG was decorated with the Knights Cross, but don’t look for his name on any Kriegsmarine roster of Kriegsmarine men to win this coveted decoration. He was decorated with the RK during his service with the K-Verband, and that was not considered part of the Kriegsmarine.