Walther Schwieger

Infobox Military Person
name=Walther Schwieger
lived=April 7, 1885 - September 17, 1917
placeofbirth=Berlin
placeofdeath=North Sea


caption=Walther Schwieger
nickname=
allegiance=German Empire
serviceyears=1903 - 1917
rank=Kapitänleutnant
branch=Kaiserliche Marine
commands=U-14, Aug 1 1914 – Dec 15 1914
U-20, Dec 16 1914 – Nov 5 1916
U-88, Jul 23 1916 – Sep 5 1917
unit=
battles=Battle of the Atlantic (1914-1918)
awards=Iron Cross 1st class
Pour le Mérite
relations=
laterwork=
Lieutenant Walther Schwieger (April 7,1885, Berlin - September 5,1917, North Sea) was a German U-boat commander during the First World War.

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 U-14. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and given command of the U-20.

On May 7, 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 would also torpedo the SS Hesperian on September 4, 1915, and the SS Cymric on May 8, 1916.

Schwieger was killed when his U-boat, U-88, was chased by HMS Stonecrop, hit a British mine, and sank on September 5, 1917 north of Terschelling.

By the time of his death, Schwieger had sunk 49 ships with GRT|183.883|first=yes 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

* [http://uboat.net/wwi/men/index.html?officer=322 uboat.net webpage about Walther Schwieger]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/germany/u_boats/ww1/u_20_page_1.htm Maritimequest U-20 Photo Gallery]