Walther Forstmann

Infobox Military Person
name=Walther Forstmann
lived=March 9 1883 - September 2 1973
placeofbirth=Essen-Werden
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=German Empire
Nazi Germany
serviceyears= 1900-1919, 1939-1945
rank=Kapitän zur See
branch=Kaiserliche Marine
Kriegsmarine
commands=U-12, Aug 1 1914 – Feb 9 1915
U-39, Feb 11 1915 – Oct 14 1917
unit=
battles=Battle of the Atlantic (1914-1918)
awards=Iron Cross 1st class
Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
Order of the Red Eagle 4th class
Pour le Mérite
relations=
laterwork=
Captain Walther Forstmann (March 9 1883 - September 2 1973) was one of the most successful and highly decorated German U-boat commanders in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I. He also served in the Kriegsmarine during World War II in different staff member positions.

In his time as commander of U-12 and U-39 in World War I, he conducted 47 patrols and succeeded in sinking 146 ships for a total tonnage of GRT|384.304|first=yes. As such he is the second most successful submarine commander ever (by tonnage sunk).

World War I

On August 12, 1916 Kapitänleutnant "Forstmann" of U-39 was awarded the Pour le Mérite for his achievements so far in the First World War.

In 1917 "Forstmann", in command of U-39, sunk five valuable steamers) within only two days in the Straits of Gibraltar with over GRT|20.000, the SS Normanton (3862 tonnes), SS Mersario (3847 tonnes), SS Almora (4385 tonnes), SS Nuceria (4702 tonnes) and the Japanese steamer SS Sitosan Maru (3555 tonnes). The ships carried a total load of 31.500 tonnes of coal, of which more than 26.000 tonnes were meant for Italy for use in the winter.

Interbellum

"Forstmann" wrote his memoirs after the war in the book "Hunting in the Mediterranean" ( _de. Auf Jagd im Mittelmeer). In 1921 he qualified as an attorney and in 1924 he became social departmental head and director with the August Thyssen coal company in Duisburg.

From 1929 to 1933 he was a city delegate and parliamentary group leader of the German People's Party in Duisburg.

Between 1933 to 1950 he was a member of the board (1951-1953 member of the supervisory board) of four large housing cooperatives of the Ruhr steel plants.

World War II

In the Second World War "Forstmann" served as chief of different amour commands in Osnabrück and Copenhagen. He was promoted to Kapitän zur See on July 1, 1942.He retired from the Navy in 1945.In 1952 he was awarded the Order of Merit 1st Class.

Post war career

1951 - 1955 He became one of the advisors of the housing company - Rheini dwellings A.G. in Duisburg which was responsible for the movement of several villages to enable development of open cast coal mining. In 1954 he became a member of the supervisory board of this company.

In 1956 he was involved in the design structure of the 30 Pestalozzi villages and became vice-president of the German settler federation , chairmen of the executive committee of youth centre place work e. V.

In 1960 he was awarded the Order of Merit for his part in the 25-year old existence of the German settler federation.

In 1968 he received an honorary Doctorate from the Roman Accademia Tiberina and in 1972 another from the university of the Mediterranean in Rome.

External links

* [http://www.worldwar1atsea.net/WW1Memoir%20-%20Jones,%20SS%20Mersario.htm worldwar1atsea.net webpage] - Mentioning sinking of the five steamers in Straits of Gibraltar in 1917
* [http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/KRIEGSMARINE/Kapitaen_zur_See_F.html geocities.com webpage] - Mentioning positions in World War II
* [http://www.u-boot-net.de/include.php?path=content/content.php&contentid=120 u-boot-net.de webpage] - Biography (in German)
* [http://uboat.net/history/wwi/part6.htm#wwi_aces uboat.net webpage] List of World war I U-boat aces.