Ernst Kals

Ernst Kals
File:Ernst Kals.jpg Ernst Kals
Born	(1905-08-02)2 August 1905
Died	2 November 1979(1979-11-02) (aged 74)
Place of birth	Glauschau
Place of death	Emden
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1924–1945
Rank	Kapitän zur See
Unit	Braunschweig SSS Niobe Berlin Schlesien torpedo boat Luchs cruiser Köln cruiser Emden cruiser Admiral Scheer cruiser Leipzig U-37
Commands held	U-130 2nd U-boat Flotilla
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic Battle of the Caribbean Bombardment of Curaçao Battle of Casablanca
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ernst Kals (2 August 1905 – 2 November 1979) was a Kapitän zur See with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat U-130 on five patrols, and sank twenty ships, for a total of 145,656 tons of Allied shipping, becoming the sixteenth highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Kals joined the Reichsmarine in 1924. In October 1940, after a period of service on torpedo boats and light cruisers, he transferred to the Ubootwaffe ("U-boat force"). After one patrol on U-37 under the command of Nicolai Clausen as commander in training, he took command of U-130 in June 1941. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in September 1941.

In April 1942, Kals, in U-130, bombarded the Allied petroleum tank farm on Curaçao, in the Netherlands Antilles. He went on to sink a total of 20 ships on five patrols, for a total of 145,656 tons of Allied shipping. In five minutes he sank three United States troopships, the Edward Rutledge, Hugh L. Scott and Tasker H. Bliss.

In January 1943 Kals became commander of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla which based in Lorient, France. Promoted to Kapitän zur See in September 1944, he remained in this position until the end of the war.

Later life

Kals was held in French captivity from May 1945 to January 1948. He died at Emden in 1979 at the age of 74.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-130 and Ernst Kals is credited with the sinking of 17 merchant ships for a total of 111,249 gross register tons (GRT), three auxiliary warships for a total of 34,407 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one further ship of 6,986 GRT.

Date	Name of ship	Flag	Tonnage	Fate
10 December 1941	Kirnwood	United Kingdom	3,829	Sunk
10 December 1941	Kurdistan	United Kingdom	5,844	Sunk
10 December 1941	Star of Luxor	Egypt	5,298	Sunk
13 January 1942	Friar Rock	Panama	5,427	Sunk
13 January 1942	Frisco	Norway	1,582	Sunk
21 January 1942	Alexander Høegh	Norway	8,248	Sunk
25 January 1942	Varanger	Norway	9,305	Sunk
27 January 1942	Francis E. Powell	USA	7,096	Sunk
27 January 1942	Halo	USA	6,986	Damaged
11 April 1942	Grenanger	Norway	5,393	Sunk
11 April 1942	Esso Boston	USA	7,699	Sunk
25 July 1942	Tankexpress	Norway	10,095	Sunk
27 July 1942	Elmwood	Norway	7,167	Sunk
30 July 1942	Danmark	United Kingdom	8,391	Sunk
9 August 1942	Malmanger	Norway	7,078	Sunk
11 August 1942	Mirlo	Norway	7,455	Sunk
25 August 1942	Viking Star	United Kingdom	6,445	Sunk
26 August 1942	Beechwood	United Kingdom	4,897	Sunk
12 November 1942	USS Edward Rutledge	USA	9,360	Sunk
12 November 1942	USS Hugh L. Scott	USA	12,479	Sunk
12 November 1942	USS Tasker H. Bliss	USA	12,568	Sunk

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 December 1939)
  • 1st Class (18 December 1941)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (18 December 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 September 1942 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-130
• War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1944)
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 30 January 1942

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Friday, 30 January 1942 (extra)	Deutsche Unterseeboote haben in Fortsetzung ihrer Angriffe auf die feindliche Versorgungsschifffahrt in nordamerikanischen und kanadischen Gewässern weitere 13 Schiffe mit zusammen 74 000 BRT versenkt. Hierbei hat sich das Unterseeboot des Korvettenkapitäns Kals besonders ausgezeichnet.	German submarines have sunk in continuation of their attacks on the enemy supply shipping in North American and Canadian waters a further 13 vessels with a total of 74 000 GRT. Here the submarine of Corvette Captain Kals has particularly distinguished itself.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Busch, Hans-Joachim; Röll (2003) (in German). 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]. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2. 
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedburg, 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) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
• (in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 2, 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1943]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 

External links

• "Ernst Kals". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/kals.htm. Retrieved 20 March 2012. 
• "Ernst Kals" (in German). Lexikon der Wehrmacht. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/K/KalsE.htm. Retrieved 20 March 2012.