Max-Martin Teichert

Max-Martin Teichert
Born	(1915-01-31)31 January 1915
Died	12 May 1943(1943-05-12) (aged 28)
Place of birth	Kiel
Place of death	North Atlantic
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1934–1943
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Unit	SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Emden torpedo boat Iltis destroyer Wolfgang Zenker destroyer Friedrich Ihn 6th U-boat Flotilla 11th U-boat Flotilla 1st U-boat Flotilla
Commands held	U-456 (18 September 1941–12 May 1943)
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)
Awards	Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Max-Martin Teichert (31 January 1915 in Kiel—12 May 1943 in the North Atlantic) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Edinburgh's wrecked stern after being struck by a torpedo on 30 April 1942

Teichert joined the Kriegsmarine in April 1934. He first served on the torpedo boat Iltis, and then the destroyer Z14 Friedrich Ihn. In June 1940 he transferred to the U-boat force, and served as 1.WO (second-in-command) to Herbert Kuppisch aboard the Type VIIC U-boat U-94 for two patrols.

In September 1941 he commissioned U-456 and completed nine patrols in the Arctic Sea during 1942. He sank three ships, including the naval trawler HMS Sulla, a staggler of Convoy PQ 13, and seriously damaged the British Town class light cruiser HMS Edinburgh, which was sunk some days later. In December 1942 U-456 was transferred to 1st U-boat Flotilla, and operated in the northern Atlantic, sinking another four merchant vessels.

Teichert died on 12 May 1943, during his 11th patrol, when U-456 was lost with all hands in the North Atlantic, in position 46°39′N 26°54′W. The U-boat surfaced after being hit by a Fido homing torpedo dropped by a British Liberator aircraft from No. 86 Squadron RAF. When the O-class destroyer HMS Opportune arrived the U-boat dived, but almost certainly immediately sank to the ocean floor.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

Max-Martin Teichert as commander of U-456 sank six merchant ships totalling 31,528 GRT, damaged another of 6,421 GRT, and also engaged and damaged the 11,500 GRT Town class light cruiser HMS Edinburgh.

Date	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Fate
30 March 1942	Effingham	6,421	United Kingdom	Damaged
30 April 1942	HMS Edinburgh	11,500	United Kingdom	Damaged
5 July 1942	Honomu	6,977	United States	Sunk
22 August 1942	Chaika	80	Soviet Union	Sunk
2 February 1943	Jeremiah Van Rensselaer	7,177	United States	Sunk
3 February 1943	Inverilen	9,456	United Kingdom	Sunk
23 February 1943	Kyleclare	700	Ireland	Sunk
11 May 1943	Fort Concord	7,138	United Kingdom	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (1 April 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (15 December 1939)
  • 1st Class (7 June 1941)
• Destroyer War Badge (19 October 1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (7 June 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 December 1943 (posthumous) as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-456
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 May 1942

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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
• Huß, Jürgen; Viohl, Armin (2003) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939–1945 [The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Bearers of the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein and the Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck 1939–1945]. Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-79-9. 
• 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. 

External links

• uboat.net: Max-Martin Teichert