| Max-Martin Teichert | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 January 1915 |
| Died | 12 May 1943 (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 | |
| 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.[1]
Career
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.[1]
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.[1]
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 / 46.65°N 26.9°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.[2]
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)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Destroyer War Badge (19 October 1940)[3]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (7 June 1941)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 December 1943 (posthumous) as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-456[4]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 4 May 1942
References
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Kapitänleutnant Max-Martin Teichert". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/men/teichert.htm. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ↑ "The Type VIIC U-boat U-456". uboat.net. http://uboat.net/boats/u456.htm. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Busch and Röll 2003, p. 413.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 738.
- 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
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