| Birth date | 16 April 1907 |
|---|---|
| Death date | 23 January 1990 (aged 82) |
| Birth place | Berent District, West Prussia, German Empire |
| Death place | Hannover, Lower Saxony, West Germany |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Service years | 1933–45 |
| Rank | Fregattenkapitän |
| Commands | Southeast Asia U-boat region |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Wilhelm Dommes (16 April 1907 in Berent District, West Prussia – 23 January 1990 in Hannover) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. He was the commander of U-boats in the Indian Ocean,[1] whereby German and Japanese forces fought together in the only time in the war. Dommes was the first commander of the U-boat base, in the former British seaplane base in Penang,[2] where he served as head of the Southeast Asia U-boat region.
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 3rd Class (23 January 1937)[3]
- The Return of Sudetenland Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938 (6 September 1940)[3]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (10 February 1942)[3]
- Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (27 July 1942)[3]
- Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare (29 May 1943)[4]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 December 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-431[5][6]
- War Merit Cross with Swords
- U-boat Front Clasp (5 March 1945)[4]
Citations
- ^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The U-Boat War in the Indian Ocean". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942. Archived from the original on 2011-03-21. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ Hildebrand H. & Henriot E., Deutschlands Admirale 1849-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück (1989)
- ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 283.
- ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 284.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 164.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 278.
References
- Busch, Rainer & Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). 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] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000 [1986]). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wilhelm Dommes". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- L, Klemen (2000). "Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942". Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.