Otto Kretschmer

1912–1998 (age 86)

naval officer

Biography

Otto Kretschmer (1 May 1912 – 5 August 1998) was a German naval officer and submariner in World War II and the Cold War.

From September 1939 until his capture in March 1941 he sank 47 ships, including one warship, for a record total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, among other awards. He earned the nickname "Silent Otto", both for his successful use of the "silent running" capability of U-boats and for his reluctance to transmit radio messages during patrols. After the war, he served in the German Federal Navy, from which he retired in 1970 with the flag rank of rearadmiral.

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