Photos capture top Nazi submarine captain Wolfgang Lth

Publish date: 2024-05-17

Coolly smoking a cigarette and posing next to a Swastika on the bridge of his U-boat, these fascinating photos capture one of Nazi Germany's top submarine captains in the Second World War.

Wolfgang Lüth was among only seven men to win Germany's highest combat decoration, the Knight's Cross with Oak leaves, Swords and Diamonds. 

One of Adolf Hitler's most prized commanders, he destroyed 47 Allied ships including one submarine - a record topped only by admiral Otto Kretschmer.

Wolfgang Luth on the bridge of his U-43 in January 1942 Luth and his wife Ilse with whom he had four children

Wolfgang Lüth was one of Adolf Hitler's most prized commanders. Left: Wolfgang Luth on the bridge of his U-43 in January 1942. Right: Luth and his wife Ilse with whom he had four children

Luth destroyed destroyed 47 Allied ships and one submarine. Pictured: The commissioning ceremony of U-181 in May 1942. Luth is on the left with his crew opposite him

Luth destroyed destroyed 47 Allied ships and one submarine. Pictured: The commissioning ceremony of U-181 in May 1942. Luth is on the left with his crew opposite him

The Iron Cross Boat U-9, commissioned in August 1935. The Iron Cross can be seen at the side of her tower, the only distinguishing mark on any of Wolfgang Luth's four U-boat

The Iron Cross Boat U-9, commissioned in August 1935. The Iron Cross can be seen at the side of her tower, the only distinguishing mark on any of Wolfgang Luth's four U-boat

Luth commanded several U-boats in almost every theatre of the undersea war from Norway to the Indian Ocean.

In 1944, after 16 war patrols including one that lasted a record 203-days at sea, he was made the youngest commandant of the German naval academy at just 30 years old.

A year later he was killed while walking back to his navy base by an 18-year-old guard who thought he was an enemy and shot him in the head after he failed to say the password in the dark. The guard was let off. 

Photos from Jordan Vause's book U-Boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Lüth show the commander brazenly puffing on a cigarette on the bridge of his U-43 boat.

Another snap captures Lüth's sinking of Swedish freighter, Sicilia, while another shows his funeral procession just two days after his death.  

The petty officers of U-181. They were strangers when the boat was commissioned in 1942 but after eighteen months and two long patrols they were more like brothers, it is said

The petty officers of U-181. They were strangers when the boat was commissioned in 1942 but after eighteen months and two long patrols they were more like brothers, it is said

The funeral procession for Wolfgang Luth, shot to death by his own sentry two days before. The six officers of the honor guard walkbeside the casket

The funeral procession for Wolfgang Luth, shot to death by his own sentry two days before. The six officers of the honor guard walkbeside the casket

The hunt and capture of this shark was a welcome diversion in an otherwise boring patrol. It meant that L¸th himself would have to invent one less thing for his crew to do with their time. As far as he was concerned it meant dinner too, but the cook mangled it to the point where it had to be thrown overboard

The hunt and capture of this shark was a welcome diversion in an otherwise boring patrol. It meant that L¸th himself would have to invent one less thing for his crew to do with their time. As far as he was concerned it meant dinner too, but the cook mangled it to the point where it had to be thrown overboard

Another shot of U-181's bridge taken from the main deck. The crew has broken ranks early but it was an excusable breach of decorum after an Allied ship was sunk

Another shot of U-181's bridge taken from the main deck. The crew has broken ranks early but it was an excusable breach of decorum after an Allied ship was sunk

Left: Luth in the bridge of U-181 as she returned from her first war patrol in January 1943 Luth and his crew were prominent in wartime publications after their return

 Left: Luth in the bridge of U-181 as she returned from her first war patrol in January 1943. Right: Luth and his crew were prominent in wartime publications after their return

Vaus said he was moved to write about Luth after seeing a photograph of him.

'Believe it or not, I saw a photograph of Lüth in a hallway at the German Naval Academy in 1977, five years before I started writing' he said.

'Our guide explained Lüth's story to us. I was a midshipman in the Navy at the time, so I found the story behind the picture fascinating and it stuck with me.

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'There are three main reasons why I find his story so interesting; firstly, he was simultaneously wildly successful and completely unknown.

'Second, the circumstances surrounding his death were intriguing and way out of line with the rest of his, or any U-boat commander's, career and finally no one had written about him before.'  

Wolfgang Luth in an unguarded moment on the bridge of U-181 A rather scruffy Luth in 1940, standing under U-9's port running light

Left: Wolfgang Luth in an unguarded moment on the bridge of U-181. Right: A rather scruffy Luth in 1940, standing under U-9's port running light

A quiet moment in the bridge of U-138. Franz Gramitzki, her first watch officer, is seated right. A very young Theodor Petersen is above him and in the center

A quiet moment in the bridge of U-138. Franz Gramitzki, her first watch officer, is seated right. A very young Theodor Petersen is above him and in the center

An Allied convoy catches the North Atlantic sun. Hundreds of these convoys crossed the Atlantic during the war; most of them in the early years lost ships to German U-boats

An Allied convoy catches the North Atlantic sun. Hundreds of these convoys crossed the Atlantic during the war; most of them in the early years lost ships to German U-boats

A U-boat under attack by a US Navy PBM in the South Atlantic, May 1943. Luth operated in almost every theatre of the undersea war from Norway to the Indian Ocean.

A U-boat under attack by a US Navy PBM in the South Atlantic, May 1943. Luth operated in almost every theatre of the undersea war from Norway to the Indian Ocean.

Luth and Lothar Engel, U-181's doctor. Engel and most of the crew had just received the Iron Cross when this photo was taken. Luth is wearing his new Knight's Cross with its diamond-encrusted oak leaf for the first time

Luth and Lothar Engel, U-181's doctor. Engel and most of the crew had just received the Iron Cross when this photo was taken. Luth is wearing his new Knight's Cross with its diamond-encrusted oak leaf for the first time

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