Ernst Vogelsang

Captain Vogelsang (left) when the U 132 arrives in La Pallice

Ernst Franz Maria Vogelsang (born August 31, 1911 in Frankfurt am Main ; † November 4, 1942 in the North Atlantic , south of Cape Farvel , Greenland ) was a German lieutenant captain and submarine commander in World War II .

Life

Ernst Vogelsang's grave in Recklinghausen

youth

Ernst Franz Maria Vogelsang was born on August 31, 1911 in Frankfurt am Main . His parents were Ernst Josef Maria Vogelsang, born on December 17, 1881 in Recklinghausen , and Maria Margaretha Vogelsang, formerly Alexa, geb. Limper, born on July 17, 1888, also in Recklinghausen. He had three siblings: Franz Heinrich Vogelsang, (born July 10, 1914 in Freiburg im Breisgau ), Margaretha Vogelsang (born September 22, 1917 in Recklinghausen) and Robert Vogelsang (born October 7, 1920 in Freiburg im Breisgau).

The Vogelsang family has moved many times. But most of the time they spent in Recklinghausen. Nothing is known about Ernst Franz Maria Vogelsang's school days, but he had to have completed his Abitur in order to become an officer candidate .

Navy time

In April 1931, Ernst Vogelsang joined the Navy as an officer candidate . In 1936 he took part in the Spanish Civil War and received the Spanish Cross in bronze without swords on June 6, 1936.

Between October 1938 and May 1940, the then lieutenant at sea served as an artillery and watch officer on the destroyer Z 5 Paul Jacobi , with whom he also took part in the Norwegian invasion of the Weser Exercise Company . The destroyer was in Warship Group 2 with the destination Trondheim . On April 8, 1940 , the Z5 Paul Jacobi witnessed the battle between the Admiral Hipper and the HMS Glowworm , during which the British destroyer was sunk and the Admiral Hipper was badly damaged by a blow from the British destroyer at the bow.

Beginning with the submarine weapon

In June 1940, Lieutenant Captain Ernst Franz Maria Vogelsang was assigned to the submarine weapon. There he completed a submarine training with the submarine training division until November 1940. From November he began a commanders course with the 24th U-boat training flotilla and the 1st U-boat artillery flotilla. In December 1940 he successfully completed this course and immediately received a command.

On December 18, 1940, he took command of U 18 , where he trained new submarine crews and future commanders until May 6, 1941. On May 29, 1941, the new Type VII-C submarine U 132 was put into service and placed under his command. Overall, Kapitänleutnant Vogelsang drove four enemy voyages and one transfer voyage with U 132 .

U 132 sank on November 4, 1942 at around 12:20 a.m. in the North Atlantic southeast of Cape Farewell, presumably due to the explosion of the British steamer Hatimura . The boat did not report back to the convoy after the attack and has been listed as missing since that day. The Hatimura had loaded TNT , explosives and incendiary bombs in addition to its general cargo . The steamer caught fire after the torpedo hit. When the steamer "Hatimura" sank by a shot from the U 442 , the explosives exploded underwater and dragged the U 132 , which was too close to the exploding ship, into the depths. The position is 55 ° 38 '  N , 39 ° 52'  W .

tomb

The Vogelsang family set up a memorial tombstone for Ernst Franz Maria in their family grave on the Lohtorfriedhof in Recklinghausen .

Promotions

• April 1931: Officer candidate
• January 1933: Ensign at sea
• January 1935: Senior Ensign at Sea
• April 1935: Lieutenant at sea
• January 1937: First lieutenant at sea
• October 1939: Lieutenant Commander

Awards

• June 6, 1936: Spanish cross in bronze without swords
• Iron Cross 1st class
• Iron Cross 2nd class

Web links

• Ernst Vogelsang at uboat.net (English)