Georg Staats

Georg Staats
File:Georg Staats.jpg
Born	(1916-03-13)13 March 1916 Bremen
Died	Bay of Biscay
Buried
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1935–43
Rank	Kapitänleutnant
Unit	SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Emden cruiser Karlsruhe battleship Gneisenau U-5, U-A
Commands held	U-80 U-508
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Georg Staats (13 March 1916 in Bremen – 12 November 1943 in the Bay of Biscay) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He and the entire crew of U-508 were killed in the Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal by depth charges from a US Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber.

Career

Staats was born on 13 March 1916 in Bremen. He was appointed Seekadett (midshipman) on 25 September 1935 and completed his training on the light cruiser Karlsruhe and the battleship Gneisenau. He was transferred to the U.boat force in April 1939 as an Leutnant zur See. In 1939 and 1940 he served as watch officer of U-5 and U-A.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-508 Staats is credited with the sinking of 14 merchant ships for a total of 74,087 gross register tons (GRT).

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate
12 August 1942	Manzanillo	Cuba	1,025	Sunk
12 August 1942	Santiago de Cuba	Cuba	1,685	Sunk
7 November 1942	Lindenhall	United Kingdom	5,248	Sunk
7 November 1942	Nathaniel Hawthorn	USA	7,176	Sunk
17 November 1942	City of Corinth	United Kingdom	5,318	Sunk
27 November 1942	Clan Mcfadyen	United Kingdom	6,191	Sunk
28 November 1942	Empire Cromwell	United Kingdom	5,970	Sunk
1 December 1942	Trevalgan	United Kingdom	5,299	Sunk
2 December 1942	City of Bath	United Kingdom	5,079	Sunk
3 December 1942	Solon II	United Kingdom	4,561	Sunk
9 December 1942	Nigerian	United Kingdom	5,423	Sunk
9 July 1943	De La Salle	United Kingdom	8,400	Sunk
9 July 1943	Manchester Citizen	United Kingdom	5,343	Sunk
18 July 1943	Incomati	United Kingdom	7,369	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (5 April 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (28 August 1940)
  • 1st Class (9 January 1943)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (28 August 1940)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 July 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-508