Wilhelm Rollmann

Wilhelm Rollmann
Born	(1907-08-05)5 August 1907 Wilhelmshaven
Died	South Atlantic
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1926–43
Rank	Fregattenkapitän
Unit	SSS Niobe cruiser Emden Meteor Hessen Karlsruhe aviso Grille
Commands held	U-34 U-848
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Weserübung Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Rollmann (5 August 1907 – 5 November 1943) was a Fregattenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II, in which he commanded the U-boats U-34 and U-848. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Rollmann joined the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic on 1 April 1926 as a member of "Crew 26" (the incoming class of 1926). He served on several ships, which included the light cruiser Karlsruhe. He transferred to the U-boat arm in May 1937, taking command of the Type VIIA U-boat U-34 in October 1938. In seven successful combat patrols, he sank 19 merchant ships (including the neutral, clearly marked and fully lit, Greek merchantman Eleni Stathatou and the neutral Petsamo of Finland, with a cargo of maize, sailing from neutral Rosario to neutral Cork), as well as the British destroyer HMS Whirlwind, the submarine HMS Spearfish, and the Norwegian minelayer HNoMS Frøya. Rollmann rescued one sole survivor from Spearfish. On all seven patrols Leutnant zur See Hans-Hartwig Trojer served as second watch officer on U-34. Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Bleichrodt was a commander in training on U-34's sixth patrol under the command of Rollmann. Rollmann left the U-boat in September 1940, and became an instructor in 2. Unterseeboots-Lehr-Division ("2nd U-boat Training Division"). In February 1943 he commissioned the Type IXD U-boat U-848, sinking one merchant ship on his first and only patrol, bringing his career total to 20 merchant ships sunk for a total of 96,562 GRT, three warships sunk (2,365 GRT) and two ships captured for a total of 4,957 GRT.

Death

U-848 under attack

Wilhelm Rollmann and his entire crew were killed in action on 5 November 1943 when U-848 was sunk by depth charges from three Liberator and two Mitchell aircraft from the United States Navy Squadron VB-107 and the US Army 1st Composite Squadron south-west of Ascension Island.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-34 and U-848 Rollmann is credited with the sinking of 20 merchant ships for a total of 96,562 gross register tons (GRT), further capturing two ships of 4,957 GRT and sinking two warships of 1,770 metric tons (1,740 long tons; 1,950 short tons) and damaging one further warship beyond repair of 595 t (586 long tons; 656 short tons).

Date	U-boat	Name of Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
7 September 1939	U-34	Pukkastan	United Kingdom	5,809	Sunk
8 September 1939	U-34	Kennebec	United Kingdom	5,548	Sunk
24 September 1939	U-34	Hanonia	Estonia	1,781	Captured
20 October 1939	U-34	Gustav Adolf	Sweden	926	Sunk
20 October 1939	U-34	Sea Venture	United Kingdom	2,327	Sunk
27 October 1939	U-34	Bronte	United Kingdom	5,137	Sunk
29 October 1939	U-34	Malabar	United Kingdom	7,976	Sunk
9 November 1939	U-34	Snar	Norway	3,176	Captured
20 January 1940	U-34	Caroni River	United Kingdom	7,807	Sunk (mine)
28 January 1940	U-34	Eleni Stathatou	Greece	5,625	Sunk
13 April 1940	U-34	HNoMS Frøya	Royal Norwegian Navy	595	Total loss
5 July 1940	U-34	HMS Whirlwind	Royal Navy	1,100	Sunk
6 July 1940	U-34	Vapper	Estonia	4,543	Sunk
7 July 1940	U-34	Lucrecia	Netherlands	2,584	Sunk
9 July 1940	U-34	Tiiu	Estonia	1,865	Sunk
10 July 1940	U-34	Petsamo	Finland	4,596	Sunk
11 July 1940	U-34	Janna	Norway	2,197	Sunk
15 July 1940	U-34	Evdoxia	Greece	2,018	Sunk
17 July 1940	U-34	Naftilos	Greece	3,531	Sunk
26 July 1940	U-34	Accra	United Kingdom	9,337	Sunk
26 July 1940	U-34	Vinemoor	United Kingdom	9,337	Sunk
27 July 1940	U-34	Sambre	United Kingdom	5,260	Sunk
27 July 1940	U-34	Thiara	United Kingdom	5,267	Sunk
1 August 1940	U-34	HMS Spearfish	Royal Navy	670	Sunk
2 November 1943	U-848	Baron Semple	United Kingdom	4,573	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (2 October 1936)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 3rd Class (1 April 1938)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (26 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (7 February 1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (12 November 1939)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 31 July 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-34
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 29 July 1940 and 2 August 1940

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Monday, 29 July 1940	Im Seekrieg gegen England hielten die erfolge unserer Unterseeboote an. Ein Boot unter Führung von Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann hat, wie schon durch Sondermeldung bekanntgegeben, aus einem stark gesicherten englischen Geleitzug fünf bewaffnete Großhandelsschiffe mit insgesamt 48 000 BRT versenkt, darunter einen Hilfskreuzer von 18 000 BRT. Der Geleitzug wurde zersprengt. Dieses Boot hat außerdem ein bewaffnetes britisches Handelsschiff von 6 000 BRT torpediert.	The successes of our submarines continue in the naval war against England. A boat under the command of Captain Lieutenant William Rollman, as already announced by special bulletin, has sunk from a heavily secured convoy five major armed British merchant ships with a total of 48 000 GRT, including an auxiliary cruiser of 18 000 GRT. The convoy was dispersed. This boat also has torpedoed an armed British merchant ship of 6 000 GRT.
Friday, 2 August 1940	Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann hat mit einem Unterseeboot ein feindliches Unterseeboot versenkt. Damit hat dieses Boot in zwei Unternehmungen innerhalb kurzer Zeit zwölf bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit insgesamt 74 338 BRT, den britischen Zerstörer "WHIRLWIND" und ein Unterseeboot vernichtet.	Captain Lieutenant Wilhelm Rollmann has sunk an enemy submarine with his submarine. So far this boat has destroyed twelve armed enemy merchant ships totaling 74 338 GRT, the British destroyer "WHIRLWIND" and a submarine on two undertakings within a short time.

Promotions

12 October 1926:	Seekadett (Midshipman)
1 April 1928:	Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)
1 May 1930:	Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Ensign)
1 October 1930:	Leutnant zur See (Second Lieutenant)
1 October 1932:	Oberleutnant zur See (First Lieutenant)
1 April 1936:	Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant)
1 December 1940:	Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain)
1 November 1941:	Fregattenkapitän (Frigatte Captain)