Kriegsmarine Kapitänleutnant Grützmacher - commander of U-boat base Penang, Malaysia

[Flyingdutchman]

Gentlemen,

is there any photo of this officer out there ? Would love to see it.

Thanks in advance !

Best regards;

Flyingdutchman

[Flyingdutchman]

btt, thank you !

[Arromanches]

btt, thank you !

Grützmacher was CIC at Penang from January 1945. Before this, he was CIC in Yokohama.

There were successive different CIC at Penang:

1. Trendtel (from Japan, but did not take over command because of a new task in Japan)
2. Erhardt
3. Hoppe
4. Erhardt again (because Hoppe was despatched on U-168, but later returned to Java)
5. Wilhelm Dommes
6. Grützmacher

Dr. Kandeler was CIC at Djakarta (Tjiang Priok) formerly Batavia. The city was renamed by the Japanese with Jakarta meaning "Victory."

Keep in mind that the U-boat base at Georgetown, Penang island ceased to exist as a functional U-boat base after October 1944 when all U-boats transferred to either Djakarta or Soerabaya due to Allied submarine activity off Penang followed by aerial mining. By 1945 when Grützmacher took charge Penang's only significance was as a radio station. It was the only official Kreigsmarine base permitted within Japanese held Asia. Penang would receive and transmit messages to OKM Germany, however two small frieghters Bogota and Eritrea with radio stations were positioned to maintain contact at Djakarta and Soerebaya.

Former Italian submarines UIT-24 & UIT-25 also maintained a regular cargo shuttle to Japan. Some U-boats also sailed to Kobe Japan for replacement of spent batteries.

Torpedoes and spares were replenished for the flotilla with arrival of the type VIIF U-1062. The last transport U-boats to arrive (from Bordeaux France) did so in November 1944 (U-219 and U-195)

Edited November 20, 2010 by Arromanches

[JSlavick]

Arromanches:

Can I ask for some amplifying data?

Was Trendtel---Fregattenkapitän Werner Trendtel who was assigned to Kriegsmarine High Command from Apr 1938 until May 1941 and then transferred to the German embassy in Tokyo as part of the Marine Attaché staff from May 1941 until Apr 1943? if so, do you know the dates he was in command at Penang?

And was Erhardt----Korvettenkapitän Wolfgang Erhardt who served as leader of naval attache office in Malayasia and military attache office in Singapore from Mar 1943 until the end of the war. Released from captivity in Mar 1947. Later commanded Bundesmarine's sail training ship GORCH FOCK from 1958 until 1962.

if i have matches on these two do you have any other biographical information about them?

Joe

[Flyingdutchman]

Hi Arromanches,

sorry, I'm a little bit late on parade with my answer. I haven't received any info from the system here, however thanks for your kind and informative answer.

May I ask you whether you have a few more detailled informations about Grützmacher, please? His entire career would be interesting to know.

Thanks in advance.

Best;

Flyingdutchman