Kriegsmarine From the highest to the deepest depths

[dante]

Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Landgraf; Born 27.08.1915, Winner of EKII and then EKI, Spange in Bronze? Bomber crew with 6./KG26

Died 12.10.1942 on U-597,12 Oct. 1942 when attacked with depth-charges by Liberator H/120 (S/L. T. Builoch, DFC) in position 5650N/2805W and sunk with all hands.

If anyone has a photo or further details would welcome them, cheers, Paul

[Chris Boonzaier]

That is fantastic, it would be a shame if there was never a face to go with a career like that!!

I assume he was not with the U.Boots long enough to get the badge...

[dante]

Chris agree.........as to his Kreigsmarine awards, that is one area I cannot find out....

[Chris Boonzaier]

If I see correctly, he was a Navy officer at the beginning, then he retained his navy rank while serving with the Luftwaffe. Kampfgeschwader 26 was largely a torpedo Bomber squadron, I used to have a nice German cross in Gold group to a pilot in the Geschwader... they were mainly over the Med if I recall correctly, hitting ships on the way to North Africa.

I suppose when the North Arfican theater closed and the Geschwader went to Russia ... they no longer needed a Navy officer.

I had another group, a Navy Officer who served as a Luftwaffe Beobachter up in Norway, then at the end of the war transfered to U-Boots...

I met him a couple of times, they used Navy officers as Observers because they could navigate... and they could tell a ship full of good guys from a ship full of bad guys....

I guess that is what your guy did.....

[dante]

Yes sounds about right........"kunstenflieger 806" Flew armed reconnaissance flights over Kattegat, Skagerrak and Britain's East Coast. On Feb 22 1940 one of seven aircraft from 2./806 on patrol was engaged by a Blenheim of 254 Squadron and damaged.
The first major loss is listed on March 20 1940 when M7+EL (WNr 5164) was shot down attacking fishing vessels by return AA fire. Two crew were wounded and the rest picked up by a Dutch vessel and repatriated to Germany the next day.
The next loss was engine related. On April 3 1940 M7+CH (WNr 5094) suffered an engine fire and ditched. Crew were interned by Danish authorities being released Apr 9th after the invasion of Denmark. After some more technical incidents the unit began to retrain on the Ju 88 and ended its unhappy association with the Heinkel.(taken from Küstenflieger:The Operational History of the German Naval Air Service 1935-1944 by Adam Thompson)

[dante]

Just for info "Landgraf Johann KpLt.ing. U-117+ KIA 07.08.1943 Born 10.03.1907" maybe his older brother?

[Eric JB]

Nice Soldbuch.

And thanks for showing but is it please possible to show the other pages too ?

Transferred to the Kriegsmarine.

III.42 payment by 2.U-Boot Lehrdivision (Gotenhafen)

4.42 payment by Marinenachrichtenschule Mürwik (Flensburg)

U-597 was on her second war-patrol and Landgraf was onboard as a Kommandanten Schüler, serving on an active Uboat to become a Uboat commander himself.

I don't know if he was on U-597 during both missions, but being KIA on a Uboat he would possibly be entitled to the Uboat badge too.

Best regards

Eric-Jan

[dante]

Thanks for the great information Eric-Jan, happy to show the other pages but nothing KM

[spanferkel]

I have subsequently become the current owner of this Soldbuch. A photo of Landgraf has still been elusive but there was an image that I found of the U-597 bridge crew which I believe includes Landgraf.

Below is a link to my website with Landgrafs career which includes the balance of his rank and career from Deutsche Dienstelles response to my inquiry.

http://aufhimmelzuhause.com/id439.htm

Enjoy 

Jeremy

 

[dante]

Good write up, glad it’s gone to a good home ?

[spanferkel]

Many thanks!??