Quick Facts
Biography
Otto Schultze (11 May 1884 – 22 January 1966) was a Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Pour le Mérite during World War I. The Pour le Mérite was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I. As a U-boat commander during World War I, he was credited with the sinking of 53 ships for a total of 132,531 long tons (134,658 t), including the HMS Falmouth and SS Transylvania.
Biography
Schultze joined the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) on 7 April 1900 as a Seekadett (sea cadet). He initially served on König during World War I before transferring to the U-boat service in 1915, taking command of U-63. He surrendered command of U-63 in mid-December 1917. He then served as a first officer of the admiral staff of the commander in chief of the U-boats at the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, he held the position of chief of the I. U-Boot-Flottille (1st U boat Flotilla). Between the wars, he held various staff positions. From September 1927-September 1929, he was commander of Elsass. In October, he took command of the Marinestation der Nordsee (North Sea Naval Station). He was promoted to Vizeadmiral (vice admiral) in 1934 and to admiral in 1936 retiring in 1937. With the outbreak of World War II, he was reactivated into active service.
Legacy
His son Heinz-Otto Schultze was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross—was a U-boat commander during World War II and was killed in action on 25 November 1943 when U-849 was sunk in the South Atlantic by depth charges from an American B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Otto Schultze retired on 31 August 1942.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
- Pour le Mérite (18 March 1918)
- U-boat War Badge (1918)
- Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis with Swords
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- War Merit Cross, 2nd and 1st Class with Swords
- German Cross in Silver on 31 August 1942 as Generaladmiral and commanding admiral France
- Service Award (Prussia)
- Friedrich August Cross, 1st and 2nd class
- Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd class with War Decoration (Austria)
- Military Merit Cross, 3rd class with War Decoration (Austria-Hungary)
- Silver Liakat Medal with swords (Ottoman Empire)
- Gallipoli Star ("Iron Crescent", Ottoman Empire)
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st class