Quick Facts
AriesBiography
Wilhelm Dommes (16 April 1907 in Berent District, West Prussia – 23 January 1990 in Hannover) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He is notable as being the commander of U-boats in the Indian Ocean, whereby German and Japanese forces fought together in the only time in the war. He was the first commander of the U-boat base, in the former British seaplane base in Penang, where he served as head of the Southeast Asia U-boat region.
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As commander of U-431 and U-178 Wilhelm Dommes is credited with the sinking of eight ships for a total of 40,103 gross register tons (GRT), sinking one auxiliary warship of 313 GRT, two warships of 3,548 long tons (3,605 tonnes), and damaging one ship of 3,560 GRT and one warship of 450 long tons (460 t).
| Date | U-boat | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 October 1941 | U-431 | Hatasu |  United Kingdom | 3,198 | Sunk |
| 13 December 1941 | U-431 | Myriel | United Kingdom | 3,560 | Damaged |
| 29 January 1942 | U-431 | HMS Sotra |  Royal Navy | 313 | Sunk |
| 20 May 1942 | U-431 | Eocene | United Kingdom | 4,216 | Sunk |
| 15 June 1942 | U-431 | HMS LCT-119 | Royal Navy | 450 | Damaged |
| 10 November 1942 | U-431 | HMS Martin | Royal Navy | 1,920 | Sunk |
| 13 November 1942 | U-431 | HNLMS Isaac Sweers |  Royal Netherlands Navy | 1,628 | Sunk |
| 1 June 1943 | U-178 | Salabangka | Netherlands | 6,586 | Sunk |
| 4 July 1943 | U-178 | Breiviken |  Norway | 2,669 | Sunk |
| 4 July 1943 | U-178 | Michael Livanos |  Greece | 4,774 | Sunk |
| 11 July 1943 | U-178 | Mary Livanos | Greece | 4,771 | Sunk |
| 14 July 1943 | U-178 | Robert Bacon |  United States | 7,197 | Sunk |
| 17 July 1943 | U-178 | City of Canton | United Kingdom | 6,692 | Sunk |
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 3rd Class (23 January 1937)
- The Return of Sudetenland Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938 (6 September 1940)
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (29 November 1939)
- 1st Class (10 February 1942)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (10 February 1942)
- Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (27 July 1942)
- Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare (29 May 1943)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 December 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-431
- War Merit Cross with Swords
- 2nd Class (30 January 1945)
- 1st Class (20 April 1945)
- U-boat Front Clasp (5 March 1945)