Siegfried Lüdden

Siegfried Lüdden (20 May 1916 – 13 January 1945) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Lüdden is credited with the sinking of eight ships of 49,725 gross register tons (GRT) and one warship, HMS Beverley, and damaging a further ship of 9,977 GRT. Among others, he and Korvettenkapitän Wilhelm Franken were killed on 13 January 1945 when a fire broke out on the accommodation ship Daressalem in Kiel harbor.

Ships attacked

As commander of U-188 Siegfried Lüdden is credited with the sinking of eight 49,725 gross register tons (GRT) and one warship, HMS Beverley, and damaging a further ship of 9,977 GRT.

Date	Name of ship	Flag	Tonnage	Fate
11 April 1943	HMS Beverley	Royal Navy	1,190	Sunk at 52°19′N 40°28′W / 52.317°N 40.467°W / 52.317; -40.467 (HMS Beverley (ship))
21 September 1943	Cornelia P. Spencer	United States	7,176	Sunk at 02°08′N 50°10′E / 2.133°N 50.167°E / 2.133; 50.167 (Cornelia P. Spencer (ship))
5 October 1943	Britannia	United Kingdom	9,977	Damaged at 24°21′N 58°02′E / 24.350°N 58.033°E / 24.350; 58.033 (Britannia (ship))
20 January 1944	Fort Buckingham	United Kingdom	7,122	Sunk at 08°19′N 66°40′E / 8.317°N 66.667°E / 8.317; 66.667 (Fort Buckingham (ship))
25 January 1944	Fort la Maune	United Kingdom	7,130	Sunk at 13°04′N 56°30′E / 13.067°N 56.500°E / 13.067; 56.500 (Fort la Maune (ship))
26 January 1944	Samouri	United Kingdom	7,219	Sunk at 13°13′N 55°56′E / 13.217°N 55.933°E / 13.217; 55.933 (Samouri (ship))
26 January 1944	Surada	United Kingdom	5,427	Sunk at 13°00′N 55°15′E / 13.000°N 55.250°E / 13.000; 55.250 (Surada (ship))
29 January 1944	Olga E. Embiricos	Greece	4,677	Sunk at 12°30′N 50°10′E / 12.500°N 50.167°E / 12.500; 50.167 (Olga E. Embiricos (ship))
3 February 1944	Chung Cheng	China	7,176	Sunk at 13°00′N 54°20′E / 13.000°N 54.333°E / 13.000; 54.333 (Chung Cheng (ship))
9 February 1944	Viva	Norway	3,798	Sunk at 12°30′N 57°50′E / 12.500°N 57.833°E / 12.500; 57.833 (Viva (ship))

Awards

• Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 December 1941)
  • 1st Class (8 April 1942)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (29 December 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 February 1944 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-188
• U-boat Front Clasp (27 September 1944)

• Busch & Röll 2003, p. 424.
• ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 425.
• Fellgiebel 2000, p. 297.
• Scherzer 2007, p. 517.