The 15th winner of the OAK LEAF CLUSTER to the KNIGHTS CROSS was Kplt Heinrich Bleichrodt, Skipper of U-48 which, under Bleichrodt & two other C.O. was the MOST SUCCESSFUL submarine of any navy in WW II. Bleichrodt was C.O. of U-109. where he earned his OAK LEAF CLUSTER on 23 Sept., 1942.

“AJAX” Bleichrodt began his seafaring career in the merchant fleet on a sailing ship. He entered the Officer Candidate program in 1931 and on 26 January, 1933, he entered the regular navy. As with all Midshipmen (Fenrich) he attended the Naval Academy at Murwick, then served a training assignment on the cruiser KARLSRUHE. He spent another year after the KARLSRUHE tour in many schools until March of 1937, when he was assigned to the old battleship SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN until January of 1939 when he was transferred to the cadet sailing ship GORCH FOCH.

With the onset of WW II, ‘AJAX’ transferred to the heavy cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER but it was 26 Nov., 1939 when he went to U-Boat training. He served aboard U-8, then took command of U-48 which, with ‘TEDDY’ Suhran as I.W.O. was a sure success as a combat command and ‘AJAX’ quickly earned his KNIGHTS CROSS. He put U-67 into commission, then took command of U-109 where his actions off the American east coast helped him earn his OAK LEAF CLUSTER. He later was a Division Commander in the 2nd U-Boot Training Division & eventually Commander of the 22nd U-BootFlotille. His successes were 30 merchant ships & a destroyer for 203,000 tons.