The 16th winner of the OAK LEAF CLUSTER to the KNIGHTS CROSS was Kplt Wolfgang Lüth, Skipper of U-9, U-138, U-45 and U-181.

Born 15 October, 1913 in Riga, he was in Crew (Class) 33 at the Naval Academy at Mürwick.

He received his KNIGHTS CROSS 24 October, 1940 while Skipper of U-138 and having sunk some 49,000 tons of enemy shipping in less than four weeks.

He received his OAK LEAF CLUSTER 13 November, 1942 for sinking an additional 13 ships (81,950 tons) while Skipper of U-43. Lüth was the 16th winner of the OAK LEAF CLUSTER from the U-Bootwaffe; the 142nd overall in the German military.

Lüth was the first KRIEGSMARINE officer to win the DIAMONDS and he was not yet thirty years of age. Second only to OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-LIFE-1985) in victories, Lüth survived the war only to die in a tragic accident on the very grounds of the Naval Academy at Mürwick. The War was over; GrossAdmiral Dönitz was head of State of the German government and was allowed to keep an armed guard. Chief of this guard was 'ALI' CREMER (114-+-1985), former Skipper of U-333, and one of the officers in this guard was GERD THÄTER (194-1986).

As Lüth walked along in the dark, a sentry in THÄTER's group was on duty. He shouted the challenge to the figure in the woods, but this shadowy man did not give the countersign. It was Lüth's own order if anyone did not respond with the countersign on the first challenge, sentries were ordered to shoot to kill. This young 18 year old sailor obeyed his standing orders - and shot the most highly decorated U-Boat Skipper of World War II dead. The court of inquiry found the sentry blameless for this accident.