ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985) was the Third most successful submarine commander of World War II in any Navy. He won the KNIGHTS CROSS with OAK LEAF CLUSTER and the CROSSED SWORDS as well as the U-BOAT BADGE with DIAMONDS. Here is a new, never-before published interview with the Skipper of the ‘RED DEVIL BOOT’.

“I joined the Kriegsmarine 1 April 1934. Regarding my early days in the Navy - First, after I had passed all of the training at the so called Marineschule in Flensburg-Mürwick, I was assigned as the aide-de-camp to the commanding officer on the cruiser KARLSRUHE. It was while in that assignment, that I met the then Captain Dönitz. The KARLSRUHE was to be the command ship for the submarines in a maneuver, so Dönitz, as Commandant for the submarines in the exercise, was aboard.

I handed my cabin over to him, so I came into close contact with him. He told me of the tactics and the operating things of submarines - and I was fascinated. So when he asked me if I would like to join the submarine force, I said okay, I would like to join the force, because I had already many books about submarines. Later, I received orders to join the U-Boats.

When did I pass the pass the examination to be a submarine captain? Well, you know, it is normal duty to first attend the submarine school, which I did. But unfortunately for me, there were no place available for me, so I had to go to other duty. But, in 1938, I became First Watch Officer on U-46 (TYPE VII-B), in the 7th Submarine Flotilla. This was one year before the war started.

I became commander of a TYPE II U-Boat after that. Did I like that boat? Well you get, of course, familiar with your boat and crew. But, needless to say, it was the smallest boat that we ever had constructed. It was about 300 tons, as compared with a VII-C, that was more than 700 tons. In addition, the TYPE II had only three torpedo tubes; two forward and one aft. So, it was limited in it's operational capacity. In addition to its very slow surface and submerged speeds, it was very small. In fact, there was no Captain's cabin. We all stayed in the same room - there was no privilege for the Captain.

The TYPE VII, was a little better, but it was narrow - too claustrophobic! It was very narrow. But, later on in the last months of the war, I took command of a TYPE XXI boat, U-2513. That was bigger, with more space, and a captains cabin.

QUALITIES OF A SUBMARINE COMMANDER

“Regarding the essential qualities for a successful U-Boat skipper - I think that the first thing was discipline because that was the most important thing. Then knowledge of everything. That is to say, you must be familiar with all details onboard. You must personally know everybody and their stories - as well as his dependent’s situation. In brief, you must be a father of your boys. In addition, you must be able to hide your deficiencies. Because, while everyone has deficiencies, you the Captain must to a certain degree, wear a mask. Not always, but in very difficult situations.

For instance, when you are suffering through a depth charging, you are walking a very thin line. On one side is life and on the other, death. But, you must not show that you are balancing on that that line with great difficulty. You must always be positive to your crew.

POLITICAL CLIMATE PRIOR TO THE WAR

“Regarding the situation before the start of the war - you have to see the First World War and the resulting Treaty of Versailles. We, the German people, were suffering from that treaty, which meant that we had to reduce our forces to 100,000 men while half of our country, the Rhineland, was occupied and were required further, to deliver financial contributions to the Allies to as late as 1982! This, of course, was a burden that, politically, Germany was not ready to bear. Therefore, that was one of the reasons why the NSDAP (National Socialist Party} began. So that was the beginning of National Socialism.

“How we came to WW II is not easily answered; even among historians. There are differing opinions. The normal opinion is that Hitler was willing to start a war to obtain more room for his people. On the other hand, there are those who say, the Polish in the Polish Corridor, are not without guilt. But I can not give any exact answer.

Anyhow, the war expanded because Hitler did not get what he wanted. Eventually, it came to an end and we realized that what we had wanted had been the wrong course. So, when we consider the wake of the war, that is to say, the criminal side, and hundreds of thousands of men killed - not as a war action but behind the front lines, we must conclude that it was the wrong kind of an event. These were just a few words to describe the beginning and end of WWII, and all of the sufferings before and after that war.

THE END OF THE WAR

“I find it impossible to sum up the sense of loss, bitterness, disappointment, and despair at the end of a war that had consumed all of our energy, and left us only catastrophe and debris. I remember where I was when I heard the war was over. At that time, I was commanding U-2513. We had left Germany on 1 May 1945 and reached the Bay of Oslo when we heard of the surrender on 8 May.

We then had to turn the boat over to the British, which was against our tradition. Beginning in WWI, it was the tradition that if you lost the war, then you sank your boat. But now, that was not possible because Dönitz in an order, stated that:

"In no case, sink your boats because following the rules of the treaty, we can save the lives of thousands of Germans who are fleeing into the western part of Germany, because in the Eastern half, murder and rape was going on."

TOPP’S U-552, the RED DEVIL-BOOT

So, by following the rules of the treaty, we were able to delay the end of the war by two days, and that meant that more than a hundred thousand people were able to cross the border.

U-2513 ATTACKS HARRY TRUMAN?

My boat, U-2513, was turned over to the U.S.Navy, and was assigned to the ASW School at Key West. One day, I met a U.S Navy Engineering Officer. He showed me some pictures on the wall of his cabin, one of which was my boat U-2513. He had been the engineering officer on that boat. He told me a very interesting story. Because of the boat’s high under water speed, it had been chosen to test a new hydro-plane system for the nuclear powered submarines, then under construction. Later I went to sea as a guest of the Captain, at the normal submerged depth, with the President aboard. After entering the exercise area, the Engineering Officer advised the President that a test was about to begin, and the President went into the control room, surrounded by his bodyguards.

Then - full speed ahead - and the lights suddenly went out! You couldn't see a thing until the lights finally returned. Then we saw President Truman surrounded by his bodyguards with their pistols drawn, to protect him from the Germans because it was a German submarine. They apparently thought it was a coup d ‘etat against the President! So that is the last story of my boat.”

More RADM Erich Topp

RADM Erich Topp and the Red Devil Boat (part 1) [KTB 120]
RADM Erich Topp and the Red Devil Boat (part 2) [KTB 121]
RADM Erich Topp and the Red Devil Boat (part 3) [KTB 122]
RADM Erich Topp and the Red Devil Boat (part 4) [KTB 123]
RADM Erich Topp and the Red Devil Boat (part 5) [KTB 124]