The 27th winner of the OAK LEAF CLUSTER to the KNIGHTS CROSS was Kapitän zur See Werner Hartmann, Skipper of U-37 and U-198, then FdU Mittelmeer (Commander of the U-Boat Flotillas in the Mediterranean. He was also the father of our good friend F.K. GüNTHER HARTMANN (2230-LIFE-1992).

Werner Hartmann was born 11 December, 1902 and was in the Class 1921. He died 26 April, 1963. During the war, he commissioned the first long-range submarine, U-26 (one of only two TYPE I-A boats). The great Günther Prien was his Watch Officer. He was an outstanding commander, and eventually sank some 25 ships totaling 111,645 tons. Further, he landed two agents in Donegal Bay (Ireland) from U-37 on 8 February, 1940.

Hartmann joined the Staff of Admiral Dönitz in April 1940 and only six months later, he became Commander of the 2nd U-Boot Training Division at Gotenhafen. December of 1940, he was appointed Officer in Charge of tactical front-line training, and was Commander of the 27th U-BootFlotille in Gotenhafen.

Hartmann then commissioned U-198, a large TYPE IX-D2 very long-range submarine, and took a patrol into the Capetown Durban (South Africa) area. He was at sea on patrol for 200 days, and sank seven ships with one more damaged.

He was the 27th U-BoatFahrer to win the OAK LEAVES and the 645th recipient in the entire German Wehrmacht.