Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 1
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 2
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 3
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 4

This is the 1994 interview we did with Admiral TOPP, and it is the first time it is published anywhere. You may order a copy of this on videotape. Details on our website.

Admiral TOPP: I gave a little pressure (compressed air) into the tanks; no result. I gave full pressure to all the tanks; no result. Then I said to myself, perhaps the boat is sticking on the bottom so I gave the order that the one engine that was still functioning, was moving and then we felt a little trembling and suddenly the boat jumped up and well, we had again fresh air and we tried to – but that was a situation, you know, well as an answer to one of your former questions, that was a moment when the ‘mask’ for the commander to have in front of his face very, very important.

To me, already, there was no chance to ever see the daylight again, but I didn’t want to lose the hope in my face. I hoped that my crew didn’t know the dangerous situation. You know, in these twenty-four hours, I didn’t have one second sleep but the crew – they were sleeping and full of control and trust. They were trusting to their commanding officer and so, they were sleeping and when came depth charges – they didn’t even listen to the depth charges. Well, that perhaps was one of the moments – it wasn’t a high light, it was a deep light but it was one of the situations I don’t forget.

SHARKHUNTERS: Were the corvettes and destroyers there?

Admiral TOPP: We went out of the channel, we surfaced and we tried, of course, to repair what was (possible) to repair, to bring the water out of the boat.

After reaching the surface, it was dark and one destroyer paused near to us, but he couldn’t see us. It was very dark. Everything was out of order – the compass…..nothing was working, so I said that yesterday the wind was coming from that direction, now let’s steer against it, and we were coming out of the channel and we were repairing what was possible to repair.

We were loading the reserve torpedoes into the tube and then came the morning, and we saw the convoy coming in, and I attacked the convoy submerged and I hit a tanker that blew up. Then we went out and, fortunately we had eight meters (of deep water) now. We were chased by a destroyer again, throwing depth charges again – a lot of depth charges, but we survived and so we were able to reach Bergen (Norway) and there we were able to repair the (engine) coupling that was breaking down so with half a diesel and half an electric engine and half a battery, we were in the estuary and then came the collision with the Norwegian ship that came out of the lock, as I have already told you.

EDITOR NOTE – As U-57 was waiting to enter the Kiel Canal, the lock gates opened and the Norwegian tramp steamer RONA came out and for some reason possibly didn’t see the submarine, and rammed into U-57, sending her to the bottom. Six of the crew were unable to get out, and perished with their boat. TOPP said it was the only time his eyes were ever wet during the war. His men all said they wanted to remain with him when he got his new boat, giving a great vote of confidence to their Skipper.

SHARKHUNTERS: Just a couple more questions, Admiral.

Admiral TOPP: Well, you are always asking very tricky questions (laughter from all on the tape). On our last patrol, we were to go into the south Atlantic, so we were equipped for warm weather. Then, when we were close to, I think, the Canary Islands, we got the order to go up to the northern part of the Atlantic, to the north coast of Newfoundland! There is a phenomenon – between the cold water and the Gulf Stream, there is a border in the water and within one minute, you are passing the hot water of the Gulf Stream of 20º (Celsius – about 70º Fahrenheit) and we are coming into the cold water of zero (Celsius – 32º Fahrenheit).

Admiral TOPP: (continues) So, we were not prepared for that and we had no woolen things put on, so I came back later with people that had frozen feet. We were operating mainly, as we knew at that time, surfaced. The air was minus 10º (Celsius) and the water was coming over. Everything was rapidly turning into ice and the ice was mounting, mounting, mounting all over the boat and we had to dive every two hours to melt the ice, because the stability of the boat was in danger. I never forget that!

We had comparatively small success –we sank, I think, two ships; small ships but without more success and so we went back, pretty disencouraged and on the way back, I sank a big ship but this trip, this war patrol was disencouraging.

And then the next, we were sent to the focus of the traffic off the coast of Norfolk (Virginia, USA) there, Cape Hatteras of course. There it was easy to find targets and within a very short time, we were sinking five ships…..or seven ships, I don’t know exactly. The protection, at that time, was not very effective from the United States Navy, so it was an easy game, I must say.

EDITOR NOTE – At this time in the war, there was no real emphasis put on ASW work along the US coast as Admiral King, it appeared, disliked and distrusted the British and all the ASW data they sent him. It also seemed he was more intent on building big ships – battleships, cruisers & carriers than turning his attention to the shipping being lost in what the U-Boat crews called the “American Shooting Gallery”.

Later on, it became much more difficult, as you know. Up to that time, well of course, we got some trouble. We got some depth charges, but compared with what we had already experienced, it was comparatively easy.

SHARKHUNTERS: Can you tell us something about what it was like…..I heard you describe along the American coast that all the lights were on; that there would be a glare on the horizon and you could see the shadow of a ship very clearly.

Admiral TOPP: Our propaganda. They made something of it, and they showed me, that my boat was operating in front of New York and you see the picture with the lights of New York are burning and in the skyscrapers, and you see my face there on board of my ship, on the bridge, but I never have been in the estuary of New York.. I never have seen something of the shore. We were operating off the shore, but out of sight of the shore.

SHARKHUNTERS: There was a U-Boat sank off the US coast in April, U-85, did you know this boat?

Admiral TOPP: What was the name of the commanding officer?

SHARKHUNTERS: Eberhard Greger.

Admiral TOPP: No, I didn’t know him. You know, we don’t think in numbers. We are thinking of the name of the commanding officer. That was Kretschmer. That was Thäter. That was so & so.

SHARKHUNTERS: At what point did you know that the war was lost?

Admiral TOPP: I know exactly when I think the war was lost. That was end of ’42 when the curves were crossing; the curve of sunken ships and the curve of new built ships. As a result of the cumulative ship building situation in your country (USA), there were a lot of ships built and already at the end of 1942, the sunken ships – the number of sunken ships were decreasing, so the curves were crossing and that was the point when I said it was now. That one was coming down and there still increased the number of new built ships. That was to me, the end of the war.

SHARKHUNTERS: You knew that during the war?

Admiral TOPP: I knew that during the war, yes.

SHARKHUNTERS: How does a soldier, how does a sailor, keep their focus, keep fighting even when they believe all is lost?

Admiral TOPP: Well, at that time, we were convinced that we were fighting for a right cause. When we were fighting for uniting Europe, others had tried it in vain and we tried it in vain and I can only hope that nowadays we don’t do it again in vain. As I see it, we are going ahead there in this field. But we were, hopefully, at that time that, of course under German supremacy, we would unite Europe. If that was wrong or not, that is another question.

EDITOR NOTE – Not with the bullet or the ballot, but with money. Europe is now united as the European Union with twelve countries and a common currency, and the economic leader of this new “country” is Germany.

Quite another question is, that we, that means our political leaders, did it with criminal actions and therefore nowadays I have quite another contact to all these questions. I would give another answer, but at that time, of course, we were convinced that we were on the right way and therefore we said even if the war is going lost, we have to fight to the bitter end because that is the task of the soldier. You cannot say – well, now we have a losing campaign, and now we throw the weapons away. I think that cannot be the task, the mission of the soldier. He has to follow the political leaders. All over the world and even now we say that we have to follow the political leaders and not our conscience. Even now we say that; after this experience! But of course, we live in a democratic system now. The danger to be misled, I cannot……….

More Adm. Topp

Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 1
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 2
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 3
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 4
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 5
Interview with Adm. Erich Topp Part 6