Hermann Kaiser, born 9 March 1907 in Berlin and was in Naval Class 1925.
Flight Leader 1./Küstenfligergruppe 706 October 1938 to June 1940;
1a Küstenfliegergruppe Norderney June ‘40 to Dec ‘40;
ADC IX Fliegerkorps December 1940 to February 1942;
Group Commander Seefliegergruppe Athens February 1942 to October 1942;
Promoted to Oberstleutnant (Luftwaffe) 1 August 1942
Naval Training Group Parrow Oct. 1942 to Aug. 1943;
Luftwaffe liaison Officer Fleet Command August 1943 to January 1944;
Rank changed to Fregettenkapitän1 November 1943
U-Boat training January 1944 to May 1944;
Baubelehrung Type XXI June to September 1944;
Commander U-3002 25 September 1944 to 2 May 1945.

Ralph Kapitzky, born 28 June 1916 at Dresden and was in Naval Class 1935.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1937 to December 1940;
IIa Küstenfliegergruppe 806 while in Luftwaffe;
U-Boat training January to June 1941;
I.W.O. aboard U-93 June to November 1941;
Acting Skipper U-93 August and September 1941;
U-Boat Commander‘s course Dec. 1941 to Jan. 1942;
2UAA and Baubelehrung 8. KLA January to March 1942;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 June 1942
Commander U-615 from 26 March to 6 August 1943;
Lost with his boat 6 August 1943 in the Caribbean

According to a passage in the book written by GAYLORD KELSHALL (2968-1993), it says this about Kapitzky, who he calls the ‘Bravest of all the U-Boat Commanders’: “His boat being unable to dive following an aerial attack at dawn on 6 August 1943, Kapitzky, mortally wounded, had all the flak ammunition piled around the gun platform and ordered a fight to the finish. When U-615 eventually sank early on 7 August 1943, taking the commander and two crewmen with it, under Kapitzky’s direction his gunners had come under attack by aircraft on nine occasions. Little further damage had been sustained by the boat, but one of the aircraft had been shot down and two others and a small airship seriously damaged.”

Walter Kell, born 4 December 1913 at Atelwald in the Saarland and was in Naval Class 1933.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1935 to December 1939;
Bordfliegerstaffel 1./196 aboard the heavy cruiser DEUTSCHLAND August to December 1939;
U-Boat training December 1939 to March 1940;
Watch Officer U-School Flotilla March & April 1940;
1.UAA and 1st Training Flotilla April to Sept. 1940 & was acting Commander of U-8 from 10 June to 6 July 1940;
Commander of U-8 from 13 Sept. to 17 Dec. 1940;
1st U-Flotilla from December 1940 to February 1941;
Baubelehrung February and March 1941;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 April 1941
Commander U-204 from 8 March to 19 October 1941;
Was lost with his boat 19 October 1941 off Tangiers, sunk by HMS ROCHESTER (sloop) and HMS MALLOW (corvette) – all hands lost.

Günter Keller, born 8 February 1917 in Berlin and was in Naval Class 1937a.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1939 to July 1943;
U-Boat Training course July to December 1943;
Courses at the 23rd U-Flotilla, 3rd ULD and 24th U-Flotilla from December 1943 to March 1944;
Baubelehrung 8.KLA April and May 1944;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 September 1944
Commander U-683 from 30 May 1944 to 12 March 1945, sunk by HMS LOCH RUTHVEN (frigate) and HMS WILD GOOSE (sloop) with all hands lost.

Robert Kindelbacher, born 18 May 1915 at Augsburg and was in Naval Class 1935.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1937 to August 1941;
U-Boat training September to December 1941;
I.W.O. on U-96 from January to May 1942;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 April 1942;
U-Boat Skipper course 24th U-Flotilla May & June 1942;
Baubelehrung 8.KLA June 1942;
Commander U-627 from 18 June to 27 October 1942 when the boat was bombed by aircraft of the 206 Squadron RAF south of Iceland – all hands lost.

There will be more in KTB #179 next month about U-Boat Skippers who were once fliers, thanks to CHUCK MYLES.

WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 170]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 172]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 173]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 174]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 175]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 176]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 177]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 178]