We continue with this data on the U-Boat Skippers who were once fliers.

Bernhard Müller,
born 10 October 1916 in Kiel and was in Naval Class 1937a.
Seconded to Luftwaffe Sept. 1939 to December 1940;
U-Boat training January to July 1941;
Baubelehrung July and August 1941;
Promoted to Oberleutnant z.S. 1 September 1941;
I.W.O. aboard U-584 August 1941 to May 1942;
U-Boat Commander’s course with the 24th U-Flotilla over June and July 1942;
Baubelehrung with the 8.KLA July 1942;
Commander of U-633 from 30 July 1942 to 7 March 1943
Müller and the entire crew of U-633 was lost on 7 March 1943.

Ralph Münnich,
born 11 February 1916 at Chemnitz and was in Naval Class 1935.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1937 to December 1940;
U-Boat training January to May 1941;
I.W.O. aboard U-106 June 1941 to April 1942;
U-Boat Commander’s course with the 2.UAA and the 24th Flotilla April to June 1942;
Baubelehrung with the 6 KLA June and July 1942;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 January 1943;
Commander of U-187 from 23 June 1942 to 4 Feb. 1943.
Münnich and eight other of the crew were lost when the boat was sunk on 4 February 1943.

Helmut Neuerburg,
born 25 August 1917 at Strasbourg (then in the German province of Elsass) and was in Naval Class 1936.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1938 to March 1943;
-Boat training April to September 1943;
U-Boat Commander’s course with the 2.ULA and the 27th U-Flotilla October to December 1943 and he also went through U-Boat Commander’s Torpedo course then;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 July 1943;
Baubelehrung with 6.KLA Dec. 1943 to January 1944;
Commander of U-869 from 26 January 1944 to 28 February 1945.
He and the entire crew of U-869 were lost when the boat went down. Official sources still show that the boat was sunk by ASW action off the Moroccan coast but thanks to JOHN CHATTERTON (1818-1991), we know that this boat was sunk by a circular run of her own torpedo off the New Jersey Coast and known for a long time as “U-WHO?”

Helmut Munster,
born 14 September 1916 at Magdeburg and was in Naval Class 1937b.
Training Flying School at Parrow December 1939 to July 1940;
Flieger-Erganzungsgruppe (See) Kamp August & September 1940;
Observer 3./(See) Kampfgruppe 606 September to December 1940;
U-Boat training Jan. to June 1941;
Platoon Officer 2.UAA June to September 1941;
II.W.O. aboard U-43 from Sept. 1941 to February 1942;
I.W.O. aboard U-43 February to August 1942;
U-Boat Commander’s Torpedo course August and September 1942;
Commander U-101 15 September 1942 to October 1943;
Commander U-428 from 26 October 1943 to 1 May 1944;
Baubelehrung Type XXI with 7.KLA May to July 1944;
Commander U-3501 from 29 July to 4 October 1944 with the 8th U-Bootflottille.
Baubelehrung Type XXI with the 7.KLA October to December 1944;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 January 1945;
Commander U-3517 from 22 Dec. 1944 to 2 May 1945.
NOTE – As a KLA training boat, U-3501 had only a fixed prop for demonstration only. For the tow from Danzig to Bremen via Kiel an engineering officer had command assisted by a bootsmannsmaat as W.O. At the Bremen Vulkan Yards in Vegesack, the interior of the boat was cleared for conversion to a fighting unit, but nothing came of this and the vessel was eventually used as an electrical generator.

Helmuth Pich,
born 26 June 1914 at Babziens, Rastenburg (East Prussia) and was in Naval Class 1934.
Seconded to Luftwaffe September 1939 to Sept. 1941;
Flight Captain 2./Seeaufklarergruppe 126 (Naval reconnaissance) from 1 April to October 1941;
U-Boat training October 1941 to March 1942;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 February 1942;
W.O. (supernumerary) aboard U-103 March to June 1942;
Baubelehrung June to September 1942;
Commander U-168 from 10 September 1942 to 6 October 1944 when the boat was sunk.

When the boat was sunk by the Royal Netherlands submarine ZWAARDVISCH with 23 of her crew, Pich was taken prisoner and remained in captivity from 6 October 1944 until March 1947.

GÜNTHER POSER (322-1987),
born 23 September 1916 in Berlin and was in Naval Class 1936.
Seconded to Luftwaffe Sept. 1939 to December 1940;
U-Boat training January to July 1941;
I.W.O. on U-432 July to November 1941;
U-Boat Skipper under instruction with the 26th U-Flotilla over November and December 1941;
Commander U-59 December 1941 to 15 July 1942;
Commander U-202 from 2 Sept. 1942 to 2 June 1943;
Was taken prisoner when U-202 was sunk by the Royal Navy sloop HMS STARLING with the loss of 18 men.
EDITOR NOTE – POSER went back into the Bundsmarine and was Chief of Intelligence for NATO at one time. He retired as Konter Admiral, two stars.

Jürgen Quast-Faslem,
born 25 May 1913 at Gottingen and was in Naval Class 1934.
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1936 to January 1941;
Bordfliegerstaffel 1./196 where he was a Flight Captain with the aircrew aboard SCHARNHORST with the
3./Fligererganzunsgruppe (See) until January 1941;
U-Boat training January to June 1941;
W.O. aboard U-98 June to August 1941;
U-Boat Commander’s course with the 24th U-Flotilla September and October 1941;
Baubelehrung with 8.KLA October and November 1941;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 March 1942;
Commander U-595 from 6 November 1941 to 14 November 1942.
He was taken prisoner when U-595 was sunk by aircraft of the Royal Air Force 500 Squadron.
EDITOR NOTE – Our friend and Member HEINZ DRESSEL (2125-+-1992) was one of the fortunate crewmembers of U-595 to get safely off the boat and he lived out the war. He became a police officer, working out of the famous station on the Reeperbahn and he told us which of the ‘show’ places and bars were reputable and which we didn’t want to go inside. HEINZ was a good guy.

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]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 179]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 180]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 181]