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Much of this information, the data, the photos etc. comes directly from the veterans, the veterans' organizations and is the most accurate available anywhere..............much of this information is not even known elsewhere.
 

TYPE BUILDER LAUNCHED
II-B Germania Werft (Kiel) 29 June 1935
     
COMMISSIONED FELDPOST Nr. SUNK
18 July 1935 M16723 18 February 1944
     
SUNK BY LOCATION SUNK POSITION SUNK
Diving accident West of Pillau 54º 25'N x 19º 50'E

                    All hands lost
              (See below for names)

Commanders of U-7 include:

LAST NAME FIRST NAME RANK FROM TO OTHER BOATS COMMENTS
Freiwald Kurt Kplt     U-33 and U-181  
Heidel Walter Kplt   13 Jan 1940 U-55 KIA aboard U-55
Schrott   Kplt 13 Jan 1940   U-551 KIA aboard U-551
Salman Otto KK Training   U-52  
Reeder Günther Kplt Training   U-214  
Schmidt Heinrich KK Training   U-663 KIA aboard U-663
Schrenk Hans Kplt Training   U-901  
Brüller Ernst-Ulrich Kplt Training   U-23 and U-407  
Kuhlmann Hans-Günther Oblt zS Training   U-580 and U-166 KIA aboard U-166
KOITSCHKA SIEGFRIED Kplt Training   U-616 POW from U-616
Loschke Günther Oblt zS Training     KIA aboard U-7

                
              SIEGFRIED KOITSCHKA (225-+-1986)

NOTE - Sharkhunters Member's names appear in bold capital letters followed by their Membership Number..

The first Skipper of U-7 was Kapitänleutnant Kurt Freiwald but the first combat commander was Kapitänleutnant Walter Heidel who later commanded U-55 where he was killed in action.  13 January 1940, command passed to Kapitänleutnant Schrott who later commanded U-551 where he was killed in action.

U-7 was attached to the 1st U-Bootflottille which was then based in Kiel.  She made Feindfahrten (war patrols) over 24 August through 8 September and also 18 September through 3 October of 1939; then 13 through 28 January 1940 and other patrols covering 3 March to 18 May of 1940.  During one of these latter Feindfahrten, the crew of U-7 occupied a Norwegian lighthouse on Marsten Island.


                  SHIPS SUNK BY U-7 (Heidel commanding)

DATE NAME NATION TYPE GRT
22 Sept. 1939 ARENSIDE England Freighter 2,694 tons
28 Sept. 1939 SOLAS Norway Freighter 1,368 tons
29 Sep. 1939 TAKSTAAS Norway Freighter 1,830 tons

U-7 was transferred to the 21st U-Bootflottille as a schulboot (school boat) and the Commanders who trained aboard her are listed above.

SPECIAL NOTE; MORE INFORMATION - There is much more information on this boat and others in our book "The Rare Types" (Vol. I) which will be available soon.  Click www.sharkhunters.com/Books.htm for more information.

          Men lost on U-7

LAST NAME FIRST NAME RANK LAST NAME FIRST NAME RANK
van Ackern Heinrich Masch GFR Bernert Günter Masch Mt
Biechely Johann Boootsmann von Borstel Wilfried Masch Mt
Dreschler Robert Fähnrich ING Dziallas Kurt Masch Gfr
Engel Friederich Masch Mt Friedberg Dieter Lt zS
Friederich Walter Oberstuermann Grenzer Helmut Mech Ogfr
Horn Günter Masch Gfr Jarczok Herbert Bootsmns Mt
Knauss Wilhelm Mtr Grf Knoche Klaus Peter Lt ING
Knöller Werner Fähnrich Leykauf Hermann Funk Gfr
Löschke Günther Oblt zS Matzat Bruno Ob Masch
Rekus Karl Masch Mt Rohm Herbert Fähnrich ING
Schulz Heinz Bootsmns Mt Seifried Hermann Obersteuermann
Vollmer Walter OberFähnrich Weinhöbel Harald Fähnrich
Wesnigk Werner Masch Mt      

Deepest thanks to our friends at the U-Bootskameradschaft Kiel for allowing us to bring their sacred book containing the names of all 28,863 U-Bootfahrer who were lost in action during World War II here to the USA where we carefully copied all the names of the fallen and list them here on our site.  Ours is the only website in the world that lists all these names.
                      ___________________________________

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Sharkhunters Members get all this information and a whole lot more including a monthly Magazine with facts, veteran's memories and stories you cannot get anywhere else - and when you join, you may select one of our hand-signed photos of veterans of the war as your free gift.  Send us an email at sharkhunters@earthlink.net with your name, and request a FREE sample of our KTB Magazine.  You will love it - and there is NO obligation!

                CLICK HERE for more information on this boat.

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Many thanks to our friend and Sharkhunters Member since 1987 GEORG HÖGEL for all the conning tower emblems used in our monthly KTB Magazine and also here on the pages of our website.  GEORG was radioman aboard U-30, the first boat into combat, the first to sink a ship (the liner ATHENIA) and the first into an occupied French port.  When that Skipper (Lemp) took command of U-110, GEORG was one of the former crew to transfer to the new boat under Lemp.  After the war, he was Professor of Art at a major German university.