WITT, Hans-Ludwig
	PERSONALIA   Name:  Witt, Hans-Ludwig Date of birth:  December 25th, 1909 (Bautzen/Saxony, Germany) Date of death:  February 13th, 1980 (Hamburg-Poppenbüttel/Lower Saxony, Duitsland) Nationality:  German BIOGRAPHY:  Hans Witt spent his first years in the navy on school ships, including the Gorch Fock and the Schlageter. In October 1940 he entered U-boat training. With U-129 he completed three very successful patrols in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean. Later he spent a year as a member of the BdU staff. In the last months of the war he was one of the highly decorated U-boat commanders (like Schnee, Cremer, Emmermann and Topp) who took command of the new Elektro U-boats (Types XXI and XXIII) in an attempt to turn the tide in the battle of the Atlantic. He sunk 19 ships for a total of 100.773 tons. Promotions: 10th October 1929: Seekadett 1st January 1931: Fähnrich zur See 1st April 1933: Oberfähnrich zur See 1st October 1933: Leutnant zur See 1st June 1935: Oberleutnant zur See 1st June 1938: Kapitänleutnant 1st February 1943: Korvettenkapitän Hans-Ludwig Witt commanded U-161 from 8th July 1941 until 30th November 1941 U-161 from 1st December 1941 until 31st December 1941 U-129 from 14th May 1942 until 8th July 1943 U-3524 from 26th January 1945 until 5th May 1945 He conducted the following war patrols: - 94 days from 20th May 1942 (Lorient) until 21st August 1942 (Lorient) with U-129 - 101 days from 28th September 1942 (Lorient) until 6th January 1943 (Lorient) with U-129 - 80 days from 11th March 1943 (Lorient) until 29th May 1943 (Lorient) with U-129       U-BOOT KRIEGSABZEICHEN (OHNE BRILLIANTEN) Rank: Kapitänleutnant Unit: Kommandant U-129 / 2.Unterseebootsflottille Awarded on: August 23rd, 1942         EISERNES KREUZ 2. KLASSE Rank: Kapitänleutnant Unit: Kommandant U-129 / 2.Unterseebootsflottille Awarded on: August 23rd, 1942         EISERNES KREUZ 1. KLASSE Rank: Kapitänleutnant Unit: Kommandant U-129 / 2.Unterseebootsflottille Awarded on: August 23rd, 1942         RITTERKREUZ DES EISERNEN KREUZES Rank: Kapitänleutnant Unit: Kommandant U-129 / 2.Unterseebootsflottille Awarded on: December 17th, 1942         U-BOOT FRONTSPANGE IN BRONZE Rank: Korvettenkapitän Unit: Stab / Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) Awarded on: October 7th, 1944         Provide alterations or additional information Picture source:   - Deutsche-marinesoldaten.de Information source(s):   - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9 - Deutsche-marinesoldaten.de - Uboat.net - das-ritterkreuz.de