Lieutenant
What was the military rank of Heinrich Bleichrodt from Oct 1939 to Oct 1943?
Heinrich Bleichrodt Heinrich Bleichrodt ( 21 October 1909 – 9 January 1977 ) was one of the most successful German U-boat commanders of the Second World War . From October 1939 until retiring from front line service in December 1943 , he was credited with sinking 25 ships for a total of . For this he received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves , among other commendations . He earned the nickname Ajax during his time with the U-boats . Career . Bleichrodt was born in Berga , Kyffhäuser on 21 October 1909 . He entered the navy in 1933 and spent his initial training on the cadet ship Gorch Fock , followed by a period on the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper . He was commissioned an ensign on 1 April 1935 , promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 January 1937 and to Lieutenant on 1 October 1939 . Submarine service . After training , Bleichrodt spent a period aboard the small training boat followed by a single patrol with later Knights Cross winner Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann aboard during June and July 1940 . This was a highly successful cruise , sinking eight ships for a total of , with Bleichrodt receiving the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 25 July . He was then given command of his own U-boat , on 4 September 1940 . He began his first war patrol aboard her on 8 September , going on to sink eight ships for a total of 36,189 tons . On 15 September he sank . He went on to torpedo and sink on 18 September before returning to port on 25 September . Unknown to Bleichrodt , there were 90 children on board the liner being evacuated to Canada under the Childrens Overseas Reception Boards initiative in order to escape the effects of the Blitz . 258 people , including 77 of the evacuees , died in the disaster . The sinking was controversial , but the ship was not marked as being an evacuation transport , and it is unlikely that Bleichrodt would have been aware that children were amongst the passengers . He was also limited in what aid he could have provided even if he had been aware . He had been awarded the U-boat War Badge 1939 on 24 September , and on his arrival in port on 25 September he received the Iron Cross 1st Class . He put to sea again on 5 October and undertook another highly successful patrol , sinking eight ships , including three merchantmen from the ill-fated convoys SC 7 and HX 79 . He returned to Kiel on 27 October having sunk 43,106 tons of shipping . Three days before returning , U-48 was radioed and Bleichrodt was informed that he was to be awarded the Knights Cross . Bleichrodt refused to wear it until his IWO Oberleutnant zur See Reinhard Teddy Suhren was also awarded one . Bleichrodt pointed out that Suhren had overseen all surface shooting on previous missions and was also entitled . Suhren duly received the Knights Cross in November that year . Bleichrodt left U-48 on 16 December 1940 and briefly took command of on 22 January 1941 until 4 June 1941 . He did not carry out any war cruises before being moved to take command of on 5 June 1941 . He carried out six patrols with her , not achieving the same degree of success he had had with U-48 , but still sinking 13 ships for a total of some 80,000 tons . He received the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross on 23 September 1942 , followed by the U-boat War Badge with Diamonds in October . He was promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 November 1943 . Retirement . Bleichrodt appears to have suffered a breakdown whilst at sea on 26 December 1943 . He radioed U-boat headquarters to request an immediate return to port , but this was initially denied . On 31 December Bleichrodt insisted that he return , and handed command to his 1WO , who brought U-109 back to Saint Nazaire . He was transferred to a training job with the 27th U-boat Flotilla , spending five months there followed by a year in the 2nd ULD ( U-boat training division ) as tactical instructor for the officers . He received a final promotion to Korvettenkapitän ( corvette captain ) on 1 November 1943 , and in July 1944 he was appointed as Chief of the 22nd U-boat Flotilla , a post he held until the end of the war . Later life . After the war , Bleichrodt was held by the Allies on war crimes charges pertaining to the sinking of the City of Benares . Bleichrodt was accused of sinking the ship with the full knowledge that it had been transporting evacuees . He reaffirmed the German position that there was no way that he or the crew of the submarine could have known who was on board . It was upheld and he was acquitted . Bleichrodt refused to apologise to the survivors , despite several crew members of U-48 , including the radio operator , expressing their shock and regret once the facts became known . Bleichrodt died in 1977 . Summary of career . Ships attacked . As commander of and , Bleichrodt is credited with the sinking of 24 ships for a total of , further damaging two ships of and sinking one warship , , of . Awards . - Iron Cross ( 1939 ) - 2nd Class ( 25 July 1940 ) - 1st Class ( 25 September 1940 ) - U-boat War Badge with Diamonds ( 1939 ) - U-boat War Badge ( 24 September 1940 ) - U-boat War Badge with Diamonds ( September 1942 ) - Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves - Knights Cross on 24 October 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-48 - 125th Oak Leaves on 23 September 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-109 - Croce di Guerra Italiana al Valore Militare ( 1 November 1941 ) - War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords ( 1 January 1945 )