Korvettenkapitän Peter-Erich Cremer - German U-boat Commanders of WWII - The Men of the Kriegsmarine (2024)

U-boat Commands

Korvettenkapitän 'Ali' Cremer

Peter Erich Cremer began his naval career in August 1932 after studying law for six semesters. This was four months later than the usual start date, due to an accident in June of that year in which the German sailing school ship Niobesank after capsizing, killing most of the cadets (27 men) of Crew 1932. Some men from the Reichsmarine thus went on to replace this loss.

Cremer completed the one year of basic on-board training on the light cruiser Köln. After a few months on the heavy cruiser Deutschland, he served three years in the naval artillery, returning to service at sea as II WO on the destroyer Theodor Riedel and then transferring to the U-boat force in August 1940.

In January 1941 Kptlt. Cremer commissioned U-152, a small coastal type IID U-boat which was to serve as a school boat. A few months later he took command of the larger type VIIC U-boat U-333, the 3 Little Fishes boat, an emblem suggested by the boat's number. Although 'Ali' Cremer went out for his first patrol on U-333 without any combat experience, he sank three enemy ships - but also, unfortunately, the German blockade-runner Spreewald. The subsequent official investigation exonerated Cremer, however. His next patrol, in US waters, was also successful, with four ships sunk, but it ended with Cremer nursing a badly damaged boat back to base after being rammed.

On his third patrol Cremer was seriously wounded by gunfire from the British corvette HMS Crocus. Seven of the crew were killed, and a replacement WO from the milch cow U-459 was needed to assist Cremer in bringing a once more heavily-damaged U-333 to base. After this, Cremer got the nickname 'Ali Wrack' (Ali Wreck). But his crew members insisted that "Ali on board is the the best life insurance!". Cremer spent three months in hospital recovering from his wounds.

'Ali' Cremer and his LI Oblt. (Ing) Spangenberg on board U-333.

Kptlt. Cremer returning from patrol (note the '3 Little Fishes' on his capband)

From February to May 1943 he served on Dönitz' staff, but when Dönitz decided to send some experienced commanders out on patrol to investigate the situation following the massive U-boat losses of May 1943, Cremer was amongst them. And so once again Cremer took U-333 out on patrol,and in April 1944 once again returned with her badly damaged, this time from a severe depth charge attack.In July 1944 he left the boat, which was lost on the next patrol.

Cremer then commissioned the new type XXI Elektro U-boat Elektro boat U-2519, one of the highly decorated U-boat commanders (like Schnee, Bülow, Emmermann, Witt and Topp), given command of the new boats in an attempt to turn the tide in the battle of the Atlantic.

Korvkpt. Cremer left U-2519 in February 1945 to become fieldcommander of the Marine-Panzervernichtungsbataillon (Naval Tank Destroying Battalion) which was pitted against British tanks attempting to occupy the city of Hamburg.

On 25 April, 1945 the daily Armed Forces' Wehrmachtsbericht announced:

"Ein von Korvettenkapitän Cremer geführter Panzervernichtungstrupp derKriegsmarine, zusammengestellt aus Freiwilligen eines Unterseeboot-Stützpunktes, vernichtete innnerhalb weniger Tage 24 Panzer."

(A naval tank destroying unit under command of Korvettenkapitän Cremer, includingvolunteers from a U-boat base, destroyed 24 tanks during the last few days.)

In the last days of the war Cremer became commander of Dönitz'sguard unit and was thus involved in the tragic incident in which Kapitän z. See Wolfgang Lüth was shot and killed by a German sentry. Following Germany's surrender he spent one month in British captivity. After the war he was successful in a new career, managing several companies.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.

Patrol info for Peter-Erich Cremer

Ships hit by Peter-Erich Cremer

Date	U-boat	Commander		Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy
22 Jan 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Vassilios A. Polemis	3,429		gr	ON-53
24 Jan 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Ringstad	4,765		nw	ON-55
31 Jan 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Spreewald	5,083		dt
6 May 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Java Arrow (d.)	8,327		am
6 May 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Amazone	1,294		nl
6 May 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Halsey	7,088		am
10 May 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		Clan Skene	5,214		br
6 Oct 1942	U-333	Peter-Erich Cremer		HMS Crocus (K 49) (d.)	925		br
					36,125
6 ships sunk (26,873 tons) and 2 ships damaged (9,252 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.

About ranks and decorations
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