TOPP Erich Fregattenkapitän Topp, Erich * 02.07.1914 Hannover + 26.12.2005 Hamburg Awarded Knights Cross: 20.06.1941 as: Oberleutnant zur See Kommandant U-552 Awarded Oakleaves as the 87th recipient. : 11.04.1942 al Kapitänleutnant Kommandant U-552 Awarded Swords as the 17th. recipient: 17.08.1942 al Kapitänleutnant Kommandant U-552 Served in the Bundeswehr: 15.01.1958 to 31.12.1969 Last rank: Konteradmiral Erich Topp Fregattenkapitän (Crew 34) Successes 35 ships sunk for a total of 197,460 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 1,190 tons 4 ships damaged for a total of 32,317 GRT Born 2 Jul 1914 Hannover Died 26 Dec 2005 (91) Suessen, Germany Erich Topp Ranks 8 Apr 1934 Offiziersanwärter 1 Jul 1935 Fähnrich zur See 1 Jan 1937 Oberfähnrich zur See 1 Apr 1937 Leutnant zur See 1 Apr 1939 Oberleutnant zur See 1 Sep 1941 Kapitänleutnant 17 Aug 1942 Korvettenkapitän 1 Dec 1944 Fregattenkapitän Decorations 7 Nov 1939 U-boat War Badge 1939 20 Jun 1941 Knights Cross 11 Apr 1942 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves 11 Apr 1942 U-boat War Badge with Diamonds 17 Aug 1942 Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords U-boat Commands U-boat From To U-57 5 Jun 1940 15 Sep 1940 2 patrols (38 days) U-552 4 Dec 1940 8 Sep 1942 10 patrols (308 days) U-3010 23 Mar 1945 26 Apr 1945 No war patrols U-2513 27 Apr 1945 8 May 1945 No war patrols Personal information Kapitänleutnant Erich Topp after a patrol. Erich Topp began his naval career in April 1934. He served six months on the light cruiser Karlsruhe before joining the U-boat force in October 1937. A year later he became watch officer on U-46. After four patrols with U-46, Topp took over command of U-57. With this boat he sank six ships for a total of 36,862 tons. U-57 sank on 3 September, 1940 after an accident with the Norwegian ship Rona. Topp was then given command of the VIIC boat U-552, the famous "Red Devil Boat". Topp scored most of his successes in the North Atlantic against convoys and off the North American coast. On his very successful eighth patrol in March/April 1942, he sank eight ships for a total of 45,731 tons. Oberleutnant Erich Topp and his close friend Bertl Endrass In September 1942 Topp became commander of the 27th U-boat Flotilla, where new U-boat crews received their tactical training. Topp wrote the Battle Instructions for the new XXI Elektro Boat submarine in 1944, and when the war ended he was commanding one of them, U-2513, which he surrendered at Horten, Norway in May 1945. Konteradmiral Erich Topp After the war Topp worked for some months as a fisherman before he became a successful architect. In March 1958 he rejoined the Navy. He then spent four years in the USA as a staff member of the Military Committee of NATO. Later he served in several staff positions and for a month was commander of U-boats in deputize. Konteradmiral Erich Topp retired in December 1969. He was decorated in that year with the Große Bundes-Verdienst- kreuz (Great Federal Merit Cross). From 1970 to 1984 he worked as industrial consultant for, among others, the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. He died on Dec 26 2005. Information from uboat.net Signed souvenir cover Price: $45.00 Please contact us before ordering to confirm availability and shipping costs. Buy now with your credit card other ways to buy