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~SOLD~HARDEGEN Reinhard
Korvettenkapitän
Hardegen, Reinhard
* 18.03.1913 Bremen
Awarded Knights Cross: 23.01.1942
as: Kapitänleutnant Kommandant U-123
Awarded Oakleaves as the 89th recipient 23.04.1942 as Kapitänleutnant
Kommandant U-123
Reinhard Hardegen began his naval career in April 1933. After two and a half years he transferred, like some other naval officers, to the Marineflieger (naval air force), a part of the Kriegsmarine. Here he received training as an aircraft observer and later as a pilot. After a crash and an ensuing six months in hospital, in November 1939 he transferred to the U-boat force.
He received his first experience on U-124 under Kptlt. Schulz. In December 1940 he became commander of U-147. On his first patrol as commander in March 1941 he sank the Norwegian steamer Augvald (4,811 tons).
On 16 May, 1941 he took over U-123, a very successful boat, from Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle. On his first patrol with this boat in summer 1941 in West African waters, Hardegen sank five ships for a total of 21,507 tons. In October 1941 he torpedoed the British auxiliary cruiser HMS Aurania (13,984 tons), but the badly damaged ship was towed to harbor by two destroyers.
At this time, Hardegen's medical history finally caught up with him. Due to injuries received in the 1936 plane crash, Hardegen had actually been classed unfit for U-boat service. However, his papers had repeatedly arrived at each training location after he had already departed for the next. Now Dönitz had learned of Hardegen's lingering injuries (including a shortened leg and chronic bleeding of the stomach which required a special diet of easily-digested foods), but rewarded Hardegen's dedication by permitting him to carry out two further patrols.
On 23 December, 1941 U-123 left Lorient on a special mission. She was one of five U-boats ordered to launch an attack against the eastern coast of the United States. The operation was called Paukenschlag (Drumbeat).
On 12 January, 1942, before reaching the operational area, Hardegen sank the British freighter Cyclops in Canadian waters. This was two days before Operation Paukenschlag officially was to start in US waters. But the commanders had permission to sink ships on the crossing to the US coast if they were larger than 10,000 tons. The next two weeks were very successful for U-123, which sank nine ships for a total of 53,173 tons. On 20 January Dönitz sent the following radiogram:
An den Paukenschläger Hardegen. Bravo! Gut gepaukt. Dönitz.
(For the drum-beater Hardegen. Well done! Good beating. Dönitz. )
Three days later Hardegen received by radio the announcement that he had been decorated with the Knights Cross.
In March 1942 Hardegen was once more on patrol with U-123 off the US east coast. During this second Drumbeat patrol he sank ten ships for a total of 57,170 tons. For this additional outstanding patrol he received the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross while still at sea. In May 1942 Hardegen brought U-123 back to Kiel for some necessary repairs.
On 31 July, 1942 he left the boat and became an instructor in the 27th Flotilla in Gotenhafen. In March 1943 Kptlt. Hardegen became chief of U-boat training in the torpedo school at Mürwik. Then he served for a few months in the Torpedowaffenamt (torpedo weapon department), before becoming a battalion commander in the Marine Infanterie Regiment 6 in February 1945.
After the war Reinhard Hardegen spent more than a year in British captivity, before returning home in November 1946. Then he built up a successful oil trading company and was a member of Parliament in his hometown of Bremen for 32 years.
U-boat Commands
U-boat From To
U-147 11 Dec 1940 4 Apr 1941 1 patrol (19 days)
U-123 19 May 1941 31 Jul 1942 4 patrols (221 days)
Ships hit by Reinhard Hardegen
Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
2 Mar 1941 U-147 Reinhard Hardegen Augvald 4,811 nw HX-109
20 Jun 1941 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Ganda 4,333 pt
27 Jun 1941 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen P.L.M. 22 5,646 br SL-78
27 Jun 1941 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Oberon 1,996 nl SL-78
29 Jun 1941 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Rio Azul 4,088 br SL-78
4 Jul 1941 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Auditor 5,444 br OB-337
21 Oct 1941 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen HMS Aurania (F 28) (d.) 13,984 br SL-89
12 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Cyclops 9,076 br
14 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Norness 9,577 pa
15 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Coimbra 6,768 br
19 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Norvana 2,677 am
19 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen City of Atlanta 5,269 am
19 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Malay (d.) 8,206 am
19 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Ciltvaira 3,779 le
25 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Culebra 3,044 br ON-53
27 Jan 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Pan Norway 9,231 nw ON-56
22 Mar 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Muskogee 7,034 am
24 Mar 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Empire Steel 8,138 br
27 Mar 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen USS Atik (AK 101) 3,209 am
2 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Liebre (d.) 7,057 am
8 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Oklahoma (d.) 9,264 am
8 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Esso Baton Rouge (d.) 7,989 am
9 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Esparta 3,365 am
11 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Gulfamerica 8,081 am
13 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Leslie 2,609 am
13 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Korsholm 2,647 sw
17 Apr 1942 U-123 Reinhard Hardegen Alcoa Guide 4,834 am
162,156
22 ships sunk (115,656 tons) and 5 ships damaged (46,500 tons).
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