Date of birth:

July 2nd, 1914 (Hannover/Lower Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

December 26th, 2005 (Hamburg/Lower Saxony, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Erich Topp Also receivedan Honour Dagger with diamonds for his achievements as commander. He received it on August 17th 1942.
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.
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).

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• Photo: Wilco Vermeer
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