Rosenbaum, Ewald Hugo Helmut ('U-73')

Date of birth:: May 11th, 1913 (Döbeln, Germany)
Date of death:: May 10th, 1944 (near Topleț, 11km north of Orșova, Romania)
Nationality:: German

Biography

Crew 32
15.08.1932: entered the Kriegsmarine
15.08.-07.10.1932: basic military training in the 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea - Stralsund
14.-21.10.1932: transferred to the training ship 'Edith'
04.11.1932: promoted to Seekadett
06.11.1932-02.01.1934: 14-month stay on board the light cruiser 'Köln'
01.01.1934: promoted to Fähnrich zur See
03.01.1934-18.04.1935: underwent a number of officer training courses at the Naval Academy at Mürwik and Kiel-Wik, including navigational training cruises on the tender 'Weser' and 'Nordsee'
19.04.-26.09.1935: transferred to the cruiser 'Königsberg'
01.09.1935: promoted to Oberfähnrich zur See
27.09.-03.12.1935: attended more training courses, including a naval artillery course
04.-14.12.1935: attended an anti U-boat defense course
15.12.1935-11.10.1936: posted to the cruiser 'Nürnberg'
01.01.1936: promoted to Leutnant zur See
15.10.1936-29.01.1937: attended various torpedo courses at the torpedo school in Flensburg
01.02.-03.04.1937: U-Fahrausbildungslehrgang
03.04.-09.1937: II. WO - 'U-35' under the command of Hans Rudolf Rösing then Hermann Michahelles
01.10.1937: promoted to Oberleutnant zur See
10.1937-03.1938: Reserve Division - II./ Flot. - Baltic Sea
03.-06.1938: FdU
06.-10.1938: I. WO - 'U-31'
10.-11.1938: Lehrgang - Artillerie Schule - Kiel-Wik
11.1938-03.1939: I. WO - 'U-26'
17.03.1939-05.08.1940: Kommandant - 'U-2'
01.01.1940 (some sources give 01.02.1940): promoted to Kapitänleutnant
06.08.-29.09.1940: 'U-73' Baubelehrung at the Bremer Vulkan ship yard - Norden U-Boote
15.03.-29.03.1940: first war patrol with 'U-2' (Kiel to Wilhelmshaven)
04.-15.04.1940: second war patrol with 'U-2' (Wilhelmshaven to Wilhelmshaven)
30.09.1940-10.09.1942: Kommandant - 'U-73'
08.02.02.03.1941: third war patrol commanding 'U-73' (Helgoland to Lorient)
25.03.-24.04.1941: fourth war patrol, attacked and sank five ships (Lorient to St. Nazaire)
03.04.1941: attacked convoy SC 26 sinking the 'Alderpool', 'Indier', 'Westpool' and 'British Viscount'
20.04.1941: sunk the British 8,570 GRT 'Empire Endurance'
20.05.-24.06.1941: 5th war patrol (St. Nazaire to St. Nazaire)
29.07.-02.08.1941: test patrol (St. Nazaire to St. Nazaire)
07.08.-07.09.1941: 6th war patrol (St. Nazaire to St. Nazaire)
11.10.-11.11.1941: 7th war patrol (St. Nazaire to St. Nazaire)
04.01.-12.02.1942: 8th war patrol (St. Nazaire to La Spezia)
02.1942: 'U-73' was heavily bombed during his first Mediterranean patrol but managed to reach La Spezia - Italy
10.-26.03.1942: 9th war patrol (La Spezia to La Spezia)
04.08.-05.09.1942: 10th and final war patrol on 'U-73' attempted an attack on convoy WS-21S of Operation Pedestal bound for Malta (La Spezia to La Spezia)
11.08.1942: made contact and fired four torpedoes at the aircraft carrier HMS 'Eagle'
12.08.1942: awarded the RK as 120th of the Kriegsmarine and 58th of the Ubootewaffe
01.10.1942-05.1944: Kommandant - 30. U-Flottille and Admiralstabsoffizier in the staff of the Admiral of the Black Sea
10.05.1944: died in an air crash near Topleț, 11km north of Orșova located 610km west of Constanţa in Romania
03.08.1944: posthumously promoted to Korvettenkapitän (RDA 01.05.1944)

As commander of U-73, Korvettenkapitän Helmut Rosenbaum is credited with the sinking of six merchantmen for a total of 35,171 gross register tons (GRT), and three warships, 'HMS Eagle' on 11 August 1942, of 22,692 long tons (23,056 tonnes), and two Motor Launches on board 'Empire Endurance'.

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U-boot Kriegsabzeichen (ohne Brillianten)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Kapitänleutenant zur See
Awarded on:: March 4th, 1941

Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
Unit:: Kommandant U-73
Awarded on:: August 12th, 1942

The following newspaper article from the Döbelner Anzeiger (dated 13.08.1942) describes why Rosenbaum received the Knight’s Cross…

“The Knight’s Cross for Kapitänleutnant Rosenbaum:

… On the 11.08.1942 Kapitänleutnant Rosenbaum, captain of a U-Boat in the Mediterranean, sunk the British aircraft carrier ‘Eagle’ while it was operating as part of a heavily secured convoy. By now the British have admitted to the loss of this ship. It was one of the handful of aircraft carriers that England still possessed. It has been determined that, at the time, the ship had a special mission to bring additional fighter planes to the hard-pressed Malta garrison. Fighter planes only have a limited flying range, as their extremely high speed demands the consumption of a great deal of fuel. They therefore can only transfer to nearby airbases under their own power, otherwise they must be transported via ship just like an earth-bound armoured vehicle. However now Malta is waiting in vain for this important defensive weapons. Kapitänleutnant Rosenbaum and his brave crew have inflicted a devastating blow on the British with their bold actions.”

This successful U-Boat commander has furthermore already been named in the OKW report for his accomplishments against English merchant shipping in the Atlantic. While operating there and in the North Sea he has so far sunk 6 ships with 45000 GRT. The sinking of the ‘Eagle’ is now his first success in the Mediterranean.”

Medaglia d'argento al Valore Militare

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Korvettenkapitän
Awarded on:: September 17th, 1944

Awarded posthumously.

Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4.Klasse, 4 Jahre

Awarded on:: August 15th, 1936

Spanienkreuz, Bronze

Period:: Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
Awarded on:: June 6th, 1939

Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: April 15th, 1940

Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: April 25th, 1941

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: April 4th, 1941

The submarines under the command of Captain Lieutenant Rosenbaum and Lieutenant at sea Endraß have particularly distinguished themselves in recent successes against British merchant shipping in the North Atlantic.

Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: August 12th, 1942

As announced by special bulletin a German submarine under the command of Captain Lieutenant Rosenbaum sank the British aircraft carrier "EAGLE" from amongst a heavily secured convoy with four torpedo hits on 11 August in the western Mediterranean.