Manfred Buchmann

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 30)
Born 27 Nov, 1909 Bayreuth
(shore command)

Decorations:
05 Oct  1939  Ubootskriegsabzeichen
31 Oct  1939   Iron Cross Second Class
13 Jan   1940   Iron Cross First Class
26 Jun   1940   Knights Cross
01 Sep  1940   Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross
19 Nov 1940    Swords with Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross
14 Mar 1941    Diamonds to Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Ranks:
10 Oct 1933  Seekadett
01 Jan  1935  Fähnrich zur See
01 Apr 1937  Oberfähnrich zur See
01 Oct 1937  Leutnant zur See
01 Sep 1939  Oberleutnant zur See
29 Sep 1940  Kapitänleutnant
29 Mar 1942 Korvettenkapitän
Commandet U-Boats:
U 59 Type IIC 26. Oct. 1939  -   13. Jan   1940
U 87   Type VIIB   17. Apr. 1940  - 19. Nov 1940
U 122   Type IXB 20. Feb. 1941

-

 14. Feb  1942
U 519 Type IXC 15. Feb  1942

-

 17. Dez  1942
U 841 Type IXC/40   18. Dez  1942

-

 present

Manfred Buchmann always enjoyed the sea and spent most of his early years aboard his father's schooner. It was his father who urged him to join the German Navy, and so he began his naval career in April 1930 and served on the line ship Schleswig Holstein and the light cruiser Karlsruhe. In January 1936 he transferred to the U-boat force and thus received a solid pre-war training.

Buchmann served a little more than a year as a watch officer on U-14, Type IIB (commanded by Kptlt. Horst Wellner), which was based out of the 3. Flotille as a front boat.

U-14

U-14 prior to the war

                 Shortly after war broke out he was offered the first command of his own, the U-59,a Type IIC,
on 26 November 1939. He named his boat the "Crossed Swords".
One his fourth patrol hel was the one who broke the 2.000.000 BRT border for the 9th. Flotilla.
Obltn Buchmann and his crew received two weeks extra holiday after a tremendous party
in the manor-house of Logonna.
"Crossed Swords",
The insignia of U-59

After his fourth patrol Obltn Buchmann was given command on the newly built type VIIB U-87. After a three month training in the baltic sea he returned to Brest and from this time on his results improved steadily.
During his 5th. patrol Obltn. Buchmann sunk a destroyer which give him a place in the lodge of the Escort Hunters of the 9th. Flotilla giving him the right to show their reserved insignia before the anchors.
His sixth patrol lead finally to the long deserved award: The Knights Cross

Well done Herr Oberleutnant! Sawfishes to the left and the right and in the middle the Knights Cross!

After his 31st patrol he was taken out of active service and became commander of a secret training unit for the new elektro-boats in Denmark.

Decorations

U-boat badge

1939 Iron Cross
2nd Class

1939 Iron Cross
1st Class

Knights Cross

Knights Cross
with Oak Leaves

Knights Cross with
Oak Leves and Swords

Knights Cross with
Oak Leaves, Swords
and Diamonds

Patrol Reports

Report #1    Report #2    Report #3    Report #4    Report #5    Report #6    Report #7    Report #8    Report #9    Report #10    Report #11    Report #12    Report #13    Report #14    Report #15    Report #16    Report #17    Report #18    Report #19    Report #20    Report #21    Report #22    Report #23    Report #24    Report #25    Report #26    Report #27    Report #28    Report #29    Report #30    Report #31    Report #32