The Only U-Boat Commander Executed by the Nazis

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Oskar Heinz Kusch (6 April 1918 – 12 May 1944) was a German naval officer and U-boat commander in World War II who was executed for comments critical of the Nazi state.

#uboat #submarine #navy #ww2 #wwii #kriegsmarine

[emilielucie]

Thank you so much for telling Oskar Kusch's story! He was the only U-Boat commander who was executed, but he was not the only one who had been sentenced to death. Kapitänleutnant and U-Boat commander (U-572) Heinz Hirsacker committed suicide before he could be executed (one of his friends had managed to smuggle a gun into the prison where  Hirsacker was incarcerated). Besides, at the shooting range where Oskar Kusch was shot, more than a hundred members of the Kriegsmarine (it has not even established yet how many men exactly) have been executed during the war, all sailors in their twenties. Just in this one place alone! They were mostly accused of subversion of the war effort (Wehrkraftzersetzung) or desertion. There was no mercy under the Nazis' reign of terror. For no-one.

[TheBrettWay]

I was on the edge of my seat for this one. I can’t believe he made it as far as he did. Great ending to the story!

[iamrichrocker]

obscure history that few of us had heard of..great research..and sad that such a light was extinguished way to early..am sure Kusch would have had a role in post war Germany..

[DragonZarr]

It almost seems they patterned the commander of the U Boat in the movie Das Boot after this guy. Finally he gets the honor in death that was denied to him in life. Thanks for bringing this story to us.

[j.griffin]

Ulrich Abel,
his main accuser,
was given command of U-193 which disappeared on its fourth patrol which commenced on
April 24, 1944.

This was about 2 weeks before Oskar Kusch was executed.

Druschel died on board U-154 when it was sunk by depth charges near Madeira on July 3, 1944.

This was about 6 weeks after Kusch was executed…

One of the ensigns aboard the U-154,
(Kirchammer) had testified:
"The Captain once told us ensigns that we should form our own opinions and not allow ourselves to be influenced by propaganda.

Captain Kusch spread a joke among the crew:

"What do the German people and a tapeworm have in common?

They are both surrounded by scheisse and are doomed."

What do you think?

[mkoschier]

Abel died during is first war patrol as CO before Kusch has been executed

[krismurphy]

One of the few who spoke out loudly. There are worse ways to die...or to die for.

[WILLIAMWALES]

With that style of the moustache and the semiprofile photograph, he quite literally looks like Errol Flynn?

[xraydelta]

Of the three branches of the German military during World War II, the most "Nazi" was the Luftwaffe, with the kriegsmarine, or German Navy as the least "Nazi.

[paullyczek]

So he was a normal guy working in hostile office environment.... On the other hand, he should have had 2 of his crew "fall overboard" on patrol...

[kennethrouse]

Several years ago, I read an interesting book about Oskar Kusch titled "Execution for Duty" by Peter Hansen.

[GrumpyIan]

This is so heart breaking. He was defending his country and they executed him because he had different views and hurt the ego of someone.

[mightymystery]

I am shocked that Döenitz did not intervene to prevent the execution. The Admiral was not a Nazi, only used the Naval salute, and had low regard for the Bavarian Corporal's martial skill. Perhaps he did not want to risk harming the success of surreptitious anti-Nazi efforts. Nonetheless, I am still disappointed.

[jameschenard]

Great narrative! Thanks for bringing these hidden stories to light. I found Doenitz’s apathy a little surprising, but understandable in light of the mob/witch hunt mentality. Did he ever comment on the case post war?

[thelastjohnwayne]

Oskar Heinz Kusch needs to have a film made about him.

[karlbraun]

Looks like he was a great artist pathetic he faced all this corruption while a good captain of a U Boat.

[edwardtodd]

Thank you for this piece of history I never knew about. Very interesting and poignant.

[WilliamMurphy-uvpm]

It was clear that the Nazis were losing the war at that point. The had to reach out harshly towards someone lest someone else look at them for their failures.

[edtrine]

What amazes me is a ship that weighs around 1500 tons could sink up to 50, 000 tons or more of shipping?

[rongendron]

I wonder if Oskar Kusch knew that his accuser, Ulrich Abel, had died, before he was executed? I doubt it,
but it would have been "poetic justice", if he did! R.I.P. Oskar!