Robert-Richard Zapp

Robert-Richard Zapp (3 April 1904 – 17 July 1964) was a German U-boat commander in World War II. As commander of the Type IXC U-boat U-66, he sank sixteen ships on five patrols, for a total of 106,200 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 27th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Robert-Richard Zapp
Robert-Richard Zapp
Born	3 April 1904 Germersheim
Died	17 July 1964 (aged 60) Kiel
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany (to 1945)
Service/branch	Reichsmarine  Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1923–45
Rank	Fregattenkapitän
Commands held	U-66 3rd U-boat Flotilla
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Robert-Richard Zapp joined the Reichsmarine in May 1923.[Note 1] Before joining the U-boat service in 1939, he served aboard a minesweeper and later on took command of 251 Marineflak (Naval anti-aircraft artillery). After initial training, he served on board U-46 for a short while under Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass, with whom he participated in the battle against Convoy HX 79 in October 1940.[1]

Zapp was appointed commander of U-66 in January 1941. U-66 was one of the boats that participated in the first wave of attacks in "Operation Drumbeat". On the first patrol of this operation, he sank five vessels, totalling 33,456 tons. On his second patrol off the eastern seaboard of the USA he sank six vessels totaling 43,946 tons. They included the 7,988 GRT Canadian passenger liner RMS Lady Hawkins on 19 January, whose final death toll was 251.[2] Zapp was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 April 1942.[1]

In June 1942 he was posted ashore to become commander of 3rd U-boat Flotilla, based at La Rochelle, France. On 1 January 1945 he was promoted to Fregattenkapitän. In the last three months of the war, he became commander of Marine-Regiment Zapp and defended the U-boat base at La Rochelle until the very end of the war in May 1945. He spent over two years in French captivity and was released on 7 July 1947.[1]

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of U-66 Zapp is credited with the sinking of 16 ships for a total of 106,200 gross register tons (GRT), and damaging one further ship, Geo. W. McNight, of 12,502 GRT.

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
29 June 1941	George J. Goulandris	Greece	4,345	Sunk
29 June 1941	Kalypso Vergotti	Greece	5,686	Sunk
30 June 1941	Saint Aslem	United Kingdom	5,614	Sunk
19 July 1941	Holmside	United Kingdom	3,433	Sunk
26 July 1941	I. C. White	Panama	7,052	Sunk
18 January 1942	Allan Jackson	United States	6,635	Sunk
19 January 1942	RMS Lady Hawkins	Royal Canadian Navy	7,988	Sunk
22 January 1942	Olympic	Panama	5,335	Sunk
24 January 1942	Empire Gem	United Kingdom	8,139	Sunk
24 January 1942	Venore	United States	8,017	Sunk
14 April 1942	Korthion	Greece	2,116	Sunk
16 April 1942	Amsterdam	Netherlands	7,329	Sunk
17 April 1942	Heinrich von Riedemann	Panama	11,020	Sunk
26 April 1942	Alcoa Partner	United States	5,513	Sunk
29 April 1942	Harry G. Siedel	Panama	10,354	Sunk
2 May 1942	Sandar	Norway	7,624	Sunk
3 May 1942	Geo. W. McNight	United Kingdom	12,502	Damaged

Awards

• U-boat War Badge (14 May 1941)[3]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (6 August 1941)[3]
  • 1st Class (6 August 1941)[3]
• War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1945)[4]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 April 1942 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-66[5][6]

Notes

1. The German Reichsmarine which was renamed the Kriegsmarine on 1 June 1935.

References

Notes

1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Fregattenkapitän Richard Zapp". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2014). "Lady Hawkins - Ships hit by U-boats". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
3. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 210.
4. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 211.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 802.
6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 455.

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "Robert-Richard Zapp". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 21 November 2013.