Kapitanleutnant Otto Hershing
Kyler’s Kaiserliche Marine Blog
Kapitanleutnant Otto Hershing
The captain of the German submarine SM U-21. Otto Hersing commanded the U-21 in the sinking of the HMS Pathfinder on September 5th, 1914. This would be the first sinking in combat of a ship to a propelled torpedo.
Otto & the U-21 would go on to an incredibly successful career. Using immense skills & patience he would sink an additional three pre-dreadnought battleships while operating in the Mediterranean & the Dardanelles.
With another thirty-six cargo ships, they would accumulate sinking a gross tonnage of 113,580 tons. They would survive the war. Otto was sent to train new submarine commanders only two months before the armistice. In 1919, U-21 was scuttled by its crew before being handed over to the British. Apparently on orders from Otto.
After the war, he would continue in the navy. He possibly got involved in the Kapp Putsch. Finally leaving the service in 1924, he and his family would become potato farmers. For a time, he would have a bounty on his head by the French. He would pass away in 1960. His papers & writing can be found in the Deutsches U-Boote Museum.
He would earn: Iron Cross 1st & 2nd Class, Iron Crescent, Albert Order, Hanseatic Cross, and Pour le Merite.
Sources: Wikipedia & UBoat.net