Werner Fürbringer

Werner "Fips" Fürbringer (2 October 1888 – 8 February 1982) was a successful German U-boat commander in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I, sinking 101 ships. He was later promoted to the rank of Konteradmiral during World War II.

Early years
Fürbringer was born in Braunschweig and entered the Imperial German Navy as a Seekadett on 3 April 1907. Subsequently, he attended basic training and was assigned on training ship SMS Charlotte. He also attended the Naval Academy and was promoted to the rank of Fähnrich zur See (officer candidate).

He then spent some time aboard the cruiser SMS Roon, sailing in East Asia within the High Seas Fleet, before being transferred to the Heavy cruiser SMS Scharnhorst. During the time of his transfer, Fürbringer was promoted to the rank of Leutnant zur See on 28 September 1910.

Spending another two years with the East Asia Squadron in Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory, Fürbringer returned home in November 1912 and was selected for U-boat training.

World War I
He served aboard SMU U-20 (Germany), but left prior to the U-20's sinking of RMS Lusitania in 1915. He exclusively commanded small, coastal U-boats, starting with SMU UB-2 in February 1915. He went on to command six subsequent UB and UC-type boats, during which time he was awarded the Iron Cross, Second and First class. He was a successful commerce raider, responsible for sinking 101 (mostly small, coastal) ships (totaling 97,881 GRT) and damaged five others (of 9,033 GRT). His last command was SMU UB-110, which was depth-charged and rammed by HMS Garry on 19 July 1918. The Garry's commanding officer was Lieutenant Commander Charles Lightoller. In his postwar memoirs (1933), Fürbringer accused the Garry's crew of opening fire with revolvers and machine guns on the unarmed survivors after the sinking of UB-110.

During the incident, Fürbringer alleged that he watched the skull of an 18-year-old member of his crew being split open by a lump of coal hurled by a crewmember from the Garry. When Fürbringer attempted to help a wounded officer to swim, he alleges the man said, "Let me die in peace. The swine are going to murder us anyhow." Fürbringer claimed the shooting only ceased when the convoy the destroyer had been escorting and which contained many neutral-flagged ships, arrived on scene. He later recalled, "As if by magic the British now let down some life boats into the water." Lightoller was awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross for sinking SM UB-110. Twenty-one of the thirty-four crew members were killed during the sinking of the UB-110. Fürbringer was captured and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

World War II
In the inter-war years Furbringer served in various capacities, and at the start of the Second World War he was appointed commander of Submarine Defence Department of Germany's Naval High Command (OKM). In 1942 he was promoted to Konteradmiral, and was Inspector of Armaments in the occupied Eastern Territories. He was released from service in June 1943.

Werner Furbringer died in Brunswick in February 1982.

U-boat commands
Werner Furbringer held command of seven U-boats during World War I
 * SMU UB-2: Feb 1915-Mar 1916
 * SMU UB-17: Mar 1916
 * SMU UB-39: Apr-Nov 1916
 * SMU UC-70: Nov 1916-Jun 1917
 * SMU UC-17: May-Aug 1917
 * SMU UB-58: Aug 1917-Feb 1918
 * SMU UB-110: Mar-July 1918

Decorations

 * Iron Cross (1914) 1st and 2nd Class
 * Knight of the House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (27 August 1916)
 * U-boat War Badge (1918)
 * The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords
 * War Merit Cross (1939) 1st and 2nd Class with Swords
 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award

Publications

 * Werner (Fips) Fürbringer: Alarm! Tauchen!! U-Boot in Kampf und Sturm, Ullstein, Berlin 1933, ISBN 978-0023535338. English translation: Fips: Legendary U-Boat Commander, 1915-1918, Naval Institute Press, 2000, ISBN 978-1557502865.