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Ernst Kals
Ernst Kals
Born	(1905-08-02)2 August 1905 Glauchau, Saxony, German Empire
Died	2 November 1979(1979-11-02) (aged 74) Emden, West Germany
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (1924-1933)  Nazi Germany (1933-1945)
Service / branch	Reichsmarine  Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1924–45
Rank	Kapitän zur See
Unit	Braunschweig SSS Niobe Berlin Schlesien torpedo boat Luchs cruiser Köln cruiser Emden cruiser Admiral Scheer cruiser Leipzig U-37
Commands	U-130 2nd U-boat Flotilla
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic Battle of the Caribbean Operation Torch Bombardment of Curaçao Battle of Casablanca
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ernst Kals (2 August 1905 – 2 November 1979) was a Kapitän zur See with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat U-130 on five patrols, and sank twenty ships, for a total of 145,656 tons of Allied shipping. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Career

Kals joined the Reichsmarine in 1924. In October 1940, after a period of service on torpedo boats and light cruisers, he transferred to the Ubootwaffe ("U-boat force"). After one patrol on U-37 under the command of Nicolai Clausen as commander in training, he took command of U-130 in June 1941. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in September 1941.

In April 1942, Kals, in U-130, bombarded the Allied petroleum tank farm on Curaçao, in the Netherlands Antilles. He went on to sink a total of 20 ships on five patrols, for a total of 145,656 tons of Allied shipping. In five minutes he sank three United States troopships, the Edward Rutledge, Hugh L. Scott and Tasker H. Bliss.

In January 1943 Kals became commander of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla, based in Lorient, France. Promoted to Kapitän zur See in September 1944, he remained in this position until the end of the war.

Later life

Kals was held in French captivity from May 1945 to January 1948. He died at Emden in 1979 at the age of 74.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of U-130 Ernst Kals reportedly sank 17 merchant ships for a total of 111,249 gross register tons (GRT), three auxiliary warships for a total of 34,407 GRT and damaged one further ship of 6,986 GRT.

Date	Name of ship	Flag	Tonnage	Fate
10 December 1941	Kirnwood	United Kingdom	3,829	Sunk
10 December 1941	Kurdistan	United Kingdom	5,844	Sunk
10 December 1941	Star of Luxor	Egypt	5,298	Sunk
13 January 1942	Friar Rock	Panama	5,427	Sunk
13 January 1942	Frisco	Norway	1,582	Sunk
21 January 1942	Alexander Høegh	Norway	8,248	Sunk
25 January 1942	Varanger	Norway	9,305	Sunk
27 January 1942	Francis E. Powell	United States	7,096	Sunk
27 January 1942	Halo	United States	6,986	Damaged
11 April 1942	Grenanger	Norway	5,393	Sunk
11 April 1942	Esso Boston	United States	7,699	Sunk
25 July 1942	Tankexpress	Norway	10,095	Sunk
27 July 1942	Elmwood	Norway	7,167	Sunk
30 July 1942	Danmark	United Kingdom	8,391	Sunk
9 August 1942	Malmanger	Norway	7,078	Sunk
11 August 1942	Mirlo	Norway	7,455	Sunk
25 August 1942	Viking Star	United Kingdom	6,445	Sunk
26 August 1942	Beechwood	United Kingdom	4,897	Sunk
12 November 1942	USS Edward Rutledge	United States Navy	9,360	Sunk
12 November 1942	USS Hugh L. Scott	United States Navy	12,479	Sunk
12 November 1942	USS Tasker H. Bliss	United States Navy	12,568	Sunk

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (18 December 1939) & 1st Class (18 December 1941)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (18 December 1941)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 September 1942 as Korvettenkapitän and commander of U-130
• War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1944)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 2nd Class

References

Notes

1. ^ "Kapitän zur See Ernst Kals". uboat.net. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
2. ^ Busch & Röll 2003, p. 255.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 250.

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 Germany: 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, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

• Biography

• 1905 births
• 1979 deaths
• German prisoners of war in World War II held by France
• U-boat commanders (Kriegsmarine)
• Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
• Reichsmarine personnel