Endrass, Engelbert U47, U46 and U567

Engelbert Endraß began his naval career in April 1935. Like Prien and Metzler, he had previously spent some years in the merchant navy. After some months on the cruiser Deutschland and some escort ships, he was assigned in October 1937 to the U-boat force. He joined U-47 in December 1938 as Leutnant z. See. Endraß was I WO when Günther Prien made his famous Scapa Flow attack and sank the HMS Royal Oak. It was Endraß who painted the famous snorting bull emblem on U-47’s conning tower before they returned. He remained on U-47 until December 1939, when he left the U-boat and after some training courses took over command of U-46, another type VIIB U-boat, in May 1940 from the luckless commander Herbert Sohler. His first patrol with U-46 was very successful. Endraß sank five ships for a total of 35,347 tons, including the British auxiliary cruiser Carinthia of 20,277 tons. His second patrol on U-46 was also a great success. Although the main (attack) periscope was damaged, he sank five ships for a total of 27,038 tons, including another British auxiliary cruiser, the Dunvegan Castle of 15,007 tons. After returning from this patrol Engelbert Endraß received the Knights Cross. Five patrols later he received the Oak Leaves. In September 1941 he left U-46 and a month later took over the Type VIIC U-boat U-567.