Hans Rose

Hans Rose (April 18, 1885 – December 6, 1969) was one of the most successful and highly decorated German U-boat commanders in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War 1.

In addition to the American destroyer , he sank either 80 merchant ships totalling or 81 merchant ships totalling 220,892 GRT and damaged another nine.

Early life Johann ‘Hans” Eduard Friedrich Rose was born in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin on 15 April 1885, His father was the Director General of the European division of the Germania Insurance Company of New York. On 14 July 1914 Rose was promoted to Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant Commander). At the time the USA was still neutral and reacted cautiously to Housatonics sinking. The New York Times noted the courtesy and propriety with which Rose had applied the rules of war. The US Government did not regard Housatonics sinking as a casus belli.

On 10 July 1918 U-53 returned to port having completed its fifteenth mission under Rose. Rose then went on a month long leave with his wife in Berchtesgaden, returning to duty on 10 August at Wilhelmshaven to find that he had been replaced as commander of U-53 by Otto von Schrader. During his 810 days as commander of U-53 he had spent 290 days at sea. Hs wife took a secretarial job to support the family. By November 1919 the couple's finances had deteriorated to such a level that Rose gave up his studies and via an introduction from Beno Goldschmidt, a former crew member on U-53 Rose obtained a business apprenticeship at his father Karl’s company the chemical manufacturer, Theodor Goldschmidt A.G. in Essen. In this role he was responsible for development and commissioning of submarine crews, the final stage of their training prior to posting to a submarine. Following August Thiel’s promotion to Rear Admiral in charge of the Northern Coast of Norway, Rose on 1 July 1940 took over his vacated position as sea commander at Trondheim. In this role he was responsible for its sea defence of Germany’s ninth most important submarine base and a flotilla of patrol boats.

Following his return from Norway Rose was employed in a civilian role with the government based at Siemens facility at Wuppertal assisting in expediting the production of armaments at Krupp and Siemens. He remained employed in this role until the end of the war. At the end of 1944 the local Nazi party made him commander of Essen-Heisingen’s Volksturm units, but later resigned and refused to participate after he came to the conclusion that its deployment was wrong and criminal, as it was neither organised or controlled by the German army.

Post war Rose died in his sleep in his home at the age of 84 on 6 December 1969. He received a military funeral with an honour guard made up of four officers of the Bundesmarine. Among those attending were Walther Forstmann, representing the knighthood of the order of Pour le Mérite and Rear Admiral Hermann Boehm.

Personal life At the age of 28 Rose married 20 year old Anne-Marie Siemers in St. Mariens church in Flensburg on 20 September 1913. The couple had four children, Heinz Viktor, born on 18 July 1920; Gerd, born on 13 February 1925; Helga, born on 8 October 1920 and Christian Songenfrei, born on 2 February 1930.

Honours On 20 December 1917 Rose was awarded the Pour le Mérite. He was also awarded the Ritterkreuz des Hohenzollerschen Hausordens mit Schwertern (Knights Cross of the Hohenzollern House Order with Swords).