Erich Topp
During World War II, Erich Topp commanded four different U-boats. The first, U-57, sank in September 1940 after colliding with a Norwegian ship (Norway was neutral at the time). Topp had only been in command for three months and was already responsible for six sinkings. He was later given command of a new ship, U-552. Topp and U-552 were on patrol in the North Atlantic on October 31, 1941, when they came upon the US Navy destroyer Reuben James.
Topp attacked and sank Reuben James as an American ship approached the submarine, despite the fact that the US was officially neutral. Only 44 of the destroyer's 159 crew members survived. During World War II, the Reuben James was the first American ship to be sunk by enemy action. Later, in 1942, Topp sunk six ships off the east coast of the United States, often within sight of land. As Allied ship sinkings increased following America's entry into the war, U-boat captains dubbed it the "Second Happy Time."
Topp was promoted to staff positions in late 1942 after completing nine war patrols and destroyed roughly thirty ships. In late winter 1945, he returned to command two more U-boats, but neither finished a patrol. Following the war, he held positions in the West German Navy and with NATO. He also consulted for the computer game Silent Hunter II. He died in 2005, at the age of 91, in Germany.
- Date/place of birth: July 2, 1914, Hannover, Germany
- Date of death: December 26, 2005, Süßen, Germany
- Awards: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, War Merit Cross, Wehrmacht Long Service Award
- Sink more than 197,460 tons (35 ships)
