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Interested in uboats and their commanders? Visit this
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History provided by German
Kriegsmarine Encyclopedia;
7 Jun, 1940 Iron Cross 2nd Class Leutnant Lange received his first experience as an officer
on board the torpedo boat Jaguar. In September 1941 he joined the
U-boat arm and only two months later started his first patrol as IWO
on U-431 in the Mediterranean. In July 1942 he completed the usual
commandantenschießlehrgang (commander fire course) in the 24th
Flotilla. Oblt. Hans-Günther Lange commissioned U-711 in September
1942. He commanded eleven patrols on this boat, all in Arctic waters
and mainly against British and Soviet convoys. Three times U-711 attacked
Soviet radio stations on small islands in the Barents Sea and nearby
waters. On 23 August, 1944 Kptlt. Lange fired torpedoes at the Soviet
battleship Archangelsk (former HMS Royal Sovereign and a sister ship
to HMS Royal Oak sunk by U-47 at Scapa Flow in Oct 1939) and a Soviet
destroyer, but this attack was unsuccessful. U-711 was sunk in May
1945 by British aircraft. The next three months Lange spent in British-Norwegian
captivity. In October 1957 Lange joined the Bundesmarine. Here he
took part in the construction of a new German U-boat weapon. For two
years he commanded the 1. Ubootgeschwader (1st U-boot squadron) and
in January 1964 became commander of the entire U-boat force. Later
he held several staff positions, ending his second naval career in
1972 as staff officer in the Marinedivision der Nordsee (naval forces
in the North Sea).
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Den
4. Mai 1945 har fortsatt Kptlt. Hans-Günther Lange og hans besetning
fra flotilje 13 overlevd Dönitz sine gale taktiker og de store
tapene hans kjære ubåtflåte har lidd siden midten
av krigen. Det kommandanten og mannskapet på U 711 ikke vet enda
er at britene har sendt jagerbombere av typen Avenger og Wildcat fra
skvadronene # 846, 853 og 882 og at disse er på vei til hans nåværende
posisjon. Alt ubåt mannskap er ombord på det tyske depotskipet
Black Watch for "rekreasjon" da angrepet starter. Fra horisonten dukker
de britiske flyene opp og angriper U 711 og Black Watch som synker i
løpet av få sekunder etter flere kraftige fulltreffere.
Mens depotskipet blir bombet hopper raskt Kptlt. Lange og en håndfull
menn om bord i ubåten igjen og får den bort fra BlackWatch
i et forsøk på å redde henne fra angrepet. De får
ubåten noen hundre meter vekk, men senker selv U 711 på
grunn av skadene hun har fått under flyangrepet. Under flyangrepet
omkommer store deler av besetningen, men Kptlt. Lange og flere av hans
menn overlever angrepet og de få dagene som er igjen av krigen. Hans-Günther
Lange hadde gjennom årene i krigen vært på tolv patruljer
og senket fire skip. Lange ble tildelt flere utmerkelser gjennom
krigen, deriblant Ritterkreutz som han fikk 26 August 1944. Vraket av
U 711 ligger i Kilbotn utenfor Harstad by. Vraket ligger på styrbord
side på en dybde av førtifem til femtifem meter. Akterenden
ligger som dypeste del på ubåten. Vraket er intakt, med
unntak av akterenden som ble skadet da ubåten ble angrepet. Båt
og god plannlegging før dykking er nødvendig. Det er for
tiden forbudt å dykke på U 711... 
On
4. May 1945 Kptlt. Hans-Günther Lange and his crew has still
survived Dönitz crazy tactics and the heavy losses his beloved
uboat fleet has had since the middle of the war. What the commander
and his men on U 711 doesn't know is that the british has sent
fighter bombers of the type Avenger and Wildcats from the squadrons
# 846, 853 and 882 and that these are now heading towards his
current position. All submarine crew are onboard the German depot
vessel Black Watch for "recreation" when the attack start. From
the horizon the British planes appear and attacks U 711 and Black
Watch which sinks in a couple of seconds after several heavy hits.
While the depot ship is attacked, Kptlt. Lange quickly jumps in
to the uboat with a handful of men and get her away from the ship
in an attempt to save her from the attack. They manage to
get her some hundred meters away, but sink U 711 themselves because
of the damage she got under the attack. Under the attack several
men of the crew perish while Kptlt. Lange himself and some men
survives the attack and the few remaining days of the war. Hans-Günther
Lange had through the years been on twelve patrols and sunk four
ships. Lange received during the war several medals, among them
the Ritterkreutz. ( Knights Cross ) which he received 26th of
August 1944. The wreck of U 711 lies in Kilbotn outside Harstad
city. The wreck lies on her port side on a depth of forty five
to fifty five meters. The stern is the most deepest part of the
uboat. The wreck is intact, with exception of the stern that got
damaged during the attack. A boat and good planning before diving
is necessary. At present time it is not allowed to dive on U 711...
Hans-Günther
Lange | Edited 24.06.2007 |