Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Wessels was chief engineer on board of U-47 for four war patrols, including Günther Priens" infiltration of Scapa Flow and sinking of HMS Royal Oak. He then transferred to U-198 under the command of Werner Hartmann with whom he went on one patrol lasting 199 days.
His final posting was on U-870 under Ernst Hechler.
Bibliography.
