Education
University of Bonn.
University of Bonn.
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Otto Ites, born on 5 February 1918 in Norden in the Province of Hanover a Free State of Prussia, joined the military service of the Kriegsmarine on 3 April 1936. Ites served as second watch officer on nine war patrols on U-48, the first five patrols under the command of Herbert Schultze, two patrols under Hans-Rudolf Rösing and two patrols under Heinrich Bleichrodt.
Promoted to Oberleutnant zur See on 1 October 1940 and he was made first watch officer on U-48.
In this position he went on one more patrol (10 November 1940 – 13 March 1941), U-48 now again under the command of Herbert Schultze. He commanded U-146 and U-94, sinking fifteen ships on seven patrols, for a total of 76,882 gross register tons (GRT) tons of Allied shipping.
In September 1941 the Pegasus was torpedoed and all the crew managed to scramble into 2 lifeboats. One of the lifeboats was rescued but the other was found empty and upside down.
The Captain reported that the Pegasus was torpedoed twice, the first one caused quite a lot of damage and the crew left the ship, but then she was torpedoed again and she sank.
On 28 August 1942 U-94 was sunk by depth charges in the Caribbean Sea, in position 17°40′North 74°30′West from a Catalina of VP-92 and by the Canadian corvette Oakville. Ites and 25 of her crew were taken prisoner of war. Ites remained in United States captivity at Camp Crossville, Tennessee, until 1 May 1946.
After the war Otto Ites matriculated at the University of Bonn in the winter semester 1946/47.
He submitted his dissertation on 20 October 1950 at the medical faculty. Doctor Ites joined the military service of the Bundesmarine and as Fregattenkapitän commanded the destroyer Zerstörer 2 (D171), formerly United States Ship Ringgold (Doctor of Divinity-500), from November 1960 until September 1962.
U-709 was sunk by depth charges from the United States destroyer escorts United States Ship Thomas, Bostwick and Bronstein north of the Azores at 49°10′North 26°00′West. Ships Attacked As a U-boat commander of U-146 and U-94 Otto Ites is credited with the sinking of 15 merchant ships for a total of 76,882 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one further ship of 8,022 GRT. * Sailing vessel Iron Cross (1939) Wehrmachtbericht references Bibliography.