Career
As commander of the Type IXC U-boat U-159, he sank twenty-three ships on four patrols, for a total of 119,554 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 20th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World World War World War II The Knight"s Cross of the was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Witte joined the Reichsmarine in April 1934, serving on the light cruiser Köln, the destroyer Z22 "Anton Schmitt", and on several torpedo boats before transferring to the U-boat arm in July 1940. Witte was 1.WO (second-in-command) on U-107 under Günther Hessler, and took part in the most successful patrol of the war in early 1941, during which 14 ships totalling 86,699 tons were sunk.
In his four patrols in U-159 Witte sank 23 ships in all totalling 119,554 GRT. From June 1943 he served in several staff positions.
Post-war At the end of the war Witte spent two months as a prisoner of the British. After spells as a farm hand and a factory worker, Witte had a successful business career, and in the 1960s became personnel manager of a large German industrial group.
He died in 2005 aged 90. Knight"s Cross of the on 22 October 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-159.