What Has Been Your Highest Tonnage Total?

tbarak · 04-28-06, 10:10 AM

While our non-modded tonnages seem excessively unrealistic, Lieut. Commander Guther Hessler sank 14 merchants for a total of 87,000 tons in one mission in around early 1941! It was the highest single mission tonnage. Donitz hesitated to award him with the Knight's Cross since Hessler was his son-in-law and there was fear it would appear to be favoritism.

I don't think the awards made much sense. For example, Albrecht Brandi received the highest award, Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (only two were earned by sub-mariners) yet he only sank 12 ships for a total of 31,689 tons. Others like Prien - in addition to the daring Scapa Flow raid - managed 197,218 tons and received only the Knight's Cross. As the war dragged on, the criteria for the awards was progressively made easier too.

04-28-06, 10:10 AM	#26
tbarak Sparky Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 151 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	While our non-modded tonnages seem excessively unrealistic, Lieut. Commander Guther Hessler sank 14 merchants for a total of 87,000 tons in one mission in around early 1941! It was the highest single mission tonnage. Donitz hesitated to award him with the Knight's Cross since Hessler was his son-in-law and there was fear it would appear to be favoritism. I don't think the awards made much sense. For example, Albrecht Brandi received the highest award, Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (only two were earned by sub-mariners) yet he only sank 12 ships for a total of 31,689 tons. Others like Prien - in addition to the daring Scapa Flow raid - managed 197,218 tons and received only the Knight's Cross. As the war dragged on, the criteria for the awards was progressively made easier too.