D.I.D. Lieutenant Commander Kazuo Hashimoto (27 Jan 21 - 20 Nov 43) R.I.P.

[Laufen zum Ziel]

Promotions
14DEC38 SEEKADETT
01AUG39 FÄHNRICH Z. S.
01JAN42 OBERFÄHNRICH Z. S.
01JUN42 LEUTNANT Z. S.
16MAR42 OBERLEUTNANT Z. S.
16JAN43 KAPITÄNLEUTNANT

Medals
09JUL42 IRON CROSS, SECOND CLASS
11OCT42 IRON CROSS, FIRST CLASS
16JAN43 KNIGHT'S CROSS
09MAY43 KNIGHT'S CROSS WITH OAK LEAVES
01JUL43 KNIGHT'S CROSS WITH OAK LEAVES AND SWORDS
11AUG43 KNIGHT'S CROSS WITH OAK LEAVES, SWORDS, AND DIAMONDS
26SEP43 GERMAN CROSS
26SEP43 KNIGHT'S CROSS WITH GOLDEN OAK LEAVES, SWORDS, AND DIAMONDS

Badges
11OCT42 U-BOAT BADGE
16JAN43 U-BOAT FRONT CLASP
U-Bootwaffe Postings
01MAR43 1st Flotilla (Commander training)
03FEB42 10th Flotilla (10 patrols)

U-Boat Commands
03FEB42 U-511, Type IXC (10 patrols)

PatrolDatesShips Sunk
(Merchant/Warship)Tonnage
(Merchant/Warship)Comments
103FEB42 - 16MAR42 (42 days)14 (13/1)78495 (76645/1850)U-Boat damaged (H.I. 34.48%)
223MAY42 - 09JUL42 (48 days)15 (15/0)95311 (95311/0)U-Boat damaged (H.I. 88.20%)
331AUG42 - 11OCT42 (42 days)14 (11/3)78296 (72271/6025)
403DEC42 - 16JAN43 (45 days)12 (12/0)107054 (107054/0)
510MAR43 - 09MAY43 (61 days)8 (6/2)78065 (51950/26115)U-Boat damaged (H.I. 85.58%)
610MAY43 - 01JUL43 (53 days)14 (14/0)111106 (111106/0)
702JUL43 - 11AUG43 (41 days)19 (19/0)93432 (93432/0)U-Boat damaged (H.I. 93.87%)
818AUG43 - 26SEP43 (40 days)12 (11/1)99482 (86182/13300)
927SEP43 - 26OCT43 (30 days)12 (12/0)84955 (84955/0)
1027OCT43 - 20NOV43 (25 days)11 (10/1)64136 (62786/1350)U-Boat lost
TOTALS:10 patrols (427 days)131 (123/8)890332 (841692/48640)0 enemy planes downed
64 crew lost

Summary
In 1941, Lieutenant Commander Kazuo Hashimoto was the naval attache in Berlin. After the outbreak of war, he arranged for the purchase of a IXC boat in exchange for raw strategic materials. He then volunteered to take the boat back to Japan as her captain.


He received temperary comission (as OBERFÄHNRICH Z. S.) in the KM and undertook 4 very successful patrols in the Eastern US seaboard and Caribean in U-511 under the KM ensign.


On April 15th, 1943, as the U-511 passed the southern tip of Africa, the German navy jack is lowered on U-511 for the last time. The U-511 were then re-christened the RO-500 into the Imperial Japanese Navy.


U-511/RO-500 was lost sometime on 20NOV43 while attacking a convoy outside of Capetown. Lieutenant Commander Hashimoto and his entire crew become the only IJN unit lost in the Atlantic.