Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière | |
|---|---|
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière | |
| Born | 18 March 1886 Posen (today Poznań), German Empire |
| Died | 24 February 1941 (aged 54) Le Bourget, France |
| Buried | Invalidenfriedhof Berlin |
| Allegiance | German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Imperial German Navy Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1903–31, 1939–41 |
| Rank | Vizeadmiral |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
| Relations | Friedrich von Arnauld de la Perière (brother) |
Vizeadmiral Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (German: [ˈloːtaʁ fɔn ʔaʁˈnoː də la peˈʁi̯ɛːɐ̯]; 18 March 1886 – 24 February 1941), born in Posen, Prussia, and of French-German descent, was a German U-boat commander during World War I. With 194 ships and 453,716 gross register tons (GRT) sunk, he is the most successful submarine captain ever. His victories came in the Mediterranean, almost always using his 8.8 cm deck gun. During his career, he fired 74 torpedoes, hitting 39 times.
Arnauld de la Perière remained in the German Navy (Reichsmarine) after the war ended. During World War II, he was recalled to active duty as a rear admiral, and was killed when his plane crashed on takeoff close to Le Bourget Airport near Paris in 1941.