Otto Schuhart

Otto Schuhart (4 September 1909 – 10 March 1990) was a German submarine commander during World War II, who commanded the U-boat U-29 and was credited with the sinking of the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous on 17 September 1939, the first British warship sunk in the war by enemy action. In total, Schuhart claimed thirteen ships sunk on seven war patrols, for a total of 67,277 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied merchant shipping and one warship of 22,500 long tons (22,900 tonnes).

Born in Hamburg, Schuhart joined the Reichsmarine (navy) of the Weimar Republic in 1929. After a period of training on surface vessels he transferred to the U-boat force in 1936. Following the sinking of HMS Courageous the entire crew of U-29 received the Iron Cross 2nd Class while Schuhart as commander received both classes of the Iron Cross, 2nd and 1st Class. After a further six war patrols, Schuhart became commander of the 1. U-Lehr Division ("1st U-boat Training Division") and later of the 21st U-boat Flotilla. He spent the last months of the war at the Naval Academy at Mürwik. After World War II he worked in various civil jobs and in 1955 rejoined military service in the Bundesmarine of the Bundeswehr of the Federal Republic of Germany. He retired in 1967 and died on 10 March 1990 in Stuttgart.