Nicolai Clausen

Asmus Nicolai Clausen
File:Nicolai Clausen.jpg
Born	(1911-06-02)2 June 1911 Flensburg
Died	South Atlantic
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1929–43
Rank	Korvettenkapitän (posthumous)
Commands held	U-142 U-37 U-129 U-182
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Asmus Nicolai Clausen (2 June 1911 – 16 May 1943) was a German U-boat commander of the Second World War. He is credited with sinking 23 ships for a total of 73,428 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Clausen and U-182 were lost with all hands, sunk on 16 May 1943 by the American destroyers USS MacKenzie and USS Lamb.

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As a U-boat commander of U-37, U-129 and U-182 Nicolai Clausen is credited with the sinking of 23 ships for a total of 73,428 gross register tons (GRT) and sinking one French submarine, the Sfax (Q 182), of 1,379 metric tons (1,357 long tons; 1,520 short tons).

Date	U-boat	Name of Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
1 December 1940	U-37	Palmella	United Kingdom	1,578	Sunk
2 December 1940	U-37	Gwalia	Sweden	1,258	Sunk
2 December 1940	U-37	Jeanne M.	United Kingdom	2,465	Sunk
4 December 1940	U-37	Daphne	Sweden	1,513	Sunk
16 December 1940	U-37	San Carlos	Spain	223	Sunk
19 December 1940	U-37	Rhône	Free France	2,785	Sunk
19 December 1940	U-37	Sfax (Q 182)	Free French Naval Forces	1,379	Sunk
9 February 1941	U-37	Courland	United Kingdom	1,325	Sunk
9 February 1941	U-37	Estrellano	United Kingdom	1,983	Sunk
10 February 1941	U-37	Brandenburg	United Kingdom	1,473	Sunk
7 March 1941	U-37	Mentor	Greece	3,050	Sunk
12 March 1941	U-37	Petursey	Iceland	91	Sunk
20 February 1942	U-129	Nordvangen	Norway	2,400	Sunk
23 February 1942	U-129	George L. Torian	Canada	1,754	Sunk
23 February 1942	U-129	Lennox	Canada	1,904	Sunk
23 February 1942	U-129	West Zeda	United States	5,658	Sunk
28 February 1942	U-129	Bayou	Panama	2,605	Sunk
3 March 1942	U-129	Mary	United States	5,104	Sunk
7 March 1942	U-129	Steel Age	United States	6,188	Sunk
15 January 1943	U-182	Ocean Courage	United Kingdom	7,173	Sunk
17 February 1943	U-182	Llanashe	United Kingdom	4,836	Sunk
10 March 1943	U-182	Richard D. Spaight	United States	7,177	Sunk
5 April 1943	U-182	Aloe	United Kingdom	5,047	Sunk
1 May 1943	U-182	Adelfotis	Greece	5,838	Sunk

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 3rd Class (15 October 1941)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (28 February 1940)
  • 1st Class (10 June 1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (18 April 1940)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 March 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-129
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 12 March 1942

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Thursday, 12 March 1942	Bei den Unternehmungen in Amerikanischen Gewässern zeichneten sie die Unterseeboote unter Führung der Kapitänleutnante Achilles und Nico Clausen besonders aus.	Submarines under the commands of Kapitänleutnante Achilles and Nico Clausen distinguished themselves in operations in American waters.

Promotions

1 October 1931:	Obermatrose (Seaman Apprentice)
1 October 1933:	Matrosengefreiter (Seaman Lance Corporal)
1 November 1933:	Bootsmannsmaat (Petty Officer Third Class)
1 September 1935:	Obersteuermannsmaat (Petty Officer Second Class)
1 May 1937:	Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)
1 October 1937:	Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior Ensign)
1 January 1938:	Leutnant zur See (Second Lieutenant)
1 April 1939:	Oberleutnant zur See (First Lieutenant)
1 January 1941:	Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant)
5 April 1945:	Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain), with a rank age dated on 1 May 1943