Chief Engineer: Josef Erdmann

Josef is just a good, hard working guy. He has a friendship with the Captain and speaks openly with him. Josef is an excellent LI, very creative and hands on. Josef is not pro war at all, and feels very responsible for his crew. He has a wife and son and he just wants to end this war so his son never has to fight in his life. He has a weak spot for sweats and candy.

Job description: The Chief Engineer is the most senior officer onboard apart from the captain and master of the technical branch. His main duty is supervising diving operation of the uboat, the daily trim and the maintenance of mechanical systems. If the need arises, he can lead a damage control team to repair critical damage. He is also is the man who must set the explosives to scuttle the boat and prevent capture by the enemy.

Executive officer: Erich von Dobenecker

Erich is a career navy officer who recently graduated from the Marine Schule Flensburg-Mürwik, the school that both his father and Karl Dönitz graduated from. Dobenecker’s father and Dönitz have been long time friends, both encouraging Erich to a career in the Kriegsmarine. But when Erich lost an eye during a training exercise at school, his naval career seemed over before it started. But thanks to his father’s close relationship with Dönitz, Erich still graduated and was assigned to be XO on a U-Boot. Erich is extremely loyal to his father and Dönitz and very pro Nazi. He also of course wants to prove himself.

Job description: The XO or 1st Watch Officer is second in command, ready to take all his responsibilities if the captain is injured or dead in combat. Beside that he is man in charge of submarine weapons and the one that normally conducts surface torpedo attacks, while the captain is busy taking tactical decisions.

Watch officer: Dieter Epp

Enthusiastic, a bit inexperienced, but ready to jump into battle, brave. He respects us as captain and plays jokes especially on the uptight XO; he always plays tricks on the crew, and often gets into trouble with the Bosun for it. He is somehow opportunistic and also a bit racist. There is one thing he hates though. If you shorten his name to Depp (which means idiot in German) he gets very upset. He thinks it’s not funny and begins to pout.

Job description: The (2nd) Watch officer is the junior officer onboard the submarine and responsible for the watch crew and sensor systems. During surface runs he can be found on the conning deck, while underwater he is normally present in the radio room, supervising the hydrophone and ready to relay information to the command room.

Bosun: Herbert Heine

Born and raised in Marburg to six siblings and very strict parents, Herbert is a descendent of the famous German poet Heinrich Heine. Being the oldest of 4 brothers and two sisters, Herbert was forced into responsibility at young age. He acquired good organization/people skills, but was never able to explore his creative side. His parents were poor and so a military career was his only option. Deep in his heart he wishes to be a poet like his famous great grandfather. He writes poems secretly on the side yet never dares to show them to anybody, especially not the crew which need to respect him as a tough Bosun.

Job description: The bosun is the petty officer responsible with discipline among the crew, to maintain it or impose it.

Cook: Olaf ‘Hackl’ Hackländer

Olaf grew up under impoverished circumstances; his family had lost everything after the WWI. His father blamed the British and the treaty of Versailles, fueling anti-English sentiment in the young Olaf. Olaf wanted to join the Kriegsmarine, but didn’t match all the physical requirement, and so he became a cook. Olaf is pro Germany, perhaps a bit pro Nazi and wants payback. His personal hobby is playing the violin; about as bad as he cooks, which gets him into constant trouble with the Bosun.

Job description: Even that his main job was to cook for the crew; the chef has a petty officer rank. Cook skills were maybe one of the most important on the board, since quality of food was direct proportional with crew mood, hence the performance.

Diesel motor officer: Willi Pelz

Willi was born and raised in Munich, Bavaria where he began his training as an engineer for BMW motor works. But when his family moved to Kiel at the age of 17, he found a new passion: Boats! So going to the navy and becoming an engineer was a clear path for him. He first worked on regular boats but being promoted to Chief Mechanic was easier on a submarine. And so he joined the U-Boots. Willi loves his engines more than his friends. He loves the grease, the smell the noise. He has lost one fingertip to his engines and has a cut below his eye from repairs. Willi is highly dependable and quite innovative when it comes to increasing the boat’s performance. He is a passionate gambler and loves to play cards. The only thing is he hates to lose. Willi is for winning the war, but not pro Nazi.

Job description: The Diesel Officer is responsible for diesel engine maintenance and performance, directly subordinated to Chief Engineer.

Gunner: Max Bauer

Born and raised in Wilhelmshaven to a father who worked in the docks. Max was a boxing amateur. He is a simple force of nature. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, very physical, strong and athletic. Before he joined the navy he dreamed of becoming a professional boxer, but he got a girl pregnant, hat to marry and needed to make money and so he joined the navy. He is rather quiet, only comes to life when talking about boxing. He is a skilled gunner, politically unmotivated, but doesn’t feel he has a choice about the war.

Job description: The Gunner leads the deck and flak gun teams; His aiming skills are decisive in surface battles, and most treasured against aircraft threat. When running underwater you will find the Gunner in the Stern Torpedo Room, lending a hand to the crew there.

Navigator Emil Dübler – “the Dinosaur”

Emil is the oldest crew on the ship. He has already served on a submarine in WWI. After the war he had troubles returning to a civilian life, and never really integrated. (He was forced to work for the allies who demoralized him completely.) He began to drink and served as a navigator on smaller freighters. Now, with a new war on the horizon, Emil thinks he can re-write history and finally see his beloved Germany win. He identifies with Hitler’s vision of punishing the victors of WWI for what they had done to the Germans. Emil is usually very quiet and pretty nerdy. He keeps to himself, but does occasionally drink. He is an excellent navigator and brings a lot of experience to the table. They call him the dinosaur, because he is a relic from WWI.

Job description: His main job is everything related to navigation and also he is in charge of provisioning of supplies. The navigator responsibility is to be always aware of ship position; he will also plan all the routes taken.

Radioman: Wolfram ‘Wolfi’ Raabe

Wolfram has always had a passion for radios. He loves technology and is also very innovative. He is the second youngest crew on board, and still transitioning from boyhood to manhood. But his ears are excellent; his ability to handle stress is less good. Wolfi has his respect with the crew, simply because they know their lives depend on him, so he is often spared harassment. Wolfi is usually very professional but can be very stubborn. He also does not shy away from fighting if need be. His father passed away at an early age, so he was raised by his older brother and mother. He joined the navy after he was recruited at an event. Wolfi is not a Nazi, but believes it is his duty to serve the fatherland.

Job description: The petty officer in charge with communication with the outside world and can send requests for orders or resupply to the HQ. He may also intercept enemy radio transmission, though a trained opponent is hard to catch in this way. In moments of rest, the radioman could bring up some joy among the crew by playing music on the gramophone or tune the radio to hear news from home.

Soundman: Benno Scheu

Benno is really still just a boy. He joined the navy after his father felt he was too much a ‘mama’s boy’. Benno is really a sensitive guy, and not tough like the rest of the U-boot crew. Hence he is often the victim of their comments or harassments. Benno doesn’t really have any friends on the sub, and tries to avoid the other crew. Bosun looks after him but can’t always keep him from getting harassed. Benno always writes letters to his mother, which of course when found is even more fodder against him Benno begins to cry if stress is too high.

Job description: He was the petty officer behind the hydrophone; basically he was the eyes and ears of the submarine underwater. His role was I vital one, both survival and attacks depends on him.

Torpedo Officer: Kurt “steck sie rein” Faust

Kurt was born and raised in Hamburg, joined the Kriegsmarine when he was 16. He is confident and a ladies’ man. He always hides dirty magazines and collects American pin-ups. His nickname ‘steck sie rein’ means put her in, referring of course to the torpedoes he loads. But its of course also a sexual innuendo. He always has a dirty joke to tell and makes fun of the younger crew, especially Benno. Kurt is not a real Nazi, but gets a kick out of sinking other ships.

Job description: He was responsible with all torpedoes handling and maintenance. The torpedo officer was supervising all crew allocated to the torpedo rooms. His knowledge about warheads and propulsion systems could play an essential role in offensive efficiency.