From World War I Document Archive Revision as of 12:08, 12
August 2006 by Hirgen Weddigen entered the Navy in 1901 and was
from 1906 to 1907 stationed in Tsingtau. On September 15, 1910
he became commander of an U-boat and in October 1911 he took
over the command of U9. His famous military exploit as U9's
commander was the sending to the bottom of sea the British
cruisers Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue (each 12.000 G.R.T.) on
September 22, 1914 in the south of the North Sea, for which he
was awarded the Pour le Mérite. On October 15, 1914, Weddigen's
U9 destroyed the British cruiser Hawke (7.350 G.R.T.) and in
February 1915 he destroyed 4 merchant ships (totalling 12.934
G.R.T.), while in command of U29. Returning from the attack on
the British battle-fleet near the Orkneys, U29 was rammed by the
Dreadnought and sank with the whole crew (March 18, 1915).
Weddigen was one of the best known German naval heroes.
Eggstein, Rudolf, 'Seeheld Otto Weddigen dem deutschen Volke und
seinem Heere dargestellt, Leipzig: Schloe