Reinhard Hardegen (18 March 1913 – 9 June 2018) was a German naval officer who gained notoriety as a U-boat commander during the Second World War and later became a successful businessman and local politician. Born in the port city of Bremen, he rose to the rank of Korvettenkapitän in the Kriegsmarine and was credited with sinking 22 ships, a record that placed him among the more successful U-boat commanders of the conflict. He was commonly regarded as one of the so-called "aces of the deep." For background on the type of service he performed, see U-boat service.
Naval career and wartime service
Hardegen served as a U-boat commander during the Battle of the Atlantic, the prolonged campaign in which German submarines attempted to disrupt Allied merchant shipping. His wartime record earned him recognition within the German submarine arm; contemporaneous accounts and later summaries credit him with the destruction and capture of multiple merchant vessels, leading to a ranking among the top U-boat commanders of the war. For context on the wider campaign that framed his patrols, consult World War II naval operations.
Post-war life and civilian career
After Germany's defeat, Hardegen spent about a year and a half in British custody before his release. He returned to Bremen and went into civilian life, establishing an oil trading business that proved commercially successful. In addition to his business activities he participated in local politics, serving as a member of Bremen's Bürgerschaft (city council) from 1959 until 1979. His public roles connected him to civic affairs in the city where he had been born and later died; more information about Bremen's civic institutions can be found at Bremen.
Later years and public memory
Hardegen remained a notable figure into advanced age. He marked his 100th birthday in March 2013 and for many years was noted as one of the last surviving members of the wartime U-boat commander cohort. He died in Bremen on 9 June 2018 at the age of 105; contemporary accounts listed respiratory failure as the immediate cause. For details on his wartime captivity, see British custody records, and for coverage of his later life milestones, see centenary notices and reports of his death noting the cause.
Notable facts
- Rank: Korvettenkapitän (a naval officer rank roughly equivalent to lieutenant commander).
- Wartime record: Credited with sinking 22 ships; considered among the more successful U-boat commanders of WWII.
- Postwar career: Founded an oil trading business and served two decades on Bremen's city council.
- Lifespan: Born in 1913, died in 2018 at age 105; celebrated his 100th birthday in 2013.
Hardegen's life illustrates a trajectory seen in several military figures of his generation: wartime service followed by reintegration into civilian commerce and local politics, with later decades devoted to community engagement and public remembrance. His long life and public profile kept attention on both his wartime role and his postwar contributions to Bremen's civic life.