S-Boats in the Kriegsmarine 1935 - 1945

Loss of "S 199"

In the night January 22nd/23rd 1945 the 4., 6., 8. and 9. SFltl left Ijmuiden respectively Hoek van Holland with a total of 16 boats, to operate against convoys in the scheldt estuary and in the Channel. 

The 8. SFltl with five boats got into fight off Sheerness with a British frigate, a british sloop an the MGB-groups of three boats each without having sighted a convoy and were taken under fire of the coastal Fort Tonge Sand the shells of which landed in the water between the boats without any hits.

In trying to escape from the British forces "S 701" was rammed by "S 199". "S 199" (Oblt. z.S. Quistorp) was severely damaged, the bow was torn of, and could not be maintained und was therefore scuttled, while "S 702" whithout being able to realize which was the ramming boat, could reach the deployment-harbour of Ijmuiden. 

One of the last pictures of  "S 199" - Picture: Archiv Enno Brandi

In his report af den 07.07.1946 supplemented og written anew i September 1994 Quistorp writes, that in addition to the crew five men were on board for training. Crew and soldiers in training were going from board, all with liefevest. The three life-rafts and the two kapok-matrasses capsised some times beause of the increasing sea-state and 11 men died by by exhaustion and undercooling: StbsOb.Masch. Hans Pigorsch, Lt.z.S. d.Res. Jürgen Lachner, Fähnr. (Ing) Joachim Hahn, Seekadett Klaus Kramer, Matr.Ob.Gefr. Otto Krys, Matr.Ob.Gefr. Helmut  Niemeyer, Masch.Ob.Gefr. Daniel Diener, Masch.Ob.Gefr. Engelbert Rirkfellner, Funk.Ob.Gefr. Ernst Olle, Funk.Gefr. Hans Hartmann, and Mech.Ob.Gefr. (T) Dirk Linnemann.

According to a report of  OLt.z.S. a.D. Quistorp the August 25th 2012 to the WEB-Master during a visit at Bonn-Bad Godesberg the survivors of the crew were rescued from the icecold waters of the Northsea by the minesweeper HMCS "Neave" (T 247) after 6 1/2 hours in the life-rafts. One man was killed and three men were wounded by the propellers of "Neave".

Lt.z.s. Hans-Joachim Quistorp -Picture: Archives Dr. Werner Eich

 Until 1994 the rescued did not know the name or type of the vessel that had rescued them. In the memories of the S-boat-War in the West by Rebensburg Quistorp writes, that he must praise the seamanship and the comradeship of the Canadian crew.  Oblt.z.S. Quistorp and 17 survivors were handed over to the Army in the harbour and taken to Gillingham as prisoners of war. Oblt.z.S. Quistorp started to study theology  during the imprisonment at the Norton-Camp in the "University behind barbed wire" an arrangement by the YMCA.

10 men af "S 199" as POWs Whisson 1947 - Picture: Archives Dr. Werner Eich

In some sources it is assumed correctly that "S 701" was rammed by "S 199. Hümmelchen writes: The survivors (of "S 199") went ashore at Fort Tonge Sand.

Also in some sources - especially in British - erroneously it is stated that "S 199" was sunk by the guns of Fort Tongue Sand. 

Positions of the Forts in the Thames Estuary - Picture from Wikipedia

Oblt.z.S. a.D. Quistorp, in the meantime emeritierted priest, started 1994 a search for crewmenbers of the British vessel that had rescued them from the icecold waters of the Northsea. In April 1994 the Sheppy Gazette wrote an article, reporting that the crew of "S 199" was searching for crewmember of the vessel, that had picked them up from the life raft in order to thank them. 

Article in the Sheppy Gazette - Archives: Enno Brandi

The letter of Phil Strong, a crewmember of HMCS "Neave" is from the year 2002 in which he writes, that Hans Joachim Quistorp does not need to thank him because the German Navy would have done the same to him had he been in that position. 

Extract from the letter of Phil Strong - Archives: Enno Brandi

HMCS "Neave" Trawler 247 - Archives: Enno Brandi

Oblt.z.S. Hans Joachim Quistorp died at an age of 96 in the Alten- und Pflegeheim Johanniterhaus  at Bonn-Bad Godesberg in the year 2016.