Otto Kretchmer's Escape Plan Foiled in Canada

[The Sailor]

Operation Kiebitz, a plan to have Otto Kretschmer (U-99), Horst Elfe (U-93), Hans Ey (U-433) and Hans Joachim Knebel-Döberitz (IWO U-99) escape from the Bowmanville, Ontario POW Camp and picked up by a U-boat was developed in 1942 and executed in September 1943. The successful escape of Otto Kretschmer, the top U-boat ace of WWII, would be sensational. However, the plan was foiled when the tunnels were discovered just days before the planed mass escape. Elfe and Knebel-Döberitz then conceived a daring plan for an escape. Wolfgang Heyda was selected and made an escape via the electric wires over the barbed wire fence with a trolley and a bosun's chair. He then traveled 1400 km to Maisonnette Point, New Brunswick on the Chaleur Bay where he was to be picked up by a U-boat. Heyda would have little trouble making his way across Canada, as his forged papers were impeccable. He also spoke excellent English, having studied English Literature at the University of Exeter in England prior to joining the Reichsmarine. Heyda was captured on the beach and the Canadians were waiting for U-536 with one destroyer, four corvettes, five Bangor minesweepers and a task force of Fairmiles. Heyda was taken to the Maisonnette Point lighthouse where Lieutenant Commander Desmond Piers of the Canadian navy commanded the operation. The commander of U-536, Kapitänleutnant Rolf Schauenburg, evaded the attacking ships and made it safely into the Atlantic. Heyda was sent back to the Bowmanville POW camp where he served 28 days detention for his escape attempt.

U-536 was sunk by the Canadian ships HMCS Snowberry, HMCS Calgary, and the frigate HMS Nene on 20 November 1943 and Schauenburg one of 17 survivors of a crew of 55 was sent to a POW camp in Canada.

Heyda was released as a POW on 6 May 1947 and would die tragically in Kiel, Germany on 21 August 1947





Below U-Boat Commanding Officers imprisoned at the Bowmanville POW Camp:

Left to Right: Horst Elfe (U-93), Wolfgang Heyda (U-434), Friedrich-Wilhelm Wentzel (*),

Otto Kretschmer (U-99), Hans Engel (*), Gerd Schreiber (U-95), Hans Ey (U-433),

Curt von Goßler (U-49), Joachim Matz (U-70), Günther Lorentz (U-63)

[culverin]

Heyda was the co of U434, which on the 18 Dec 1941 was sunk north of Madeira by the RN destroyers Blankney and Stanley.

He died of Polio on 21 Aug 1947, never having sunk any shipping.

[John Odom]

I hadn't heart that story. Thanks!

[jainso31]

Thanks Sailor for the remarkable story-i must say the Prisoners of the Canadians looked very smart and well; in sharp contrast to British POWs of the Germans.:(

jainso31

[Ednamay]

What a fascinating story, totally new to me, I must admit.

I suppose it was logical to have POW camps in Canada, but I had never heard of any - but information was in short supply during the war, and afterwards.

One has to admire the spirit of these young men.

Edna

[davidrn]

Hi,
At one time I had a copy of The Golden Horseshoe by Terence Robertson ( Otto Kretschmer`s Story) A jolly good read.

Dave

[emason]

The escape plan would have been known to the Authorities, as all Prisoner of War correspondence to and from Germany was obviously being read, and the code used by them had long been broken. So any arrangement for a U-boat to rescue escapees would have be known well in advance. Hence the presence of so many ships to 'welcome' it.

[spruso]

Interesting story Bill. I read the book "Golden Horseshoe" as a kid but can't recall if it covered his time as a POW. "The One that got Away" was another good read - the only successful escape by a German POW in WW2.

I wonder if there were any books on successful escapes by Allied and enemy POWS during WW1.

Cheers
Bruce

[WGVSr]

I think Charles DeGaulle attempted escape from a POW camp in WWI but I haven't read his memoires in many years. I do know French General Henri Giraud escaped from the Germans in both WWI and WWII. He should have left a book somewhere.

There was a movie about Franz von Werra [The One Who Got Away] that you might see on the way too late show occasionally. His escape didn't do him much good. As I recall he was shot down and killed in Russia in 1941.

There were a number of escapes in the US of German POWs although most of the German POW escapes I'm familiar with happened right at the end of WWII, mostly after VJ day. Seems like there was a major escape in Arizona [The Faustball Tunnel ?] in 1944, although they got out of camp I don't think any were successful in getting away. Also, wasn't there an escaped German POW who turned himself in to Bryant Gumbel on the Today Show in the mid-80s ?
Bill