Hans-Werner Kraus (1 July 1915 – 25 May 1990) was a German U-boat commander in the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Kraus served as 1st watch officer on from January 1940 until November 1940 having replaced Engelbert Endrass. He later commanded and .
He was on board the latter when it was attacked by Brazilian Air Force aircraft on 27 June 1943. Kraus evaded only to be targeted by a VP-74 Mariner (BuNo 6571) piloted by Lt. Harold C. Carey. The German crew shot it down and the crew were killed.Morrison 1947, p. 214.
On 22 July 1943, the U-199 commanded by Kraus, nicknamed "Lobo Cinzento", attacked the fishing vessel "Shangri-lá", fatally killing at least 10 civilians in Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, including Deocleciano Pereira da Costa. Later, his family would fill a lawsuit against the German Federal Republic in the Brazilian Federal Justice. The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF - Supremo Tribunal Federal), in a historical decision, removed the diplomatic immunity of the German Federal Republic, saing it was liable by acts of ius imperii that violated human rights even in the context of war.
Kraus was sunk by aircraft off the coast of Brazil on 31 July 1943. Captured, he was sent as a POW to the United States. Kraus was one of the 25 POWs who escaped from Camp Papago Park, Arizona, during the night of 23–24 December 1944 but was recaptured.
Summary of career
Ships attacked DateU-boatShipNationalityTonnageFate12 October 1941Eagle2,044damagedRowher 1999, p. 70.12 October 1941Corte Real2,044SunkRowher 1999, p. 6820 October 1941Indra2,032SunkRowher 1999, p. 6926 October 1941HMS Anguani6,746Damaged17 March 1942Crista2,590Damaged8 June 1942Esther *100Sunk8 June 1942Said231Sunk9 June 1942Typhoon *175Sunk13 June 1942HMS Farouk96SunkRowher 1999, p. 234.17 August 1942Princess Marguerite5,875SunkRohwer 1999, p. 23627 June 1943Charles Willson Peale7,176damagedRowher 1999, p. 168.4 July 1943Changri-Lá20Sunk24 July 1943Henzada4,161SunkRowher 1999, p. 170* Sailing vessel
Awards Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th ClassBusch & Röll 2003, p. 225. U-boat War Badge (1939) (29 April 1940) Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (18 March 1942) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (8 July 1940) 1st Class (28 September 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 June 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-83Scherzer 2007, p. 471.Fellgiebel 2000, p. 272. Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 22 March 1942
References
Citations
Bibliography
Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. .