| Horst Höltring | |
| Birth Date: | 30 June 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Altona, Hamburg, German Empire |
| Death Place: | Central Atlantic Ocean |
| Allegiance: | |
| Branch: | |
| Serviceyears: | 1933–43 |
| Rank: | Kapitänleutnant |
| Commands: | |
| Battles: | World War II |
| Awards: | Iron Cross 2nd Class, Iron Cross 1st Class, German Cross in Gold |
Horst Höltring (30 June 1913 – 24 August 1943) was a German U-boat commander in World War II.[1]
Horst Höltring joined the Reichsmarine in 1933. He went through U-boat training from March to October 1940. On 13 November 1940 he was given command of, a training boat. He served on the boat for more than a year, giving up command on 30 November 1941.[2] From December 1941 to January 1942 he went through U-boat familiarization (Baubelehrung) in preparation for his next command. On 8 January 1942 Höltring commissioned the Type VIIC at Hamburg. U-604 went on seven patrols, spending 203 days at sea. Six ships were sunk, totaling 40,000 tons.[3] On the 7th patrol the boat was lost. Höltring survived the loss of his boat on 11 August 1943 after she was scuttled following an attack by two American aircraft.[4] The entire crew of 45 men was rescued by two U-boats. Höltring died together with thirteen of his men when the boat that rescued half of his crew,, was sunk 13 days later. According to survivors, when U-185 was fatally hit and chlorine gas was spreading through the boat, Höltring, himself wounded, jumped from his bunk with a pistol and ran to the forward torpedo room where two badly wounded men from U-604 begged to be shot to avoid drowning or suffocating, which he did, before taking his own life.[5] Fourteen men from U-604 died on U-185. had rescued the rest of Höltring's crew, and reached port with them at Lorient, France on 7 September 1943.
| Date | U-boat | Name of ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1941 | M-99 | 206 | Sunk | ||
| 25 August 1942 | Abbekerk |  Netherlands | 7,906 | Sunk | |
| 27 October 1942 | Anglo Mærsk |  United Kingdom | 7,705 | Sunk | |
| 30 October 1942 | Président Doumer | United Kingdom | 11,898 | Sunk | |
| 30 October 1942 | Baron Vernon | United Kingdom | 3,642 | Sunk | |
| 2 December 1942 | Coamo |  United States | 7,057 | Sunk | |
| 23 February 1943 | Stockport | United Kingdom | 1,683 | Sunk | |