Eberhard Bopst
{{Short description|World War II German U-boat commander}}
{{notability|Bio|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Eberhard Bopst
|birth_date={{birth date|1913|12|25|df=y}}
|death_date={{death date and age|1942|10|12|1913|12|25|df=y}}
|birth_place=Berlin-Charlottenburg, German Empire
|death_place=North Atlantic Ocean
|image=
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|branch={{navy|Weimar Republic}}
{{navy|Nazi Germany}}
|serviceyears=1933–1942
|rank=Korvettenkapitän
|commands={{GS|U-6|1935|2}}
{{GS|U-597||2}}
|unit=
|battles=Spanish Civil War
----
|awards=Four Year Wehrmacht Long Service Award, Spanish Cross in Silver without Swords, Iron Cross 2nd Class, Destroyer War Badge, Narvik Shield, Iron Cross 1st Class
|laterwork=}}
Eberhard Bopst (25 December 1913 – 12 October 1942) was a German U-boat commander in World War II.{{Cite web|url=http://uboat.net/men/commanders/104.html|title=Korvettenkapitän Eberhard Bopst|work=uboat.net|access-date=6 April 2014}}
Naval career
Eberhard Bopst joined the Reichsmarine in April 1933 and prior to transferring to the U-boat section served on the destroyers Georg Thiele (as 3rd Watch Officer, 1936–1937), Leberecht Maass (1937–1938) and Bernd von Arnim (December 1938 – 1940).{{sfn|Busch|Röll|1999|p=35–36}} On Bernd von Arnim he saw action in the Spanish Civil War, receiving the Spanish Cross in Silver without Swords, and at the Battles of Narvik, receiving the Narvik Shield. After the Norwegian Campaign he returned to Germany, joining the U-boat arm in July 1940. His first command was {{GS|U-6|1935|2}}, a Type IIA coastal boat, but he commissioned the Type VIIC {{GS|U-597||2}} in November 1941.{{sfn|Busch|Röll|1999|p=35–36}} He went down with her when she was sunk with all hands in position {{coord|56|50|N|28|05|W|dim:2000000|display=inline,title}}, by depth charges from an RAF Liberator on 12 October 1942. Bopst was posthumously promoted to Korvettenkapitän.{{sfn|Busch|Röll|1999|p=35–36}}
Awards
- Four Year Wehrmacht Long Service Award - March 1937
- Spanish Cross in Silver without Swords - 6 June 1939
- Iron Cross 2nd Class - November 1939
- Destroyer War Badge - April 1940
- Narvik Shield - April 1940
- Iron Cross 1st Class - August 1941
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef | before = Kapitänleutnant Johannes Liebe}}
{{s-ttl | title = Commanding officer, {{GS|U-6|1935|2}} | years = March 1941 – September 1941}}
{{s-aft | after = Kapitänleutnant Herbert Brüninghaus}}
{{s-new | first}}
{{s-ttl | title = Commanding officer, {{GS|U-597||2}} | years = 20 November 1941 – 12 October 1942}}
{{s-non | reason= Ship sunk}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bopst, Eberhard}}
Category:German military personnel of the Spanish Civil War
Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939), 1st class
Category:Reichsmarine personnel
Category:Military personnel from Berlin
Category:Kriegsmarine personnel killed in World War II
Category:Deaths by British airstrikes during World War II
Category:People from Charlottenburg
Category:U-boat commanders (Kriegsmarine)
{{Germany-hist-stub}}