16 Facts About Oskar Kusch

Oskar Heinz Kusch was a German naval officer and U-boat commander in World War II who was executed for comments critical of the Nazi state.

From 1928 to 1936 Kusch attended the Hohenzollern Gymnasium in Berlin-Schoeneberg, where he received his high school diploma in late 1936.

Oskar Kusch served his compulsory period in the Reich Labor Service until March 1937.

Oskar Kusch joined the Kriegsmarine on 3 April 1937 as a naval officer candidate in Class 37a.

Oskar Kusch was stationed on the light cruiser Emden from 3 April 1939 to 31 March 1940 after serving on various training ships and taking part in courses as a Fahnrich zur See.

Oskar Kusch was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See on 1 September 1941 and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 10 November 1941.

Shortly before leaving, Oskar Kusch ordered his stoker to remove the picture of Adolf Hitler in the officer's room saying "Take that away, we're not practicing idolatry here".

Oskar Kusch made no secret of his anti-Nazi attitude; on the contrary, it was known to the entire crew.

Since no communication with U-126 was possible after the dive, Oskar Kusch assumed that U-126 had continued to dive and was therefore out of range.

Oskar Kusch decided to continue underwater and surfaced 4 nautical miles from the scene of the attack at 07:07 to search for survivors, but broke off the search at 08:33 due to the threat of another attack.

Oskar Kusch further stated that Abel and Druschel tried to win him over to their side and convince him that Kusch was a coward, a defeatist and anti-Hitler.

Abel allegedly reported Oskar Kusch after hearing a speech by Lieutenant Commander Ernst Kals, who presented Karl Donitz's "Decree Against Criticism and Bitching" of 9 September 1943.

Oskar Kusch was later transferred to the naval detention center in Kiel.

The trial against Oskar Kusch began on 26 January 1944 in Kiel at the Court of the Higher Command of Submarine Training chaired by Karl-Heinrich Hagemann, the president naval judge and a staunch Nazi.

On 12 May 1944, Oskar Kusch was executed by firing squad in Kiel.

The district court wrote in its verdict that political motives for the death sentence could not be identified, but that Oskar Kusch had failed in the military.