It was the eve of 14th May'45, Mürwik Naval Academy, Flensburg. Everything was normal and usual except the day's acces code ' Tannenberg '. Unable to provide it, sentry seaman Mathias mistakenly killed one of the finest and Dönitz's favorite seaman Kapitän zur See Wolfgang Eugen Lüth (Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamond). Sentry of the Naval Academy seaman Mathias was on duty to carried out rutine check ups at the entry-exit post. Here he asked three times the day's access code which Lüth failed to provide. So Mathias fired a warning shot from hip position which unfortunately was lethal and Captain died instantly. Hearing the incident, Dönitz ordered for court martial along with an inquiry board to investigate the case. But Mathias been proved no guilty and cleared from the charges; he had done his job as per the order for the post. British Forces had occupied Flensberg by 5th May and the city commander was Col Roberts. Dönitz contacted him and requested for his permission to coduct a state funeral for the Captain, it was approved and carried out on 16th May, 1945.
Korvet Kapitan : Wolgang Eugen Luth Die Wochenschau. (Newsreel) U181 - Luth's 46th sinking: War Diary August 1943: https://archive.org/stream/wardiarygermann481943germ#page/143/mode/2up/search/U181
U181 - (Luth) 46th Victim: http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?16755 http://www.uboat.net/men/luth.htm
This documentary, probably on the returning of the 22nd U boat Flotilla from the 2nd largest petrols (about 205 days). Tower no 5812 was one of the boats under the command of Lüth, what I think. It also shows the last award ceremony where Lüth, Tönigs etc. were the recipients and receiving the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, along with others. Probably Dönitz was there too, to greet them. But my concern is somewhere else. What I believe is that Lüth wasn't mistakenly killed, it was a case of suicide, what he committed deliberately!
