special Hitler's Lost Sub, which detailed the efforts of a team of divers, led by John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, to identify an unknown German U-boat wreck 65 miles off the coast of New Jersey; the wreck was identified as . A large oil painting of his deceased close comrade Endrass hung in his home after the war until the time of his death. In his front room overlooking the Rhine River was the top of the periscope from U-552, which immediately after the war, some of his crewman had managed to remove from the captured boat and pass to him as a keepsake. Topp died on 26 December 2005, in Süßen, at the age of 91; he was survived by two sons, Peter Kay (1945-2015) and Michael (b. 1950), and five grandchildren. Awards U-boat War Badge (7 November 1939) with Diamonds (11 April 1942) Honorary dagger of the Kriegsmarine with Diamonds (17 August 1942) War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (30 January 1944) 1st Class with Swords (1944) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 January 1940) 1st Class (1 September 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Knight's Cross on 20 June 1941 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-552 87th Oak Leaves on 11 April 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-552 17th Swords on 17 August 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-552 Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (19 September 1969) Notes References Citations Bibliography 1914 births 2005 deaths U-boat commanders (Kriegsmarine) Nazi Party members Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Bundesmarine admirals Military personnel from Hanover People from the Province of Hanover Reichsmarine personnel Burials at sea Counter admirals of the German Navy 20th-century German architects University of Hanover alumni