Ships
- HNLMS Sumatra (40) Commander from 10 March 1944 · Relieved on 30 April 1944
Heinrich Witte had Sumatra from 10 March 1944 until 30 April 1944. Uboat.net lists him as kapitein-luitenant ter zee, which it glosses as commander. The Dutch history calls him commander H. Witte. The English rank Commander comes from that gloss and from the Dutch history. He handed her over when she was transferred to the Royal Navy.
Uboat.net records that he was born on 21 August 1899 at Leiden and died on 7 March 1952 at Zeist.
The rank table lists luitenant ter zee der 3e klasse, glossed sub-lieutenant, on 17 August 1920; luitenant ter zee der 2e klasse, glossed lieutenant, on 17 August 1922; luitenant ter zee der 1e klasse, glossed lieutenant-commander, on 26 March 1931; kapitein-luitenant ter zee, glossed commander, on 16 December 1943; and kapitein ter zee, glossed captain, on 1 August 1949. He retired on 1 September 1949. The page says it has no career narrative. An event on the page places him in the torpedo boat Z 7 on 20 March 1940, escorting the submarine O 21 from Den Helder toward Flushing. That is before this command.
He relieved Izaac Willem Reijnierse on 10 March 1944. On 29 April the Dutch history says Sumatra was transferred to the Royal Navy, and on 30 April Captain G. H. Sutcliff took her. Uboat.net keeps Witte until 30 April and starts Sutcliff on 18 April, which overlaps him. The command line ends Witte on 30 April and does not start Sutcliff until that day. The pages do not say the ship left Portsmouth in his time.
He was promoted kapitein ter zee on 1 August 1949 and retired on 1 September 1949. He died at Zeist on 7 March 1952.