Introduction
The
Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class (Eisernes
Kreuz 1 and 2 Klasse) was awarded to all ranks for
gallantry, while the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Grosskreuz
des Eisernen Kreuzes or Grosskreuz) was only awarded
to the Kaiser and four generals in World War 1.
The
Pour le Mérite, a Prussian order, was only granted to
officers and then for leadership and success in
operations (ships sunk by U-boats, aircraft shot down)
rather than for specific acts of gallantry as with the
British Victoria Cross and American Medal of Honor. It
was discontinued with the fall of the Kaiser.
When
he came to power, instead of re-instituting the “Blue Max”,
Hitler introduced
the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross because the former
was only awarded to officers. The Pour le Mérite also
included and continues to include a Civil Class.
Pour le
Mérite awards in World War I totalled 687, with 533
granted to the Army, 80 to Aviation, 49 to the Navy, 20
to Foreign recipients and 5 other. The Naval awards were
made as follows:
1 in
1914
3 + 1
Oakleaves in 1915
10 in
1916
16+ 2
aviation in 1917
19 + 3
aviation in 1918
German Ranks
("Jane's Fighting Ships
1914")
Gross Admiral - Admiral of
the Fleet
Admiral - Admiral
Vizeadmiral - Vice Admiral
Kontreadmiral - Rear Admiral
Kommodore - Commodore
Kapitän zur See/Fregatten-Kapitän
- Captain
Korvetten-Kapitän -
Commander
Kapitän-Leutnant - Senior
Lieutenant
Oberleutnant zur See -
Junior Lieutenant
Leutnant zur See - Sub
Lieutenant
Sources:
The initial list of awards
was provided by Kurt von Tiedemann from his site
"Ordern Pour le
Merité".
Further information has been
obtained from (in brackets after each entry):
Bennett, Geoffrey, "Naval
Battles of the First World War", Pan, 1974 (nb)
"Conway's All The World's
Fighting Ships 1906-1921", Conway, 1985 (cn)
Corbett, Julian S, and
Henry Newbolt", History of the Great War: Naval
Operations", 5 vols, 1923-31 (rn)
Gray, Edwin, "The Killing
Time: the U-boat War 1914-18", 1972 (kt)
Halpern, Paul G, "A Naval
History of World War 1", UCL, 1994 (nh)
Walter, John, "Kaiser's
Pirates, The: German Surface Raiders in World War One",
1994 (kp)
and
"First World War"
(fw)
"Luftschiff
Zeppelin" (ls)
"Uboat.net" (ub)
"Wikipedia" (wp)
"World War 1
Document Archive, Maritime War " (gw)
Photographs are courtesy of the following sites and
contributors to whom I am indebted:
Michael Pocock of
Maritime Quest (MQ)
Kurt von Tiedemann of
Ordern Pour le
Merité (PM)
United States
Library of Congress (LC)
Wikipedia (Fair
Use Rationale: The images are taken during World War I,
Copyright is difficult to establish)
(WP)
World War 1 Document
Archive, Maritime War (GW)
Click all photographs for enlargements
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The Imperial German Navy 1888-1918 |
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1914
Awarded 24 October - KaptLt. Otto WEDDIGEN, U-boat
Commander, U.9 (above (GW)) and U.29. Sank HM Armoured
Cruisers Aboukir, Hogue, Cressy
on 22 September 1914 in U.9. His second command, U.29 was lost
18 March 1915 in Pentland Firth, rammed by HM
Battleship Dreadnought. Weddingen sank 4 merchant
ships of 12,934grt and 4 warships of 43,350 tons (+ub)
1915
Awarded 5 June -
KaptLt. Otto HERSING, U-boat
Commander, U.21. Sank HM Cruiser Pathfinder
(2,940t) in North Sea in 1914, HM
Battleships Triumph (11,985t), Majestic (14,820t), and French auxiliary cruiser
Carthage (5,275t) off
Gallipoli in 1915, and French cruiser Amiral Charner (4,681t) off Syria in 1916. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 37 merchant ships of 95,220grt and 3 warships of 19,675
tons (but 5 warships of 39,701t are listed above) all in U.21. Died 1960 (+cn/ub)
10 August - Gross Admiral Alfred von TIRPITZ, “founder” of the modern
German Navy, Head of the Reichsmarinearmt (Secretary
of State, Imperial Naval Office) from 1897 to March 1916 (+gw/nh)
(left (LC))
23 August - Admiral Guido von USEDOM, a commander of naval
forces in Turkey. Commanded a “Sonderkommando”
initially of around 400 naval artillerymen and mine specialists to improve the Dardanelles defences, later received the title Inspector-General
of Coastal Fortifications and Minefields. Received Pour le Merité
on 5 April 1902, and awarded Oakleaves in August 1915. (+nh)
20 October -
Admiral Ludwig von SCHRÖDER, commander Marinekorps Flanders. Responsible for
naval forces (submarines, destroyers, torpedo boats etc) operating from, and
the defences of the occupied Belgian coast (Ostend, Zeebrugge
etc), one of the most heavily fortified areas of the war. Reported directly
to the Kaiser. Awarded Oakleaves
on 23 December 1917. (+nh)
1916
Awarded 7 March -
Korv. Kapt. Nikolas Burggraf
& Count of DOHNA SCHLODIEN, commander auxiliary cruiser/commerce raider
Möwe. First sortie between 29
December 1915
and 4 March 1916 resulted in the sinking of 15 British & Allied ships of
57,520grt (or 14 ships of 49,739grt) plus HM Battleship King Edward VII and 1 or 2 merchant ships by mines
laid by Möwe. A second cruise from 22 November 1916
to 22 March 1917 led to the sinking of
25 British & Allied ships of 125,265grt (or 25 ships of 123,265grt) (+cn/kp/nh/rn)
29 March -
KaptLt. Otto STEINBRINCK,
U-boat Commander, U.6 (above - sister boat U.14 (GW)), UB.10. UB.18, UC.65
and UB.57. Sank HM Submarine E.22 (667t) in 1916 and HM Armoured Cruiser
Ariadne (11,000t) in 1917. Sinkings listed by
Uboat.net are 204 merchant ships of 240,319grt and 1 warship of 11,000 tons
(but two warships are listed above. kt – 210,000grt
in 24 patrols). Died
1947. (kt/ub)
5 June - Vizeadmiral Franz von HIPPER,
commander of the High
Seas Fleet
Scouting Forces (battlecruisers and
light cruisers - above, probably battlecruiser SMS Von der Tann astern of
possibly SMS Blucher (GW)). Took part in raids on English coast and
Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915, and commanded The
Battlecruiser Force (1st and 2nd Scouting Groups) at the Battle of Jutland in
1916. Promoted Admiral and assumed command of the High Seas Fleet in August
1918. Died 1932 (+gw/nh/wp) (left (GW))
5 June - Admiral Reinhard
SCHEER, commanded 2nd Battle Squadron from 1913, 3rd Battle Squadron from
December 1914, and appointed Commander
in Chief, High Seas Fleet in January 1916. In command at the
Battle of Jutland. Awarded Oakleaves on 1
February 1918
and appointed head of the Navy - the new Seekriegsleitung
or SKL (Naval Warfare Command) in August 1918. Died 1928 (+nh/wp)
(left (LC))
5 June -
Kapitän zu See Adolf
von TROTHA, Chief of Staff, High Seas Fleet from January 1916, later Rear
Admiral. Died 1940. (+nh/wp)
(left (GW))
1 August - Gross Admiral Prince HEINRICH of Prussia. Kaiser’s brother
and commander-in-chief, Baltic Naval Forces (Oberbefehlshaber
der Ostseestreitkräfte or OdO) from July 1914 to 1917. Awarded
Oakleaves on 24 January 1918. Sometime referred to as Prince
Henry (+fw/nh/wp)
12 August -
KaptLt. Walter FORSTMANN,
U-boat Commander, U.12 and U.39. Sank HM
Gunboat Niger (810t) in the
Dover Straits in 1914. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 155 merchant
ships of 423,363grt, mainly in the Mediterranean by U.39, and the one warship above
(kt – 380,000grt in 16 patrols). He was the second
highest scoring U-boat commander after de la Perière.
Died 1973. (+cn/kt/ub)
11 October - KaptLt. Lothar von ARNAULD DE LA PERIÈRE,
U-boat Commander, U.35
and U.139. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 195
merchant ships of 466,518grt and 2 warships of 2,500 tons, mainly in the Mediterranean (kt –
400,000grt in 10 patrols). He was the highest scoring U-boat ace. Killed in air crash in 1941. (+kt/ub) (left (WP))
29 October - Vizeadmiral Wilhelm SOUCHON, as Rear Admiral, commander of Germany’s Mediterranean forces (Mittlemeerdivision)
in 1914 – battlecruiser Goeben
(above - sister ship SMS Moltke (MQ))
and light cruiser Breslau, and escaped to Turkish waters. The ships were transferred to the Turks
and Souchen was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish
Navy. Subsequently commanded 4th Battle Squadron, High Seas Fleet from
September 1917, and appointed CinC Baltic Naval
Station (as Admiral) in August 1918. Died 1946. (+fw/nh)
26 December -
KaptLt. Max VALENTINER, U-boat Commander, U.38 and U.157. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 147 merchant ships of
313,019grt, plus 1 prize of 1,441grt, and 1 warship of 120 tons (kt - 300,000grt in 17 patrols). Died
1949. (+kt/ub) (left (WP))
1917
Awarded 9 January -
KaptLt. Hans WALTHER,
U-boat Commander, U.17 and U.52. Sank HM
Light Cruiser Nottingham (5,440t) and
French battleship Suffren (12,728t) in 1916, and HM
Submarine C.34 (290t) in 1917. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are
41 merchant ships of 90,772grt, plus two prizes of 4,956grt, and 2 warships
(plus C.34) of 18,150 tons. (+cn/ub)
22 March -
Admiral Henning von HOLTZENDORFF. Appointed Chief of
the Naval Staff (Admiralsstab) in September 1915.
Awarded Oakleaves on 1 February 1918. Died 1919 (+fw/gw/nh)
(left - back to camera, with Adm von Tirpitz (LC))
30 July - KaptLt. Walther SCHWIEGER, U-boat Commander, U.14, U.20 and U.88. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 47 merchant ships of 177,537grt, including liner RMS Lusitania in 1915 (kt –
190,000grt in 12 patrols). Died 5 September 1917 in U.88 in the North Sea, presumably mined. (+kt/ub)
11 August - OberLt. Heino von HEIMBURG, U-boat Commander,
UB.14, UB.15, UC.22, UB.68 and U.35. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 16 merchant ships of 30,738grt and 2 warships of 659
tons. However, he is also quoted as having sunk 62,000BRT of shipping including HM Submarine
E.20 (670t) and British transport Royal Edward (11,117grt) in 1915. He also accounted
for Italian cruiser Amalfi (9,830t) and submarine
Medusa (250t), again in 1915. Died 1945. (+cn/ub)
20 August -
OberLt. Reinhold SALTZWEDEL,
U-boat Commander, UB.10, UC.10, UC.11, UC.21, UC.71 and UB.81.
Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 113 merchant ships
of 172,959grt (kt – 150,000grt in 12 patrols). Died 2
December 1917
when UB.81 was mined in the English Channel. (+kt/ub)
20 August -
FregKapt. Peter STRASSER, Naval Airship Commander, took parts in raids on
England, appointed Commander of Naval Airships
(Führer der Luftschiffe of FdL) in November
1916 with rank of Admiral 2nd-class. Died August 1918 (5th, 6th and 8th quoted)
when Zeppelin L.70 was shot down off the Norfolk coast by the RAF. (+wp) (left - (WP))
27 October - KorvKapt. Karl BARTENBACH, commander, Flanders U-boat
Flotilla (Führer der U-bootflottille Flandern) under Adm von Schröder, based at Bruges, Belgium. (+nh/ub)
31
October - Vizeadmiral Paul BEHNCKE, commander
3rd Battle Squadron, High Seas Fleet from January 1916. In
command at Battle of Jutland in 1916 and in operations against Russian Navy in Gulf of Riga October 1917. Relinquished command approximately
October 1918, followed by less than a month as Head of the Reichsmarinearmt
(Secretary of State, Imperial Naval Office) (+nh)
31 October
- Vizeadmiral Erhardt
SCHMIDT, commander 4th Battle Squadron, High Seas Fleet from July 1914,
then 1st Battle Squadron from August 1915 to January 1918. Took part in Battle
of Jutland in 1916, and Naval Commander in operations against Russian Navy in Gulf of Riga October 1917 (+nh)
31 October
- Kapitän zu See Magnus von LEVETZOW, Chief of Operations, High Seas Fleet at
time of October 1917 operations in Gulf of Riga, later Chief of Staff to
Admiral Scheer when he became head of the Navy in
August 1918. (+nh)
6 November -
KaptLt. Hans ADAM, U-boat Commander,
U.23 (above - sister-boat U.20 (MQ)) and U.82. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 29 merchant ships of
83,937grt. Died 1948. (+ub)
12 November - KaptLt. Robert MORAHT, U-boat Commander, U.64. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 45 merchant ships of 129,569grt and 1 warship of 18,300
tons – French battleship Danton in March 1917 (kt – 130,000grt in 9 patrols). U.64 sunk 17
June 1918
and Moraht taken prisoner. Died
1956. (+kt/ub)
4 December - FregKapt. Hugo von ROSENBERG, in command of “Rosenberg Flotilla”, an
anti-submarine flotilla of torpedo boats and trawlers during October 1917
operations in Gulf of Riga. (+nh)
11 December - OberLt. Friedrich CHRISTIANSEN, Naval flying
commander, Zeebrugge Air Station (21 victories).
(above - Albatross D fighter, introduced in 1915 (GW))
20 December - KaptLt. Hans ROSE, U-boat Commander, U.53. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 80 merchant ships of 219,134grt and 1 warship of 1,050
tons – US Destroyer Jacob Jones (kt - 210,000grt in
12 patrols). Died 1969. (+cn/kt/ub)
20 December - KaptLt. Otto WÜNSCHE,
U-boat Commander, U.25, U.70, U.97 and U.126. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 75 merchant ships of
150,155grt (kt - 160,000grt in 12 patrols). Died 1919.
23 December - OberLt. Hans HOWALDT,
U-boat Commander, UC.4, UB.40 and UB.107. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 64 merchant ships of 96,466grt (also quotes 65 ships of
130,000BRT) . Died 1970.
(+ub)
29 December - KorvKapt. Waldemar KOPHAMEL, U-boat Commander, U.35,
U.151 and U.140. Sinkings listed by
Uboat.net are 53 merchant ships of 154,533grt, 1 warship of 298 tons and 1 auxiliary of 1,862grt (kt – 190,000grt in 10 patrols). (+kt/ub)
1918
Awarded
9 January - Admiral Eduard
von CAPELLE, succeeded Adm von Tirpitz as Head of the Reichsmarinearmt
(Secretary of State, Imperial Naval Office) from March 1916 to October 1918 (+nh) (left (PM))
30 January - KaptLt. Max VIEBEG, U-boat
Commander, UC.10, UB.20, UB.32, UC.65 and UB.80. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 49 merchant ships of 79,529grt
(or 169,656BRT) and 2 prizes of 1,260grt. Died 1961. (+ub)
24 February -
FregKapt. Karl August NERGER, commander auxiliary cruiser/commerce raider Wolf.
Sailed 30 November 1916 for Indian & Pacific Oceans, captured 14 British
& Allied ships of 38,391grt, and laid mines which sank 13 more ships off
South Africa, India, Ceylon/Sri Lanka, New Zealand & Australia. Returned to
Germany on 19 February 1918 after an almost 15 month cruise (+cn/kp/nh)
(left (PM))
25 Febuary - KaptLt. Hans von
MELLENTHIN, U-boat Commander, UB.43, UB.49 and
U.120.
Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 58 merchant ships of
161,725grt (kt – 170,000grt in 11 patrols). (+kt/ub)
3 March -
OberLt. Wolfgang STEINBAUER,
U-boat Commander, UB.47 and UB.48. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 49 merchant ships of 170,432grt (or 170,000BRT) and 1 warship of 11,100 tons - French
battleship Gaulois in 1916, also damaged 1 warship of
18,400 tons (kt – 140,000grt in 10 patrols). Died 1978. (+cn/kt/ub)
5 March -
KorvKapt. Oskar HEINECKE, commander Torpedo Boat Flotillas,
including 5th at Battle of Jutland in 1916 and 2nd in the December 1917 attack
on the British Scandinavian convoys. (+nh)
5 March -
KaptLt. Erwin WASSNER,
U-boat Commander, UC.3, UB.38, UC.69, UB.117 and UB.59. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 89 merchant ships of 137,650grt
(or 86 ships of 150,000BRT). Died 1937. (+ub)
18 March 1918 - KaptLt. Otto SCHULTZE,
U-boat Commander, U.63. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 56 merchant ships of 134,078grt (or 175,000BRT, kt –
130,000grt in 6 patrols) and 1 warship of 5,250 tons – HM Light Cruiser
Falmouth in 1916. (+kt/ub)
19 March - FregKapt. Karl von MÜLLER, commander, old light cruiser Emden. Serving with East
Asiatic Cruiser Squadron in Pacific at outbreak of war. Detached on 14
August 1914
by Adm von Spee for independent
commerce raiding in the Indian Ocean and sank 15 ships of 66,023grt, an old
Russian cruiser and a French destroyer. Badly damaged by
light cruiser HMAS Sydney
on 9 November
1914 off Cocos (Keeling) Islands in NE Indian Ocean and run aground
(above (GW)), taken prisoner (+cn/kp) (left (GW))
24
March - Admiral Georg
von MÜLLER, Chief of Imperial Naval Cabinet throughout the war. (+gw)
30 March - KaptLt. Ralph WENNIGER,
U-boat Commander, UB.11, UB.17, UC.17 and UB.55. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 96 merchant ships of 99,186grt.
UB.55 mined and sunk 22 April 1918 in Dover Straits and Wenniger
taken prisoner. Died March 1945 in Italy. (+ub)
9 April - KaptLt. Horst Freiherr Treusch von BUTTLAR-BRANDENFELS, Naval Airship Commander from 1914, including LZ.31/L.6,
LZ.41/L.11, LZ.62/L.30, LZ.58/LC.88/L.25, LZ.80/L.35 and LZ.99/L.54.
Took part in patrols over North Sea and attacks on England.(+ls) (above - L.31, flying over dreadnought SMS
Ostfriesland (MQ))
24 April -
OberLt. Johannes LOHS,
U-boat Commander, UC.75 and UB.57. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 76 merchant ships of 147,075grt and 1 warship of 1,250 tons.
Died 14 August 1918 when UB.57 was probably mined off
the Belgian coast. (+ub)
24 April - KaptLt. Carl-Seigfried Ritter von
GEORG, U-boat Commander, U.57 and U.101.
Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 76 merchant ships of
118,965grt and 1 warship of
1,250 tons (or 200,187BRT and one British light cruiser – not identified). Died
1957. (+cn/ub) (above - earlier
U-boats, U.19-U.22 at Kiel in 1914 (GW))
(left (PM))
24 April -
KorvKapt. Gustav SIESS,
U-boat Commander, U.73, U.33 and U.65. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 17 merchant ships of 96,742grt (or 154,061BRT) and 2 warships of 15,250 tons. (+ub)
31
May -
Kapitän zu See Andreas MICHELSEN, Commodore
Torpedo Boats from July 1915 including command of Battle Fleet Torpedo Boats at
Battle of Jutland, then Chief of U-boats (Befehlshaber
der U-boote) from June 1917
to November 1918 (+gw/nh)
4 July - KaptLt. Wilhelm MARSCHALL, U-boat Commander, UC.74 and UB.105. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 41 merchant ships of 118,038grt (or 42 ships of 142,000BRT) and 1 warship of 1,290 tons. (+ub)
5 August - Leutnant Gotthard SACHSENBERG,
Naval Flying Commander, 1st Marine Jagdgeschwader (31
victories).
18 August - KaptLt. Paul HUNDIUS,
U-boat Commander, UB.16, UC.47 and UB.103. Sinkings listed by Uboat.net are 68 merchant ships of 94,319grt
and 3 warships of 2,387
tons (or 67 ships of 95,280BRT and one naval vessel of 890 tons). Died 16
September 1918 when UB.103 was depth charged and sunk in the English Channel. (+ub)
18 August -
KaptLt. Wilhelm WERNER,
U-boat Commander, UB.9, UB.7 and U.55. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 60 merchant ships of 126,695grt (or 206,000BRT, kt –
130,000grt in 10 patrols). Died May 1945. (+kt/ub)
2 September - Leutnant Theo OSTERKAMP, Naval Flying
Commander, 2nd Marine Field Jagdstaffel (32
victories).
3 October - KaptLt. Kurt HARTWIG,
U-boat Commander, U.32 and U.63. Sinkings
listed by Uboat.net are 48 merchant ships of 151,120grt (or 190,000BRT, kt –
130,000grt in 10 patrols) and 1 warship of 14,000 tons – HM Battleship
Cornwallis off Malta in 1917. (+cn/kt/ub)
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