Hubert Schmundt | |
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![]() Hubert Schmundt | |
Born | 19 September 1888 |
Died | 17 October 1984 | (aged 96)
Place of birth | Schweidnitz/Silesia |
Place of death | Bad Soden |
Allegiance |
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Service/branch |
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Years of service | 1908–1944 |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held |
light cruiser Königsberg light cruiser Nürnberg Naval Academy Mürwik |
Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Karl Julius Gustav Hubert Schmundt (19 September 1888 – 17 October 1984) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Career[]
Schmundt joined the Kaiserliche Marine (German Imperial Navy) as a cadet in 1908 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1911. He was serving with the German East Asia Squadron aboard SMS Scharnhorst between 1910 and 1913 and returned to Germany in 1913.
During World War I he was flag lieutenant of the 3rd destroyer flotilla and commanded the destroyer V71 being promoted to Kapitänleutnant in 1918. Schmudt was awarded the Iron Cross first and second class.
Schmunt remained in the Navy after the end of the war and in the 1920s commanded the torpedo boat S18 and served as a staff officer. He was promoted to Korvettenkapitänin 1927 and served as an aide to Defence Minister Wilhelm Groener between 1929 and 1932. During the 1930s Schmunt commanded the light cruisers Konigsberg (1934–35) and Nurnberg (1935–36). He became commander of the Naval Academy Mürwik in 1938 and was promoted to Rear Admiral.
In the Second World War Schmundt commanded the Bergen warship group during Operation Weserübung (squadron group consisted of light cruisers Köln (flagship) and the Königsberg, an artillery training ship Bremse, torpedo boat tender "Karl Peters, destroyers " Wolf " and " Leopard ", and a group of small warships). Subsequently Schmundt served as Admiral commanding Northern Norway (1941–42) including commanding Operation Wunderland, and as commander of German forces in the Baltic (1943–44). He was dismissed in April 1944 and taken prisoner by the British in 1945. He was released in 1947.
Awards[]
- Iron Cross (1914)
- Cross of Honor (21 December 1934)[1]
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[1]
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (25 March 1942)[1]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 June 1940 as Konteradmiral and commander in chief of the Aufklärungs-Streitkräfte and leader of the Kampfgruppe Bergen[2]
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2497-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links[]
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The original article can be found at Hubert Schmundt and the edit history here.