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Rolf Carls
File:File:Rolf Carls.jpg
Born (1885-05-29)29 May 1885
Died 24 April 1945(1945-04-24) (aged 59)
Place of birth Rostock
Place of death Bad Oldesloe
Allegiance German Empire German Empire (to 1919)
Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918 Kaiserliche Marine
Flag of Weimar Republic (jack) Reichsmarine
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1903–1943
Rank Generaladmiral
Unit SMS Stein
SMS Mars
SMS Fürst Bismarck
SMS Breslau
Commands held SM U-124
SMS Hessen
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Rolf Hans Wilhelm Karl Carls (29 May 1885 – 24 April 1945) was a Generaladmiral of the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership and is one of the highest military leadership awards.

Rolf Carls was killed in an air raid on Bad Oldesloe on 24 April 1945.[Notes 1] Carls together with 29 other people were killed in the cellar of the Vocational school in the Königstraße.

Awards[]

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht[]

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
Thursday, 10 April 1940 Die militärischen Maßnahmen zum Schutz der Neutralität von Dänemark und Norwegen wurden am 9. April von starken Einheiten des Heeres, der Kriegsmarine und die Luftwaffe unter dem Oberbefehl des Generals der Infanterie von Falkenhorst, von Seestreitkräften unter dem Befehl des Generaladmirals Saalwächter und des Admirals Carls und von zahlreichen Verbänden der Luftwaffe unter Führung des Generalleutnants Geißler in engster Zusammenarbeit durchgeführt.[7] The military measures for the protection of the neutrality of Denmark were carried out on 9 April from strong units in close cooperation of the Heer, the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe under the high command of General of the Infantry von Falkenhorst, of naval forces under the command of Generaladmiral Saalwächter and Admiral Rolf Carls and from numerous Luftwaffe units under the leadership of Generalleutnant Geißler (sic).

Notes[]

  1. Some sources claim that he was killed on 15 April 1945 while another source indicates that the aerial attack on Bad Oldesloe was on 24 April 1945.[1][2]
  2. According to Scherzer as commander-in-chief of Marinegruppenkommando Ost.[2]

References[]

Citations
  1. "60 Jahre nach dem Feuersturm auf Hamburg: Kreisarchiv Stormarn erhält einmaligen Fotofund" (in German). Kreis Stormarn. http://www.kreis-stormarn.de/aktuelles/pressemeldungen/show_entry.html?id=122. Retrieved 14 January 2011. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 257.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Dörr 1995, p. 119.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Dörr 1995, p. 120.
  5. Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 72.
  6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 152.
  7. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 101-102
Bibliography
  • Dörr, Manfred (1995) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 1: A–K]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2453-2. 
  • 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. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001) (in German). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2]. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • 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. 
  • (in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 

External links[]

Military offices
Preceded by
Admiral Richard Foerster
Chief of Fleet of the Kriegsmarine
21 December 1936 – 31 October 1938
Succeeded by
Admiral Hermann Boehm


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