Kriegsmarine Admiral

Konteradmiral Paul Wever photographed at his office desk, possibly on the occasion of his birthday (28 January 1942), given all the flowers visible in the photo. Wever was promoted to Konteradmiral on 01 September 1941 and to Vizeadmiral on 01 October 1943. He died from a heart attack (pressumably caused by a sunstroke) on 11 August 1944 in Aix en Provence, South France. His posts during WW2 include: -Chief of Staff of the Naval-Group-Command West (23 August 1939-04 December 1939) -Chief of the Department for Naval Intelligence Analysis, OKM (01 January 1940-21 June 1940) -Director of the Sub-Group Navy in the Armistice-Commission France (22 June 1940-15 January 1943) -Placed at the Disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval-Group West (16 January 1943-01 September 1943) -Commanding Admiral of the French South Coast (02 September 1943-11 August 1944)

Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe officers at the Air War Academy (Luftkriegsakademie) in Berlin-Gatow, 1940/1941. 1: Oberst Walter von Hippel, Tactics-Instructor at the Air War Academy in Berlin-Gatow (08 September 1940-03 February 1941) 2: Vizeadmiral Karl Dönitz, Commander of U-boats (17 October 1939-30 January 1943) 3: Char. Admiral z.V. Walter Gladisch, Reichs-Commissioner of the Upper-Prize-Court in Berlin (13 September 1939-30 June 1943) and at the same time Naval War Instructor at the Air War Academy in Berlin-Gatow

Thank you very much Johan! The other date must be the German approval date then, even if there is almost a 4 year difference between the two dates.

Thank you very much! Merry Christmas to you too!

That makes sense. Thank you very much!

Thank you very much! But where does it say the award date for Fritz Conrad is 11 September 1930? I can see no date on the right under "Recompensas" (where his name is mentioned).

Hello Antonio, I found out that Fritz Conrad (at the time Kapitän zur See/Captain) was awarded the Spanish Order of Naval Merit 3rd Class in 1929. Can you perhaps find the exact award date and post the document with the information? Many thanks!

@JohanH Johan, can you please confirm if Fritz Conrad was awarded the Commander's Cross 2nd Class of the Royal Swedish Order of the Sword on 28 March 1934? His rank at the time was Char. (honorary) Konteradmiral. If the award date in the Swedish rolls is different from the one above, then this one must be the German approval date. Thanks!

Contrammiraglio (Rear Admiral) Carlo de Angelis Charet de La Fremoire (number 3), the Italian Naval Attaché in Berlin, greets Kriegsmarine officers on board the Heavy Cruiser „Prinz Eugen“, 22 November 1942. The purpose of his visit was to return the bell of the Austro-Hungarian Battleship SMS „Tegetthoff“ on behalf of the Italian Government. The German Heavy Cruiser „Prinz Eugen“ was originally to be named after Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, the Austrian victor of the Battle of Lissa, though considerations over the possible insult to Italy, defeated by Tegetthoff at Lissa, led the Kriegsmarine to adopt Prinz Eugen as the ship's namesake. That's why, in reference to her originally planned name, the ship's bell from the Austro-Hungarian Battleship SMS „Tegetthoff“ was presented to the crew of the „Prinz Eugen“ on 22 November 1942 by Contrammiraglio de Angelis. The rest of the retinue includes: 1: Vizeadmiral Friedrich Götting, Coastal-Commander Eastern Baltic Sea, and at the same time Fortress-Commandant of Gotenhafen (01 September 1942-28 February 1943) 2: Retired Austro-Hungarian k.u.k. Konteradmiral Johann Graf von Firmian, the Commandant of the Austro-Hungarian Battleship SMS „Prinz Eugen“ (sister-ship to „Tegetthoff“) from 09 April 1914 until 07 April 1917. 4: Kapitän zur See Hans-Erich Voß, Commandant of the Heavy Cruiser „Prinz Eugen“ (05 October 1942-28 February 1943)

Thank you for the confirmation. The thing is, von Bonin was the Naval-Attaché at the German Embassy in Helsinki between 01 July 1937 and 13 September 1944, so the medal was surely not sent to Germany, but to the German Embassy in Helsinki where he was stationed. I guess your date (28 March 1941) is the Finnish award date, and the date in his Personalakte (15 October 1941) is the German approval date, i.e. the date of authorization to wear the medal as you said.

Thank you Vili. According to the information in his Personalakte, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Civil Defense 1st Class in Silver on 15 October 1941. No clasp is mentioned. Also, the German Wikipedia article states "With a clasp in times of war, without a clasp in times of peace. The medal without clasp could also be awarded to foreigners." https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdienstmedaille_für_Bevölkerungsschutzarbeit Since he was a foreigner, I pressumed he didn't receive the clasp? Do you have the source that states he was awarded the "1939-1940" clasp?

Thank you Johan. I actually found this about the Cross of merit of the Civil Guards on the Axis History Forum (from the book Sarkatakkien armeija) "Instituted on 4 August 1922, it was originally awarded in two grades, iron and silver. Later a golden version was created and awarded, but it was never official. - Suojeluskuntain rautainen ansioristi (Suojeluskunta Iron Cross of Merit) was awarded to soldiers for military merits and bravery in war. - Suojeluskuntain hopeinen ansioristi (Suojeluskunta Silver Cross of Merit) was awarded to civilians who had supported Suojeluskunta." This means von Bonin had to be awarded the Iron class.

Hello, among the awards of Konteradmiral Reimar von Bonin there are two Finnish awards that I am unfamiliar with. The names are written in German, I hope that is ok. 1. "Verdienstmedaille I. Klasse des finnischen Bevölkerungsschutzes" Is this the medal "Väestönsuojelun 1. luokan ansiomitali" (1st photo below)? How would the name of this medal be translated into English? 2. "Schutzkorpsverdienstkreuz" Is this the "Suojeluskunnan Rautainen Ansioristi" (2nd photo below)? How would the name of this medal be translated into English? Also, if I understood correctly, the "Suojeluskunnan Ansioristi" came in two classes: Iron and Silver. Is that correct? If so, which one did von Bonin receive? Because no class is indicated in the German name of this award. Thanks!

Medal award ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria, 1941/1942. First from the left is Kapitän zur See Hellmuth Heye, Chief of Staff of the Naval-Group-Command South (30 June 1941-14 September 1942). In the middle is Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval-Group-Command South (30 June 1941-20 March 1943).

Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval-Group-Command South (30 June 1941-20 March 1943), in Sofia, Bulgaria, 1941/1942.

Nice photo of Char. Vizeadmiral Hans Kolbe.

Thank you Graf for the interesting and detailed explanation. Here is the other photo: 1: Kapitän zur See Hellmuth Heye, Chief of Staff of the Admiral „Z“ (14 February 1941-03 April 1941) 2: General-leytenant (Lieutenant General) Nikola Totev Markov, Inspector of the Infantry of the Bulgarian Army (1938-11 August 1941) 3: Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster, Admiral „Z“ (04 March 1941-03 April 1941) 4: Herbert Freiherr von Richthofen, German Ambassador to Bulgaria (1939–1941) 5: General-leytenant (Lieutenant General) Nikola Petkov Hadzhipetkov, Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army (10 December 1938-11 August 1941) 6: Oberst Hans Bruckmann, German Military Attaché in Sofia (01 November 1937-19 December 1942) 7: Oberstleutnant Carl-August von Schoenebeck, Military Advisor and Air-Attaché at the German Embassy in Sofia, at the same time Chief of the Luftwaffe-Mission in Bulgaria (01 September 1939-06 September 1944)

German and Bulgarian officers in Sofia, possibly March 1941. 1: Kapitän zur See Hellmuth Heye, Chief of Staff of the Admiral „Z“ (14 February 1941-03 April 1941) 2: General-leytenant (Lieutenant General) Nikola Totev Markov, Inspector of the Infantry of the Bulgarian Army (1938-11 August 1941) 3: Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster, Admiral „Z“ (04 March 1941-03 April 1941) 4: Herbert Freiherr von Richthofen, German Ambassador to Bulgaria (1939–1941) 5: General-leytenant (Lieutenant General) Nikola Petkov Hadzhipetkov, Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army (10 December 1938-11 August 1941) 6: Oberst Hans Bruckmann, German Military Attaché in Sofia (01 November 1937-19 December 1942) 7: Oberstleutnant Carl-August von Schoenebeck, Military Advisor and Air-Attaché at the German Embassy in Sofia, at the same time Chief of the Luftwaffe-Mission in Bulgaria (01 September 1939-06 September 1944)

Here is the full photo (1st one I posted above). I believe it was taken in March 1941, when Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster (far right) arrived in Sofia to assume the duties of Admiral „Z“.

Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster (right) is greeted by Bulgarian army officers upon his arrival in Sofia to assume the duties of Admiral „Z“, possibly March 1941. The office of Admiral „Z“ was set up on 24 February 1941 and it was eventually responsible for the Balkans, the Black Sea, the Aegean and the Adriatic. On 4 April 1941 it was renamed to Admiral South-East and on 30 June 1941 to Naval-Group-Command South. The Bulgarian officer second from the left is General-leytenant (Lieutenant General) Nikola Totev Markov, Inspector of Infantry (1938-1941).

Thank you Steve. Do you agree number 2 & 5 at the top is the same person (Lieutenant General Nikola Markov Totev)?

Thank you. So number 2 & 5 is definitely Lieutenant General Nikola Markov Totev, like Steve said. Number 1 & 4 (same person) is unknown. And number 3 is unknown. Possibly Atanas Pavlov Zhilkov like you said. I think Steve meant that #2 in the first photo could be Major General Vasil Tsankov Balarev, and not #3. I guess he didn't notice #2 is the same officer as #5 (i.e. Lieutenant General Nikola Markov Totev). By the way, here is another General from the same photo. He is supposed to be Lieutenant-General Nikola Nikolov Hadzhipetkov. Is that correct?

Don't you mean numbers 1 & 4 and 2 & 5 are the same generals? If number 5 is Nikola Totev then number 2 should be also? Steve identified number 2 as possibly Vasil Balarev, not number 3. Number 3 is wearing the 1914 version of the Iron Cross, and I think he is not a General, perhaps a Colonel.

Thank you very much Steve! Are number 1 and 4 perhaps the same officer?

Portrait of Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval-Group-Command South (30 June 1941-20 March 1943). The Breast Star he is wearing is the Grand Cross of the Royal Bulgarian Order of Military Merit with War Decoration.