(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generaladmiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg
Born: 15 Jul 1895 in Straßburg, Alsace (Elsaß)
Died: 23 May 1945 in Flensburg-Mürwik (Suicide)
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (23 Dec 1914); Leutnant zur See (13 Jul 1916); Oberleutnant zur See (28 Sep 1920); Kapitänleutnant (01 Jul 1925); Korvettenkapitän (01 Apr 1933); Fregattenkapitän (01 Jan 1937); Kapitän zur See (01 Jan 1939); Konteradmiral (01 Sep 1942); Vizeadmiral (01 Feb 1943); Admiral (01 Apr 1943); Generaladmiral (01 May 1945)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and Attended Basic-Training and on Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hansa’ (01 Apr 1914-03 Aug 1914)
Detached as an Officer-Serviceman to the Admiral-Staff of the Navy (Coding Service) (04 Aug 1914-18 Dec 1914)
On Board the Battleship ‘Kronprinz’ (20 Dec 1914-03 Dec 1917)
Training and Courses at the Submarine-School (04 Dec 1917-19 Jun 1918)
Watch-Officer on the Submarine ‘U 114’ (20 Jun 1918-27 Nov 1918)
Placed to the Disposal of the Inspection of Submarine Affairs (28 Nov 1918-15 Dec 1918)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea and also Watch-Officer on the Light Cruiser ‘Regensburg’ (16 Dec 1918-15 Oct 1919)
Watch-Officer on the Cruiser ‘Königsberg’ (16 Oct 1919-31 May 1920)
Adjutant of the Ship’s-Cadre-Division of the North Sea (01 Jun 1920-06 Sep 1920)
Adjutant of the Cruiser ‘Hamburg’ (07 Sep 1920-13 Feb 1922)
Platoon-Officer with the Coastal-Defence-Battalion II (14 Feb 1922-29 Sep 1922)
Battalion-Adjutant of the Coastal-Defence-Battalion II (30 Sep 1922-23 Jun 1924)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the North Sea and Attended Courses (24 Jun 1924-20 Dec 1924)
Watch and Torpedo Officer on the Cruiser ‘Hamburg’ (21 Dec 1924-31 Mar 1925)
Instructor at the Torpedo-School (01 Apr 1925-29 May 1925)
Watch and Torpedo Officer on the Cruiser ‘Hamburg’ (30 May 1925-30 Jun 1927)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the North Sea (01 Jul 1927-25 Aug 1927)
Detached to the Naval-School Mürwik (26 Aug 1927-29 Sep 1927)
Subsidiary-Leadership-Training (06 Oct 1927-22 Apr 1929)
Naval-Liaison-Officer to Military-District-Command I (Königsberg) and in the Staff of the 1st Division (23 Apr 1929-15 Jun 1932)
Advisor in the Wehrmacht-Office, Reichs Defence Ministry (16 Jun 1932-31 Jan 1933)
Naval-Adjutant of the Reichs War Minister, Reichs War Ministry (01 Feb 1933-29 Sep 1936)
First Officer on the Cruiser ‘Karlsruhe’ (30 Sep 1936-16 Mar 1938)
Admiral-Staff-Officer in the Staff of the Commander of the Sea-Force at Spain (17 Mar 1938-01 Nov 1938)
Admiral-Staff-Officer with the Staff of the Commander of Security of the North Sea (02 Nov 1938-05 Feb 1939)
Placed to the Disposal of the Leader of Submarines (06 Feb 1939-05 Jun 1939)
Commandant of the Submarine ‘U 27’ (06 Jun 1939-08 Jul 1939)
Staff-Officer with Special Duties with the Leader of Submarines then Acting-Leader of Submarines (09 Jul 1939-24 Sep 1939)
Chief of the Organisation-Department, Staff of the Commander of Submarines (25 Sep 1939-11 Sep 1941)
2nd Admiral of Submarines (12 Sep 1941-31 Jan 1943)
Commanding Admiral of Submarines (01 Feb 1943-30 Apr 1945)
Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine (01 May 1945-23 May 1945)
Leader of the Negotiations-Delegation for Surrender in North Area Opposite the British Delegation headed by Field-Marshal Montgomery (00 May 1945)
Committed Suicide (23 May 1945)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern: am 17.01.1945 als Generaladmiral und Kommandierender Admiral der Unterseeboote
- Deutsches Kreuz in Silber: am 06.06.1942 als Kapitän zur See und 2. Admiral der Unterseeboote
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Grossherzoglich-Badischen Ordens vom Zähringer Löwen mit Schwertern
- Ehrenritter des Johanniter-Ordens
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spanienkreuz in Silber ohne Schwerter
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern


Back to ABR Homepage