(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Konteradmiral Otto Kähler
Born: 03 Mar 1894 in Hamburg
Died: 02 Nov 1967 in Kiel
Promotions:
Vizesteuermann der Reserve (13 Jul 1916); Leutnant zur See (09 Sep 1920); Oberleutnant zur See (28 Sep 1920); Kapitänleutnant (01 Oct 1926); Korvettenkapitän (01 Dec 1933); Fregattenkapitän (01 Jun 1937); Kapitän zur See (01 Apr 1939); Konteradmiral (01 Feb 1943)
Career:
In the Merchant Navy (1909-1914)
Entered the Navy as a One Year Volunteer, Basic-Training and On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hansa’ (01 Apr 1914-28 Jul 1914)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Roon’ (29 Jul 1914-06 Feb 1916)
Submarine-Training with the Submarine-School (07 Feb 1916-01 Jun 1916)
Watch-Officer with the Submarine-Flotilla Kurland (02 Jun 1916-16 Oct 1916)
Watch-Officer on ‘UB 30’ and ‘UB 112’, Submarine-Flotilla Flaunders (16 Oct 1916-18 Dec 1918)
Granted Leave (19 Dec 1918-30 Jun 1919)
Adjutant and Watch Officer with the V. Baltic-Sea-Minesweeper-Flotilla (01 Jul 1919-20 Apr 1920)
Granted Leave (21 Apr 1920-08 Sep 1920)
Watch-Officer on the Tender ‘S 168’ with the Barrier-Test-Command (09 Sep 1920-07 Nov 1920)
Commandant of the Minesweeper ‘M 75’ with the 12th Half-Flotilla (08 Nov 1920-04 Jun 1921)
Advisor and Adjutant in the Personnel-Office North Sea (05 Jun 1921-30 Jan 1922)
Commandant of the Tender ‘M 134’ (31 Jan 1922-30 Sep 1922)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘T 151’ with the 4th Torpedo-Boat-Half-Flotilla (01 Oct 1922-30 Sep 1924)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat ‘T 153’ with the 4th Torpedo-Boat-Half-Flotilla (01 Oct 1924-30 Sep 1925)
Flag-Lieutenant of the II. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla and Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat ‘T 196’ then ‘T 185’ (01 Oct 1925-25 Sep 1927)
Admiral-Staff-Officer with the Staff of the Commander of the Sea Forces of the North Sea (26 Sep 1927-30 Sep 1929)
Subsidiary-Leadership-Training (01 Oct 1929-06 Apr 1931)
Company-Chief at the Naval-School Friedrichsort (07 Apr 1931-27 Mar 1933)
Navigation-Officer on the Cruiser ‘Karlsruhe’ (28 Mar 1933-02 Jul 1935)
Advisor in the Ships Transport and Operations Department in Naval Command, from 11 Jan 1936 in OKM (03 Jul 1935-07 Nov 1937)
Placed to the Disposal of the Inspection of Training Affairs of the Navy (10 Nov 1937-18 Mar 1938)
Commandant of the Sailing-School-Ship ‘Gorch Fock’ (19 Mar 1938-05 Sep 1939)
Chief of Outpost-Formations West (06 Sep 1939-15 Oct 1939)
Construction-Indoctrination Ship 10 (16 Oct 1939-14 Mar 1940)
Commandant of the Auxiliary-Cruiser ‘Thor’ (15 Mar 1940-20 Jul 1941)
Department-Chief in Sea-Ship-Transport-Office in the Reichs Traffic Ministry (21 Jul 1941-30 Jun 1942)
Naval Liaison Officer to the Reichs-Commissioner for Sea Ship Transport (01 Jul 1942-15 Oct 1942)
Chief of the Ship Transport Department, Naval Warfare Command, OKM (16 Oct 1942-04 Jan 1944)
Commandant of the Sea-Fortifications Brittany (05 Jan 1944-18 Sep 1944)
In Captivity (18 Sep 1944-28 Feb 1947)
Released (28 Feb 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (22 Dec 1940)
Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (15 Sep 1944, 583rd recipient)


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