(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Konteradmiral Harald Kienast
Born: 28 Sep 1894 in Königsberg, East Prussia (Ostpreußen)
Died: 08 Mar 1986 in Kirchheim-Teck, Baden-Württemberg
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (03 Apr 1914); Leutnant zur See (18 Sep 1915); Oberleutnant zur See (07 Jan 1920); Kapitänleutnant (01 Apr 1925); Korvettenkapitän (01 Oct 1932); Fregattenkapitän (01 Oct 1936); Kapitän zur See (01 Jul 1938); Konteradmiral (01 Oct 1942)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and Attended Basic-Training and On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hansa’ (01 Apr 1913-31 Mar 1914)
Naval-School Mürwik (01 Apr 1914-01 Aug 1914)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Prinz Adalbert’ and Small Cruiser ‘Nymphe’ (02 Aug 1914-09 Oct 1915)
2nd Radio-Officer on the Small Cruiser ‘Stralsund’ (10 Oct 1915-27 Nov 1915)
Flag-Lieutenant and 1st Radio-Officer with the Staff of the Commander of Reconnaissance-Ships (28 Nov 1915-09 May 1917)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hindenburg’ (10 May 1917-00 Nov 1918)
Flag-Lieutenant with the Staff of the Internment-Formation then Watch-Officer on the Small Cruiser ‘Regensburg’ (00 Nov 1918-09 Mar 1920)
Signals-Officer with the Staff of the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (10 Mar 1920-01 Jun 1920)
Naval-Signals-Officer Neumünster (01 Jun 1920-30 Sep 1922)
Naval-Signals-Officer Swinemünde and Stolpmünde (01 Oct 1922-09 Oct 1923)
Company-Officer with the Coastal-Defence-Battalion I (10 Oct 1923-14 Aug 1924)
Naval-Signals-Officer Friedrichsort (15 Aug 1924-12 Sep 1924)
Ships-Cadre ‘Hessen’ (13 Sep 1924-05 Jan 1925)
Watch and Roll Officer on the Liner ‘Hessen’ (06 Jan 1925-16 Aug 1926)
Instructor at the Torpedo and Signals School and Naval-Signals-Officer Mürwik (17 Aug 1926-14 Aug 1928)
Kapitänleutnant with the Staff of the Torpedo and Signals School and also Leader of the Signals School (15 Aug 1928-19 Sep 1930)
First Officer on the Survey-Ship ‘Meteor’ (20 Sep 1930-25 Sep 1932)
Leader of the Signals Medium Test Institute (26 Sep 1932-24 Sep 1934)
First Officer on the Armoured-Ship 'Admiral Graf Spee' (28 May 1937-19 Apr 1938)
Director of the Signals-Medium-Department, Kriegsmarine-Shipyard Kiel (20 Apr 1938-23 Apr 1939)
Chief of the Department for Technical Signals Affairs, OKM (24 Apr 1939-18 Nov 1939)
Chief of the Equipment and Provisions Department in Office-Group Technical Signals Affairs, OKM (19 Nov 1939-15 Jun 1941)
Chief of Office-Group Technical Signals Affairs, OKM (16 Jun 1941-31 May 1943)
Commandant of the Sea Water Route Kaiser-Wilhelm Channel (03 Jun 1943-08 Jun 1943)
Higher Commander of Naval-Signals-Schools (09 Jun 1943-13 Nov 1944)
Commander of Military-District-Command Upper Silesia and Location-Senior and Battle-Commandant Kattowitz (08 Dec 1944-24 Jan 1945)
Wounded, in Hospital (25 Jan 1945-15 Mar 1945)
Higher Commander of Naval-Signals-Schools (16 Apr 1945-29 May 1945)
In Captivity (29 May 1945-06 Feb 1947)
In Internment in Neuengamme and Adelheide (07 Feb 1947-24 Feb 1948)
Released (24 Feb 1948)

Decorations & Awards:


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