(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Konteradmiral Ernst Kratzenberg
Born: 25 Jan 1896 in Neuruppin
Died: 16 Jul 1984 in Eutin
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (23 Dec 1914); Leutnant zur See (13 Jul 1916); Oberleutnant zur See (28 Sep 1920); Kapitänleutnant (01 Oct 1926); Korvettenkapitän (01 Apr 1934); Fregattenkapitän (01 Jul 1937); Kapitän zur See (01 Jun 1939); Konteradmiral (01 Feb 1943)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett at Basic-Training and on Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hertha’ (01 Apr 1914-03 Aug 1914)
Transferred into the Signals-Department of the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (04 Aug 1914-27 Sep 1914)
Course on Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Kaiserin Augusta’ (28 Sep 1914-31 Oct 1914)
On Board the Liner ‘Markgraf’ (01 Nov 1914-17 Mar 1918)
Submarine-Training at the Submarine-School (18 Mar 1918-26 Jun 1918)
Watch-Officer on ‘U 60’, II. Submarine-Flotilla (27 Jun 1918-04 Jan 1919)
Placed to the Disposal of the Inspection of Submarines (05 Jan 1919-31 Mar 1919)
Company-Officer with the III. Naval-Brigade (07 May 1919-26 Sep 1919)
Company-Leader with the III. Naval-Brigade (27 Sep 1919-01 Jun 1920)
Adjutant of the Coastal-Defence-Battalion V (02 Jun 1920-30 Sep 1923)
Transferred to the Ships-Cadre ‘Thetis’ (01 Oct 1923-22 Dec 1923)
Watch and Torpedo Officer on the Cruiser ‘Thetis’ (23 Dec 1923-29 Nov 1924)
Watch and Torpedo Officer on the Cruiser ‘Nymphe’ (30 Nov 1924-27 Sep 1925)
Company-Leader with the II. Battalion of the Ships-Cadre-Division of the Baltic Sea (28 Sep 1929-30 Sep 1928)
Torpedo-Officer on the Cruiser ‘Emden’ (01 Oct 1928-29 Sep 1930)
2nd Adjutant in the Staff of the Naval-Station of the North Sea (30 Sep 1930-05 Oct 1933)
Navigation-Officer on the Cruiser ‘Königsberg’ (06 Oct 1933-30 Sep 1935)
Advisor in the Naval-Defence-Department, Naval Command, from 11 Jan 1936 OKM (01 Oct 1935-14 Jan 1940)
Commandant of the Light Cruiser ‘Köln’ (15 Jan 1940-28 May 1941)
Chief of the Construction-Department in the Office-Group Submarine-Affairs, Naval Warfare Command, OKM (29 May 1941-28 Feb 1943)
At the same time, Chief of Office-Group Submarine Affairs (22 Feb 1943-28 Feb 1943)
Chief of the Command-Department Submarines in the Quartermaster-Office, OKM (01 Mar 1943-17 May 1943)
Chief Of Staff of the Commanding Admiral of Submarines (18 May 1943-19 Apr 1945)
Officer-Catch-Command; Command as 2nd Admiral of the North Sea did not begin (20 Apr 1945-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (08 May 1945-02 Dec 1946)
Released (02 Dec 1946)

Decorations & Awards:
Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (01 Apr 1945)


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