(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Konteradmiral Wilhelm Rhein
Born: 10 Mar 1887 in Radun, Neumark
Died: 24 Jul 1964 in Düsseldorf
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (21 Apr 1908); Leutnant zur See (28 Sep 1920); Oberleutnant zur See (27 Sep 1913); Kapitänleutnant (17 Sep 1917); Korvettenkapitän (01 Apr 1926); Fregattenkapitän (01 Oct 1931); Kapitän zur See (01 Oct 1933); Konteradmiral z.V. (01 Sep 1942)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and Attended Basic-Training and On Board the School-Ship ‘Charlotte’ (03 Apr 1907-31 Mar 1908)
Naval-School and Special-Briefings (01 Apr 1908-30 Sep 1909)
On Board the Liner ‘Lothringen’ (01 Oct 1909-14 Sep 1910)
On Board the Liner ‘Brandenburg’ (15 Sep 1910-14 Mar 1911)
Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection (15 Mar 1911-17 May 1911)
Company-Officer with the II. Sailor-Division (18 May 1911-30 Sep 1911)
At the same time, On Board the Liner ‘Brandenburg’ (31 Jul 1911-15 Sep 1911)
Company-Officer with the II. Sailor-Artillery-Battalion (01 Oct 1911-14 Feb 1912)
Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection (15 Feb 1912-30 Mar 1912)
On Board the Small Cruiser ‘Augsburg’ (31 Mar 1912-27 Apr 1912)
Company-Officer with the II. Sailor-Division (28 Apr 1912-14 Oct 1912)
Adjutant and Watch-Officer on the Liner ‘Friedrich der Große’ (15 Oct 1912-27 Mar 1914)
Watch-Officer in the Heavy Cruiser ‘Friedrich Carl’ (28 Mar 1914-31 Jul 1914)
Commandant of Barrier-Vehicle ‘A’ (01 Aug 1914-11 Oct 1914)
Watch-Officer on the Liner ‘Kaiser Barbarossa’ (12 Oct 1914-14 Mar 1915)
Course on the Special-Ship ‘Vulcan’ (15 Mar 1915-22 Mar 1915)
Acting-Commandant of the Torpedo-Division-Boat ‘D 10’ (23 Mar 1915-23 Apr 1915)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Division-Boat ‘D 10’ (24 Apr 1915-26 Apr 1915)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat ‘G 137’ of the 3rd Submarine-Flotilla (27 Apr 1915-30 Sep 1916)
Submarine-Training at the Submarine-School (01 Oct 1916-14 Mar 1917)
Commandant of the Submarine ‘UB 24’ (15 Mar 1917-22 Apr 1917)
Commandant of the Submarine ‘UB 16’ (23 Apr 1917-20 Aug 1917)
Commandant of the Submarine ‘UB 30’ (21 Aug 1917-15 Apr 1918)
Commandant of the Submarine ‘UB 112’ (16 Apr 1918-21 Nov 1918)
Placed to the Disposal of the Submarine-Flotilla, Flaunders (22 Nov 1918-15 Dec 1918)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the North Sea (16 Dec 1918-15 Oct 1919)
Detached to Coastal-Defence-Battalion II (16 Oct 1919-10 Jan 1920)
With the II. Naval-Brigade (11 Jan 1920-31 May 1920)
With the Ships-Cadre-Detachment of the North Sea (01 Jun 1920-13 Oct 1920)
Company-Leader in the Coastal-Defence-Battalion VI (14 Oct 1920-24 Sep 1923)
2nd Artillery-Officer on the Liner ‘Braunschweig’ (25 Nov 1923-25 Jul 1925)
2nd then 1st Artillery-Officer on the Liner ‘Elsaß’ (26 Jul 1925-30 Sep 1925)
1st Artillery-Officer on the Liner ‘Hannover’ (01 Oct 1925-28 Feb 1927)
1st Artillery-Officer on the Liner ‘Schlesien’ (01 Mar 1927-27 Sep 1927)
Advisor in the Training-Department of Naval Command (28 Sep 1927-09 Oct 1929)
2nd Admiral-Staff-Officer of Fleet-Command (10 Oct 1929-25 Sep 1931)
Chief Of Staff of the Inspection of Naval Artillery (26 Sep 1931-08 Mar 1933)
Chief of the Training-Department, Naval Command (09 Mar 1933-30 Jun 1935)
Retired (30 Jun 1935)
Placed to the Disposal of the Kriegsmarine and Chief Of Staff of the Coastal-Commander East Prussia and Fortress-Commander Pillau (24 Aug 1939-25 Sep 1939)
Chief Of Staff of the Representative of the Kriegsmarine in Danzig (26 Sep 1939-17 Dec 1939)
Chief Of Staff of the Naval-Weapons-Head-Office, OKM (18 Dec 1939-00 Jun 1940)
Shipyard-Representative for France (22 Aug 1940-19 Oct 1940)
Chief Of Staff of the Naval-Weapons-Head-Office, OKM (20 Oct 1940-31 Aug 1942)
Chief of the Office-Group for Research, Invention and Patenting, Naval-Weapons-Head-Office, OKM (01 Sep 1942-08 May 1945)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- 1914 EK II. Klasse
- 1914 EK I. Klasse
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz I. und II. Klasse
- U-Bootskriegsabzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918


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