(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Konteradmiral (Ing.) Otto Thedsen
Born: 01 Jan 1886 in Hamburg
Died: 11 Feb 1949 in Kiel
Promotions:
Oberheizer (21 Dec 1906); Maschinistenmaat (01 Apr 1907); Ubootsmaschinistenobermaat (01 Apr 1911); Ubootsmaschinist (01 Apr 1914); Ubootsobermaschinist (01 Oct 1916); Leutnant (Ing.) (08 Apr 1921); Oberleutnant (Ing.) (01 Jan 1924); Kapitänleutnant (Ing.) (01 Aug 1929); Korvettenkapitän (Ing.) (01 Apr 1935); Fregattenkapitän (Ing.) (01 Nov 1938); Kapitän zur See (Ing.) (01 Jun 1940); Konteradmiral (Ing.) (01 Mar 1943)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Heizer with the I. Shipyard-Division (01 Feb 1905-31 Mar 1905)
On Board the Mine-Steamer 'Pelikan' (01 Apr 1905-28 Jun 1906)
With the I. Shipyard-Division (29 Sep 1906-20 Apr 1907)
On Board the Liner 'Preußen' (21 Apr 1907-30 Sep 1910)
With the I. Shipyard-Division (01 Oct 1910-31 Mar 1911)
With the Submarine-Division (01 Apr 1911-29 Apr 1911)
On Board the Submarine 'U 9' (30 Apr 1911-22 Jul 1911)
Construction-Information for the Submarine 'U 10' (23 Jul 1911-30 Aug 1911)
Technician Number 1 on the Submarine 'U 10' (31 Aug 1911-11 Jan 1912)
With the Submarine-Division (12 Jan 1912-04 Mar 1912)
2nd Watch-Machinist on the Submarine 'U 10' (05 Mar 1912-13 Sep 1913)
With the Submarine-Division (14 Sep 1913-04 Oct 1913)
Engineer and Deck-Officer School (05 Oct 1913-24 Mar 1914)
With the Submarine-Division (25 Mar 1914-22 Apr 1914)
With the II. Submarine-School-Flotilla (23 Apr 1914-02 Jun 1914)
Senior-Machinist on the Submarine 'U 16' (03 Jun 1914-10 Mar 1918)
Senior-Machinist with the Submarine-School-Half-Flotilla (04 Apr 1918-11 Sep 1918)
Chief Engineer on the Submarine 'UC 91' (12 Sep 1918-06 Jan 1919)
With the Coastal-Defence-Regiment of the Baltic Sea Station (07 Jan 1919-10 Apr 1920)
Chief Engineer on the Minesweeper 'M 5' (11 Apr 1920-20 Oct 1920)
Attended Naval-School Kiel-Wik (21 Oct 1920-02 Jan 1922)
Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (03 Jan 1922-20 Feb 1922)
Chief Engineer on the Torpedo-Boat 'G 8' of the 1st Half-Flotilla (21 Feb 1922-30 Sep 1925)
Instructor at the Naval-School Kiel-Wik (01 Oct 1925-27 Sep 1927)
Watch-Engineer on the Cruiser 'Nymphie' (28 Sep 1927-16 Apr 1929)
Watch-Engineer on the Cruiser 'Königsberg' (17 Apr 1929-02 Oct 1931)
Half-Flotilla-Engineer of the 2nd Torpedo-Boat-Half-Flotilla (03 Oct 1931-03 Oct 1933)
Assistent in the Naval-Supply-Office Swinemünde (04 Oct 1933-23 Sep 1934)
Company-Chief in the I. Battalion of the Ships-Cadre-Division of the Baltic Sea (24 Sep 1934-05 Sep 1935)
Flotilla-Engineer of the Submarine-Flotilla 'Weddigen' (06 Sep 1935-03 Oct 1936)
Formation-Engineer with the Leader of Submarines (01 Jan 1936-16 Oct 1939)
Formation-Engineer with the Organisation-Department of the Commander of Submarines (17 Oct 1939-11 Sep 1941)
Chief-Engineer and Leader of the Technical Department with the Staff of the 2nd Admiral of Submarines (12 Sep 1941-31 Jan 1943)
Chief-Engineer and Leader of the Technical Department with the Staff of the Commanding Admiral of Submarines (01 Feb 1943-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (08 May 1945-24 Feb 1946)
Released (24 Feb 1946)

Decorations & Awards:
- Deutsches Kreuz in Silber: am 31.08.1943 als Konteradmiral (Ing) und Chefingenieur und Leiter Technischen Abteilung/ Stab Kommandierender Admiral der Unterseeboote
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
- U-Bootskriegsabzeichen, 1918
- Kgl. Preuss. Dienstauszeichnungskreuz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern


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