(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Vizeadmiral Leopold Bürkner
Born: 29 Jan 1894 in Zerbst, Anhalt
Died: 15 Jul 1975 in Frankfurt, Main
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (12 Apr 1913); Leutnant zur See (22 Mar 1915); Oberleutnant zur See (25 Dec 1917); Kapitänleutnant (01 May 1924); Korvettenkapitän (01 Oct 1931); Fregattenkapitän (01 Sep 1936); Kapitän zur See (01 Nov 1937); Konteradmiral (01 Apr 1942); Vizeadmiral (01 Oct 1943)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and Attended Basic-Training, and was on Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Hansa’ (01 Apr 1912-31 Mar 1913)
Attended Naval-School and Special-Briefings (01 Apr 1913-31 Jul 1914)
On Board the Liners ‘Wettin’ and ‘Schwaben’ and the Heavy Cruisers ‘Seydlitz’ and ‘Moltke’ (01 Aug 1914-28 Sep 1915)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘T 108’ with the I. Torpedo-Division (29 Sep 1915-24 Oct 1915)
Temporary Commandant of Torpedo-Boat ‘S 130’ (25 Oct 1915-06 Nov 1915)
Course on the Heavy Cruiser ‘Kaiserin Augusta’ (08 Nov 1915-21 Dec 1915)
Placed to the Disposal of the I. Torpedo-Division (22 Dec 1915-16 Jan 1916)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘S 143’ (17 Jan 1916-08 Mar 1916)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘S 165’ (12 Mar 1916-30 May 1916)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘G 173’ (01 Jun 1916-06 Aug 1916)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘G 197’ (07 Aug 1916-07 Jul 1917)
Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat ‘G 39’ (08 Feb 1917-21 Jun 1919)
In Captivity (21 Jun 1919-29 Jan 1920)
Released, in the Personnel-Department of the Admiralty (01 Feb 1920-31 Jul 1920)
Inspections, Candidates, and Group Officer at the Naval-School in Mürwik (01 Aug 1920-26 Sep 1923)
Course with the Coastal-Artillery-School (27 Sep 1923-26 Oct 1923)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat ‘G 10’ and Flag Lieutenant of the I. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla (27 Oct 1923-25 Sep 1927)
Attended Subsidiary-Leadership-Courses (08 Feb 1926-20 Mar 1926)
Advisor in the Training-Department of the Naval-Command (28 Sep 1927-30 Sep 1931)
At the same time, Chief of the UZ-Half-Flotilla (20 Jul 1929-12 Aug 1929)
Chief of the 3rd Torpedo-Boat-Half-Flotilla (01 Oct 1931-26 Sep 1933)
Naval-Liaison-Officer to foreign Naval-Attachés (09 Oct 1933-30 Sep 1935)
First Officer of the Armoured-Ship ‘Admiral Scheer’ (01 Oct 1935-26 Jul 1937)
Commandant of the School-Cruiser ‘Emden’ (28 Jul 1937-15 Jun 1938)
At the same time, Temporary-Commander of German Sea-Forces at Spain (14 Mar 1938-22 Mar 1938)
Chief of the Foreign Department, later Foreign-Office-Group in the Foreign-Office, OKW (15 Jun 1938-30 Jun 1944)
Chief of the Foreign-Office (Amtes Ausland), Wehrmacht-Operations-Staff, OKW (01 Jul 1944-23 May 1945)
At the same time, Protocall-Chief of the Reichs-Government (Dönitz) (03 May 1945-23 May 1945)
In Captivity (23 May 1945-25 Jun 1947)
Released (25 Jun 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern: am 02.05.1945 als Vizeadmiral und Chef der Amtsgruppe Ausland / Abwehr im OKW
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Anhaltisches Friedrich-Kreuz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Offizierkreuz des Kgl. Italien. Orden der Krone: 02.08.1935
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Komturkreuz des Kgl. Ungar. Verdienstordens: 10.08.1938
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes
- Spanienkreuz in Silber ohne Schwerter: 1940
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
- Finn. Freiheitskreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern: 10.12.1941
- Komturkreuz des Kgl. Rumän. Ordens des Sterns : 07.10.1942


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