(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Vizeadmiral Wolf von Trotha
Born: 01 Oct 1884 in Potsdam
Died: 31 Jan 1946 in the Custody of Soviet Authorities
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (11 Apr 1903); Leutnant zur See (29 Sep 1905); Oberleutnant zur See (30 Mar 1908); Kapitänleutnant (22 Mar 1914); Korvettenkapitän (01 Mar 1921); Fregattenkapitän (01 Mar 1928); Kapitän zur See (01 Jan 1930); Charakter als Konteradmiral (01 Oct 1933); Konteradmiral (01 Apr 1934); Charakter als Vizeadmiral (30 Sep 1936); Vizeadmiral z.V. (01 Sep 1941)
Career:
Entered the Navy as a Seekadett, Attended Basic-Training and on Board the School-Ship 'Stein' (01 Apr 1902-18 Mar 1903)
Naval-School and Special-Courses (19 Mar 1903-00 Sep 1904)
Departed to Woosung (00 Sep 1904-24 Oct 1904)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser 'Hertha' (25 Oct 1904-12 May 1905)
On Board the Liner 'Zähringen' (13 May 1905-11 Jul 1905)
On Board the Liner 'Preußen' (12 Jul 1905-29 Sep 1905)
Watch-Officer on the Small Cruiser 'Ariadne' (30 Sep 1905-22 Sep 1906)
Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection (23 Sep 1906-30 Sep 1906)
Company-Officer in the II. Torpedo-Division (01 Oct 1906-31 Mar 1908)
At the same time, Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat 'S 129' (03 Apr 1907-09 Jun 1907)
At the same time, Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat 'S 129' (20 Aug 1907-09 Sep 1907)
At the same time, Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat 'G 132' (28 Feb 1908-14 Mar 1908)
Departed to Shanghai with the 'Rhein' (25 Apr 1908-00 Jun 1908)
Watch-Officer on the Cannon-Boat 'Iltis' (00 Jun 1908-20 May 1910)
Returned Home from Shanghai and Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection (21 May 1910-30 Sep 1910)
Inspections-Officer at the Naval-School and Military Escort of Prinz Franz Josef von Hohenzollern (01 Oct 1910-30 Sep 1913)
Compant-Officer in the II. Torpedo-Division (01 Oct 1913-15 Mar 1914)
At the same time, Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat 'V 157' (01 Nov 1913-23 Dec 1913)
davon, VI. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla (16 Mar 1914-00 Oct 1918)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat 'V 157' (29 Mar 1914-13 Oct 1914)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat 'G 41' (14 Oct 1914-17 Jan 1915)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat 'G 37' (18 Jan 1915-15 Mar 1918)
Commandant of the Torpedo-Boat 'S 49' (16 Mar 1918-15 Nov 1918)
2nd and 1st Adjutant of the Imperial Shipyard, from 24 Nov 1918 Reichs-Shipyard Wilhelmshaven then II. Naval-Brigade (17 Nov 1918-14 Jun 1920)
Director of Processing, II. Naval-Brigade (16 Jun 1920-02 Nov 1920)
Port-Captain Wilhelmshaven (03 Nov 1920-09 Feb 1921)
1st Adjutant in the Staff of the Naval-Station of the North Sea (10 Feb 1921-30 Sep 1923)
Chief of the II. Flotilla (01 Oct 1923-31 Oct 1924)
Chief of the II. Torpedo-Boat-Flotilla (01 Nov 1924-11 May 1926)
Navigations-Officer on the Liner 'Elsaß' (12 May 1926-20 Sep 1926)
Commander of the Torpedo and Signals School (21 Sep 1926-29 Sep 1928)
Commandant of the Cruiser 'Nymphe' (03 Oct 1928-16 Apr 1929)
Commandant of the Cruiser 'Königsberg' (17 Apr 1929-02 Sep 1929)
Taken Ill and Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of the Naval-Station of the Baltic Sea (03 Sep 1929-26 Feb 1930)
Commandant Of Kiel and at the same time, Port-Captain and Naval-Commissioner for the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Channel (27 Feb 1930-25 Sep 1930)
Chief of the Naval-Officers-Personnel-Department, Naval Command (29 Sep 1930-25 Sep 1932)
Commander of the Naval-School Mürwik (30 Sep 1932-23 Sep 1936)
At the same time, Acting-Inspector of Training-Affairs of the Navy (16 Jul 1934-31 Jul 1934)
Retired (30 Sep 1936)
Placed to the Disposal of the Kriegsmarine (15 Feb 1939-05 Sep 1939)
2nd Admiral of the Baltic Sea (05 Sep 1939-03 Dec 1939)
Führer-Reserve OKM (04 Dec 1939-20 Jan 1941)
Senior-Shipyard-Director of the Kriegsmarine-Shipyard St. Nazaire (21 Jan 1941-18 Oct 1942)
Placed to Disposal and Granted Leave (19 Oct 1942-30 Nov 1942)
Retired (30 Nov 1942)
By order of the Soviet Intelligence VAdm. Trotha who lived in the US-sector was hijacked in the night of 04 Dec 1945 to have an interrogation (with bogus/falsified documents). US-attempts to get him back failed. He died in Soviet captivity, probably in the Teltow prison. His DoD was determined by the Court in Berlin-Zehlendorff on 24 Oct 1950 with the date: 31 Jan 1946

Decorations & Awards:


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