(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Flieger Hans Ritter
Born: 02 Mar 1893 in Harburg on the Elbe
Died: 21 May 1991 in Munich (München)
Promotions:
Fähnrich zur See (01 Apr 1913); Leutnant zur See (22 Mar 1915); Oberleutnant zur See (25 Dec 1917); Kapitänleutnant (01 Apr 1922); Korvettenkapitän (01 May 1930); Fregattenkapitän (01 Sep 1935); Oberstleutnant (01 Oct 1935); Oberst (01 Apr 1936); Generalmajor (01 Jan 1939); Generalleutnant (01 Nov 1940); General der Flieger (01 Apr 1942)
Career:
Entered the Navy and Attended Military Basic-Training at the Naval-School and Sea-Cadet on Board the School-Ship ‘Hertha’ (01 Apr 1912-31 Mar 1913)
Training at the Naval-School Mürwik (01 Apr 1913-31 Mar 1914)
Infantry, Torpedo and Artillery Course (01 Apr 1914-31 Jul 1914)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Friedrich Carl’ (01 Aug 1914-00 Nov 1914)
Radio-Telegraph-Course (00 Nov 1914-00 Jan 1915)
On Board the Heavy Cruiser ‘Prinz Adalbert’ (00 Jan 1915-00 Jan 1915)
On Board the Liner ‘Hessen’ (00 Jan 1915-00 Mar 1915)
On Board the Liner ‘Lothringen’ (00 Mar 1915-00 Mar 1916)
Flying-Training with the I. Sea-Flying-Battalion (00 Mar 1916-00 May 1916)
Pilot with the Sea-Flying-Station Angernsee, Kurland (00 May 1916-00 Mar 1917)
Training at the Single-Seated-Combat-School Danzig (00 Mar 1917-00 May 1917)
Pilot with the Sea-Flying-Squadron Flaunders II (00 May 1917-00 Oct 1917)
Pilot with the Sea-Front-Squadron Flaunders (00 Oct 1917-00 Mar 1918)
2nd Adjutant of the I. Sea-Flying-Battalion (00 Mar 1918-00 Jan 1919)
Station-Leader of the Combat-Flying-School Langfuhr, Border-Protection East, later List, Helgoland and Norderney (00 Jan 1919-30 Sep 1920)
Watch-Officer on the Cruiser ‘Hamburg’ (01 Oct 1920-30 Sep 1922)
Commandant of the Tender ‘Drache’ of the Ships-Artillery-School (01 Oct 1922-31 Mar 1923)
Advisor for Flight-Affairs and Air-Protection in the Fleet-Department, Naval-Command (01 Apr 1923-00 Jun 1926)
Course at the Ship-Artillery-School, Kiel-Wik (00 Jun 1926-00 Sep 1926)
Course at the Naval-Flak-School, Wilhelmshaven (00 Sep 1926-30 Sep 1926)
Watch and 3rd Artillery-Officer on the Liner ‘Schleswig-Holstein’ (01 Oct 1926-30 Sep 1928)
Advisor for Flight-Affairs in the Fleet-Department, Naval-Command (01 Oct 1928-30 Sep 1933)
5th Admiral-Staff-Officer (Flight-Affairs) in Fleet-Command, Naval Command then OKM (01 Oct 1933-30 Sep 1935)
Transferred into Luftwaffe Service as Commander of the Flier-Weapons-School Parow (01 Oct 1935-31 Mar 1936)
Higher Commander of Flying-Schools and of Flying-Replacement-Battalions in Air-District VI (Sea) and Air-Base-Commandant Warnemünde (01 Apr 1936-31 Jan 1939)
General Of Luftwaffe with the Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine, at the same time, Commander of Naval-Flying-Formations (01 Feb 1939-19 Sep 1944)
At the same time, Inspector Of Sea-Flying, RLM (01 Feb 1939-31 Dec 1940)
Führer-Reserve OKL (19 Sep 1944-31 Jan 1945)
Retired (31 Jan 1945)
In Soviet Captivity then Prison, Condemned to 25 Years Imprisonment (03 Jul 1945-09 Oct 1955)
Released Early (09 Oct 1955)

Decorations & Awards:
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Erinnerungsabzeichen des Marineflugwesens
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse


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