Hubert Schmundt

Hubert Schmundt (19 September 1888 – 17 October 1984) was a German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

Hubert Schmundt
Born(1888-09-19)19 September 1888
Schweidnitz
Died17 October 1984(1984-10-17) (aged 96)
Bad Soden
Allegiance German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 Nazi Germany
Service/branchKriegsmarine
Years of service1908–44
RankAdmiral
Commands heldlight cruiser Königsberg
light cruiser Nürnberg
Naval Academy Mürwik
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Schmundt joined the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) as a cadet in 1908 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1911. He was serving with the East Asia Squadron aboard SMS Scharnhorst between 1910 and 1913 and returned to Germany in 1913. During World War I he was flag lieutenant of the 3rd destroyer flotilla and commanded the destroyer V71 being promoted to Kapitänleutnant in 1918. Schmundt was awarded the Iron Cross first and second class.

Schmundt remained in the Navy after the end of the war and in the 1920s commanded the torpedo boat S18 and served as a staff officer. He was promoted to Korvettenkapitän in 1927 and served as an aide to Defence Minister Wilhelm Groener between 1929 and 1932. During the 1930s, Schmundt commanded the light cruisers Königsberg (1934–35) and Nürnberg (1935–36). He became commander of the Naval Academy Mürwik in Flensburg-Mürwik in 1938 and was promoted to rear admiral.

In the Second World War, Schmundt commanded the Bergen warship group during Operation Weserübung, which consisted of the light cruisers Köln (flagship) and Königsberg, the artillery training ship Bremse, torpedo boat tender Carl Peters, torpedo boats Wolf and Leopard, and a group of smaller warships). Subsequently, Schmundt served as the commander of German naval forces in Northern Norway (1941–42) and oversaw Operation Wunderland. He later served as commander of German naval forces in the Baltic (1943–44). He was dismissed in April 1944 and taken prisoner by the British in 1945. He was released in 1947.

Schmundt died at the age of 96 on 17 October 1984.

Awards

Notes

  1. According to Scherzer as stellvertretender Befehlshaber der Aufklärungs-Streitkräfte und Führer der Kriegschiffgruppe 3 (Zielhafen Bergen)—deputy commander of the reconnaissance forces and leader of the warship group 3 (destination Bergen).[3]

References

Citations

  1. Dörr 1996, p. 209.
  2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 383.
  3. Scherzer 2007, p. 674.

Bibliography

  • Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der KriegsmarineBand 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2497-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
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