Hubert Schmundt

Hubert Schmundt
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-078-74, Hubert Schmundt.jpg Hubert Schmundt
Born	(1888-09-19)19 September 1888 Schweidnitz/Silesia
Died	Bad Soden
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1919) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kaiserliche Marine Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1908–44
Rank	Admiral
Unit	SMS Charlotte SMS Scharnhorst SMS Württemberg
Commands held	light cruiser Königsberg light cruiser Nürnberg Naval Academy Mürwik
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl Julius Gustav Hubert Schmundt (19 September 1888 – 17 October 1984) was an Admiral of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

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 German 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. Schmudt was awarded the Iron Cross first and second class.

Schmunt 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 Schmunt 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 (squadron group consisted of light cruisers Köln (flagship) and the Königsberg, an artillery training ship Bremse, torpedo boat tender "Karl Peters, destroyers " Wolf " and " Leopard ", and a group of small warships). Subsequently Schmundt served as Admiral commanding Northern Norway (1941–42) including commanding Operation Wunderland, and as commander of German 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.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (6 October 1915)
  • 1st Class (14 May 1917)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (21 December 1934)
• Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (1 October 1939)
  • 1st Class (11 April 1940)
• Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (25 March 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 June 1940 as Konteradmiral and commander in chief of the Aufklärungs-Streitkräfte and leader of the Kampfgruppe Bergen

References

Bibliography

• Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2497-2.

External links

• Hubert Schmundt @ Deutsche Marinesoldaten
• Herbert Schmundt @ Axis Biographical Research at the Wayback Machine (archived January 16, 2011)

Military offices
Preceded by Vizeadmiral Günther Lütjens	Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfte (B.d.A.) 1 April 1940 – 31 July 1940	Succeeded by Re-designated Befehlshaber der Kreuzer (B.d.K.)