Walter Hennecke

Walter Hennecke
Walter Hennecke (left) and Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben surrendering to the American forces at Cherbourg
Born	(1898-05-23)23 May 1898 Betheln
Died	Bad Lippspringe
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Kaiserliche Marine Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1915–45
Rank	Konteradmiral
Unit	SMS Freya SMS Kaiserin
Commands held	cruiser Nürnberg battleship Schleswig-Holstein
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Walter Hennecke (23 May 1898 – 1 January 1984) was a Konteradmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by Hitler for "a feat unprecedented in the annals of coastal defense.", when he wrecked Cherbourg's port.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (5 March 1922)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (12 December 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 1st Class
• High Seas Fleet Badge
• War Merit Cross with Swords
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 June 1944 as Konteradmiral and sea commander of Normandy
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (27 June 1944)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
27 June 1944	Marinetruppen der Küstenbatterien, der nachrichten- und Landdienststellen sowie an Land eingesetzte Schiffsbesatzungen haben sich bei den Kämpfen um Cherbourg unter dem Oberbefehl des Seekommandanten der Normandie, Konteradmiral Hennecke, und unter Führung des Hafenkommandanten Witt, besonders ausgezeichnet. Die Marineküstenbatterie "York" versenkte vor Cherbourg einen Leichten Kreuzer.	Naval troops of the shore batteries, the intelligence and land based offices, and ship crews employed on land, have particularly excelled in the battles for Cherbourg under the command of the Naval Commander Normandy, Rear Admiral Hennecke, and under the leadership of the port commander Witt. The naval coastal battery "York" sunk off Cherbourg a light cruiser.

External links

• Walter Hennecke @ Deutsche Marinearchiv