Alexander Michels

Alexander Michels (born March 17, 1891 in Cologne , † June 26, 1968 in Bad Hönningen ) was a German naval officer , most recently vice admiral in World War II .

Life

Michels joined the Imperial Navy on April 1, 1911 as a midshipman , completed his basic training on the great cruiser Hertha and then went to the Mürwik naval school . Here on April 15, 1912, he was appointed ensign at sea . After completing his training, he served on the ship of the line King Albert from October 1, 1913 to January 12, 1915 and was promoted to lieutenant at sea on August 3, 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War . By June 4, 1915, he was assigned to a weapons training course and was transferred to the II. Torpedo Boat Flotilla, where he served as an officer on watch on the G 104 torpedo boat and was promoted to First Lieutenant at sea on April 26, 1917 . In the course of the war Michels received the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class.

After the end of the war, Michels was taken over into the Reichsmarine and from August 1, 1919 until the small cruiser Regensburg was decommissioned, he was an officer on watch on the ship. Subsequently, he was transferred to the regular crew of the small cruiser Medusa and was employed as an officer on watch from July 17 to August 21, 1920. Michels was then transferred to the 6th half-flotilla as the commander of the M 29 minesweeper . On November 1, 1921, he was promoted to lieutenant captain . On November 10, 1921, he switched to the 5th half-flotilla as commander of the M 157 minesweeper . From September 30, 1922 to March 2, 1925 he was first in command of the T 146 torpedo boat and later in command of the T 139 of the I. Flotilla . Then he came as a consultant to the lock attempt command in Kiel . On October 4, 1928, Michels was transferred to teach at the Mürwik Naval School, where he remained until September 29, 1929. Shortly before his promotion to Korvettenkapitän on October 1, 1929, Michels came to the Schleswig-Holstein liner as a navigation officer . From April 1 to July 9, 1931 he was first officer on the light cruiser Karlsruhe . This was followed by the appointment as commander of the I. Division of the ship master division of the Baltic Sea. From September 26, 1932 to March 29, 1933 he was commander of the blocking department. From March 30, 1933 to October 3, 1934 he served one more time on the Schleswig-Holstein liner , this time as first officer. Subsequently, it was in the Defense Department of the Army Office (WA) under Konteradmiral Wilhelm Canaris added. During his service there he was promoted to frigate captain on April 1, 1935 and to captain at sea on October 1, 1936 . On October 3, 1936, Michels was appointed chief of the staff for the inspection of barrages .

He remained in this position until February 23, 1943, when he was appointed inspector of this department. In the meantime, he was on 1 January 1941 Rear Admiral transported and on February 1, 1943, Vice Admiral. On December 28, 1943, he received the German Silver Cross .

After the surrender of the Wehrmacht after the end of the war, Michels was left in his position by the Allies until September 10, 1945, to coordinate the German mine clearance service . Then he was in British captivity , from which he was released on May 22, 1947.

literature

• Hans H. Hildebrand and Ernest Henriot: Germany's Admirals 1849-1945, Volume 2: H – O (Habicht to Orth) , Osnabrück 1989, ISBN 3-7648-2481-6

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Klaus D. Patzwall and Veit Scherzer : Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, History and Proprietor Volume II , Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X , p. 550