Fritz Krauss (naval officer)

Fritz Krauss (born March 20, 1898 in Chur , † July 13, 1978 in Großhansdorf ) was a German naval officer , most recently rear admiral in World War II .

Life

Krauss joined the Imperial Navy on April 10, 1917 as a war volunteer and officer candidate . First he completed his basic training on the large cruiser SMS Freya , came to the Mürwik Naval School and was transferred to the large liner SMS König after their visit . There he was appointed ensign at sea on February 15, 1918 . Here he remained beyond the end of World War I until December 31, 1918, then was transferred to the reserve and retired from active service on January 21, 1920.

As a lieutenant at sea , Krauss was reactivated on May 3, 1921 and accepted into the Reichsmarine . First he continued his training at the naval school and was then officer on watch on the small cruisers Arcona and Amazone . In the meantime he had been promoted to lieutenant at sea on May 1, 1923 . From October 1, 1924 to March 24, 1927 Krauss worked as a group officer at the naval school. This was followed by assignments as a radio officer on the ship of the line Schleswig-Holstein and as a radio and watch officer on the light cruiser Emden , with whom he made two trips abroad. With his promotion to captainleutnant , Krauss was transferred to the staff of the commander of the naval station of the Baltic Sea for three years as fourth admiral staff officer on October 1, 1930 . He was then an officer on watch on the Schleswig-Holstein until September 25, 1935 and then came as a consultant to the naval management . He remained here even after the authority was renamed the High Command of the Navy until April 3, 1938. Korvettenkapitän Krauss (since February 1, 1936) was then transferred to the armored ship Germany as a navigation officer.

At the beginning of the Second World War, Germany briefly waged a trade war in the Atlantic and shortly before returning home, Krauss was promoted on board to frigate captain on November 1, 1939 . As such, he remained on board after the renaming of the Lützow, which was now reclassified as a heavy cruiser , was appointed first officer on January 11, 1940 and took part in the Weser Exercise , the occupation of Norway . From April 19 to June 23, 1940, he was also entrusted with the management of the ship's commander's business. He was then transferred as Chief of Staff to the Naval Commander in Western France. After its dissolution, Krauss was placed at the disposal of the High Command of the Navy from December 1, 1940 to April 4, 1941, he was then employed as first officer on the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and promoted to captain on June 1, 1941 . Krauss was entrusted with the management of the commandant's business from February 2 to April 1, 1943. He then acted as a naval intelligence officer at the German naval command in Italy until August 31, 1943 and was then transferred to the high command of the navy. Krauss was chief of the naval intelligence service there from August 16, 1944 and as such received his promotion to rear admiral a month later.

Krauss remained at his post after the end of the war and was appointed head of the German mine clearance service by the British authorities on July 23, 1945 . Shortly before the service was terminated, he retired on December 19, 1947.

literature

• Hans H. Hildebrand and Ernest Henriot: Germany's Admirals 1849-1945 Volume 2: HO , Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1989, ISBN 3-7648-1499-3