Heinrich Ancker (officer)

Heinrich Ancker (born October 7, 1886 in Memel , † May 15, 1960 in Hamburg ) was a German naval officer , most recently vice admiral in World War II .

Life

Ancker joined the Imperial Navy on April 1, 1906 as a midshipman , completed his ship training on the cruiser frigate SMS Stein and then went to the naval school. After completing his training, he was transferred to the liner SMS Mecklenburg on October 1, 1908 and promoted to lieutenant on September 30, 1909 . From September 15, 1910 to September 30, 1912 he came as a company officer to the II. Torpedo Division and during this period he was also used several times as an officer on watch on the torpedo boat SMS G 175 . Subsequently, the first lieutenant at sea (since September 19, 1912) was briefly available and transferred to the East Asia Squadron . There he was initially on duty on the river gunboat SMS Vaterland . Then he came as a watch officer on the large cruiser SMS Gneisenau .

His ship was sunk shortly after the start of World War I during the sea ​​battle of the Falkland Islands on December 8, 1914. Ancker was one of the 187 German seamen rescued and from that point on he was in British captivity . After his release on September 1, 1917 and his return to Germany, he was initially assigned to the II Marine Division on September 17. There he was promoted to lieutenant captain two days later and Ancker was then used as an adjutant in the personnel office of the North Sea naval station until the end of the war . In this function he was taken over into the Reichsmarine .

From October 1, 1921, he came for two years as a navigational officer on the small cruiser Hamburg and then until February 16, 1925 as a company commander in the 5th Marine Artillery Department in Pillau . From there, Ancker was transferred as first officer on board the small cruiser Nymphe and promoted to corvette captain on May 1, 1925 . From September 28, 1927 to September 29, 1930 Ancker acted as commander of the VI. Naval artillery department in Emden . While being promoted to frigate captain at the same time , on October 1, 1930, he took over the 2nd division of the ship master division of the Baltic Sea. On October 1, 1932, Ancker was made captain at sea , shortly thereafter made available for three months and on January 1, 1933 appointed in command of Wilhelmshaven . On September 27, 1934, Ancker was given command of the liner Silesia for two years . He was then from September 26, 1936 to November 29, 1937 in command of the Kiel Naval Arsenal and in this function he was promoted to Rear Admiral on October 1, 1936 . On November 30, 1937, Ancker came to Hamburg as an inspector for the Economic Inspectorate X of the Defense Economic Department (W Wi) of the Wehrmacht Office (WA) . He stayed here after the start of World War II and was promoted to Vice Admiral on November 1, 1940. At times he was also responsible for the post of inspector of the Defense Economic Inspectorate North. On August 31, 1942, he was retired from the Navy while at the same time making the Commander in Chief of the Navy available. Ancker was appointed Reich Commissioner at the Hamburg Sea Office on September 1, 1942 , and worked there until February 20, 1945.

After the war, Ancker returned to his old place of work on February 1, 1948 as Federal Commissioner at the Hamburg Maritime Administration and stayed there until his retirement on August 31, 1957.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class
• Navy wounded badge in black
• Prussian rescue medal on ribbon
• Colonial badge

literature

• Hans H. Hildebrand and Ernest Henriot: Germany's Admirals 1849-1945 Volume 1: A – G , Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1988, ISBN 3-7648-2480-8

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ranking list of the German Reichsmarine , Ed .: Reichswehrministerium , Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1929, p. 42