Martin Baltzer

Martin Baltzer (born November 10, 1898 in Stettin , † April 3, 1971 in Beckum ) was a German naval officer , most recently vice admiral in World War II .

Life

Baltzer joined the Imperial Navy on July 4, 1916 as a war volunteer and officer candidate and first came to the Mürwik Naval School . From September 3 to October 31, 1916, he continued his training on board the great cruiser Freya , before he was then transferred to the large-scale liner Prinzregent Luitpold until November 10, 1918 . Here you had him on 26 April 1917. Midshipman appointed and on 18 September 1918 Ensign promoted. From August 15 to November 17, 1917, he was assigned to a navigation course at the naval school and then to a torpedo course on the torpedo training ship Württemberg until February 2, 1918 . After the end of the war, Baltzer was given leave of absence until April 30, 1919. Until September 30, 1919, he was a member of a Reichswehr rifle regiment or the Potsdam Freikorps .

Baltzer was then taken over into the Reichsmarine and there until September 7, 1921 with the Coast Guard Department III. and IV. used as orderly and company officer. From September 8 to November 5, 1921, he completed a sports course, was placed at the disposal of the chief of the North Sea Naval Station until December 21, 1921 , and was on leave again until January 18, 1922. Baltzer was on duty on the small cruiser Hamburg for a month before he was sent to the naval school until March 24, 1922. As the 2nd training officer, Baltzer came to the training ship Niobe until July 10, 1922 and was promoted to lieutenant at sea on April 1, 1922 . As such, he worked alternately for one year as a second training officer on the Kleiner Kreuzer Berlin and the Niobe . Baltzer was then transferred to the 1st torpedo boat flotilla in Swinoujscie until September 26, 1929 , where he was initially employed as an officer on watch and then as the commander of the T 144 , T 156 and T 157 torpedo boats . On April 1, 1929, Baltzer had become a lieutenant captain . Until August 31, 1933, he was in the naval management . First he was used as a consultant in the naval defense department, then he was adjutant to Admiral Erich Raeder , the chief of the naval command. In this function he took part in the memorable meeting of the highest representatives of the Reichswehr and the OBdM Raeder on February 3, 1933 in Hammerstein's private apartment with the newly appointed Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler , during which he explained his living space concept to the generals (see: Liebmann record ). Another assignment followed as a training officer, this time until July 8, 1934 on the light cruiser Karlsruhe . Baltzer then worked as a company commander at the Mürwik Naval School for a month , and then worked as a consultant in the inspection of the Navy's educational system. In the meantime he had been promoted to Corvette Captain on April 1, 1935 . As commander of the training department, he came to the 1st Destroyer Division on October 27, 1936 and, after its commissioning, took over the destroyer Max Schultz on April 8, 1937 . From October 25, 1938, he served as 1st adjutant in the staff of the Baltic Sea Naval Station and was promoted to frigate captain on January 1, 1939 .

Baltzer remained at his post beyond the beginning of the Second World War and became a sea captain on April 1, 1940 . From May 25, 1942, Baltzer was in command of the light cruiser Cologne . On December 12, 1942, Baltzer gave up command and a short time later, on January 6, 1943, he became chief of the naval personnel office in the naval high command . In this function he was promoted to rear admiral on March 1, 1943 and vice admiral on April 1, 1945. After the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht , the Allies initially left Baltzer at his post until July 14, 1945. He was then taken into British captivity , from which he was released on April 18, 1947.

literature

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

Web links

• Institute for Contemporary History Munich-Berlin : Witness literature online. ZS 1773, Baltzer, Martin (PDF file; 405 kB). Letter from Baltzer to Baum dated October 18, 1956 and October 25, 1956: Resistance and involvement of the Navy in the assassination attempt of July 20, 1944.