Friedrich Bonte

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Friedrich Bonte (19 October 1896 10 April 1940) was the German naval officer commanding the destroyer flotilla that transported invasion troops to Narvik during the German invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung) in April 1940.

Born in Potsdam, Bonte joined the Imperial Navy as a midshipman in April 1914 and was commissioned Leutnant zur See in July 1916. He was retained in the drastically reduced post-war German navy, where he had a steady career. He was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See in September 1920, Kapitänleutnant in April 1926, Korvettenkapitän (Lieutenant Commander) in September 1933, and Fregattenkapitän (Commander) in April 1937. In November 1938, he was given command of the Second Destroyer Flotilla, and in April 1939 he was promoted to Kapitän zur See (Captain). On 24 October 1939, Bonte was appointed Commander of Torpedoboats (Führer der Torpedoboote) and two days later also Commander of Destroyers (Führer der Zerstörer) of the German Kriegsmarine. He relinquished command of the torpedoboats at the end of Nevember 1939, but held the command over the destroyers until his death. On 10 February 1940 he was promoted to Commodore.

During the German invasion of Norway, Bonte commanded the ten destroyers carrying General Dietl's mountain troops to Narvik on 9 April 1940. On the morning of 10 April, the flotilla was attacked in Narvik fjord by British destroyers under the command of Commodore Bernard Warburton-Lee. In the ensuing battle, Bonte's flagship, the destroyer Wilhelm Heidkamp, was hit by a torpedo and exploded. Bonte and most of the crew perished. Bonte was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross.