| Edgar Angeli | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 11, 1892 Karlovac, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | June 17, 1945 (aged 53) Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Allegiance | Austria-Hungary Kingdom of Yugoslavia Independent State of Croatia |
| Service/branch | Navy of the Independent State of Croatia |
| Years of service | 1911-1945 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | Navy of the Independent State of Croatia |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir 3rd Class |
Edgar Angeli (11 May 1892 - 17 June 1945) was Croatian rear admiral of Navy of the Independent State of Croatia of Jewish origin.[1]
Angeli was born in Karlovac, Austria-Hungary. He attended Naval Academy of Austrian-Hungarian War Navy. As a naval officer he participated in World War I serving in fleet based in Rijeka.
In 1919 he was assigned to War Navy of State of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in rank of lieutenant commander. He saw capitulation of Kingdom of Yugoslavia in rank of captain while he commanded river fleet.[2] Because he was earlier connected with Croatian officers who supported Ustaše and Slavko Kvaternik he assigned as officer of newly formed Navy of the Independent State of Croatia and became deputy commander on 10 April 1941.
Because he joined Croatian Navy, Yugoslav Government in exile declared him as traitor and deprived him from his rank he worn in Yugoslav Navy. Trough radio London he was marked with cod letter "Z" which meant he needs to be slaughtered (Croatian: zaklati).[3]
In Croatian Navy he continued to command river fleet and he got coastal port gendarmerie under his command. He participated in creation of Croatian Naval Legion which served as part of Kriegsmarine on Black Sea and Azov Sea, he also broke Treaty of Rome signed by Pavelić and Mussolini whereby the Italians forbade Croatia to build any sort of navy. For his merits he was decorated with Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir 3rd Class on 13 June 1942 from Poglavnik Ante Pavelić.
He was deputy commander of Navy of the Independent State of Croatia until 14 April 1943, and on 17 September he was promoted to a rank of rear admiral thus becoming a commander of Croatian Navy.[4]
He retired on 21 April 1944 on his own request because he was ill. In May 1945 he pulled up to Bleiburg, later he was extradited by British Army to Yugoslav Partisans. He was imprisoned in partisan HQ in Zagreb where he was killed[5] on 17 June 1945 by partisans from revenge because he gave resistance to partisans of Petar Drapšin near Trieste and resisted for next three days when he retreated to Ancona.