Otto Kähler

Otto Kähler

Otto Kähler
Born 3 March 1894(1894-03-03)
Hamburg, German Empire
Died 2 November 1967(1967-11-02) (aged 73)
Kiel, Germany
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Kaiserliche Marine
 Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1914–1945
Rank Konteradmiral
Unit SMS Hansa
SMS Roon
SM UB-30
German cruiser Karlsruhe
Commands held Gorch Fock
German auxiliary cruiser Thor
Battles/wars

World War I
World War II

Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Otto Kähler (3 March 1894 – 2 November 1967) was a Konteradmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the German auxiliary cruiser Thor, a merchant raider, on two combat patrols and sank or captured 12 ships, for a combined tonnage of 96,547 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Kähler relinquished command of Thor on 20 July 1941 to Günther Gumprich, who would also received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as commander of Thor.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ^ a b c d Dörr 1995, p. 298.
  2. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 248.
  3. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 88.
Bibliography
  • Dörr, Manfred (1995). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1:A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2453-0.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links