Klaus Dönitz

Klaus Dönitz (13 May 1920 - 13 May 1944) was a German naval officer. He was the elder of the two sons of Admiral Karl Dönitz.

After his younger brother Peter was killed in the sinking of U-954 on 19 May 1943, Klaus was allowed to withdraw from combat duty to begin training as a naval doctor at Tubingen University. However, he was killed on his 24th birthday when he took part in an action contrary to standing orders prohibiting his participation in any combat role, after he had persuaded his friends to let him accompany them on a combat mission for his birthday. Klaus accompanied his friends on the E-boat S-141 on a raid on Selsey in southern England on the night of 12-13 May. The boat was intercepted and sunk by the French destroyer La Combattante. Klaus was killed in the engagement. He is buried in the park of the Column of the Grande Armée in Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France.


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