SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Konteradmiral Erich Alfred Breuning

PW NO:         A938993
RANK:          Konteradmiral
CAPTURED: Location unknown
DATE:           1st Jun 45

PERSONAL
DATE OF BIRTH:     16 October 1897
PLACE OF BIRTH: Rottweil / Württemberg
DATE OF DEATH:    28 November 1978
PLACE OF DEATH: Las Palmas / Gran Canaria
NATIONALITY:       German
RELIGION:                Evangelist
OCCUPATION:         Naval Officer
HEIGHT:                    178cm
WEIGHT:                   120lbs
EYE COLOUR:          Brown
HAIR COLOUR:        Brown
NEXT OF KIN:          Karin Breuning (British Zone)

Promotions:

War Volunteer: 3 January 1916
Fähnrich zur See: 12 October 1916
Leutnant zur See: 17 March 1918 (Patenting reserved)
Leutnant zur See: 14 May 1921 (Patent 17 March 1918)
Oberleutnant zur See: 1 April 1922
Kapitänleutnant: 1 December 1928
Korvettenkäpitan: 1 April 1935
Fregattenkapitän: 1 October 1938
Kapitän zur See: 1 April 1940
Konteradmiral: 1 June 1943

Commands & Assignments:

3 January 1916: Entered the Imperial German Navy as a War Volunteer with the expectation of a career as a Sea Officer.
3 January 1916-4 May 1916: Training aboard the protected cruiser Freya.
5 May 1916-31 October 1916: Assigned to the pre-dreadnought battleship Schleswig-Holstein.
1 November 1916-June 1917: Naval School Mürwick and Special Course.
June 1917-15 November 1917: Assigned to I. Seefliegerabteilung [Naval Flying Detachment].
16 November 1917-17 November 1918: Assigned to the battleship Kaiserin.
18 November 1918-24 February 1919: On leave.
25 February 1919-21 June 1919: Watch Officer aboard the light cruiser Köln. [In accordance with the terms of the Armistice that ended World War I, the Allies required Germany to intern the bulk of its High Seas Fleet until the formal peace agreement could be signed. From 19-27 November 1918, Konteradmiral Ludwig von Reuter led the cream of the High Seas Fleet into internment at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. All told, 11 battleships, five battlecruisers, eight light cruisers (including Breuning’s Köln) and 50 torpedo boats were eventually interned there. Disarmed and manned by skeleton crews, the German Internment Formation remained idle for the next seven months while awaiting news of its fate. Note: Leutnant zur See Breuning was not present for the initial internment of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow but joined the crew of the Köln later as a replacement officer.]

22 June 1919-31 January 1920: Prisoner of war in the United Kingdom after the scuttling of the High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow. [On 21 June 1919, the expiration of the Armistice, Konteradmiral von Reuter feared the British would seize his ships (as authorized by the Allies) and so ordered the code “Paragraph Eleven. Confirm.” signaled to all ships. This message referred to an order von Reuter previously issued to all captains to scuttle their ships if it appeared a British seizure was imminent. Rather than lose their splendid ships to the enemy, the German crews opened the seacocks and sent the High Seas Fleet to the bottom of Scapa Flow and into history. Unbeknownst to von Reuter, his Government had accepted the terms of the Versailles Treaty (which required Germany to permanently surrender its fleet) and the Armistice deadline had been extended to 23 June 1919 at any rate.]
1 February 1920-15 June 1920: On leave and in “awaiting orders” status.
16 June 1920-31 March 1922: Division and Artillery Officer aboard the torpedo boats T 196 and V 3 in the II. Flotilla
1 April 1922-30 September 1922: Watch, Division and Artillery Officer aboard the torpedo boat V 2 in the II. Flotilla.
1 October 1922-27 September 1925: Platoon Leader in Coast Defense Battalion I.
28 September 1925-29 September 1927: Watch Officer aboard the light cruiser Nymphe.
4 January 1927-25 March 1927: At the same time, attended a course at the Mine Testing Command.
30 September 1927-23 September 1929: Commander of the minesweeper M 122 in the 1^st Minesweeper Half Flotilla.
24 September 1929-31 March 1932: Leader of a cadet training company at the Naval School Mürwik.
1 April 1932-20 September 1934: Consultant in the Mine Testing Command.
21 September 1934-15 October 1936: Third Staff Officer on the staff of the Commander of Reconnaissance Forces.
16 October 1936-9 September 1942: Consultant for Mine Matters in the Operations Department of the Navy High Command.
21 September 1942-31 May 1943: Chief of the 3^rd Escort Division.
1 June 1943-25 September 1944: Commander of Escort Command West [Atlantic Coast and North Sea].
28 October 1944-8 May 1945: Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces National Socialist Leadership Staff. [Headed by General der Infanterie Hermann Reinecke, this staff oversaw the coordination and assignment of National Socialist Leadership Officers to military units. These officers disseminated propaganda and conducted political and ideological instruction to keep the troops properly “motivated.” This was a blatant example of overt Nazi ideological infiltration of the German Armed Forces. The functions of National Socialist Leadership Officers bore an unusual resemblance to that of Soviet political commissars.]
1945-17 May 1948: Prisoner of war in British captivity.
- 9th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
- 12th May 1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation.

Decorations & Awards (included):

German Cross in Gold: 24 September 1944, Konteradmiral, Commander of Escort Command West.
Iron Cross, 1^st Class (1939)
Prussian Iron Cross, 2^nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1^st Class (25-year Service Cross)
Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3^rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class with Swords: 25 March 1942.

Click here to see a photo of Konteradmiral Erich Alfred Breuning in the company of fellow prisoners of war at Island Farm

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