Konteradmiral Hans Hartmann

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Konteradmiral Hans Hartmann

PW NO: A451696

RANK: Konteradmiral

CAPTURED: Norway

DATE: 12th September 1945

PERSONAL

DATE OF BIRTH: 16 January 1897

PLACE OF BIRTH: Bromberg / West Prussia

DATE OF DEATH: 9 March 1976

PLACE OF DEATH: Neunkirchen-Seelscheid / Nordrhein-Wesfalen

NATIONALITY: German

RELIGION: Evangelical

OCCUPATION: Naval Officer

HEIGHT: 5'9"

WEIGHT: 165lbs

HAIR COLOUR: Grey

EYE COLOUR: Blue

NEXT OF KIN: Elisabeth Hartmann, (British Zone)

Promotions:

War Volunteer: 2 October 1915
Fähnrich zur See: 13 July 1916
Leutnant zur See: 13 December 1917
Oberleutnant zur See: 10 January 1921 (Patenting reserved)
Oberleutnant zur See: 6 March 1922 (Patent 10 January 1921)
Kapitänleutnant: 1 October 1928
Korvettenkäpitan: 1 April 1935
Fregattenkapitän: 1 July 1938
Kapitän zur See: 1 January 1940
Konteradmiral: 1 June 1943

Commands & Assignments:

2 October 1915: Entered the Imperial German Navy as a War Volunteer with the expectation of a career as a Sea Officer.
2 October 1915-9 November 1915: Naval School Mürwick.
10 November 1915-5 February 1916: Training aboard the protected cruiser Freya.
6 February 1916-9 July 1916: Assigned to the battleship Thüringen. [Assigned to the I Battle Squadron of the I Division, the battleship Thüringen took part in the epic Battle of Jutland against the British Grand Fleet, 31 May-1 June 1916. The ship did not suffer any battle damage or casualties.]
10 July 1916-15 May 1917: Course attendance.
16 May 1917-27 January 1918: Watch Officer in the School Half Flotilla.
28 January 1918-31 May 1918: Watch Officer aboard the torpedo boat V 83 in the 13^th Torpedo Boat Half Flotilla.
1 June 1918-21 June 1919: Watch Officer aboard the torpedo boat S 65 in the 13^th Torpedo Boat Half Flotilla. [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 and 50 torpedo boats (including Hartmann’s S 65) 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.]

In this painting by Bernard F. Gribble, the battlecruiser Seydlitz leads the Imperial German High Seas Fleet into internment on 21 November 1918. U.S. Navy Vice Admiral William F. Sims (second from left) and Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman (far left) view the historic moment from the deck of the American battleship U.S.S. Texas, which was on detached duty with the British Grand Fleet.

I love this painting! It really captures the moment when the second most powerful navy in the world gives up with a whimper and not a bang! I've (Shawn Bohannon) actually stood on that exact spot on the U.S.S. Texas depicted in this painting. The Texas is preserved as a memorial ship outside Houston, Texas at the San Jacinto Battleground Park. She's the world's only surviving example of a World War I-era dreadnought battleship. The Texas also saw extensive service in World War II and, while engaging in a duel with a German coastal defense gun, was hit twice by heavy shells during the D-Day Normandy landings on 6 June 1944.

December 1918-21 June 1919: At the same time, delegated with the post of Commander of the torpedo boat S 65.
21 June 1919-3 February 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.]
4 February 1920-28 June 1920: At the disposal of the Commandant of Kiel.
29 June 1920-1 October 1920: Watch Officer aboard the mine steamship Pelikan.
2 October 1920-14 February 1923: Adjutant and Watch Officer aboard the torpedo boats T 158, G 11 and G 10 in the I. Flotilla.
15 February 1923-19 September 1924: Transferred to the Naval Signals Detachment Kiel.
20 September 1924-27 September 1926: Naval Signals Officer Swinemünde and Stolpmünde.
28 September 1926-27 September 1928: Torpedo Boat Commander in the 4^th Torpedo Boat Half Flotilla.
29 September 1928-28 April 1930: Company Leader in the IV. Naval Artillery Battalion.
29 April 1930-2 October 1931: Company Leader in the III. Naval Artillery Battalion.
10 June 1931-30 June 1931: At the same time, delegated with leadership of the III. Naval Artillery Battalion.
3 October 1931-28 September 1933: At the disposal of the Inspectorate of Navy Educational Matters (Leader Assistant training).
29 September 1933-24 September 1934: First Artillery Officer aboard the pre-dreadnought battleship Hessen.
27 September 193426 September 1935: Artillery Officer aboard the light cruiser Königsberg.
9 October 1935-26 February 1937: Destroyer building indoctrination at the Kiel Naval Arsenal.
27 February 1937-18 May 1938: Commander of the destroyer Georg Thiele (Z.2).
19 May 1938-28 August 1938: At the disposal of the Leader of Torpedo Boats.
29 August 1938-30 November 1939: Chief of the 5^th Destroyer Division.
1 December 1939-4 April 1940: First Staff Officer on the staff of the Commander of Armored Ships.
5 April 1940-19 June 1940: Chief of Staff of the Naval Commander Southern Norway.
20 June 1940-3 December 1941: First Staff Officer on the staff of the Commanding Admiral Norway (Admiral Hermann Boehm).
4 December 1941-9 September 1942: Leader of the 3^rd Escort Division.
12 September 1942-15 November 1942: At the disposal of the Commander of Cruisers.
16 November 1942-1 February 1943: Commander of the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. [On 30 December 1942, the Admiral Hipper (with Admiral Oskar Kummetz aboard), the heavy cruiser Lützow and the destroyers Richard Beitzen, Theodor Riedel, Friedrich Eckoldt, Z 24, Z 30 and Z31, sortied from Alten Fjord, Norway to attack Convoy JW-51B. On 31 December 1942, during an action known as the Battle of the Barents Sea, the Admiral Hipper sank the minesweeper HMS Bramble and damaged the destroyers HMS Onslow and HMS Achates (which later sank). However, the Germans aborted their attack when the British light cruisers HMS Sheffield and HMS Jamaica arrived on scene and scored three severe hits on the Admiral Hipper (she was never fully repaired). During the battle, the British cruisers sank the Friedrich Eckoldt. When Hitler learned an inferior British force had driven the German ships off, he flew into a rage and ordered all of the heavy ships of the Kriegsmarine to be scrapped and their guns mounted ashore as coastal batteries. Großadmiral Erich Raeder, Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine, resigned in protest but his successor, Großadmiral Karl Dönitz, persuaded Hitler to preserve the surface fleet.]

Admiral Hipper

22 February 1943-15 March 1943: Chief of the Military Office Group in the Warship Construction Office of the Navy High Command.
16 March 1943-6 June 1943: Chief of Staff of the Fleet Command.
7 June 1943-14 March 1944: Special Representative to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy for the saving of redundant navy personnel.
15 March 1944-16 October 1944: Commandant of Sea Defenses Attica, Greece [the region around Athens].
7 November 194430 January 1945: Commander of the 1. Marine-Schützen-Brigade [Naval Rifle Brigade].
31 January 1945-28 February 1945: Commander of the 1. Marine-Infanterie-Division [Naval Infantry Division] on the Eastern Front, Army Group Weichsal.
9 March 1945-24 March 1945: Special Representative to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy for the saving of redundant navy personnel
4 April 1945-31 August 1945: Commandant of Sea Defenses Oslo Fjord, Norway.
31 August 1945-19 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 fo repatriation.

Decorations & Awards (included):

German Cross in Gold: 18 August 1942, Kapitän zur See, Leader of the 3^rd Escort Division.
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)

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