SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

	von Kauder as a POW at Island Farm Special Camp 11

NAME: Konteradmiral Hans-Hermann Graf von Schweinitz und Krain Freiherr von Kauder

PW NO:          560399
RANK:            Konteradmiral
CAPTURED:   Norway
DATE:             28th November 1945

PERSONAL

DATE OF BIRTH:     21 July 1883

PLACE OF BIRTH:   Liebenburg / Harz

DATE OF DEATH:    4 March 1959

PLACE OF DEATH:  Hamburg

NATIONALITY:        German

RELIGION:                Evangelical

OCCUPATION:        Naval Officer

HEIGHT:                    Unknown

WEIGHT:                   Unknown

NEXT OF KIN:         Ruth Gräfin von Schweinitz, Milan, Italy (British Zone)

Promotions:

Commands & Assignments:

• 1 October 1913-21 February 1914: At the same time, attended the I. Course at the Naval Academy.
• 1 August 1914-30 April 1915: Signals Officer on the staff of the Commandant of Cuxhaven.
• 1 May 1915-1 June 1916: Navigation Officer of the light cruiser Rostock. [Flying the broad pennant of Kommodore Andreas Michelson, the light cruiser Rostock led the torpedo boat flotillas attached to the main German battle fleet during the epic Battle of Jutland against the British Grand Fleet, 31 May-1 June 1916. Shortly before midnight on 31 May 1916, British destroyers hit the Rostock with three 4-inch shells and a single torpedo that flooded two boiler rooms and several coalbunkers and killed 14 crewmembers and wounded six more. With 930 tons of water aboard, the ship remained underway at 13 knots until the turbines failed due to saltwater contamination of the remaining boilers. Kommodore Michelson placed his ship under tow by the torpedo boat S 54 but decided to scuttle her upon the approach of British naval forces. Shortly before 4 a.m. on 1 June 1916, the crew of the Rostock transferred to the torpedo boats S 54, V 71 and V 73 after detonating scuttling charges. The V 71 and V 73 also fired torpedoes into the cruiser to finish her off.]   
• 5 June 1916-13 June 1916: Representative Navigation Officer of the light cruiser Regensburg.
• 1 July 1916-5 July 1916: Representative Navigation Officer of the light cruiser Stettin.
• 12 July 1916-30 September 1916: Navigation Officer of the light cruiser Danzig.
• 1 October 1916-28 March 1917: Navigation Officer of the light cruiser Regensburg.
• 29 March 1917-31 July 1918: Navigation Officer of the light cruiser Emden.
• 1 August 1918-4 October 1918: Submarine training at the U-Boat School.
• 5 October 1918-7 October 1918: Navigation Officer of the battleship Markgraf.
• 8 October 1918-28 March 1919: Transferred to staff service at the Baltic Sea Naval Station.
• 29 March 1919-31 March 1921: Adjutant of the Inspectorate of Navy Education Services and, at the same time, served as Liaison Officer to the Navy Peace Commission.
• 17 July 1920-11 August 1920: At the same time, Representative Chief of Staff of the Inspectorate of Navy Education Services.
• 1 April 1921-14 September 1921: Detached for familiarization to Infantry Regiment 16.
• 15 September 1921-30 September 1921: Detached for familiarization to Coast Defense Battalion III.
• 1 October 1921-12 November 1924: Commander of Coast Defense Battalion IV.
• 13 November 1924-28 September 1926: Navy Liaison Officer to Wehrkreis [Military District] Command VI in Münster.
• 29 September 1926-30 September 1931: Commandant of Fortifications at the mouths of the Elbe and Weser Rivers, Cuxhaven.
• 30 September 1931: Retired from the Navy as an Honorary Konteradmiral.
• 1 January 1934: Reactivated as a Landesschützoffizier (“Territorial Officer”).
• 1 January 1934-28 September 1941: Leader of the Navy Printing Administration in the Navy Command, on 11 January 1936 the Kriegsmarine High Command.
• 5 March 1935: Renamed a Supplemental Officer.
• 1 January 1941: Returned to active naval service with the formal rank of Konteradmiral.
• 11 October 1941-2 November 1941: Commandant of Sea Defenses of the Ukraine, Russia.
• 3 November 1941-31 March 1943: Commandant of Sea Defenses of the Crimea, Russia.
• 1 April 1943-30 June 1943: At the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy High Command Baltic Sea.
• 30 June 1943: Retired from the Kriegsmarine.
• 1 July 1943: Placed at the disposal of the Kriegsmarine for employment, however, not recalled to active military service for the remainder of World War II.
• 28 November 1945-15 October 1947: Prisoner of war in British captivity
  • 9th January 1946 transferred from Camp 1 to Island Farm Special Camp 11
  • Repatriated to Hamburg on 10 October 1947 aboard the ship El Nil.

Decorations & Awards:

• Prussian Red Eagle Order, 4th Class *
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914)
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
• Medal for the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941/1942 (“East Medal”)
• Johanniter Order, Knight of Honor
• Prussian Officers’ Long Service Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Turkish War Medal (“Iron Crescent”)
• Royal Greek Order of the Redeemer, Knight of the Golden Cross *
• Imperial Russian Order of St. Stanislas, 3rd Class *

* Pre-World War I awards from the Rangliste der Kaiserlich Marine, 12 May 1914.

NOTE: Based on his assignments in World War II, it would seem probable that Graf von Schweinitz und Krain Freiherr von Kauder was a recipient of the Crimea Shield. However, no photographic or documentary evidence has been seen to support this assumption.