Tripti Joshi (Editor)

Ernst Felix Kruder

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Years of service
  
1915–41

Unit
  
SMS Goeben SMS Konig

Rank
  
Kapitan zur See

Name
  
Ernst-Felix Kruder

Born
  
6 December 1897 Hamburg (
1897-12-06
)

Died
  
8 May 1941(1941-05-08) (aged 43) Indian Ocean

Allegiance
  
German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany

Service/branch
  
Kaiserliche Marine  Reichsmarine  Kriegsmarine

Ernst-Felix Kruder (6 December 1897 – 8 May 1941) was a Captain (German: Kapitan zur See) of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine who, during World War II, commanded a merchant raider. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: 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.

Ernst-Felix Kruder was killed in action when on 8 May 1941, auxiliary cruiser "Pinguin" (HSK 5) was sunk by HMS Cornwall. 532 persons, among them 200 prisoners, were lost with the ship.

Awards

  • Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
  • Gallipoli Star (Turkischer Eiserner Halbmond) (23 January 1918)
  • Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (30 August 1940)
  • 1st Class (11 October 1940)
  • Kriegsabzeichen fur Hilfskreuzer
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 December 1940 as Kapitan zur See and commander of auxiliary cruiser "Pinguin" (HSK 5)
  • 40th Oak Leaves on 15 November 1941 (posthumous) as Kapitan zur See and commander of auxiliary cruiser "Pinguin" (HSK 5)
  • Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 26 June 1941

    • References

    Ernst-Felix Kruder Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA