Allegiance Nazi Germany Name Franz Kohlauf Service/branch Kriegsmarine | Rank Fregattenkapitan Role Military Commander | |
Born 3 December 1910
Klosterbeuren district of Memmingen ( 1910-12-03 ) Commands held torpedo boat Seeadler
torpedo boat Jaguar
4. Torpedobootflottille Battles/wars World War II
Battle of Sept-Iles
Battle of the Bay of Biscay Died April 26, 1944, Saint-Malo, France Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Battles and wars Battle of Sept-Iles, Battle of the Bay of Biscay, World War II | ||
Franz Kohlauf (3 December 1910 – 26 April 1944) was a Fregattenkapitan with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was killed in action when Torpedoboot T-29 was sunk by HMCS Haida.
He commanded the 4. Torpedo Boat Flotilla, consisting of large Elbing-class torpedo boats, among others. Kohlauf led the five torpedo boats T-23, T-26, T-27, T-22 and T-25 in a night battle on 22/23 October 1943 in which the Germans sunk the British cruiser HMS Charybdis and escort destroyer HMS Limbourne, without losses. After this action, he was awarded the Knight's Cross.
In December 28 of that year he fought in the Battle of the Bay of Biscay but managed to escape harm.