Kapitän zur See Fritz Krauß

[Sebastian G.]

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[Rick Research]

Born 20 March 1898 Chur, Switzerland, died 13 July 1978 in Groß-Hansdorf bei Hamburg.

German navy 6.4.1917*-19.12.1947:

Fähnrich zS 15.2.18
Lt zS 14.12.20 seniority finalized 1.1.22 #2 (out of service* 1.1.19-2.5.21)
Oberlt zS 1.5.23 #4
KaptLt zS 1.10.30 #3
KorvKapt zS 1.2.36 #5
FregKapt zS 1.11.39 #4
Kapitän zur See 1.6.41 #10
Konteradmiral zS 16.9.44 #1

Awards--

for WW1 only Hindenburg Cross X

between the wars: Wehrmacht Long Service 18,12, 4, Sudeten medal, Memel Medal, 2 foreign ribbon/medal bar awards (I think he was entitled to a Spanish Cross, so probably Spanish pair)

WW2: EK 1, 2, High Seas Fleet badge.

Training WW1, 1920s-30s watch and radio officer, 4th Admiralty Staff Officer Baltic Naval Station 1.10.30-1.10.33, Referent in OKM 11.1.36-3.4.38,

navigation officer "Deutschland" 4.4.38-10.1.40 (Spain??)

1st Officer heavy cruiser "Lützow" 11.1-23.6.40

staff jobs

1st Officer heavy cruiser "Admiral Hipper" 5.4.41-1.4.43

Naval Signal Commander, Italy 2.4.-31.8.43

OKM to end of war, naval signals technical service

Chief of the German Mine Sweeping Administration 23.7.45-19.12.47

his portrait photo in "Deutschlands Admirale" shows him in uniform with jacket and cap eagles removed, long service eagle devices removed, but wearing his EK1 and HSF Badge (probably with swastikas removed... can't tell)

[Klaus O.]

Rick,

How weird... was he born in Switzerland? Could he have possessed the double citizenship?? Very strange and ironic that a guy who has born in the middle of the Swiss Alps did end up as Admiral in the Kriegsmarine. The last name sound very German and not all Swiss...

Ciao,

Claudio

[Rick Research]

Ah, but you Swiss are a strange, complicated bunch...

[Klaus O.]

Yes, I guess so, unfortunately!!!

[Rick Research]

And here is our ocean-going Swiss

Konteradmiral Krauß, circa summer of 1945, © Hans H. Hildebrand and Ernest Henriot, in their wonderful three volume work "Deutschlands Admirale 1849-1945," Band 2: H- O. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1989.

I cannot sing the praises of the "Admirale" and "Generale" volumes from Biblio highly enough. Anyone who waits until the last unsold copies are out of stock will be very, very unhappy when these can ONLY be found on the rare out of print book lists at increased prices. Get 'em now, while you can still find mint shrink wrapped unsold copies left!!!

[Sebastian G.]

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