september admiral german_imperial_navy kaiserliche_marine joined german_navy officer cadet commanded torpedo boat units served watch officer aboard warships kaiser yacht hipper commanded cruisers reconnaissance forces appointed commander october held position succeeded admiral commander high_seas_fleet famous commanding german battlecruisers world war particularly battle jutland june war hipper led german battlecruisers raids english coast english press baby killer squadron clashed british battlecruiser squadron battle bank january armored cruiser lost battle jutland hipper flagship sunk ships succeeded sinking british battlecruisers end war retired pension initially lived alias moved frequently avoid radical revolutionaries german revolution revolution settled moved outside hamburg unlike superior published memoir service war hipper died kriegsmarine commemorated hipper launching heavy cruiser admiral hipper early life born miles south munich september father shop keeper died turned began education catholic grammar school munich age attended gymnasium munich hipper graduated gymnasium equivalent high school diploma completing education hipper signed volunteer reserve officer year volunteer position german military basic officer training hipper decided join navy went kiel took courses designed prepare officers naval entrance examination successfully passed april age officer imperial_german_navy fellow cadets class went command outbreak world war naval career peace time career hipper joined german_navy sea cadet served sail frigate april september transferred kiel attended september march graduation attended week training ship mars april following gunnery training hipper assigned training ship sea training lasted september transferred steam corvette leipzig world cruise begun october completed years later october reaching germany hipper returned kiel attend naval officer school november april april hipper assigned divisional drill officer tasked training recruits based kiel hipper held position seven months october hipper went kiel completed december january hipper assigned division officer coastal defense artillery remained post march point assigned watch officer aboard began half year stint serving watch officer aboard ships including armored frigate friedrich der hipper attended torpedo officer course aboard corvette october january designated torpedo specialist returned friedrich der torpedo officer october april went join crew newly commissioned coastal defense ship torpedo officer served position briefly reassigned company commander based wilhelmshaven october hipper took torpedo boat instruction january february hipper served senior watch officer aboard new battleship command prince aboard hipper promoted senior lieutenant awarded august september hipper assigned commanding officer second torpedo boat held position months time alternated command vessels active reserve units division june hipper participated day admiralty staff cruise aboard returning staff cruise hipper promoted serve commander boat flotilla position served months hipper transferred battleship october served navigator hipper served months navigator aboard battleship transferred imperial yacht september serving imperial yacht hipper present trip england queen victoria funeral cruise america following year hipper awarded number medals service aboard including awarded russia hipper promoted rank corvette captain june leaving imperial yacht hipper assigned command second torpedo unit october held command september flagship months command new cruiser transferred flag large torpedo boat command hipper awarded additional including promoted rank frigate captain april january hipper attended day new armored cruiser april participated battleship gunnery course conducted aboard battleship april hipper given command light cruiser leipzig tenure commander short lived leipzig departed september point hipper transferred command new armored cruiser hipper assumed command ship september hipper leadership crew won kaiser prize best shooting fleet admiral stated subsequent report brought ship higher degree combat effectiveness ship won kaiser prize good shooting best captains cruisers good example officers recommended battleship command higher independent commands april hipper promoted captain sea awarded hipper year meeting ceremony hipper joined imperial captains march hipper took command new cruiser tasked conducting cruise ship departed hipper remained germany given command torpedo boat division based kiel responsible training half torpedo boats entire german navy hipper held position years returned fleet service october hipper took command armored cruiser position chief staff rear admiral deputy january rear admiral promoted position 26th hipper succeeded deputy commander following day promoted rear admiral serving deputy commander year half hipper followed admiral admiral promoted chief baltic station hipper took commanding officer october appointed hipper deputy world war world war broke hipper led battlecruisers raids english coastal towns raid occurred november hipper force included battlecruisers von der flagship large armored cruiser light cruisers flotilla arrived great following morning bombarded port light cruiser laid minefield british submarine responded bombardment struck mines laid sank shortly hipper ordered ships turn german waters way heavy fog covered ships ordered halt visibility improved safely navigate defensive minefields armored cruiser navigational error led german minefields struck mines quickly sank men crew rescued second operation followed december targeted towns time hipper squadron augmented new battlecruiser hours hipper left jade high_seas_fleet consisting dreadnoughts pre dreadnoughts screening force armored cruisers light cruisers torpedo boats departed provide distant cover bombardment force royal_navy capability intercept german naval code result capture light cruiser outbreak war december british intercepted messages relating plan bombard vice admiral battlecruisers supported dreadnoughts cruisers smaller vessels ambush hipper battlecruisers evening 15th main german fleet encountered british battleships admiral convinced faced entire british fleet turned retreat hipper unaware superior decision pressed bombardment towns shelled briefly hipper turned planned rendezvous point time battlecruisers position block hipper chosen route forces route complete errors signaling aboard british ships bad weather allowed hipper escape trap incident result civilian casualties inflicted raids british propaganda effort hipper baby killer early january known german naval command british ships conducting reconnaissance area admiral initially reluctant attempt destroy forces temporarily weakened drydock periodic maintenance rear admiral german chief staff high_seas_fleet insisted operation relented ordered hipper battlecruisers january hipper sortied lead followed light cruisers torpedo boats interception german wireless signals played important role unaware exact plans room able hipper conducting operation area vice admiral tasked destroying hipper battlecruisers january german cruiser spotted light cruiser aurora destroyers attached support battlecruiser squadron hipper immediately turned battlecruisers gunfire simultaneously spotted large smoke northwest position identified number large british warships steaming hipper ships hipper later remarked presence large force indicated proximity sections especially wireless revealed approach reported rear german line opened fire light cruiser destroyers coming astern battlecruisers command found view prevailing east north east wind position unfavourable situation outset hipper turned south flee limited knots mph maximum speed time pursuing british battlecruisers steaming knots mph quickly caught german ships ship german line suffered majority british gunfire early portion battle struck forecastle shell lion hit minor damage lion hit single shell deck penetrated rear barbette shell failed enter barbette explosion working chamber detonated charges inside time severely damaged having heavy shells chase ended reports boats ahead british ships quickly ordered maneuvers allowed german ships increase distance time lion operational failed dropped speed knots stricken lion ordered remaining battlecruisers engage enemy rear signal confusion caused ships solely target allowing escape blame loss placed hipper superior admiral removed post february 4th hipper met kaiser inspection fleet wilhelmshaven day hipper awarded kaiser 23rd presented second classes grand duke days later hipper informed hometown named main street hipper street march hipper suffered severe combat fatigue held command fleet reconnaissance forces months strain command beginning toll requested sick leave march approved admiral replaced von fleet commander january week later 27th attempted hipper retired instead returning termination sick leave contacted chief admiralty staff disagreed thought relieving hipper point damage war leadership hipper left spa spent weeks deputy assumed temporary command hipper returned post hoisted flag aboard newly commissioned battlecruiser battle jutland admiral planned operation lure portion british fleet damage battlecruiser sms sustained bombardment previous month coupled trouble battleships iii battle squadron caused plan delayed ultimately morning comprised battlecruisers von der light cruisers torpedo boats left jade estuary battle fleet followed hour half later british navy room intercepted german radio traffic containing plans operation sortied grand fleet totaling dreadnoughts battlecruisers night order cut destroy high_seas_fleet british german battlecruiser forces encountered began running gun fight south battle fleet portion battle hipper ships destroyed battlecruisers queen mary reaching high_seas_fleet vice admiral battlecruisers turned north lure germans rapidly approaching grand_fleet command admiral run north hipper ships continued engage battlecruisers queen elizabeth class battleships 5th battle squadron formed remaining battlecruisers ahead german line leading british ships spotted began firing span minutes battlecruiser invincible scored hits hits mainly concentrated ship bow primary cause flooding eventually cause loss return concentrated fire invincible penetrated invincible center turret ignited magazine ship disappeared series massive explosions grand_fleet arrived scene deployed position cross northeast fleet position ordered point turn south west lost speed unable hipper ordered flagship withdraw southwest shortly aboard cruiser dispatched torpedo boats half flotilla assist came alongside took hipper staff aboard order transfer battlecruisers decided conduct point turn launch attack british fleet maneuver dangerous position turned fleet south crossed point turn followed covered charge hipper battlecruisers process transferring command squadron temporarily fallen captain aboard hipper remarked find flagship longer exercise command shot pieces torpedo boat called alongside changed heavy fire drove hoping find moment board battlecruisers hours spent hail shell splinters aboard shall likely forget hipper finally able transfer ordered ships steam knots mph station head german line condition comply von der knots ships attack british light cruisers caused german formation fall disarray confusion lost sight longer able knots mph detached proceed horns reef lighthouse independently hipper ships combat return german waters hipper reported von der guns operation heavily damaged replied hipper return wilhelmshaven fleet stood conduct battle hipper received germany highest military honor pour awarded kaiser june awarded commander cross award carried elevation nobility title presented awards including bremen hamburg command high seas fleet remainder largely uneventful hipper placed command detachment high_seas_fleet composed battlecruisers battleships light cruisers torpedo boats sent denmark retrieve pair stranded boats november successfully returned germany destroyed prevent capture return germany torpedoed british submarine year later brief skirmish took place bight british german capital ships august hipper promoted command high_seas_fleet promoted chief naval staff concurrently promoted admiral hipper took provisional control fleet ceremony held old battleship kaiser day war lost time hipper took command fleet october hipper envisioned major fleet advance attack intended inflict damage possible british navy achieve better position germany regardless cost navy planning stages hipper wrote battle honor fleet war death battle foundation new german fleet fleet question event peace plan involved simultaneous attacks light cruisers destroyers flanders shipping thames estuary battlecruisers support thames attack dreadnoughts remained flanders strikes fleet concentrate dutch coast meet grand_fleet battle fleet consolidating wilhelmshaven war weary sailors began von der passed locks separated wilhelmshaven inner harbor men ships climbed disappeared ashore october order given sail wilhelmshaven starting night october sailors battleships ships refused weigh anchors acts sabotage committed board battleships face open rebellion order sail rescinded planned operation abandoned attempt suppress mutiny high seas fleet squadrons dispersed situation declined significantly november hipper personally took flag battleship went ashore according terms armistice germany battlecruisers battle squadrons number light cruisers modern torpedo boats interned scapa_flow fleet placed command rear admiral sent meet allied fleet vessels hipper watched shore german fleet left scapa_flow november later wrote heart breaking time fleet commander come end remaining questions negotiations soldiers councils handled chief staff shall remain pro command short time dead tired weeks later december admiral hipper submitted request placed inactive list retired december pension age hipper spent years active duty german fleet scapa_flow scuttled crew june post war life following german defeat world war hipper retired december navy lived quiet life received war pension chaos german revolution hipper hid radical revolutionaries assuming false moving frequently wrote letter new fleet commander expressing approval german fleet scapa_flow june revolution hipper moved house near hamburg unlike superior hipper wrote memoir war participation briefly conservative political movements 1920s committed died cremated buried hometown according wishes hearing hipper death old adversary said sorry like express regrets passing officer great sailor german navy expanded launched new heavy cruiser admiral hipper commemoration namesake decorations awards 1st 2nd class pour june order 2nd class crown 2nd class prussia service award prussia commander june bavaria military 2nd class commander cross class swords albert order commander military merit order military 1st class friedrich august cross 1st class class order white falcon crosses bremen hamburg naval warships shore installations named hipper heavy cruiser admiral hipper kriegsmarine training frigate building
Franz von Hipper