Hans Ritter (General)

Hans Ritter
Birth name	Hans Ludwig Max Emil Erwin Herrmann Siburg
Birth date	2 March 1893 (1893-03-02)
Place of birth	Harburg an der Elbe, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	21 May 1991 (1991-05-22) (aged 98)
Place of death	Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Kaiserliche Marine Freikorps Reichsmarine Luftwaffe
Years of service	1912–1918 1919–1920 1920–1935 1935–1945
Rank	General der Flieger
Commands held	General of the Luftwaffe with the Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Iron Cross War Merit Cross (1939)
Relations	∞ 9 February 1935 Hildegard Metzing (1906–1996); two children

Hans Heinrich Rudolph Ritter (2 March 1893 – 21 May 1991) was a German officer of the Imperial German Navy, the Freikorps, the Reichsmarine and the Wehrmacht, finally General der Flieger of the Luftwaffe in World War II.

Life

After achieving his Abitur, Hans Ritter joined the Imperial Navy on 1 April 1912. He received his basic training at the naval school and as a Seekadett on board the training ship "Hertha". This was followed by training at the naval school in Mürwik as well as infantry, artillery and torpedo courses. At the start of the First World War, Ritter was transferred to the large cruiser SMS "Friedrich Carl" on 1 August 1914, where he remained until it sank on 17 November 1914. After a radio telegraphy course from November 1914 to January 1915, he was then transferred to the large cruiser SMS "Prinz Adalbert" and in the same month to the ship of the line SMS "Hessen", where he was commissioned on 22 March 1915. He was then transferred to the ship of the line SMS "Lothringen", where he served until March 1916.

He then completed pilot training with the 1st Naval Aviation Battalion, before being deployed as a pilot at the Angernsee Naval Aviation Station in Courland in May 1916. From March to May 1917 he completed training at the Danzig single-seater fighter school, after which he became a pilot with the Flanders II. Naval Aviation Squadron. From October 1917 he flew with the Flanders Naval Front Squadron. As such, he was appointed 2nd Adjutant of the 1st Naval Aviation Battalion in March 1918. He was credited with two aerial victories (Luftsiege). After the demobilization of his aviation unit, Ritter was appointed station manager of the fighter aviation school in Danzig-Langfuhr in January 1919 with the Border Protection East (Grenzschutz Ost), later transferred to List, Helgoland and Norderney.

After military aviation was banned in Germany due to the Treaty of Versailles, Ritter returned to the Reichsmarine on 1 October 1920. There he served as watch officer on the cruiser "Hamburg" until September 1922. On 1 October 1922, Ritter was appointed commander of the artillery tender "Drache", which he commanded until March 1923. During this time, Ritter also attended a ship artillery school. From April 1923 to June 1926, Ritter then served as a consultant for aviation and air defense in the fleet department of the naval command (Marineleitung). He also took part in flying competitions and won the "German Round Flight" beginning on 31 May 1925 flying a Caspar-Theis I. (C.T. I.). He then attended two further courses at the Mürwik naval school until the end of September 1929. On 1 October 1926, he became watch officer and 3rd artillery officer on the battleship "Schleswig-Holstein" and on 1 October 1928, he became once again a consultant (Referent) for aviation in the fleet department of the naval command. On 1 October 1933, he was appointed 5th Admiral Staff Officer (Aviation) in the fleet command.

After his promotion to frigate captain on 1 September 1935, he joined the Luftwaffe a month later as a lieutenant colonel, where he became commander of the Parow Aviation Weapons School. Promoted to colonel on 1 April 1936, he was appointed higher commander of the aviation schools and the aviation replacement battalions in Air District VI (Höherer Kommandeur der Fliegerschulen und der Fliegerersatzabteilungen See) and air base commandant in Warnemünde on the same day as successor to Hans Siburg. As a major general, he was appointed general of the Luftwaffe to the commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine (Erich Raeder) on 1 February 1939 (official position, not rank). At the same time, he was commander of the naval aviation units. From 1 February 1939 to 31 December 1940, he was also inspector of naval aviation in the Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM; Inspekteur der Seeflieger im Reichsluftfahrtministerium).

On 19 September 1944, he was transferred to the OKL's leadership reserve and released from military service on 31 January 1945. On 3 July 1945, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets and deported to the Soviet Union. In a show trial, he was sentenced to 25 years of forced labor by a Soviet military tribunal on 3 July 1950. On 9 October 1955, he was released from this Soviet captivity and repatriated to West Germany.

Promotions

• 1 April 1912 Seekadett (Officer Candidate)
• 1 April 1913 Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet)
• 22 March 1915 Leutnant zur See (2nd Lieutenant)
• 25 December 1917 Oberleutnant zur See (1st Lieutenant)
• 1 April 1922 Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant Captain)
• 1 May 1930 Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain / Lieutenant Commander)
• 1 September 1935 Fregattenkapitän (Frigate Captain / Commander)

Luftwaffe

• 1 October 1935 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1 April 1936 Oberst (Colonel)
• 1 January 1939 Generalmajor (Major General)
• 1 November 1940 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General)
• 1 April 1942 General der Flieger

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Naval Pilot Badge (Abzeichen für Marine-Flugzeugführer auf Landflugzeugen)
• Commemorative Badge for Naval Aircraft Pilots and Observers (Erinnerungsabzeichen für Marine-Flugzeugführer und -Beobachter)
• Rescue/Lifesaving Medal on Ribbon (Rettungsmedaille am Bande)
• 1. Sieger (Gruppe C) "Deutscher Rundflug 1925" (25,000 Marks)
• The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 2 October 1936
  • 1st Class on 1 April 1937
• War Merit Cross (1939), 2nd Class with Swords
• Repetition Clasp 1939 to the Iron Cross 1914 (1939), 2nd Class on 30 July 1940

Gallery

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