Paul Wülfing von Ditten

From Metapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Paul Wülfing von Ditten

Under-Secretary at the Reichs Transport Ministry and Head of the Maritime Shipping Office
 National Socialist Germany
In office
6 June 1940 – 29 May 1942
Born 13 September 1880
Gladbach,[1] Kreis Gladbach, Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died 1 November 1953
Marinesiedlung on the south bank of the Schlachtensee, Berlin, West Germany
Spouse(s) ∞ 1904 Katharina "Käthe" Emilie Callissen
Children 3
Military service
Allegiance German Empire German Empire
(1898–1918)
Germany Weimar Republic
(1920–1929)
Turkey Turkey
(1933–1939)
 National Socialist Germany
(1933–1943)
Service/branch  Kaiserliche Marine
 Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service 1898–1943
Rank Vizeadmiral z. V.
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Iron Cross (1914)
Grand Cross of the Spanish Cross of Naval Merit

Paul Ludwig Wülfing, since 1922 after adoption[2] Wülfing von Ditten (also written Wülfing-von Ditten; 13 September 1880 – 1 November 1953), was a German officer of the Kaiserliche Marine, the Reichsmarine and the Kriegsmarine, finally Vizeadmiral z. V. and Unterstaatssekretär und Leiter des Seeschiffahrtsamtes im Reichsverkehrsministerium[3] in World War II.

Life

Signature
Vizeadmiral Wülfing von Ditten II.jpg
Paul Wülfing von Ditten III.jpg
  • Entered the Navy as a Kadett, Attended Basic-Training and on Board the School-Ship 'Charlotte' (12 Apr 1898-06 Apr 1899)
  • Naval-School and Special-Briefings (07 Apr 1899-21 Oct 1900)
  • Departed to Taku (22 Oct 1900-07 Dec 1900)
  • On Board the Heavy Cruiser 'Hertha' (08 Dec 1900-16 Jun 1902)
  • Returned Home from Tsingtau and Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection (17 Jun 1902-00 Aug 1902)
  • Watch-Officer on the Liner 'Weißenburg' (00 Aug 1902-30 Sep 1902)
  • Watch-Officer on the Liner 'Wettin' (01 Oct 1902-31 Mar 1904)
  • Location-Major in Wilhelmshaven (01 Apr 1904-19 Mar 1905)
  • Watch-Officer and Sea-Cadet-Officer on the School-Ship 'Stein' (20 Mar 1905-22 Mar 1907)
  • Company-Officer in the Ships-Youth-Division (23 Mar 1907-30 Sep 1907)
  • Watch-Officer on the Liner 'Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm' (01 Oct 1907-30 Sep 1908)
  • I. Course at the Naval-Academy (01 Oct 1908-30 Jun 1909)
  • Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection then of the Fleet (01 Jul 1909-30 Sep 1909)
  • II. Course at the Naval-Academy (01 Oct 1909-30 Jun 1910)
  • Placed to the Disposal of the II. Naval-Inspection and Commandant of the Torpedo-Fishery-Protection-Boats (01 Jul 1910-14 Sep 1910)
  • Roll-Officer on the Liner 'Posen' (15 Sep 1910-13 Apr 1911)
  • Company-Officer in the II. Shipyard-Division (14 Apr 1911-30 Sep 1911)
  • Advisor in the Mine-Test-Commission and First Officer on the Mine-Steamer 'Pelikan' (01 Oct 1911-26 Mar 1914)
  • Location-Major, Commander Friedrichsort (01 Apr 1914-01 Aug 1914)
  • Admiral-Staff-Officer in the Staff of the Commander of Fortifications of Kiel (02 Aug 1914-00 Aug 1916)
  • Navigations-Officer on the Liner 'König Albert' (00 Aug 1916-01 Mar 1918)
  • Admiral-Staff-Officer in the Staff of the Transport-Fleet with the Finland-Venture or Deutsche Finnland-Intervention (02 Mar 1918-16 Apr 1918)
  • Member of the German Ukraine-Commission in Kiev (17 Apr 1918-19 Jan 1919)
  • Department-Head in the Reichsmarineamt, from 15 Jul 1919 Admiralty (20 Jan 1919-28 Aug 1920)
  • At the same time, Acting-Chief of the Central-Department (07 Aug 1920-27 Aug 1920)
  • Chief of the Central-Department of the Admiralty (28 Aug 1920-09 Feb 1921)
  • Chief Of Staff, Naval Command (10 Feb 1921-25 Sep 1923)
  • Commandant of the Cruiser 'Berlin' (01 Oct 1923-18 Jul 1925)
  • Commandant of the Cruiser 'Hamburg' (19 Jul 1925-27 Sep 1925)
  • Commander of the Naval-School Mürwik (28 Sep 1925-11 Oct 1927)
  • At the same time, Acting-Inspection of the Training-Affairs of the Navy (15 Jul 1927-31 Jul 1927)
  • Inspector of Training-Affairs of the Navy (12 Oct 1927-30 Sep 1928)
  • At the same time, Acting-Inspector of Torpedo and Mine Affairs (22 Dec 1927-04 Jan 1928)
  • At the same time, Acting-Inspector of Torpedo and Mine Affairs (09 Jul 1928-14 Jul 1928)
  • At the same time, Acting-Inspector of Torpedo and Mine Affairs (11 Sep 1928-16 Sep 1928)
  • Placed to the Disposal of the Chief of Naval Command or Chef der Marineleitung (01 Oct 1928-28 Feb 1929)
  • Retired (28 Feb 1929)
    • The background to this was the allegation that Wülfing had allowed Prince Heinrich to visit the light cruiser Berlin on 24 November 1927. This visit attracted public attention and stood in contrast to the pro-republic, non-partisan orientation of the Reichswehr under Reichswehrminister Wilhelm Groener.
    • After leaving the Navy, Wülfing von Ditten became politically active and was a member of the German National People's Party (DNVP) from 1930 to 1933. From 1933 to 1939 he acted as a military adviser in Turkey.
  • 2nd Admiral of the North Sea Station (as Officer Out Of Service) (03 Sep 1939-28 Nov 1939)
  • Placed to the Disposal of the Kriegsmarine (31 Jan 1940-06 Jun 1940)
  • Under-Secretary, Reichs Transport Ministry and Director of the Maritime Shipping Office/Office for Sea Traffic (06 Jun 1940-29 May 1942)
    • "In the course of the recently reported organizational changes in the Reich Ministry of Transport, maritime affairs have been consolidated in a Maritime Office. The Führer has entrusted its management to Vizeadmiral z. V. Wülfing von Ditten, who has been given the title of State Secretary. This centralized organization is intended to emphasize the importance of maritime shipping, to promote its development and to provide a guarantee for the performance of the future tasks of German maritime shipping."
  • Placed to the Disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine (30 May 1942-28 Feb 1943)
  • Retired (28 Feb 1943)
  • Placed to the Disposal of the Kriegsmarine without mobilisation (01 Mar 1943)[4]

Family

Paul was the son of Johann Abraham Otto Wülfing (b. 2 December 1846 in Elberfeld; d. 15 April 1900 in München-Gladbach) and his wife Ida, née Reuter (1849–1927), daughter of an architect and Regierungsbaumeister (government builder). He had three siblings: Else (1879–1903), Hans Bruno (1882–1958) and Käthe (1885–1904). His father was a member of the board of the Gladbacher Cotton Manufactory (Gladbacher Baumwollmanufaktur-AG), formerly factory owner, partner in the house Mühlinghaus und Wülfing; 1894 Member of the Silver Commission, author of bimetallic writings and founder of the association against factory theft (Verein gegen Fabrikdiebstahl) in München-Gladbach.[5]

Marriage

Oberleutnant zur See Wülfing married on 22 March 1904 on Rittergut Noer, Gettorf, Kreis Eckernförde his fiancée Katharina "Käthe" Emilie Callissen. They had three children:

  • Wolf Hans Christian Reinhardt (1904-1945), married 23 October 1937, Stendal to Elisabeth Marie Friederike Schulze (b. 1911); one child
    • Wolf, born on 23 December 1904 in Wilhelmshaven, was a commercial clerk (Kaufmännischer Angestellter) and served in the last phase of WWII as Obergefreiter during the Battle of Berlin. He was severly wounded in battle and died (ᛣ⚔) in a Lazarett on 25 April 1945 (other sources claim 25 May) and rests in the war cemetery (Kriegsgräberstätte) in Berlin-Spandau (Block 114, Reihe 4, Grab 24).
  • Liselotte Johanna Helene, Dr. phil. (b. 1907), married 3 July 1937, Kiel to Prof. Dr. rer. tech. Walter Niens (1895–1999); two children, among them Dr. rer. pol. Hans Joachim Niens (b. 1940)
  • Erika Klara Hermine (b. 1911), married 20 September 1936, Kiel to Kapitänleutnant Erich Friedrich August Georg Holtorf (b. 19 January 1901 in Groß-Ilde/Hannover), at last Kapitän zur See of the Kriegsmarine, DKiG on 4 December 1943; two children

Name

In 1922, he was adopted by childless Carl Heinrich Ludwig Friedrich Robert von Ditten ("Er führt mit ministerieller Genehmigung vom 26. Mai 1922 für sich und seine Nachkommen den Namen 'Wülfing-von Ditten'"). In 1930, the German Nobility authority conclusively allowed this.

Promotions

  • Kadett (12 April 1898)
    • on 1 January 1899 renamed Seekadett
  • Fähnrich zur See (18 April 1899)
  • Leutnant zur See (13 September 1901)
  • Oberleutnant zur See (28 March 1903)
  • Kapitänleutnant (7 December 1907)
  • Korvettenkapitän (27 January 1915)
  • Fregattenkapitän (8 March 1920)
  • Kapitän zur See (1 June 1922)
  • Konteradmiral (1 January 1928)
  • Charakter als Vizeadmiral (25 January 1937)
  • Vizeadmiral z. V. (1 February 1941)

Awards and decorations

Paul Wülfing von Ditten, Große Ordensschnalle.jpg

References

  1. ↑ Since 1888 München-Gladbach, 1929 to 1933 part of Gladbach-Rheydt, 1933 München Gladbach, 1950 Mönchen Gladbach and finally 11 October 1960 Mönchengladbach.
  2. ↑ Paul Wülfing was adopted by his relative Carl Heinrich Ludwig Friedrich Robert von Ditten in 1922 and from then on carried the family name Wülfing von Ditten.
  3. ↑ Reich Ministry of Transport
  4. ↑ Vizeadmiral Paul Wülfing von Ditten
  5. ↑ Johann Abraham Otto Wülfing
Retrieved from "http://en.metapedia.org/m/index.php?title=Paul_Wülfing_von_Ditten&oldid=512615"