Breithhaupt, Fritz.

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Breithaupt  Fritz, born  05-09-1892, in Bromberg Germany. Bromberg (now Bydgoszcz, Poland) was the administrative center of a Prussian government region within the German Empire, and the city served as an important administrative hub for the Netze District.

Fritz Breithaupt joined the Imperial Navy as a cadet in 1911. In March 1916, Fritz was promoted to leutnant. After initially serving on larger warships, he volunteered for torpedo duty. He served successively as watch officer on the torpedo boats “S-167,” “S-168,” and “A-27.” In December 1916, Breithaupt was transferred to the minesweeping service, where he became commander of various minesweepers.

The Hunt-class minesweeper was a class of minesweeping sloop built between 1916 and 1919 for the Royal Navy. They were built in two discrete groups, the earlier Belvoir group designed by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company and the subsequent (and slightly larger) Aberdare group designed by the Admiralty. Promoted to lieutenant commander on 26-04-1917, he was group leader of the 6th Minesweeping Half-Flotilla at the end of the first war. Breithaupt retired from active service in June 1920. Reactivated as a reserve lieutenant commander at the start of  WWII, Fritz became commander of the 14th Minesweeping Flotilla. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in the reserve after the Western Campaign, he briefly commanded the 34th MS Flotilla and then the 12th MS Flotilla. With the latter, he carried out many difficult convoy missions in the Channel, for which he was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 03-08-1941. After the 12th MS Flotilla was disbanded, he was given command of the 24th MS Flotilla in October 1942. With his ships, he succeeded in repelling three attacks on the Channel Islands. For this, he was awarded the Oak Leaves on 10-02-1944.

Death and burial ground of Breithhaupt, Fritz.

  Photo Breithaupt on the left. Promoted to frigate captain   in the reserve on 01-09-1944, he was killed in a plane crash on 25-12-1944, near the Channel Islands.

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