Admiral Theodor Burchardi

[Amanda]

Does anyone have any Additional Information on Theodor Burchardi?
Or Photographs of this man?
I have:
Date of Birth: 14.05.1892 in Homberg/kassel
Date of Death: 12.08.1983
And recieved the Ritterkreuz on 29.09.1944
Thank you
-Amanda

[AJK]

Hi Amanda,

Here are some biographical details and a photo:

Admiral Theodor BURCHARDI (14 May 1892 - 12 Aug 1983)
5 Oct 1936 - 14 Oct 1937: Director of Artillery, Kiel Naval Arsenal
15 Oct 1937 - 14 Jan 1940: Commandant, Cruiser “Köln”
15 Jan 1940 - 3 Feb 1941: Chief of Central Office, Kiel Shipyards
(1 Jan 1941: Promoted to Konteradmiral)
4 Feb 1941 - 18 May 1941: Chief of Staff, Kiel Shipyards
19 May 1941 - 5 Nov 1941: Naval Commander “D”
6 Nov 1941 - 16 Jun 1944: Naval Commander, Baltic
(1 Feb 1943: Promoted to Vizeadmiral)
17 Jun 1944 - 18 Apr 1945: Admiral Commanding Eastern Baltic
(1 Jan 1945: Promoted to Admiral)
Awards: Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves; Knight’s Cross; German Cross in Gold

AJK

[Stauffenberg II]

Amanda,

nice to meet a girl in this forum finally.

For all Navy Officers and almost all Air Force Officers (stuck at T), see the excellent info provided by Gareth Collins at

Luftwaffe
http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRM ... waffe.html

Kriegsmarine
http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRM ... arine.html

Furthermore, for (less detailed) info on Army Officers see:
http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRM ... sHeer.html
and
http://www.feldgrau.com/search.php?ID=2
and
http://houterman.htmlplanet.com
and
http://web.genealogie.free.fr/Les_milit ... r/Heer.htm

The best info on Army officers is (unfortunately stuck at D) available at
http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/heer-bios.htm

Best regards!

[Amanda]

Thank you for all the Wonderful information. Helps alot
-Amanda

[Harri]

Further questions:

1. Can someone tell me/us what the Burchardi's "titles"(/staffs)
- "Naval Commander, Baltic" (according to my sources since 1.11.1941 but it may be the day he was ordered to take command) and
- "Admiral Commanding Eastern Baltic"
were in German language (I just want to check)? I assume actually this was the same staff and only its name was changed on 17.6.1944.

2. What for was Naval Commander "D" and was it related to Baltic Sea? All available info on it, please!

3. Where were Burchardi's staffs mentioned in question 1 and 2 located during the war? Before and after Tallinn, Estonia?

These following requests are not directly related to Burchardi, but he was the superior commander of these two Kriegsmarine staffs:

4. Marineverbindungsstab Finnland (M.V.St.Finnland). All available information needed!

5. Führer der Torpedoboote (F.d.T.). All available information needed!

6. Who were the Chiefs of Staff (rank(s) in German + name) of the all mentioned staffs?

Thank you!

[Stauffenberg II]

Further questions:

1. Can someone tell me/us what the Burchardi's "titles"(/staffs)
- "Naval Commander, Baltic" (according to my sources since 1.11.1941 but it may be the day he was ordered to take command) and
- "Admiral Commanding Eastern Baltic"
were in German language (I just want to check)? I assume actually this was the same staff and only its name was changed on 17.6.1944.

2. What for was Naval Commander "D" and was it related to Baltic Sea? All available info on it, please!

6. Who were the Chiefs of Staff (rank(s) in German + name) of the all mentioned staffs?

the same staff from 1941-1945 named:

05/1941-11/1941: Marinebefehlshaber D
11/1941-02/1943: Marinebefehlshaber Ostland
02/1943-06/1944: Admiral Ostland
06/1944-05/1945: Admiral östliche Ostsee

Cdr. 1941-1945: Adm. Theodor Burchardi (Finnish Cross of Liberty 1st Class with swords: 07.06.1943)

CoS 05/1941-03/1943: KAdm. Conrad Engelhardt (Finnish Cross of Liberty 2nd Class with swords: 07.06.1943)

Further questions:

4. Marineverbindungsstab Finnland (M.V.St.Finnland). All available information needed!

I have no clue, but I think as KAdm. Reimar von Bonin was still based in Helsinki as Naval Attache (from 1937) until 09/1944 it was him (Finnish Cross of Liberty 1st Class with swords: 31.01.1942)

Further questions:

5. Führer der Torpedoboote (F.d.T.). All available information needed!

The FdT was actually part of the Fleet. In 1939 the FdT was divided to form FdT and FdZ. In 1942 the staff was disbanded.

FdT (old):
1933-1934: Fricke Kurt
1934-1937: Kummetz Theodor
1937-1939: Lütjens Günter

FdT (new):
1939-1942: Bütow Hans

Bütow: Finnish Cross of Liberty 1st Class with swords: 12.10.1941. Btw: FdT had no Chief of Staff I think. I guess the Asto 1 was head of staff.

Regards,
Stauffenberg II

[Harri]

Thank you Stauffenberg, that was quick!

As far as I know in 1941 Chef des Verbindungsstabes / Marineverbindungsstab Finnland was Fregattenkapitän Hans Eberhard Busch. But how long and who were his successors if anyone?

Chef des Stabes / Führer der Torpedoboote was Korvettenkapitän Edward Wegener in the summer 1941, but until when and who replaced him if anyone?

Any further information is still appreciated (CoS, locations...).

----

Does anyone know when was "Marinekommando Nord-Ostsee" at Swinemünde, Germany suspended (probably around 9.1942) and when was "Marinekommando Ostsee" founded at Schwinemünde (probably around 6.1943) - or do I miss one admiral and staff between these two mentioned staffs? Admiral Hubert Schmundt was the head of both mentioned staffs.

[Stauffenberg II]

As far as I know in 1941 Chef des Verbindungsstabes / Marineverbindungsstab Finnland was Fregattenkapitän Hans Eberhard Busch.

That is new for me, thanks!

Chef des Stabes / Führer der Torpedoboote was Korvettenkapitän Edward Wegener in the summer 1941, but until when and who replaced him if anyone?

A Korv. Kpt (Major) as Chief of Staff sounds strange. Are you sure he wasn´t only Asto 1 (and head of staff)?

Does anyone know when was "Marinekommando Nord-Ostsee" at Swinemünde, Germany suspended (probably around 9.1942) and when was "Marinekommando Ostsee" founded at Schwinemünde (probably around 6.1943) - or do I miss one admiral and staff between these two mentioned staffs? Admiral Hubert Schmundt was the head of both mentioned staffs.

Marinestation Ostsee/Marineoberkommando Ostsee
Guse Günter (1940-1943)
Schmundt Hubert (1943-1944)
Kummetz Oskar (1944-1945)

The Marinestation Ostsee was redesignated MOK Ostsee in 06/1943. Chief of Staff: Wurmbach Hans (1939-1942), Bütow (1942-1944)

Schmundt: Finnish Cross of Liberty 1st Class with swords (25.03.1942)

Regards

[Harri]

Thanks a lot again!!

As far as I know in 1941 Chef des Verbindungsstabes / Marineverbindungsstab Finnland was Fregattenkapitän Hans Eberhard Busch.

That is new for me, thanks!

Chef des Stabes / Führer der Torpedoboote was Korvettenkapitän Edward Wegener in the summer 1941, but until when and who replaced him if anyone?

A Korv. Kpt (Major) as Chief of Staff sounds strange. Are you sure he wasn´t only Asto 1 (and head of staff)?

Well, I'm not 100% sure about the positions or ranks because I haven't seen any original files/papers but as far as I remember both pieces of information are from the book "The Birth of the Continuation War" by prof. Mauno Jokipii (who has also written the brick-sized history of Finnish volunteer SS-battalion). I would rely very much on his knowledge. Ranks are probably that of June 1941. It was said in the book that Chief of Staff / F.d.T. Korv.Kpt. Edward Wegener arrived in Finland already on 12.6.1941 while F.d.T. Kapitän zur See Hans Bütow came five days later on 17.6.1941.

Either Kapitän zur See isn't very high rank, equal to Colonel, so I think title "Chef des Stabes" could be also correct. I know Germans didn't have as many Chiefs of Staff (on every level of hierarchy) as many armed forces and this may be a wrong interpretation or misunderstanding.

Already earlier than Wegener on 9.6.1941 arrived Marine-Nachrichten-Kompanie 104 (Oberleutnant Kullmann) which built two naval radio stations to Turku and Helsinki. Company had French radios and mainly French vehicles and equipment. It had difficulties with its gear which didn't work very well. I think Wegener came to form up a staff which was ready when Bütov arrived. A few days before the Barbarossa arrived also 1. Schnellboot-Flottille [S26, S39, S40, S101...S103, Carl Peters],
5. Schnellboot-Flottille [S27...S29, S45, S47, Tanga] and
2. Schnellboot-Flottille [S41...S44, S46, S104...S106, Tsingtau]
for which the staff was?

The Marinestation Ostsee was redesignated MOK Ostsee in 06/1943. Chief of Staff: Wurmbach Hans (1939-1942), Bütow (1942-1944)

I see Bütow again. I thought correctly that I have a gap in my knowledge. Thank you!

[Amanda]

Im looking for more personal information about this man instead of promotions, assignments and declarations. Is there any of this man?
Even if its a small amount of information it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
-Amanda

[Husar1914]

Hi Everyone,

I saw an old wedding picture of a naval officer and his wife on a German website and I think the young lieutenant may be
Theodor Burchardi. Here is the picture from the website next to the picture of Burchardi taken from post #2 above.

What do you all think? Is it the same man? The lips, the ears, the cheekbones, the eyes, the chin, the nose... they are all spot-on
in my opinion. If he was not wearing a hat, the forehead and hairline could have also been compared. Also, his eyes are darker than
the ones on the older photo but maybe they were touched-up. (They did that kind of thing to studio photos back then.)

Anyway, I would enjoy reading your comments. Thank you.

Regards...

[Kriegsmarine Großadmiral]

In my opinion it's not Burchardi on the right.