Kessler
Kessler was on his way to Japan as the recently appointed Air Attaché at the German Embassy in Tokyo.
Regards,
Shawn
General der Flieger Ulrich Kessler (Luftwaffe)
Born: 3 November 1894, Danzig-Langfuhr
Died: 27 March 1983, Urach
Promotions:
Navy:
• Seekadett: 1 April 1914
• Fähnrich zur See: 23 December 1914
• Leutnant zur See: 13 July 1916
• Oberleutnant zur See: 28 September 1920
• Kapitänleutnant: 1 March 1926
• Korvettenkapitän: 1 April 1933
Luftwaffe:
• Oberstleutnant: 1 April 1935
• Oberst: 1 April 1937
• Generalmajor: 1 April 1939
• Generalleutnant: 1 April 1941
• General der Flieger: 1 September 1944
Commands & Assignments:
• 1 April 1914: Entered the Imperial German Navy as a Sea Cadet.
• 1 April 1914-November 1914: Training at the Naval School Mürwick.
• November 1914-November 1915: Sea Cadet and Fähnrich aboard the pre-dreadnought battleship Wittelsbach.
• November 1915-30 November 1916: Officer Duties aboard the light cruiser Lübeck.
• 1 December 1916-January 1917: Training and courses.
• January 1917-26 November 1918: Flying training in the II. Seeflieger-Abteilung [Naval Flying Detachment], pilot at the Helgoland, Zeebrügge and Norderney Naval Air Stations and, at the same time, pilot of a “giant airplane.”
• December 1918-January 1919: Freikorps service in the Guard Cavalry Rifle Division.
• January 1919-February 1919: In the General Command Lüttwitz.
• February 1919-31 August 1919: In the Reich Navy Office.
• 1 September 1919-30 September 1921: On the staff of the North Sea Naval Station.
• 1 October 1921-30 September 1923: Watch Officer in the II. Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
• 1 October 1923-30 September 1925: Adjutant of the North Sea Ship Cadre Division.
• 1 October 1925-15 April 1927: Watch Officer and Adjutant of the light cruiser Hamburg.
• 16 April 1927-30 September 1929: Naval Air Services Group Leader in the Sea Transport Department/Navy Command.
• 1 October 1929-31 March 1931: Leader Assistant training.
• 1 April 1931-30 September 1931: Fifth Admiral Staff Officer on the staff of the Fleet Command.
• 1 October 1931-31 December 1932: Watch Officer aboard the pre-dreadnought battleship Hessen.
• 1 January 1933-30 June 1933: Expert for Naval Aviation with the German Delegation at the Disarmament Conference in Genf.
• 1 July 1933-31 August 1933: Consultant in the Navy Command.
• 1 September 1933: Transferred from the Navy to the Luftwaffe.
• 1 September 1933-30 September 1934: Group Leader in Office A/Reich Air Ministry.
• 1 October 1934-30 September 1935: Commander of the Air Weapons School, Warnemünde.
• 1 October 1935-30 September 1936: Training at the Armed Forces Academy, Berlin.
• 1 October 1936-30 September 1937: Commander of the Coastal Flying Group List/Sylt.
• 1 October 1937-30 June 1938: Chief of Staff of Luftkreis [Air District] Command IV.
• 1 July 1938-30 September 1938: In the Luftwaffe General Staff.
• 1 October 1938-14 November 1938: Officer for Special Employment in the Reich Air Ministry and to the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe.
• 15 November 1938-31 December 1939: Commander of Kampfgeschawader [Bomber Wing] 1 “Hindenburg.”
• 1 January 1940-30 April 1940: Chief of the General Staff of Luftflotte [Air Fleet] 1.
• 1 May 1940-27 June 1940: Chief of the General Staff of the X. Fliegerkorps [Air Corps] and, at the same time, Air Leader Trondheim, Norway.
• 28 June 1940-5 February 1942: Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe Training Services and, at the same time, concurrent duty as Chief of the Luftwaffe Education and Training Services/Reich Air Ministry.
• 5 February 1942-15 March 1944: Air Leader Atlantic.
• 16 March 1944-15 May 1945: Chief of the Luftwaffe Liaison Staff Tokyo, Japan.
• 22 January 1945-15 May 1945: At the same time, appointed Air Attaché at the German Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
• 15 May 1945-10 May 1947: Aboard the submarine U 234 on the planned voyage from Germany to Japan and then a prisoner of war in U.S. captivity. [On 25 March 1945, the German submarine U 234, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Johann-Heinrich Fehler, departed Kiel and arrived shortly thereafter at Kristiansand, Norway. There the U 234 took on a valuable cargo bound for Japan that included three crated Me-262 jet fighters, a Henschel HS-293 glider-bomb, various technical schematics and plans, and 550kg of uranium oxide. Also boarding the submarine were 12 passengers including German naval and Luftwaffe technical specialists, civilian scientists, two Japanese naval officers and General der Flieger Kessler, the recently appointed air attaché to Japan. Departing Norway on 16 April 1945, the U 234 was deep into the Atlantic when Kapitänleutnant Fehler learned of the surrender of Germany. He chose to head for the United States and surrender there. The two Japanese passengers, Lieutenant Commander Hideo Tomonaga and Lieutenant Commander Genzo Shoji, elected to commit suicide by taking lethal amounts of sleeping pills. On 15 May 1945, the U 234 surrendered to the destroyer escort USS Sutton (DE-771) and a prize crew took her into Portsmouth, New Hampshire.]
Decorations & Awards:
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 8 April 1944, Generalleutnant, Air Leader Atlantic.
• German Cross in Gold: 3 April 1944, Generalleutnant, Air Leader Atlantic.
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Lübeck Hanseatic Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Navy Wound Badge in Black – World War I award
Regards,
Shawn
General der Flieger Ulrich Kessler (Luftwaffe)
Born: 3 November 1894, Danzig-Langfuhr
Died: 27 March 1983, Urach
Promotions:
Navy:
• Seekadett: 1 April 1914
• Fähnrich zur See: 23 December 1914
• Leutnant zur See: 13 July 1916
• Oberleutnant zur See: 28 September 1920
• Kapitänleutnant: 1 March 1926
• Korvettenkapitän: 1 April 1933
Luftwaffe:
• Oberstleutnant: 1 April 1935
• Oberst: 1 April 1937
• Generalmajor: 1 April 1939
• Generalleutnant: 1 April 1941
• General der Flieger: 1 September 1944
Commands & Assignments:
• 1 April 1914: Entered the Imperial German Navy as a Sea Cadet.
• 1 April 1914-November 1914: Training at the Naval School Mürwick.
• November 1914-November 1915: Sea Cadet and Fähnrich aboard the pre-dreadnought battleship Wittelsbach.
• November 1915-30 November 1916: Officer Duties aboard the light cruiser Lübeck.
• 1 December 1916-January 1917: Training and courses.
• January 1917-26 November 1918: Flying training in the II. Seeflieger-Abteilung [Naval Flying Detachment], pilot at the Helgoland, Zeebrügge and Norderney Naval Air Stations and, at the same time, pilot of a “giant airplane.”
• December 1918-January 1919: Freikorps service in the Guard Cavalry Rifle Division.
• January 1919-February 1919: In the General Command Lüttwitz.
• February 1919-31 August 1919: In the Reich Navy Office.
• 1 September 1919-30 September 1921: On the staff of the North Sea Naval Station.
• 1 October 1921-30 September 1923: Watch Officer in the II. Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
• 1 October 1923-30 September 1925: Adjutant of the North Sea Ship Cadre Division.
• 1 October 1925-15 April 1927: Watch Officer and Adjutant of the light cruiser Hamburg.
• 16 April 1927-30 September 1929: Naval Air Services Group Leader in the Sea Transport Department/Navy Command.
• 1 October 1929-31 March 1931: Leader Assistant training.
• 1 April 1931-30 September 1931: Fifth Admiral Staff Officer on the staff of the Fleet Command.
• 1 October 1931-31 December 1932: Watch Officer aboard the pre-dreadnought battleship Hessen.
• 1 January 1933-30 June 1933: Expert for Naval Aviation with the German Delegation at the Disarmament Conference in Genf.
• 1 July 1933-31 August 1933: Consultant in the Navy Command.
• 1 September 1933: Transferred from the Navy to the Luftwaffe.
• 1 September 1933-30 September 1934: Group Leader in Office A/Reich Air Ministry.
• 1 October 1934-30 September 1935: Commander of the Air Weapons School, Warnemünde.
• 1 October 1935-30 September 1936: Training at the Armed Forces Academy, Berlin.
• 1 October 1936-30 September 1937: Commander of the Coastal Flying Group List/Sylt.
• 1 October 1937-30 June 1938: Chief of Staff of Luftkreis [Air District] Command IV.
• 1 July 1938-30 September 1938: In the Luftwaffe General Staff.
• 1 October 1938-14 November 1938: Officer for Special Employment in the Reich Air Ministry and to the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe.
• 15 November 1938-31 December 1939: Commander of Kampfgeschawader [Bomber Wing] 1 “Hindenburg.”
• 1 January 1940-30 April 1940: Chief of the General Staff of Luftflotte [Air Fleet] 1.
• 1 May 1940-27 June 1940: Chief of the General Staff of the X. Fliegerkorps [Air Corps] and, at the same time, Air Leader Trondheim, Norway.
• 28 June 1940-5 February 1942: Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe Training Services and, at the same time, concurrent duty as Chief of the Luftwaffe Education and Training Services/Reich Air Ministry.
• 5 February 1942-15 March 1944: Air Leader Atlantic.
• 16 March 1944-15 May 1945: Chief of the Luftwaffe Liaison Staff Tokyo, Japan.
• 22 January 1945-15 May 1945: At the same time, appointed Air Attaché at the German Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
• 15 May 1945-10 May 1947: Aboard the submarine U 234 on the planned voyage from Germany to Japan and then a prisoner of war in U.S. captivity. [On 25 March 1945, the German submarine U 234, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Johann-Heinrich Fehler, departed Kiel and arrived shortly thereafter at Kristiansand, Norway. There the U 234 took on a valuable cargo bound for Japan that included three crated Me-262 jet fighters, a Henschel HS-293 glider-bomb, various technical schematics and plans, and 550kg of uranium oxide. Also boarding the submarine were 12 passengers including German naval and Luftwaffe technical specialists, civilian scientists, two Japanese naval officers and General der Flieger Kessler, the recently appointed air attaché to Japan. Departing Norway on 16 April 1945, the U 234 was deep into the Atlantic when Kapitänleutnant Fehler learned of the surrender of Germany. He chose to head for the United States and surrender there. The two Japanese passengers, Lieutenant Commander Hideo Tomonaga and Lieutenant Commander Genzo Shoji, elected to commit suicide by taking lethal amounts of sleeping pills. On 15 May 1945, the U 234 surrendered to the destroyer escort USS Sutton (DE-771) and a prize crew took her into Portsmouth, New Hampshire.]
Decorations & Awards:
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 8 April 1944, Generalleutnant, Air Leader Atlantic.
• German Cross in Gold: 3 April 1944, Generalleutnant, Air Leader Atlantic.
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Lübeck Hanseatic Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Navy Wound Badge in Black – World War I award
