German Raiders

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JohnW
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German Raiders

#1

Post by JohnW » 09 Aug 2003, 09:05

All,

I am looking for information concerning two German Raider commanders:
Kapt. z.See Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien and FregKapt. Karl August Nerger. I have found some info but not much more than their WWI exploits. I am curious about pre and post war careers, awards and decorations, etc. All help greatly appreciated.

John

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Peter H
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#2

Post by Peter H » 10 Aug 2003, 08:10

Neger commanded the light cruiser Stettin before taking over the Wolf.After his return in 1918,he was promoted to Commanding Officer Armed Trawlers,North Sea.His voyage around New Zealand and across the Tasman Sea aren't too well known.

Wolf.
Image
http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW1/ ... teamer.jpg

WolfCub,the Wolf's seaplane.
Image
http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW1/ ... olfCub.jpg


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Peter H
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#3

Post by Peter H » 10 Aug 2003, 08:22

Dohna-Schlodien's Moewe

Image
http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW1/ ... /Moewe.jpg

Dohna-Schlodien (1879-1956)became 'Naval Aide-de-Campe' to Kaiser Wilhelm after his return.

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Peter H
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#4

Post by Peter H » 10 Aug 2003, 08:41

Both Dohna-Schlodien and Neger were awarded the Pour le Merite.

Neger biography from PourleMerite.org:

http://www.pourlemerite.org/

Karl August Nerger
Fregattenkapitän (Naval Commander), Commanding Officer, Auxiliary Cruiser SMS Wolf (II), German Naval Forces.

MILITARY BIO:
Karl August Nerger was awarded the Pour le Mérite on Feb 24, 1918 in recognition of the sucessful 451 days trip througout the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and the Tasman Sea, placing mines in Singapore and other south Asian harbors. (Karl August Nerger wurde am 24. Februar 1918 mit dem Orden Pour le Mérite in Anerkennung seiner erfolgreichen 451 Tage dauernden Kaperfahrt im Indischen und Pazifischen Ozean sowie für das Minenlegen im Hafen von Singapur und anderen südasiatischen Häfen ausgezeichnet.)

During that successful 15 months war patrol, the SMS Wolf sank 214,000 tons of Allied warships and merchant vessels. Commander Nerger served on the SMS Iltis during the Boxer Rebellion in China during 1800-1901. There he displayed distinction in action during the attack on the Chinese Taku forts.

He was also one of six non-Bavarian recipients of the Military Max Joseph Order during WWI. He received this award on 1 May 1918.

PERSONAL BIO:
Karl Agust Nerger was born 1874 in Rostock situated in the northern part of Germany, in the vacinity of the Baltic Sea. Brought up at the shore of the Baltic Sea he always wanted to become a naval officer as his brother Dr. Bruno Nerger also wanted, who was a doctor on several war ships like S.M.S. Kaiserin. Karl Agust Nerger became an officer in 1896, and as commander of S.M.S. Stettin he took part in the battle of Helgoland.

He also was enganged in the takeover of the so-called Toku-Forts in the Far East (China) on board S.M.S. Iltis in 1900. After his return to Germany in 1918 he was appointed to the Staff of Admirality. His last rank in the 30's was Konter-Admiral (Rear Admiral). He died as a prisoner of war Jan 10, 1947 in the concentration camp Sachsenhausen which had been overtook from the Soviets by the end of WWII. Acording to his family, he lived in Potsdam. At the end of the war, as Berlin was taken by the Soviet forces, they captured him as former high ranking officer and transferred him into the camp. The cause of his death is not known to his family.


Return home parade:
Image
http://www.pourlemerite.org/wwi/navy/nerger07.jpg

JohnW
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#5

Post by JohnW » 10 Aug 2003, 23:25

Thanks Moulded,

I had seen the info on the PlM site. Some very good pics. Are there any pictures around showing either man wearing his decorations ( other than the PlM photo of Nerger)? Would like to know. These two seem to have received some high decorations and I am trying to get a list together. Thanks for the help.

John

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_The_General_
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#6

Post by _The_General_ » 10 Aug 2003, 23:31

Nerger:

Image

Image

edit - you already saw the plm photo's

JohnW
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#7

Post by JohnW » 10 Aug 2003, 23:39

General,

Thanks for the pics. Have seen the top one, but the other one is new to me. Frustrating, the man has a slew of gongs and I can only ID a few. Oh well.

John

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USAF1986
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#8

Post by USAF1986 » 11 Aug 2003, 01:13

Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien displaying his Pour le Mérite and from, left to right:

• EK II (19141)
• Bavarian Military Max Joseph Order, Knight’s Cross
• Saxon Military St. Henry Order, Knight’s Cross
• Baden Military Karl Friedrich Merit Order, Knight’s Cross
• Württemberg Military Merit Order, Knight’s Cross
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross

Below:
• EK I (1914)
• Lippe War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds

NOTE: Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien was amongst that very select group of Pour le Mérite recipients who skipped the Knight’s Cross with Swords of the Royal Hohenzollern House Order altogether.

Among Nerger’s WWI wartime decorations:

• EK I (1914)
• EK II (19141)
• Bavarian Military Max Joseph Order, Knight’s Cross
• Saxon Military St. Henry Order, Knight’s Cross
• Baden Military Karl Friedrich Merit Order, Knight’s Cross
• Württemberg Military Merit Order, Knight’s Cross
• Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 1st Class
• Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 2nd Class
• Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross, 1st Class
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
• Bremen Hanseatic Cross

Nerger’s pre-WWI decorations from the Rangliste der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine dated 12 May 1914:

• Prussian Red Eagle Order, 4th Class
• Prussian Crown Order, 4th Class with Swords
• Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class
• Turkish Mejidie Order, 4th Class

Regards,
Shawn
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Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna Schlodien.jpg
Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna Schlodien.jpg (32.94 KiB) Viewed 3063 times
Last edited by USAF1986 on 11 Aug 2003, 01:55, edited 1 time in total.

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USAF1986
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#9

Post by USAF1986 » 11 Aug 2003, 01:45

I just looked at his bio in Deutschlands Admirale, 1849-1945, Band 2 by Hans H. Hildebrand & Ernest Henriot, and, of course, Nerger was involved in the Boxer Rebellion actions in China as a watch officer aboard the famous gunboat Iltis. This probably accounts for his pre-WWI campaign medal with bar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin medal, and Crown Order, 4th Class with Swords.

Imperial German decorations specialist and author Neal W. O'Connor notes that those Mecklenburgers who received the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class for "distinguished behavior" during the Boxer Rebellion in China, were awarded a cross with the date "1900" on it.

Also, the last medal on his bar is the Prussian Kaiser Wilhelm Centenary Medal, 1797-1897.

Regards,
Shawn

Dave Danner
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#10

Post by Dave Danner » 11 Aug 2003, 03:53

There are 16 medals on Nerger's grosse Ordenschnalle.

7 through 16 are:
  • Bavarian MMJO
  • Saxon MSHO
  • Württemberg MVO
  • Baden MKFVO
  • Oldenburg FA-Kreuz 2.Kl.
  • Bremen Hanseatenkreuz
  • Hamburg Hanseatenkreuz
  • Lübeck Hanseatenkreuz
  • China-Denkmünze with clasp (probably Taku)
  • Centenar-Medaille
The first is the Iron Cross 2nd Class. That leaves five. Two are the Red Eagle and the Crown Order with Swords. It is hard to tell, but it does not look like Nerger had the Hohenzollern House Order, having skipped it like Graf Dohna. So what are the other three? One, obviously, is the already mentioned Mecklenburg-Schwerin MVK, dated 1900. He doesn't appear to have had enough time in service to have gotten a 25 year DA. Maybe the native Mecklenburger received a Knight's Cross of the Order of the Griffin? Do the Navy rank lists or Hildebrand & Henriot have any more detail?

Dave

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USAF1986
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#11

Post by USAF1986 » 11 Aug 2003, 04:19

Dave,

I'm afraid that's it for the Rangliste and the Admirale book. Here's an enlarged crop of Nerger's bar. If only we had a good straight-on photo of him!

Regards,
Shawn
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Nerger medals.jpg
Nerger medals.jpg (34.63 KiB) Viewed 3033 times

Durand
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#12

Post by Durand » 11 Aug 2003, 14:40

Hallo,

While converting Ship 16 (Atlantis) from a merchantman to a raider, Captain Bernhard Rogge consulted with Nerger on two occasions. Rogge credits Nerger with providing valuable information for the ship's conversion and subsequent operations.

Regards,

Durand

JohnW
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#13

Post by JohnW » 12 Aug 2003, 05:08

All,

Thank you for the information and pictures. I really appreciate it. I had been searching for info on them for a while now. Great job. Thanks again.

John

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