Hubert Schmundt

Karl Julius Gustav Hubert Schmundt (19 September 1888 – 17 October 1984) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career
Schmundt joined the Kaiserliche Marine (German Imperial Navy) as a cadet in 1908 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1911. He was serving with the German East Asia Squadron aboard SMS Scharnhorst between 1910 and 1913 and returned to Germany in 1913.

During World War I he was flag lieutenant of the 3rd destroyer flotilla and commanded the destroyer V71 being promoted to Kapitänleutnant in 1918. Schmudt was awarded the Iron Cross first and second class.

Schmunt remained in the Navy after the end of the war and in the 1920s commanded the torpedo boat S18 and served as a staff officer. He was promoted to Korvettenkapitänin 1927 and served as an aide to Defence Minister Wilhelm Groener between 1929 and 1932. During the 1930s Schmunt commanded the light cruisers Konigsberg (1934–35) and Nurnberg (1935–36). He became commander of the Naval Academy Mürwik in 1938 and was promoted to Rear Admiral.

In the Second World War Schmundt commanded the Bergen warship group during Operation Weserübung (squadron group consisted of light cruisers Köln (flagship) and the Königsberg, an artillery training ship Bremse, torpedo boat tender "Karl Peters, destroyers " Wolf " and " Leopard ", and a group of small warships). Subsequently Schmundt served as Admiral commanding Northern Norway (1941–42) including commanding Operation Wunderland, and as commander of German forces in the Baltic (1943–44). He was dismissed in April 1944 and taken prisoner by the British in 1945. He was released in 1947.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (6 October 1915)
 * 1st Class (14 May 1917)
 * Cross of Honor (21 December 1934)
 * Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)
 * Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (1 October 1939)
 * 1st Class (11 April 1940)
 * Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (25 March 1942)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 June 1940 as Konteradmiral and commander in chief of the Aufklärungs-Streitkräfte and leader of the Kampfgruppe Bergen