Werner Töniges

Werner Töniges (7 January 1910 – 25 January 1995) was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He sailed with the Schnellboot "S 24", "S 26" and "S 102", sinking eighteen ships on 281 combat patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping.

Military career
Werner Töniges transferred from the Handelsmarine to the Kriegsmarine in 1935. In 1937 he was promoted to Leutnant zur See. On board of the German pocket battleship "Admiral Graf Spee" he participated in Spanish Civil War. He then transferred to the Schnellboot service. He commanded the Schnellboote "S 24", "S 26" and "S 102". Töniges was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 88 combat patrols on 25 February 1941. He soon also received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 13 November 1942, the first in the Schnellboot service. At this point Töniges had sunk 18 war and merchant ships plus two U-boat hunters. He was transferred to the Marineschule at Flensburg-Mürwik as company commander at the end of September 1942. Here he received the Fast Attack Craft War Badge with Diamonds. As of September 1943 he served as a training officer in the Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, where he was promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 January 1945.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (24 June 1940)
 * 1st Class (6 July 1940)
 * Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords (6 June 1939)
 * Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)
 * Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 4th Class (4 November 1941)
 * Fast Attack Craft War Badge
 * Fast Attack Craft War Badge (28 January 1941)
 * Fast Attack Craft War Badge with Diamonds (16 December 1942)
 * Crimea Shield (16 August 1943)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 25 February 1941 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille
 * 143rd Oak Leaves on 13 November 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of Schnellboot S-102 in the 1. Schnellbootflottille