Karl-Jesco von Puttkamer
Encyclopedia
Karl-Jesco Otto Robert von Puttkamer (24 March 1900 – 4 March 1981) was a German rear admiral
who was naval
adjutant to Nazi Germany
's leader Adolf Hitler
during World War II
.
and was a member of the Puttkamer
family, related to Otto von Bismarck
's wife. He joined the German Imperial Navy
as an officer cadet in 1917 and served on a heavy cruiser
in World War I
.
After the armistice he joined the Freikorps
. He then returned to naval service in the Reichsmarine
and trained at the Naval Academy Mürwik
. In the 1920s he served on torpedo boat
s and he was given his first command in 1928. From 1933 to 1935 he was a naval liaison officer
at the General Staff of the Army and he was then appointed naval liaison officer to the Reich Chancellor.
Immediately prior to the outbreak of World War II
he was the captain of a frigate
. He then returned to the role of naval liaison officer to the Reich Chancellor and in September 1943 he was promoted to Rear Admiral
.
Puttkamer was injured on 20 July 1944 when the bomb exploded during the July 20 Plot
attempt to kill Hitler and was awarded the Wound Badge
(20 July 1944).
On 20 April 1945, Hitler told his staff, "the situation during the last few days has changed to such an extent that I am forced to reduce my staff". Puttkamer was ordered by Hitler to leave the Berlin Führerbunker
. On 23 April, Puttkamer and several others were flown by aircraft to the Obersalzberg. Puttkamer was ordered to the Berghof to destroy Hitler's papers there. Therefore, Puttkamer was not with Hitler during his final few days in the Führerbunker. Following the German surrender on 8 May 1945, Puttkamer was held in captivity until May 1947. He died aged 80 in Munich
.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
who was naval
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
adjutant to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's leader Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Puttkamer was born in Frankfurt (Oder)Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
and was a member of the Puttkamer
Puttkamer
The family von Puttkamer belongs to a widely extended German noble family whose earliest ancestor is first recorded between 1257 and 1260. While some of its branches have the title of Graf , others are entitled to the lesser Freiherr...
family, related to Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
's wife. He joined the German Imperial Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
as an officer cadet in 1917 and served on a heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After the armistice he joined the Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
. He then returned to naval service in the Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
and trained at the Naval Academy Mürwik
Naval Academy Mürwik
The Naval Academy at Mürwik is the main training establishment for all German Navy officers.It is located at Mürwik which is a part of Germany's most northern city, Flensburg. Built on a small hill directly by the coast, it overlooks the Flensburg Fjord...
. In the 1920s he served on torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s and he was given his first command in 1928. From 1933 to 1935 he was a naval liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
at the General Staff of the Army and he was then appointed naval liaison officer to the Reich Chancellor.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was the captain of a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
. He then returned to the role of naval liaison officer to the Reich Chancellor and in September 1943 he was promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
.
Puttkamer was injured on 20 July 1944 when the bomb exploded during the July 20 Plot
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
attempt to kill Hitler and was awarded the Wound Badge
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
(20 July 1944).
On 20 April 1945, Hitler told his staff, "the situation during the last few days has changed to such an extent that I am forced to reduce my staff". Puttkamer was ordered by Hitler to leave the Berlin Führerbunker
Führerbunker
The Führerbunker was located beneath Hitler's New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex which was constructed in two major phases, one part in 1936 and the other in 1943...
. On 23 April, Puttkamer and several others were flown by aircraft to the Obersalzberg. Puttkamer was ordered to the Berghof to destroy Hitler's papers there. Therefore, Puttkamer was not with Hitler during his final few days in the Führerbunker. Following the German surrender on 8 May 1945, Puttkamer was held in captivity until May 1947. He died aged 80 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.