Karl-Jesko Von Puttkamer
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Karl-Jesko Otto Robert von Puttkamer (24 March 1900 – 4 March 1981) was a German admiral who was naval adjutant to Adolf Hitler during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.


Military service

Puttkamer was born in
Frankfurt (Oder) Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (, ; Central Marchian: ''Frankfort an de Oder,'' ) is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after Potsdam, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel. With around 58,000 inh ...
and was a member of the Puttkamer family, related to
Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...
's wife. He joined the Imperial German Navy as an officer cadet in 1917 and served on a heavy cruiser in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Puttkamer enlisted during World War I on 2 July 1917 as a volunteer in the Imperial Navy's ' ''Seeoffizierslaufbahn'' regiment. In December 1917 Puttkamer served on the battleship ''Kaiserin''. In the final months of the war, Puttkamer graduated at the Naval Academy Mürwik in a navigation course. He then took leave and joined the '' Freikorps''. In September 1920 Puttkamer returned to the Naval Academy. He was commissioned as an officer in 1923. In September 1926, Puttkamer became commander of the torpedo boat under Karl Dönitz, a position he held until October 1930, where he was promoted to lieutenant-commander of the torpedo boat . In 1933 graduated as a naval liaison officer from the Mürwik Naval Academy. Shortly after this, he served as naval
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
to the
General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...
until June 1935. In July 1935, he was transferred to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
. Puttkamer served as Hitler's naval adjutant until June 1938, when he was transferred to active service. Immediately prior to the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in Europe, he was the captain of a
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
. After the war began, he returned to the role of naval adjutant to Hitler. Later in September 1943 he was promoted to '' Konteradmiral''. Puttkamer was injured on 20 July 1944 when the bomb exploded during the 20 July plot attempt to kill Hitler and was awarded the 20 July Wound Badge.


1945

At the end of January 1945 a Pomeranian Volkssturm battalion was commanded by Baron von Puttkamer. This force was commanded by officers in their World War I uniforms and old service pistols with farmers without weapons, only armed with their Volkssturm armbands. After the unit was unable to reach the city of Schneidemuhl to obtain arms and when their train took Soviet tank fire, Puttkamer returned his men to their village and determined that they were not going to throw lives away and "put away the old uniform, which become dishonored 'under these Hitlers and Himmlers'". 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." On 20 April, Puttkamer, Dr. Theodor Morell, Dr. Hugo Blaschke, Albert Bormann, secretaries Johanna Wolf, Christa Schroeder and several others were ordered by Hitler to leave Berlin by aircraft for the Obersalzberg. The group flew out of Berlin on different flights by aircraft of the ''Fliegerstaffel des Führers'' over the following three days. Puttkamer's flight left Berlin on 21 April. Puttkamer was ordered to the Berghof to destroy Hitler's papers and personal belongings 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 American captivity until May 1947.


Death

He died in 1981 in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. He was buried at Waldfriedhof, in Munich.


Notes


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Puttkamer, Karl-Jesko Von 1900 births 1981 deaths Counter admirals of the Kriegsmarine People from Frankfurt (Oder) Military personnel from the Province of Brandenburg Karl-Jesko Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I Reichsmarine personnel Adjutants of Adolf Hitler Kapp Putsch participants 20th-century Freikorps personnel Volkssturm personnel Military personnel from Brandenburg German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States