Theodor Detmers

Theodor Detmers (22 August 19024 November 1976) was a German naval officer and captain of the German auxiliary cruiser ''Kormoran'' during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Detmers commanded the commerce raider ''Kormoran'' when it sunk the Australian light cruiser in a mutually destructive battle.

Career

Detmers joined the '' Reichsmarine'' in 1921 and served on the battleships and . He was educated on the sail training ship ''Niobe'' and also served on . Detmers became a sublieutenant on the cruiser . From 1926 to 1928, he served on the ''Albatross''. In 1927, he was promoted to lieutenant. From 1930 to 1932, he served as staff officer and was then stationed on the cruiser , on which he visited Australia in 1933.

In 1934, he served on torpedo boats and destroyers of the Reichsmarine. In October 1938, he was in command of the destroyer ''Hermann Schoemann'' and participated in Operation ''Weserübung'' in April to June 1940.

HSK ''Kormoran''

In July 1940, Detmers became captain of the commerce raider ''Kormoran'', and captured or destroyed 11 enemy merchant ships. On 19 November 1941 ''Kormoran'' was intercepted by . Detmers tried to pose as a Dutch merchant ship. He allegedly lacked the necessary naval codes, however, and was finally forced to engage ''Sydney''. He sank the Australian cruiser in battle off Western Australia. His own ship was severely damaged and had to be scuttled, after which Detmers was captured and became a prisoner of war (POW).

In December 1941, Detmers was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and in 1943, was promoted to the rank of '' Kapitän zur See''. He had earlier received the first class Iron Cross.

Prisoner of war and later life

From 1941 to January 1947, Detmers was held as a POW at HM Prison Dhurringile. While a prisoner, he wrote a coded account of the battle between HMAS ''Sydney'' and German auxiliary cruiser ''Kormoran'' that survived the war.
Detmers tried to escape Australian captivity with other members of his crew, through a tunnel and then hoped to capture a sailboat to get to Indonesia; however, the attempt was unsuccessful. Later during his imprisonment, he suffered a stroke.

Detmers returned to Germany in 1947 and was released from British captivity in Munster. Due to his stroke, he was incapacitated for service in the post-war German navy. In the early 1950s he married Ursula Reinhardt, daughter of a Protestant pastor. They had no children and he died in Rahlstedt, Hamburg in 1976. Detmers wrote a book about his ''Kormoran'' experiences,
which has been translated into English.

Awards and decorations

* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 December 1941 as Fregattenkapitän and commander of auxiliary cruiser Kormoran (HSK-8)

See also

* Joseph Burnett

References

Bibliography

*
*

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Detmers, Theodor
1902 births
1976 deaths
German prisoners of war in World War II
Kriegsmarine personnel
People from the Province of Westphalia
People from Witten
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Reichsmarine personnel
World War II prisoners of war held by Australia
Military personnel from North Rhine-Westphalia