Born in Danzig in 1894, he joined the Imperial German Navy in 1914 when World War I broke out and worked as a radio operator, serving both at sea and at a land-based radio station in Neumünster. He was aboard SMS Friedrich Carl when it sank in the Baltic Sea and was also wounded in January 1916 aboard SMS Lübeck. Kessler started seaplane training in the summer of 1916 and finished at the end of the year. He became naval aviator for the rest of the war after completing pilot training and later served as a seaplane squadron commander. After the war, he was a member of the Freikorps and later joined the Reichsmarine in 1923. Kessler returned to ship duty and served as a torpedo boat commander before completing a world cruise aboard the cruiser SMS Hamburg between 1925 and 1927. Kessler became the head of the Navy Air Service upon his return to Germany and attended the German Naval Academy at Mürwik.[1] He served as German Naval Attaché to the disarmament conference in Geneva, where he claimed to have befriended US Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson.[2]
In 1933 Kessler was reassigned to the German Air Ministry, and he resigned his commission as a Kapitanleutnant (lieutenant commander) in the navy to become a Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) in the new Luftwaffe (German Air Force). He held several staff positions in the 1930s before being considered by Hermann Göring, the commander of the Air Force, to become the air attaché in the United Kingdom. Because Kessler did not believe that Germany could easily win a war against the British, he got into a dispute with Göring, who removed him from consideration for the assignment in England. Instead, he became the commander of Kampfgeschwader 1 during the invasion of Poland, and later was the chief of staff for Luftflotte 1 and X Fliegerkorps. In 1944 Kessler was recalled to Berlin for training to be an air attaché. Kessler had been connected to the Stauffenberg assassination plot against Hitler, and feared that he could be investigated by the Gestapo. He was well acquainted with the Japanese naval attaché to Germany, Rear Admiral Hideo Kojima, who decided to help Kessler by requesting that Göring appoint him to replace the Luftwaffe attaché in Japan.[1]
In September 1944, the head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, assigned Kessler to be the Luftwaffe attaché at the German embassy in Japan. Kessler requested a larger liaison staff to be sent with him to create an expanded office of the Air Attaché in Japan, but this was not granted and he received only part of the staff he asked for.[3]
U-234 surrendering.
Ulrich Kessler was captured on 15 May 1945 while on board U-234 by a 15-man boarding party from the destroyer USS Sutton. He was returning to active duty as Chief of the Luftwaffe-Liaison-Staff Tokyo and Air-Attache at the German Embassy in Tokyo. On the voyage, according to Fehler, relations between Kessler and a convinced Nazi passenger, naval judge Kay Nieschling, became very strained.[4]
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
ulrich, kessler, ulrich, otto, eduard, kessler, november, 1894, march, 1983, german, general, general, flieger, luftwaffe, during, world, recipient, knight, cross, iron, cross, awarded, nazi, germany, recognise, extreme, battlefield, bravery, successful, milit. Ulrich Otto Eduard Kessler 3 November 1894 27 March 1983 was a German general General der Flieger in the Luftwaffe during World War II He was a recipient of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross awarded by Nazi Germany to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership Ulrich Otto Eduard KesslerYank the Army Weekly Cover showing German Lt Gen Ulrich Kessler following capture in 1945 Born3 November 1894Danzig Langfuhr Kingdom of PrussiaDied27 March 1983 1983 03 27 aged 88 Bad Urach West GermanyAllegiance German Empire Weimar Republic to 1933 Nazi GermanyService wbr branch Imperial German Navy Reichsmarine LuftwaffeYears of service1914 45RankGeneral der FliegerCommands heldKampfgeschwader 1Fliegerfuhrer AtlantikBattles warsWorld War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Battle of the AtlanticAwardsKnight s Cross of the Iron CrossBiography editBorn in Danzig in 1894 he joined the Imperial German Navy in 1914 when World War I broke out and worked as a radio operator serving both at sea and at a land based radio station in Neumunster He was aboard SMS Friedrich Carl when it sank in the Baltic Sea and was also wounded in January 1916 aboard SMS Lubeck Kessler started seaplane training in the summer of 1916 and finished at the end of the year He became naval aviator for the rest of the war after completing pilot training and later served as a seaplane squadron commander After the war he was a member of the Freikorps and later joined the Reichsmarine in 1923 Kessler returned to ship duty and served as a torpedo boat commander before completing a world cruise aboard the cruiser SMS Hamburg between 1925 and 1927 Kessler became the head of the Navy Air Service upon his return to Germany and attended the German Naval Academy at Murwik 1 He served as German Naval Attache to the disarmament conference in Geneva where he claimed to have befriended US Secretary of State Henry L Stimson 2 In 1933 Kessler was reassigned to the German Air Ministry and he resigned his commission as a Kapitanleutnant lieutenant commander in the navy to become a Oberstleutnant lieutenant colonel in the new Luftwaffe German Air Force He held several staff positions in the 1930s before being considered by Hermann Goring the commander of the Air Force to become the air attache in the United Kingdom Because Kessler did not believe that Germany could easily win a war against the British he got into a dispute with Goring who removed him from consideration for the assignment in England Instead he became the commander of Kampfgeschwader 1 during the invasion of Poland and later was the chief of staff for Luftflotte 1 and X Fliegerkorps In 1944 Kessler was recalled to Berlin for training to be an air attache Kessler had been connected to the Stauffenberg assassination plot against Hitler and feared that he could be investigated by the Gestapo He was well acquainted with the Japanese naval attache to Germany Rear Admiral Hideo Kojima who decided to help Kessler by requesting that Goring appoint him to replace the Luftwaffe attache in Japan 1 In September 1944 the head of the Luftwaffe Hermann Goring assigned Kessler to be the Luftwaffe attache at the German embassy in Japan Kessler requested a larger liaison staff to be sent with him to create an expanded office of the Air Attache in Japan but this was not granted and he received only part of the staff he asked for 3 nbsp U 234 surrendering Ulrich Kessler was captured on 15 May 1945 while on board U 234 by a 15 man boarding party from the destroyer USS Sutton He was returning to active duty as Chief of the Luftwaffe Liaison Staff Tokyo and Air Attache at the German Embassy in Tokyo On the voyage according to Fehler relations between Kessler and a convinced Nazi passenger naval judge Kay Nieschling became very strained 4 Awards and decorations editGerman Cross in Gold 3 April 1944 Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 April 1944 as Generalleutnant and Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik 5 Citations edit a b Joseph Scalia Germany s Last Mission to Japan The Failed Voyage of U 234 Naval Institute Press A V Sellwood The Warring Seas Universal Tandem Publishing 1972 p 181 Joseph Scalia Germany s Last Mission to Japan The Failed Voyage of U 234 Naval Institute Press pp 7 8 A V Sellwood The Warring Seas Universal Tandem Publishing 1972 pp 147 72 Fellgiebel 2000 p 279 Bibliography editFellgiebel Walther Peer 2000 1986 Die Trager des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 1945 Die Inhaber der hochsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile The Bearers of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 1945 The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches in German Friedberg Germany Podzun Pallas ISBN 978 3 7909 0284 6 Patzwall Klaus D Scherzer Veit 2001 Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II The German Cross 1941 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2 in German Norderstedt Germany Verlag Klaus D Patzwall ISBN 978 3 931533 45 8 Scherzer Veit 2007 Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939 1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer Luftwaffe Kriegsmarine Waffen SS Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbundeter Streitkrafte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives The Knight s Cross Bearers 1939 1945 The Holders of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army Air Force Navy Waffen SS Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives in German Jena Germany Scherzers Militaer Verlag ISBN 978 3 938845 17 2 Military offices Preceded byNone Commander of Kampfgeschwader 11 May 1939 17 December 1939 Succeeded byOberst Ernst Exss Preceded byGeneralmajor Wilhelm Speidel Chief of Staff of Luftflotte 119 December 1939 25 April 1940 Succeeded byOberst Heinz Hellmuth von Wuhlisch Preceded byOberstleutnant Martin Harlinghausen Chief of Staff of X Fliegerkorps25 April 1940 21 May 1940 Succeeded byGeneralleutnant Gunther Korten Preceded byGeneralmajor Wolfgang von Wild Commander of Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik5 January 1942 1 April 1944 Succeeded byNone Preceded byGeneralmajor Wolfgang von Gronau German Air Attache to JapanChief of Luftwaffe Liaison Staff TokyoJanuary May 1945 Succeeded byNone Portal nbsp Biography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ulrich Kessler amp oldid 1206840658, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
