German Kriegsmarineofficer, but — at what kind of ship?

brbye · Post by **brbye** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:38 am

Questions
Is it possible to find what kind of ship, vessel or Uboot, our german
ancestor Rudolf Plonus(b.10.01.1895, d. 22.01.1948) participated in,
during the second world war? We have a picture of him, and maybe
there are some Kriegsmarine warveterans, who knew him and what
happened to him after the war?

Picture of german officer at this address: http://madsno.com/slekt/img/soldat-stor.jpg

About Rudolf Plonus
He had the rank Obersteuermann D.L or Lieutenant-Commander, or
Kapitän, and lived in Bremerhaven(Wesermünde). During the first world
war, he participated in the Kaiserlich Deutsche Marine(I. Torpedodivision,
Kiel 1915-1918).

In the second world war he participated in Norway from 1940 until 1945.

Kommando
03.09.1940 - 10.09.1940 Admiral norwegische Westküste
11.09.1940 - 12.09.1940 Kriegsmarinedienststelle Bremen
13.09.1940 - 19.09.1940 3./1. Schiffsstammabteilung, Kiel
20.09.1940 - 31.12.1940 ?
01.01.1941 - 01.06.1942 Hafenkapitän Kristiansund-Nord
02.06.1942 - 31.05.1944 Admiral Nordküste Drontheim
01.06.1944 - 07.04.1945 Hafenkapitän Aalesund

Background
He was born in Neu-Heidendorf, East Preussia in 1895. He moved with
his family to Bremerhaven in the twenties. After the war(06.09.1945)
an british dismissal place in north of Germany, has an registration of him.
He died in 1948. His descendants emigrated to Australia.

We would be very grateful for any assistance or information,
or — maybe this is an impossible task, to find what kind of ship
he stayed in or several ships, during the war. If you know any
warveterans, who maybe remember him, it would be fantastic.

best regards from Brynhild Bye, Trondheim, Norway
email: [email protected]

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:41 am

Hello

You already posted the commands he was in and it looks like he was never assigned to a shipcrew. Navy does not mean necessarily boarding a ship. All the units listed were administrative or training authorities.

\Christoph

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:42 am

Christoph Awender wrote:Hello

You already posted the commands he was in and it looks like he was never assigned to a shipcrew. Navy does not mean necessarily boarding a ship. All the units listed were administrative-, headquarter- or training-units/authorities.

\Christoph

brbye · Post by **brbye** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:47 am

Ok — thanks, so this means that he could be working in an office, and not on a boat..

Simon Orchard · Post by **Simon Orchard** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:54 am

Heisann Brynhild

Is this the only photo of him you have in uniform? It would be useful to see what other decorations he has lower down on his jacket. I notice he has the 1914 iron cross second class and the bar or 'spange' to the 1939 iron cross second class. That means that at some point during world war two he was involved in some combat action which earned him that award, so he didn't spend his entire WWII career in an office that's for sure.

I wonder if iit would be possible to enlarge the shoulder strap on the right? Below the pip is a trade or career device that would help identifying what he did...if it can be made out.

He had the rank Obersteuermann D.L or Lieutenant-Commander, or
Kapitän,

Obersteuermann d.R. perhaps (der reserve). Not lieutenant-commander or kapitän, i don't believe the rank has any direct equivilant in the Norwegian navy but in the Royal Navy it would be about the same as Chief Petty Officer.

brbye · Post by **brbye** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:15 am

Hei Simon

Thank you. I´m afraid this is the only picture we have.
I´ve tried to enlarge the details, but there is not much to work with.

http://www.madsno.com/slekt/img/cross-plonus.jpg
http://www.madsno.com/slekt/img/shoulde ... plonus.jpg

Rank
From our papers:
Letzte Beförderung: 01.01.1943 Obersteuermann d.L.
Ehegatte: Kapitän
Beruf: Kapitän : 06.09.1944, feldpost marinepostamt Berlin M 14989
Dienstgrad: Obersteuermann, (overstyrmann)

Simon Orchard · Post by **Simon Orchard** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:10 am

Hei igjen

You can make out enough on the shoulder strap to see that below the pip is the 2 crossed anchors that indicate his career branch of steuermann, so that agrees with the information you have.

The fieldpost number 14989 belonged to the Hafenkapitän Ålesund.

I wonder if he was captain of one of the small port protection boats at Ålesund?
I know a few Norwegian experts who may be able to dig up more.

brbye · Post by **brbye** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:32 am

Hey Simon

That would be wonderful, really fantastic. Please do so.
And, - he was stationed in Ålesund, so that fits with our information.

Brynhild