Ludwig von Schröder (17 July 1854 Hintzenkamp near

Eggesin Eggesin () is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Uecker, 7 km southeast of Ueckermünde, and 42 km northwest of Szczecin. History From 1648 to 172 ...

– 23 July 1933 in Berlin-Halensee) was an

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial Navy) was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

and

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

during the

First World War 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 ...

and a recipient of the ''

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

'' with Oak Leaves.

Biography

Schröder entered the new Imperial Naval Service in May 1871 as cadet after passing his examinations. He was assigned for eight months to the sail training ship before being posted to Naval School Kiel. After graduation he was initially assigned as subaltern to naval infantry, followed by service on several ships, then as commanding officer of the aviso SMS ''Blitz'', the training vessel and the cruiser . With his promotion to admiral in January 1911 he functioned as chief of the Cruiser Division of the West Indies Station. In February 1912 Schröder was elevated to the hereditary Prussian nobility by Kaiser

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

. Admiral Ludwig von Schröder retired from active duty in 1913. One of his final assignments was commander of Baltic Sea Naval Command. With the outbreak of war in August 1914, Schröder was recalled to active service and named commanding Admiral in

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

, placed in charge of both the seagoing forces and the 1st Marine Division. By mid-November 1914 additional naval infantry formations were raised and added to his command to form '' Marinekorps Flandern''. He was in command during the 1916 Battle of Dover Strait, the successful German attack on the Dover Barrage. Schröder's leadership earned him the sobriquet "Lion of Flanders" in Germany.''Hamburger Nachrichten'', 24 July 1933. Obituary Admiral Ludwig von Schröder After transfer to the Baltic near the end of the war, Schröder was ordered by Wilhelm II to take action against navy mutineers at

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

. The government of

Reichskanzler The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. T ...

Max von Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden (''Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm''; 10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929),Almanach de Gotha. ''Haus Baden (Maison de Bade)''. Justus Perthes, Gotha, 1944, p. 18, (French). also known as Max von Baden, was a Germ ...

was opposed to these measures and the orders were thus not carried out. Ludwig von Schröder retired a second time on 12 December 1918. He died in Berlin-Halensee on 23 July 1933, age 79, and was buried at the

Invalidenfriedhof The Invalids' Cemetery () is one of the oldest cemeteries in Berlin. It was the traditional resting place of the Prussian Army, and is regarded as particularly important as a memorial to the German Wars of Liberation of 1813–15. History Th ...

cemetery, Berlin, with son Joachim (1885-1929) who preceded him in death. His son Ludwig Karl (1884-1941) was a

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

general during the Second World War.

Awards

Albert Order The Albert Order () was created on 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony (known as Albert the Bold). It was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, s ...

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

1st and 2nd Class *

(20 October 1915) with Oak Leaves (23 December 1917) * Bavarian Military Merit Order * Order of the Crown *

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, o ...

Bibliography

* * *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schroder, Ludwig von 1854 births 1933 deaths People from Vorpommern-Greifswald Military personnel from the Province of Pomerania German untitled nobility Admirals of the Imperial German Navy Imperial German Navy admirals of World War I Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Grand Crosses of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria) Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania