Otto Feige (naval officer)

Otto Feige (21 September 1882 – 2 January 1951) was a German career naval officer who served in both world wars. He was a member of the Imperial German Navy, the Reichsmarine and, lastly, the Kriegsmarine as an Admiral during World War II.

Born(1882-09-21)21 September 1882

Neisse, Province of Silesia, German Empire

Died2 January 1951(1951-01-02) (aged 68)

Kaufbeuren, Bavaria, West Germany

Allegiance German Empire
Weimar Republic
Nazi Germany

Branch

Imperial German Navy
Reichsmarine
Kriegsmarine

Quick facts Born, Died ...

Otto Feige
Born	(1882-09-21)21 September 1882 Neisse, Province of Silesia, German Empire
Died	2 January 1951(1951-01-02) (aged 68) Kaufbeuren, Bavaria, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Branch	Imperial German Navy Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
Service years	1901–1942
Rank	Admiral
Awards	Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st class War Merit Cross 2nd and 1st class with swords

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Feige was born at Neisse in the Prussian Province of Silesia (today, Nysa, Poland) on 21 September 1882.^[1] He joined the Imperial German Navy in 1901. He served as an artillery officer and took part in World War I. At the end of the war, he was a Kapitänleutnant and an artillery adviser to the submarine service. He remained in the post-war Reichsmarine, and became the Inspector for Naval Artillery between September 1932 and September 1937. During that time, he was promoted to Konteradmiral in January 1933 and Vizeadmiral in October 1935. When he retired from the navy in September 1937, he was given a brevet promotion to Admiral.^[2]

Recalled to service after the start of World War II, Feige was assigned to the office of the Naval Director of Coastal Administration. In May 1940, he was placed in command of the operation to transfer the unfinished Lützow to the Soviet Union. The Kriegsmarine provided an escort of destroyers and other vessels to protect the ship from Allied attack.^[3] Upon arrival, Feige led an advisory team that was to help the Soviets complete the ship,^[4] though the ship, which had been renamed Petropavlovsk, was still under construction when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. In anticipation of Germany's impending attack, Feige had helped to delay the transfer of materials from Germany to complete the ship.^[5] Promoted to full Admiral on 1 September 1941, he was appointed the senior shipyard director at the Black Sea port of Nikoleyev (today, Mykolaiv) in the occupied Ukraine, a post he held from December 1941 to September 1942. He retired at the end of December 1942.

Feige died in January 1951 at Kaufbeuren in Bavaria.