Commanding Officers
At her commissioning, Scharnhorst was commanded by Kapitän zur See (KzS) Otto Ciliax, though his tenure as the ship's commander was brief. In September 1939, an illness forced him to go on sick leave, and he was replaced by KzS Kurt-Caesar Hoffmann. Hoffmann served as the ship's captain for the majority of her active career, up until 1942. On 1 April 1942, Hoffmann, who had been promoted to Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) and awarded the Knight's Cross, transferred command of the ship to KzS Friedrich Hüffmeier. In October 1943, shortly before Scharnhorst's last mission, Hüffmeier was replaced by KzS Fritz Hintze, who was killed during the ship's final battle.
Read more about this topic: German Battleship Scharnhorst
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