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Otto Kähler

1894 – 1967

German admiral

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About Otto Kähler

Lived 1894 – 1967 (aged 73). Otto Kähler was a German navigator.

Otto Kähler (3 March 1894 – 2 November 1967) was a German admiral during World War II. He commanded the , a merchant raider, on two combat patrols and sank or captured 12 ships, for a combined tonnage of of Allied shipping. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Kähler relinquished command of Thor on 20 July 1941 to Günther Gumprich.

He was appointed the commander of the naval forces in Brittany in September 1944. He was captured by US forces soon thereafter. Repatriated February 1947, soon after his release he began working as a Sales Representative for Industrial Supplies in Kiel until the year 1955. He died in Kiel on 2 November 1967.

Awards and decorations Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class and 1st Class Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg (April 1915) U-boat War Badge (1918) Germany WWI Flanders Cross 1914-1918 (1921?) The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (1934) Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Class (2 October 1936) Spanish Cross in Silver without Swords (1939) Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class & 1st Class Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (22 December 1940) War Merit Cross 2nd and 1st Class with Swords Auxiliary Cruiser Badge (1941) 583rd Oak Leaves on 15 September 1944 as Konteradmiral and sea-commander of the fortress Brest

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Navigator
Nationality
Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

People in Otto Kähler's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Otto Kähler's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Otto Kähler?

German admiral (1894-1967)

When was Otto Kähler born?

Otto Kähler was born on 3 March 1894 in Hamburg.

When did Otto Kähler die?

Otto Kähler died on 2 November 1967 in Kiel.

What was Otto Kähler's occupation?

Otto Kähler was a navigator.

What nationality was Otto Kähler?

Otto Kähler was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Otto Kähler

· Wikidata: Q121020

· DBpedia: Otto Kähler

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Otto Kähler. https://biography.guide/otto-kahler-navigator/

MLA: "Otto Kähler." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/otto-kahler-navigator/.

Chicago: "Otto Kähler." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/otto-kahler-navigator/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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