Friedrich Bonte

Infobox Military Person
name=Friedrich Bonte
born=birth date|1896|10|19|df=y
died=death date and age|1940|4|10|1896|10|19|df=y
placeofbirth=Potsdam
placeofdeath=Narvik


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|German Empire German Empire (to 1918)
flagicon|Germany Weimar Republic (to 1933)
flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=navy|German Empire
navy|Weimar Republic
navy|Nazi Germany
serviceyears=1914-1940
rank=Kapitän zur See
commands=Führer der Zerstörer und der Kampfgruppe Narvik
unit=
battles=World War I
World War II
awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (posthumous)
laterwork=

Friedrich Bonte (19 October 1896 – 10 April 1940) was the German naval officer commanding the destroyer flotilla that transported invasion troops to Narvik during the German invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung) in April 1940.

Naval career

Born in Potsdam, Bonte joined the Imperial Navy as a midshipman in April 1914 and was commissioned "Leutnant zur See" in July 1916. He was retained in the drastically reduced post-war German navy, where he had a steady career. He was promoted to "Oberleutnant zur See" in September 1920, "Kapitänleutnant" in April 1926, "Korvettenkapitän" (Lieutenant Commander) in September 1933, and "Fregattenkapitän" (Commander) in April 1937. In November 1938, he was given command of the Second Destroyer Flotilla, and in April 1939 he was promoted to "Kapitän zur See" (Captain). On 24 October 1939, Bonte was appointed Commander of Torpedoboats ("Führer der Torpedoboote") and two days later also Commander of Destroyers ("Führer der Zerstörer") of the German "Kriegsmarine". He relinquished command of the torpedoboats at the end of November 1939, but held the command over the destroyers until his death. On 10 February 1940 he was promoted to Commodore.

Narvik

During the German invasion of Norway, Bonte commanded the ten destroyers carrying General Dietl's mountain troops to Narvik on 9 April 1940. On the morning of 10 April, the flotilla was attacked in Narvik fjord by British destroyers under the command of Commodore Bernard Warburton-Lee. In the ensuing battle, Bonte's flagship, the destroyer "Wilhelm Heidkamp", was hit by a torpedo and exploded. Bonte and most of the crew perished. Bonte was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross.

Awards

* Iron Cross
** 2. class (16 October 1939)
** 1. class (13 November 1939)
* Knight's Cross (17 October 1940)

References

* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Range, Clemens (1974). "Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine". Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.