Germany, Kriegsmarine. A Pair of Award Documents to Vizeadmiral Heinrich Stiegel

(Auszeichnungsurkunden der Kriegsmarine für einen Admiral). A pair of award documents to Vizeadmiral (Ing./Engineer) Heinrich Stiegel, including:

1 One for a Sudetenland Medal, named to Stiegel as a Kapitän zur See (Ing.) serving with Marinegruppenkommando West, awarded in Kiel on 20 December 1939, certified by the handwritten signature of Admiral Rolf Carls (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 14 June 1940), measuring 21 cm (w) x 29.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

2. One for a War Merit Cross I Class, named to Stiegel as a Vizeadmiral (Ing.), issued in Berlin on 27 October 1944, certified by the handwritten signature of Vizeadmiral Friedrich Ruge (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 21 October 1940), measuring 14.5 cm (w) x 20.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

Footnote: Heinrich Stiegel was born on 7 February 1891 in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. He enlisted in the Imperial Navy on 1 October 1910, and served on a variety of ships until 16 July 1917, when he was promoted to Leutnant zur See and served as an engineer aboard SMS Grosser Kurfürst. After the war, Stiegel returned to Reichsmarine service on 8 March 1920 as an Oberleutnant, and later saw promotions to Kapitänleutnant (1 May 1923) and Korvettenkapitän (1 October 1929). He was serving as an engineer with naval reconnaissance units in Kiel during the rise of the Third Reich, and was promoted to Kapitän on 1 October 1936 while a station engineer at the Marinestation der Ostsee (Baltic). At the start of the Second World War, Stiegel was assigned to Flottenkommando (Kriegsmarine Fleet Command) and later became head of Marine Engineering Operations Department K IV, with responsibility for warship construction, and was promoted to Konteradmiral on 1 January 1940 and Vizeadmiral on 1 April 1942. He remained in the capacity until being transferred to Oberkommando der Marine (Naval High Command) in January 1945, where he concluded his military service. Stiegel died on 10 April 1964.