Hellmuth Heye
| Hellmuth Heye | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born |
9 August 1895 Beckingen |
| Died | 10 November 1970 (aged 75) Mittelheim |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Kaiserliche Marine Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine
|
| Years of service | 1914–45 |
| Rank | Vice admiral |
| Unit |
Victoria Louise Kaiserin Württemberg |
| Commands held | Admiral Hipper |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Wilhelm Heye (father) |
Hellmuth Guido Alexander Heye (9 August 1895 in Beckingen – 10 November 1970 in Mittelheim) was born on August 9, 1895, son of father, August Wilhelm Heye, and mother Else Karcher Heye. Hellmuth was a German admiral in World War II and politician in post-war Germany. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Heye graduated from high school in Berlin in early 1914 and immediately joined the Imperial Navy. From April 1939 to September 1940 he commanded the Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper. While taking his ship to Trondheim in April 1940 to land invasion troops there (Operation Weserübung), he encountered the British destroyer Glowworm and sank it. Heye sent a message to the British Admiralty through the Red Cross praising the gallantry of Glowworm's commander and crew, and this contributed to LtCdr Gerard Roope receiving the earliest Victoria Cross of World War II, although the award was not made until 1945.
In 1941 Heye was promoted to Vice Admiral, and from September to November 1942 he was commanding admiral of the German naval forces in the Black Sea. From April 1944 onward he was commanding admiral of the small naval combat forces, which included mini-submarines, combat divers, etc. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 January 1941.
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