Felix Funke
| Felix Funke | |
|---|---|
Felix Funke
|
|
| Born | 3 January 1865 Hirschberg (Jelenia Góra), Prussian Silesia |
| Died | 22 July 1932 Berlin / Weimar Germany |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire
|
| Service/branch |
 Kaiserliche Marine
|
| Years of service | 1882 - 1915 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars |
World War I *Battle of Dogger Bank (1915) |
| Awards | Order of St. Anna |
Felix Funke (3 January 1865 – 22 July 1932) was a German admiral of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy).
Funke was born in Hirschberg (Jelenia Góra), Prussian Silesia. His father Adolf Funke, originally from Magdeburg, was President of the Alsatian Railway Company in Strassburg (Strasbourg). His mother Anna Stilke-Pilet came from a Huguenot family which escaped from Castres after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.
Funke lived his childhood in Strassburg and attended the German Navy School in Kiel on 18 April 1882. His training in the Kaiserliche Marine started on the sail ship Niobe. His career followed a normal path to become admiral. He was well regarded by William II, German Emperor, with whom he often smoked a cigar in his cabin when the Emperor was on board.
In 1902 Funke spent four years in Tsing Tao (today: Qingdao), then a German colony in China. In 1904, he was witness to the Russo-Japanese War, in which Germany was neutral.
On 10 August 1904, Funke witnessed the Battle of the Yellow Sea, and as a safe haven, Tsing Tao received the damaged Russian battleship Tsesarevich. The bridge had been hit twice, and Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft had died, along with several other high ranking Russian Officers. The Tsesarevich was joined during the night by the cruiser Novik and destroyers Bezstrashny, Bezshumny, and Bezposchadny. The Novik loaded as much coal as possible and sailed immediately, whilst the destroyers remained and were disarmed after three days.
...
Wikipedia