Friedrich Christiansen
| Friedrich Christiansen | |
|---|---|
Christiansen in 1918
|
|
| Born |
12 December 1879 Wyk auf Föhr, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 3 December 1972 (aged 92) Aukrug, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
Imperial German Navy Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1914–19, 1934–45 |
| Rank |
Kapitän zur See (Navy) General der Flieger (Luftwaffe) |
| Commands held | Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht in the Netherlands 25th Army |
| Awards |
Pour le Mérite German Cross in Silver Iron Cross 1st class House Order of Hohenzollern |
Friedrich Christiansen (12 December 1879 – 3 December 1972) was a World War I German seaplane ace who claimed shooting down twenty planes and an airship; he was credited with thirteen of those claims. During World War II, he was the commander of the German Wehrmacht in the Netherlands; he was convicted for war crimes after the war.
He was born in Wyk auf Föhr, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, into an old seafaring family, the son of a sea captain. The generations-long seafaring tradition within his family charted an obvious course for his future. In 1895 he joined the merchant marine, serving for 7 years and volunteering in 1901 for MTBs. After one year, he returned to the merchant marine, serving several years aboard the 5-masted Preussen (at the time, the largest sailing ship in the world,) as Second Officer. In 1913 he decided to deviate from this career, and learned to fly. Having graduated and gaining licence No. 707, he became a flying instructor at a civilian flying school.
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