Channel almost undetected (though both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau struck a minefield en route), the transfer from Brest to Germany eliminated the threat they had posed to Allied shipping in the Atlantic. From March 1943 until April 1945 Ciliax was Commander-in-Chief of German naval forces in Norway (Marinekommando Norwegen). Awards Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (13 June 1916) 1st Class (6 November 1916) Knight's Cross Second Class of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order with Swords Military Merit Cross 3rd class with war decoration (Austria-Hungary) U-boat War Badge (1918) Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 1st Class (2 October 1936) Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (6 June 1939) Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (January 1940) 1st Class (April 1940) Commander's Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (11 March 1941) Medal for the Campaign of 1936−1939 (Spain) German Cross in Gold on 20 November 1941 as Vizeadmiral and commander of the battleships Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 March 1942 as Vizeadmiral and commander of the battleships High Seas Fleet Badge (1941) Promotions Translation notes References Citations Bibliography 1891 births 1964 deaths People from Gotha (district) People from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha U-boat commanders (Imperial German Navy) Admirals of the Kriegsmarine German military personnel of the Spanish Civil War Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I Military personnel from Thuringia