▁join ▁the ▁n avy . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁K iel , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁Press en , ▁courses ▁designed ▁to ▁prepare ▁officers ▁for ▁the ▁naval ▁entrance ▁exam ination , ▁which ▁he ▁successfully ▁passed . ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁April ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 8 , ▁Franz ▁Hi pper ▁became ▁an ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁German ▁Navy . ▁Among ▁the ▁fellow ▁cad ets ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁class ▁was ▁Wilhelm ▁S ouch on , ▁who ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁command ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Division ▁at ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁Naval ▁career ▁ ▁Pe ac etime ▁career ▁After ▁Hi pper ▁joined ▁the ▁German ▁Navy ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁as ▁a ▁prob ation ary ▁sea ▁cad et , ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁sail - fr ig ate ▁ ▁from ▁April ▁to ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Naval ▁Cad et ▁School ▁in ▁K iel , ▁which ▁he ▁attended ▁from ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁to ▁March ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁Upon ▁gradu ation , ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁ 6 - week ▁Basic ▁G unn ery ▁School ▁on ▁the ▁training ▁ship ▁, ▁from ▁April ▁to ▁May ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁Following ▁g unn ery ▁training , ▁Hi pper ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁training ▁ship ▁ ▁for ▁sea ▁training , ▁which ▁last ed ▁from ▁May ▁to ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁transferred