In Death of the Scharnhorst (Antony Bird, UK, 1983), author John Winton recounted the crew’s impression of Hüffmeier as commander:

“But it took only a short time for Scharnhorst’s ship company to decide, to a man that ‘Poldi’ Hüffmeier was a walking disaster area. They believed he owed his appointment more to social influence than to ability, and he quickly showed himself a poor seaman, with almost no talent at all for ship handling.”

The author recounted a few of the misfortunes experienced by Hüffmeier while commanding the Scharnhorst:

a)  He ran Scharnhorst aground off Hela at 26 knots.

b) He managed to wrap a buoy wire around the starboard screw while leaving Gdynia harbor requiring dockyard repairs.

c)  In August 1942, he collided with the submarine U 523 while on maneuvers in the Baltic requiring further repairs.

• 18 October 1943-21 June 1944: Office Chief in the Wehrgeistiger Führungsstab/Navy High Command. [This post, literally translated as “Military Spiritual Leadership Staff,” was the Kriegsmarine’s branch of the Armed Forces National Socialist Leadership Staff. This office oversaw the coordination and assignment of National Socialist Leadership Officers to naval units, ships and submarines. These officers disseminated propaganda and conducted political and ideological instruction to keep the troops properly “motivated.” This was a blatant example of overt Nazi ideological infiltration of the German Armed Forces. The functions of National Socialist Leadership Officers bore an unusual resemblance to that of Soviet political commissars.]
• 22 June 1944-24 July 1944: Detached to Navy Group Command West in France.
• 25 July 1944-9 May 1945: Sea Commandant and Sea Commander of the British Channel Islands. [In this post, Hüffmeier was in charge of the harbor commanders of Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney and all Navy and Army coastal defense artillery on the islands.]
• 25 July 1944-26 February 1945: At the same time, Deputy Fortress Commandant Guernsey.
• 1 October 1944-26 February 1945: At the same time, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Commander of the British Channel Islands (Generalleutnant Rudolf Graf von Schmettow).
• 27 February 1945-9 May 1945: At the same time, Armed Forces Commander of the British Channel Islands and Fortress Commandant Guernsey. [Hüffmeier succeeded Generalleutnant Graf von Schmettow after a prolonged campaign to undermine his superior. A dedicated Nazi, Hüffmeier frequently complained of Graf von Schmettow’s “soft” attitude in radio messages to Germany.]
• 9 May 1945: Prisoner of war in British captivity. [Commanded by Brigadier A. E. Snow OBE, Force 135 conducted Operation “Nest Egg,” the peaceful and unopposed liberation of the Channel Channels, after negotiating the surrender of the 25,500-man German garrison on 9 May 1945. Three days later, Hüffmeier surrendered personally to Brigadier Snow on Guernsey but informed the Brigadier he had destroyed his sword! Hüffmeier and Generalmajor Rudolf Wulf, commander of the 319th Infantry Division (the primary Channels Islands garrison force), were transported by ship to Plymouth to begin their three-year stints as prisoners of war.]
  • 11th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
  • 7th October 1947 transferred via Camp 43 to CIC Adelheide (Civil Internment Camp).
• 2 April 1948: Released from internment.

Decorations & Awards (included):

NOTE: It is likely Hüffmeier received the Iron Cross, 1st Class (1939) and the High Seas Fleet War Badge in World War II but no photographic or documentary evidence has been seen to support this assumption.  

The Granville Raid

Vizeadmiral Hüffmeier directed a daring and highly successful raid on the French port of Granville, 8-9 March 1945. Although Hüffmeier took credit for the raid, Generalleutnant Rudolf Graf von Schmettow more than likely planned the raid before his dismissal. Despite the late stage of the war, German minesweepers and raiding parties sortied from the Channel Islands and boldly attacked the port. Kapitänleutnant Carl-Friedrich Mohr commanded the raiding force and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 March 1945 for this action. Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve Otto Karl, commander of artillery lighter AF 65, also received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 March 1945 for his role in the raid. The following is a synopsis of the Granville Raid from The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II by Robert J. Cressman, Contemporary History Branch, Naval Historical Center, Chapter VII: 1945, supplemented with additional information from Michael Ginns’ article “The Granville Raid,” After the Battle magazine, Number 47, pp. 37-53.

8 March 1945 - Thursday

U.S. Submarine chaser PC-564 commanded by Lieutenant Percy Sandell, USNR, engages German minesweepers M 412, M 432, M 442 and M 452 and nine smaller craft off Chaussey. The Germans are bound for the port of Granville, France.

9 March 1945 - Friday

U.S. Submarine chaser PC-564, outgunned and badly damaged, manages to outrun the German force engaged late on 8 March and is grounded on the French coast at Pierre de Herpin light (15 men had prematurely abandoned ship of which 14 were captured by the German raiding force). French fishing boats arrive to help the wounded, and the next day, PC-564 is towed into St. Malo harbor. Shortly after PC-564 is knocked out of action, German raiding party attacks Granville, demolishing installations, releasing German POWs held there and sinking small British freighters Kyle Castle, Nephrite, and Parkwood, and Norwegian merchantman Heien. The Germans seize collier Eskwood and tow her to Jersey, in the Channel Islands. German minesweeper M 412 runs aground and is blown up when it is realized that extricating her from her predicament is impossible in the time allowed.