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[SMS Emden & the Cocos Islands]. – Captain (later Vice-Admiral) Robert WITTHOEFT-EMDEN (1886-1960).

A 1931 presentation photo album featuring the German Battlecruiser 'Emden', recalling the ship’s visit to the site of the sinking her namesake in 1914, inscribed by the Komandant Robert Witthoeft-Emden probably presented to Captain A.L. Jackson, R.N., of H.M.S. Iroquois.

[N.p. but South Africa?:] 1931. Small oblong 12mo (4 3/4x 6 1/4in; 121 x 159mm). 14 photographs mounted one-to-a-page, all captioned in ink to the mount by Captain Jackson, on 14 thin card leaves, 10 unused leaves at the rear,  inscription by Witthoeft on recto of front free endpaper.

Provenance: [Arthur Lambert Jackson] (signed and inscribed by Robert Witthoeft-Emden, presented in East London, S. Africa, ‘In remembrance of the 9th August 1931 / with kindest regards! / R Wittoeft / Kapitan der See u. Kommandant / German cruiser ‘Emden’/ East London [South Africa], 15th September 1931.’)

A unique album recording events in the Cocos Islands, and recalling the end of the earlier Emden’s spectacular if short-lived career during WWI. These events would have been particularly significant to Witthoeft as he served aboard the earlier Emden as well as captaining the later battlecruiser. The photographs include a portrait of Witthoeft, and one (or perhaps two) of the images includes a small image of the individual who captioned the album. The ships pictured include the Emden, HMS Iroquois, HMS Emerald and HMS Effingham (commanded by Captain, later Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Fraser)

The Emden called in at East London in the province of the Eastern Cape in the way home from an extended cruise, which included a (chance?) meeting with Captain Jackson’s survey vessel HMS Iroquois on 9th August 1931 off the Cocos Island in the Pacific. It is this interaction, and the service of remembrance on board the Emden (attended by Captain Jackson)  which features in the album.

The two captains met up again in S.Africa when the present album was exchanged. Whilst visiting Durban and East London, a group of the Emden’s “went to Johannesburg; there, they were received by J. B. M. Hertzog, the Prime Minister of South Africa.” (wikipedia).

 Captain, later Rear-Admiral Arthur Lambert Jackson R.N., (b.1887) Captained the HMS Iroquois, whilst she operated as a survey vessel. Jackson took command 24 January 1931, the Iroquois was paid off into Portsmouth reserve on 26 Jan 1932.

Robert Witthoeft , from July 13, 1933 Robert Witthoeft-Emden, (born August 29, 1886 in Marienwerder , † December 4, 1960 in Hamburg ) was a German Vice Admiral in the Navy in World War II .

Witthoeft joined the Imperial Navy on April 6, 1904 as a midshipman . He completed basic training and then basic training by March 31, 1905 on the covered corvette SMS Stein used as a training ship . Then he came to further training from April 1, 1905 at the naval school in Kiel . On April 11, 1905, he was appointed ensign at sea . He then served on the liner SMS Wittelsbach from October 1, 1906, and was promoted to lieutenant at sea on September 28, 1907 . Then Witthoeft was deployed as a company officer in the II. Torpedo Division and during this period of service also served several times a week as an officer on watch on the large torpedo boat SMS V 161 . On July 13, 1909, he was promoted to first lieutenant at sea . From September 15, 1910, he was then used again as a company officer, this time in the mining department. During this period of service, he was also deployed several times a week as a commander on various boats subordinated to this department, such as the torpedo boat SMS S 36 and the mine sweepers T 54 , T 44 and T 45 .

Following this period of service, Witthoeft was made available to the II Marine Inspection on October 1, 1912. Then he went from 15 October to 23 November 1912 by Genoa from the NDL - steamers Princess Alice and Mei Lee to Shanghai . From 24 November 1912, he then did service as a deck officer on the East Asia Squadron belonging gunboat SMS Iltis and changed on May 30, 1913 as guard and torpedo officer on the light cruiser SMS Emden . Here he replaced Lothar from Arnauld de la Perière . In this position he also experienced the outbreak of the First World War and led a cruiser war with the ship in the Indian Ocean . During the sinking of the Russian protected cruiser Shemchug in Penang , as well as during the battle near the Cocos Islands on November 9, 1914, in which Witthoeft was wounded, he was assigned as a combat watch officer. When the ship ran aground after this battle, Witthoeft shared the fate of the other "Emden drivers" and was taken prisoner by the British . For his achievements during the war Witthoeft had received both classes of the Iron Cross and the Knight's Cross of the Princely Hohenzollern Cross of Honor with Swords.

Witthoeft was released from captivity on December 6, 1919 and was on leave until January 23, 1920 after his return to Germany. In the meantime he had been promoted to lieutenant captain on December 23, 1919 . From March 10, 1920 he was assigned to the naval department (department "A V") of the Admiralty and from September 15 to the naval command. From February 28, 1921, he took over the II. And from March 1, 1922 the I . North Sea ship master division as commander . This was followed by employment as first officer of the small cruiser Arcona , while Witthoeft was promoted to corvette captain on November 1, 1923 . On December 1, 1923, he then moved to the small cruiser Amazone in the same position . From September 18, 1924 he was then admiral staff officer at the staff of the Naval School Mürwik and from September 28, 1926 at the disposal of the chief of the Baltic Sea Station . At the same time he was also head of the formation staff at the Friedrichsort Naval School . Then Witthoeft was then from November 1, 1926 commander of this naval school and was promoted to frigate captain on April 1, 1929 during this service . On June 24th, he took over as commander the light cruiser Königsberg, which had just been put into service, on a temporary basis and from September 3, 1929 full responsibility . He then served from October 11, 1930, also as a commander on the new light cruiser Emden , where he again succeeded Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière. On April 1, he was also promoted to sea captain. From March 22, 1932 Witthoeft was made available to the chief of the naval station of the North Sea and was then from September 24, 1932 chief of staff at this naval station. Then he was made available from September 25, 1933 at the disposal of the chief of the naval command. From November 9, 1933 to December 11, 1941, Witthoeft then served as a naval attaché in the German Embassy in Washington DC. In this function, he was promoted to Rear Admiral on April 1, 1935 and on November 1, 1937, i.e. already within the Navy to vice admiral .

When Germany declared war on the USA on December 11, 1941, Witthoeft was initially interned but expelled on May 5, 1942. He was able to return to Germany until May 17th, where he was initially placed at the disposal of the chief of the Navy. From November 10, 1942 Witthoeft was then appointed Admiral Black Sea . Subsequently, on March 1, 1943, he was again at the disposal of the Chief of the Navy and was then adopted from May 31, 1943. Witthoeft was then made available to the Navy, but he was no longer used for active service. (https://de.zxc.wiki/wiki/Robert_Witthoeft-Emden).