Friedrich Boedicker

Friedrich Boedicker, (13 March 1866, Kassel – 20 September 1944) was a Vizeadmiral (vice admiral) of the Kaiserliche Marine during the First World War.

Friedrich Boedicker
Born	(1866-03-13)13 March 1866 Kassel
Died	20 September 1944(1944-09-20) (aged 78)
Allegiance	German Empire
Service / branch	Imperial German Navy
Rank	Vizeadmiral (vice admiral)
Commands	SMS Frauenlob SMS Stettin SMS Kaiser Barbarossa SMS Schleswig-Holstein
Battles / wars	World War I Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft Battle of Jutland

Biography

Boedicker is perhaps best known for being present at the Battle of Jutland, where ships of his Second Scouting Group fired some of the first shots of the action.

He also commanded the battlecruisers of the I Scouting Group during the bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft a month before the battle of Jutland, due to admiral Franz von Hipper being on sick leave.^[1] The ships that were part of the group were the SMS Seydlitz, SMS Lützow, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Moltke and the SMS Von der Tann.^[2] Boedicker was then a Konteradmiral (Counter admiral).^[2]

Decorations and awards

• Iron Cross of 1914, 1st and 2nd class
• Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd class with oak leaves and swords
• Order of the Crown, 2nd class (Prussia)
• Service Award (Prussia)
• Honorary Knight's Cross, First Class of the House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis (Oldenburg)
• Friedrich August Cross, 1st class (Oldenburg)
• Commander, First Class of the Albert Order with swords (Saxony)