Donitz at Plon 1945
Posted by: Peter D ()
Date: October 06, 2014 11:41PM

http://uboat.net/forums/read.php?3,90195,90195#msg-90195

Can anyone pinpoint the exact location that Donitz moved into at Plon after vacating Berlin in April 1945. 
Late on 19th, with the Russian advance moving closer, the OKM complex at Bernau was abandoned and 
a temporary HQ set up in the Western suburb of Berlin-Dahlen.
This too was vacated early on 22th April and Donitz set off for Plon arriving later the same day, the main 
signals and Naval Intelligence having already been dispatched here. I have no information as to whether 
Konteradmiral Godt and the BdU travelled with him or if they too had arrived at Plon earlier or if indeed 
the BdU relocated here at all. I assume so as Donitz kept Godt close at hand whilst at Bernau.
The location is vague, Donitz’s adjutant has stated simply ‘ a couple of huts on a lakeside had been made 
available’ and this is thought by some to be Stadtheide Kaserne which was a hutted camp close by but on 
the other side of the road from Ruhleben Kaserne which was the home of 1. UAA, the holding unit for 
trained U-boat crews. It is possible that Stadtheide was thought to be less conspicuous than the solidly 
brick built barracks of Ruhleben which might have drawn the attention of the RAF. Any help on this would 
be gladly received.

Ken, your link has been most helpful, in providing, from a authorititive source, another reference to a 
"hutted camp" as being Donitz's destination in Plon.
My main reference has been the memoirs of Walter Ludde-Neurath, Donitz's adjutant, who refers to the 
location as "a couple of huts on a lakeside" and also mentions that "the well versed signals unit" had 
"been in place for several weeks". This most certainly would be the 'Krokodil' unit also mentioned in your 
link.
Stadtheide was most certainly only comprised of huts, on the lakeside of the Suhrer See and we have a 
sketch of it drawn when it was occupied post war by a Bundeswehr Pioneer Battalion whereas Ruhleben 
was very solidly built.
So after one day here on uboat.net, a positve result. Thank you.

Thanks John, Reason for my interest is that from 1948 to 1959, a boarding school for British Services 
children was established within the buildings of the former U-boat unit 1.UAA at Ruhleben. I was a pupil 
there from 1952 to 1957. Former pupils (we're all getting on a bit now!) have a very active website and 
Donitz is often discussed. School folklore has him residing within the school grounds but more recently 
opinion favours the Stadtheide camp close by.
Anyone interested can find the former 1.UAA on Google Earth at 54/8/49.47N ...10/26/55.35E. The 
buildings shown and jetty are as constructed for the Kriegsmarine in 1938 save for the row of four smaller 
ones to the South.
The long building near the jetty was our sailing club had the remains of an Escape Practice Tank and other 
reminders of former use were rifle racks in the entrances to the accommodation blocks. Stadtheide Kaserne 
is shown 1/2 mile to the East, the huts now demolished and homes now built there.

John, to come back to your posting am I correct in assuming that you have a copy of Donitz's memoirs (or 
access to them)? If he has used the word 'Hutments' that would be quite significant as the Ruhleben 
Barracks would never have been described as such. Could you take a moment to verify. (and any other 
mention of his accommodation). I should perhaps clarify something as I have been using the term Stadtheide. 
This is the modern name for the area but before demolition, when the Bundeswehr were using the barracks, 
they were known as Funf Seen Kaserne - Five Lakes Barracks and this could well have been how it was known 
in Donitz's time.
I've memtioned of reminders around our school (Ruhleben) of its use for U-boat training. In the early days the 
remains of a Bachstelze Fa-330 observation autogiro were found. These were stowed in containers behind the 
conning tower of some boats and raised as a 'spotter'. There is info about them on the site here and I hope 
this link comes up :

[www.youtube.com] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP6VnbeWXSY