Felix Scheffler

Who was Felix Scheffler?

Felix Scheffler, was a World War II Wehrmacht veteran, Konteradmiral, and first Chief of the East German People's Navy.

From 1933 to 1937, Scheffler was a seafarer. From 1937 to 1941. he served as a Sergeant Major in the German Army. Captured by the Soviet Army he was held in captivity from 1941 to 1947. Scheffler joined the National Committee Free Germany in 1943. From 1944 to 1945, he voluntarily participated in the partisan movement in Belarus. He was part of a special intelligence unit of the German anti-fascists under the name "Group-117", which operated in the Lipichanskoy Forest. This group also included Hugh Bars, Carl Rinagel, and Herbert Geynchke.

From 1947 to 1948, he was the directorate secretary for the Socialist Unity Party of Germany party school in Klein Machnow. From 1948 to 1950, he was a member of the Democratic Farmer’s Party of Germany serving as the organizational secretary. He rejoined the SED in 1950.

In 1950 Scheffler joined the People’s Police Sea the forerunner of the People's Navy. From 1950 to 1954, he was Deputy Director of the People’s Police Sea command. On October 1, 1952, he was appointed as Konteradmiral. He was appointed as the Chief of the People's Police Sea in 1955, and for a brief period from Mar 1, 1956 to Dec 31, 1956, he served as Chief of the People’s Navy. From 1955 to 1975, he served in various leading positions in the People’s Navy. He attended the Soviet Voroshilov Naval Academy in Leningrad from 1957 to 1959. In 1959, he became the Deputy Chief of the People's Navy. He retired from the Volksmarine on March 1, 1975.