Gustav Bachmann was born in Cammin, Rostock on July 13, 1860. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Imperial German Navy as a cadet in April 1877. Bachmann completed basic training and served five months on the frigate Niobe. More training soon followed for the young cadet… first on the artillery training ship Renown, then the armored frigate König Wilhelm.
From the autumn of 1877 to the spring of 1878, Bachmann attended the German Naval Academy. In mid June of 1878, he was promoted to midshipman and served four months on the armored frigate Preussen. Bachmann then served two years on the warship Prinz Adalbert.
After another visit to the German Naval Academy (from October 7, 1880 to October 29, 1881), Bachmann was on the artillery training ship Mars and subsequently worked as a company officer until the end of 1881. During that time, he was promoted to lieutenant. Over the next four years, Gustav Bachmann served in the II. Sailors Division and II. Shipyard division. He was also stationed on the armored frigates Kronprinz, Friedrich Carl, and Preussen. On May 18, 1884, Bachmann became commander of the torpedo boat Sicher. By the end of September, he worked on further trials of torpedo boats as a commander.
From October 4, 1884 to August 9, 1886, Bachmann sailed as deck officer on the cruiser frigate Bismarck. He also served as a watch officer on the cruiser frigate Arcona. By mid 1887, Bachmann had served as adjutant in Berlin. He then joined the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven… and remained there until October 1890.
Bachmann visited the Naval Academy in Kiel and promptly moved up the ranks. On May 21, 1898, he was promoted to lieutenant commander, and then a full commander on January 27, 1903. Bachmann was employed in many different commands and staffs, including chief of staff of the East Asia Squadron from April 1901 to April 1903.
Over the next two years, Bachmann worked as an instructor at the Naval Academy. During that time, he became a sea captain. From September 30, 1903 to September 30, 1907, Bachmann was commander of the battleship Elsass as well as being a member of the Board of the Central Department of the Navy Office for three years under Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. Bachmann was again promoted on January 27, 1909, this time to rear admiral. He became a vice admiral on September 5, 1911. Subsequent to his time in the Reichsmarineamt, Bachmann was commander of the reconnaissance ships up until the end of September 1913.
With the imminent threat of war spreading across Europe, Gustav Bachmann was provisionally employed as Chief of the Naval Station in the Baltic for a short period of time (July 23 to August 2, 1914). He was also named the governor of the German war port of Kiel.
On February 2, 1915, Bachmann became the Chief of Naval Staff. Less than two months later, he was promoted to admiral.
But by the autumn of 1915, Bachmann had to vacate the post! There were disagreements with the political leadership on issues of anti-submarine warfare. He advocated for unrestricted submarine warfare against the British and bombing of civilian targets. But his views conflicted with those of Kaiser Wilhelm II… thus, Bachmann was forced him to resign.
He soon returned to his positions as Chief of the Naval Station in the Baltic and governor of Kiel. As Germany faced defeat and revolution in the fall of 1918, Bachmann became a subordinate to the Secretary of the Admiralty. He would eventually retire, as the Versailles treaty stripped Germany of her naval forces.
Gustav Bachmann lived out his retirement first in Göttingen, then in Kiel. He died on August 31, 1943 at the age of eighty-three.
AWARDS
– The Red Eagle, First Class (with oak leaves and swords)
– The Crown, Second Class (with star)
– Knight’s Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
– Iron Cross, First and Second Class (1914)
– Prussian Service Cross
– Bavarian Military Merit, First Class (with swords)
– Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
– Mecklenburgisches Militärverdienstkreuz
– Ehrengroßkomtur the Oldenburg House and Merit of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig
– Friedrich-August Cross, First Class
– Grand Cross of the Order of Albert (with golden star and swords)
– Commander First Class of the Ducal Saxe- Ernestine House Order
– Ehrenkreuz, Third Class of Lippe House Order
– Grand Cross of the Order of Frederick (with swords)