Erich Bey Erich Bey ( 23 March 1898 – 26 December 1943 ) , was a German naval officer who most notably served as a commander of the Kriegsmarine ' s destroyer forces and commanded the battleship " Scharnhorst " in the Battle of the North Cape on 26 December 1943 , during which the German ship was sunk . He was killed during that action . Bey was also a recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( ) . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership . Career . Bey joined the Kaiserliche Marine on 13 June 1916 and served in its destroyer arm . Following the end of World War I , Bey stayed in the weakened German Navy , now known as the Reichsmarine . He continued his career with the rise of the Nazi Party in power in Germany , and by the start of World War II was a Commander . Battle of Narvik . As a Commander in the Kriegsmarine , Bey led the 4th Destroyer Flotilla , consisting of the destroyers Z11 " Bernd von Arnim " , Z12 " Erich Giese " and Z13 " Erich Koellner " , as part of Commodore Friedrich Bonte ' s force that carried General Eduard Dietl ' s mountain troops for the occupation of Narvik during the German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940 . In the following Battles of Narvik on 10 April and 13 April , Bey distinguished himself by leading a small group of destroyers in a brave though doomed action against a superior Royal Navy force that included the battleship HMS " Warspite " . Due to his distinguished service at Narvik , Bey was awarded with the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 May 1940 . The next day he was promoted to Captain and appointed commander of the German destroyer force ( " Führer der Zerstörer " ) , succeeding Commodore Bonte , who had been killed on 10 April in the first Battle of Narvik . Operation Cerberus . Captain Bey then commanded the destroyer screen protecting the ships of the Brest Group ( " Scharnhorst " , " Gneisenau " , " Prinz Eugen " ) during Operation Cerberus ( the “ Channel Dash ” ) in February 1942 . Of the three , " Scharnhorst " suffered extensive damage , having struck a naval mine laid off the Dover Straits . Battle of North Cape . Promoted to Rear Admiral , on Christmas Day , 25 December 1943 , Bey led a task force consisting of the battleship " Scharnhorst " and the Z29 , Z30 , Z33 , Z34 and Z38 out of Alta Fjord in Operation Ostfront . The first and only surface sortie ordered by Großadmiral Karl Dönitz , Bey ' s objective was to intercept the Allied Convoy JW - 55B en route to Murmansk . Bey ' s initial force of " Scharnhorst " and five destroyers was superior to the convoy ' s escorting British cruisers and destroyers in terms of firepower . While Bey ' s flagship was outmatched by Admiral Bruce Fraser ' s battleship HMS " Duke of York " which led another Royal Navy fleet shadowing the convoy , " Scharnhorst " was expected to use her speed to avoid an engagement with " Duke of York " . Poor weather , heavy seas and inadequate " Luftwaffe " reconnaissance , prevented Bey from initially locating the convoy so he detached his destroyers to fan out and assist in the search . However the storm meant that Bey ' s destroyers ending up played no part in the battle . Bey guessed correctly and " Scharnhorst " then managed to locate the convoy by herself . In the first engagement of the ensuing Battle of North Cape , while trading fire with the British convoy ' s screening cruisers , " Scharnhorst ' s " radar was destroyed by a lucky shot fired which rendered her blind . " Scharnhorst " was then caught by the more powerful HMS " Duke of York " and suffered critical damage before being sunk after several torpedo hits from British cruisers . Of " Scharnhorst ' s " crew of 1 , 968 , Royal Navy vessels fished 36 men alive from the icy sea , not one of them an officer . According to one of the sailors that survived , he saw Captain Fritz Hintze and Admiral Bey take leave of each other with a handshake and address their men saying " If any of you get out of this alive , say hello to the folks back home , and tell them we did our duty to the last . " Bey was reported as having been seen in the water but was not rescued . For his brave command against the superior odds , Bey received the admiration of his British counterpart , Admiral Bruce Fraser , who commanded the British forces during the Battle of North Cape . When Admiral Fraser briefed his officers on board " Duke of York " later on the evening of 26 December 1943 he said : " Gentlemen , the battle against " Scharnhorst " has ended in victory for us . I hope that if any of you are ever called upon to lead a ship into action against an opponent many times superior , you will command your ship as gallantly as " Scharnhorst " was commanded today " .