Felix Funke Felix Funke ( 3 January 1865 – 22 July 1932 ) was a German admiral of the Kaiserliche Marine ( Imperial German Navy ) . Early life . Funke was born in Hirschberg ( Jelenia Góra ) , Prussian Silesia . His father Adolf Funke , originally from Magdeburg , was President of the Alsatian Railway Company in Strassburg ( Strasbourg ) . His mother Anna Stilke - Pilet came from a Huguenot family which escaped from Castres after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes . Funke lived his childhood in Strassburg and attended the German Navy School in Kiel on 18 April 1882 . His training in the Kaiserliche Marine started on the sail ship " Niobe " . His career followed a normal path to become Admiral . He was well regarded by William II , German Emperor , with whom he often smoked a cigar in his cabin when the Emperor was on board . Russo - Japanese War . In 1902 Funke spent four years in Tsing Tao ( today : Qingdao ) , then a German colony in China . In 1904 , he was witness to the Russo - Japanese War , in which Germany was neutral . On 10 August 1904 , Funke witnessed the Battle of the Yellow Sea , and as a safe haven , Tsing Tao received the damaged Russian battleship " Tsesarevich " . The bridge had been hit twice , and Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft had died , along with several other high ranking Russian Officers . The " Tsesarevich " was joined during the night by the cruiser " Novik " and destroyers " Bezstrashny " , " Bezshumny " , and " Bezposchadny " . The " Novik " loaded as much coal as possible and sailed immediately , whilst the destroyers remained and were disarmed after three days . On 15 August 1904 , Vice - Admiral Dewa Shigetō sent the Japan ese destroyer " Ikazuchi " to Tsing Tao to discuss details of the Russian fleet with the governor of Tsing Tao and Admiral Funke , who boarded the " Ikazuchi " and made a note of the impressive state of cleanliness and order of both ship and crew . He assured Dewa ' s envoy that Russian ships remaining in the harbour were disarmed . The two highest remaining Russian commanding officers of the battlegroup , Counter Admiral Matusevich ( Vitgeft ' s Chief of Staff ) , and Captain Ivanov ( commanding the " Tsesarevitch " ) were wounded . After having received a promise from the convalescent Russian officers not to flee , Funke did not hold them in prison but invited them at his home . Later , he received the Order of St . Anna from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia after he had allowed more Russian ships to take refuge and be interned at Tsing Tao , under approval by Admiral Togo , at the fall of Port Arthur on 2 January 1905 ; the Russian crews were ill and had needed medical care . World War I . On 3 August 1914 Prince Adalbert of Prussia and Princess Adelheid of Saxe - Meiningen were married in Wilhelmshaven . After the ceremony , the couple paid a visit to Funke on board of his flagship , the SMS " Prinzregent Luitpold " . In 1914 Funke was Rear Admiral of the 3rd Fleet , which included SMS " Kaiser " , SMS " Kaiserin " , SMS " König Albert " , and " Prinzregent Luitpold " . On 24 December 1914 he received the order to give command of the 3rd Fleet to Admiral Reinhard Scheer whilst taking over command of the 2nd Fleet from Scheer . Funke participated in several naval battles against the Royal Navy during World War I . He disagreed with some views of Grand Admiral Prince Heinrich of Prussia , specifically with regards to using submarine warfare . Retirement and Death . To his great surprise , he was asked into retirement by the Emperor on 18 September 1915 . Funke suffered from depression and died aged 67 in 1932 in Berlin where he had lived in retirement .