He joined the military service of the Imperial German Navy on 1 April 1910 as a Seekadett of "Crew 1910" (the incoming class of 1910).

He started his first naval infantry training course with the sea cadet detachment on SMS Victoria Louise on 7 April 1910.

[Tr 1] Onboard training on Victory Louise began on 13 May before he was transferred to the Naval Academy Mürwik on 1 April 1911 for the main cadet and officer course.

In this position he commanded the February 1942 Operation Cerberus, better known as "the Channel Dash", when German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, and a number of other smaller vessels were transferred from Brest to their respective home bases in Germany for planned deployment to Norwegian waters in February 1942.

In February 1942, during operations in Norway, Vice-Admiral Otto Ciliax commanded a flotilla of warships that included the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which served as his flagship during the voyage.