Career
He was awarded the (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Thiele had taken command of the battle group after the sinking of Blücher.
He was promoted to Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) on 1 April 1943 and was appointed commander of the Kampfgruppe II (2nd battle group) in the Baltic Sea on 28 July 1944 and commander of Kampfgruppe "Thiele" on 23 March 1945.
With the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, Admiral Hipper, Admiral Scheer and Lützow, and the ships of the line Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein and the light cruisers Emden, Köln, Leipzig and Nürnberg he participated from sea in the land battles for Courland and in Samland. Promotions Bibliography.