Career
In World War I he commanded the "Torpedoboat Flotilla Flanders". He was present at Adolf Hitler’s Wolfsschanze headquarters on 20 July 1944, during the unsuccessful attempt on the German leader’s life (known as the ). He later provided key testimony to the Allies, which enabled them to piece together the moments leading up to the explosion.
In his book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William Shirer writes: According to the account given Allied interrogators by Admiral Kurt Assmann, who was present, Stauffenberg had whispered to Brandt, “I must go and telephone.
Keep an eye on my briefcase. lieutenant has secret papers in it”.