Prince William of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld

William of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (3 October 1831 — 17 January 1890), was a German prince member of the House of Hesse in the Philippsthal-Barchfeld branch and Counter admiral of the Prussian and Imperial German Navy.

Born in Steinfurt, he was the fourth son of Charles, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld and his second wife Sophie, daughter of Prince Louis William Geldricus Ernest of Bentheim and Steinfurt.

Life

William joined the Prussian Navy and on 29 January 1854 was appointed First Class Captain lieutenant. In the summer of 1854 he served as Commanding officer of the Corvette Amazone. On 15 October 1854 he was promoted to the rank of Corvette captain. In the winter of 1855/56, he served as Director of the 2nd Division of the Admiralty.

At the same time he took command of the Corvette Danzig, a post which he held until November 1856. In this ship he participated in an expedition under the command of Admiral Prince Adalbert of Prussia to Africa. During the trip, William came into conflict with the Admiral for his punitive actions against the Riffians. Adalbert release William from active service for about a month until the Battle of Tres Forcas on 7 August 1856. After returning home was William was again released from active duty from November 1856 to April 1859. During this time, he was promoted to the rank of Captain at sea on 24 October 1857.

After his return to active duty, William took the command of the frigate Thetis from May to September 1859. In April 1860, he asked his release from acrive duty, and on 22 March 1864 was appointed Counter admiral.

During the Franco-Prussian War William was under the service of the General Governor of the German Coastal Lands (Generalgouverneur der deutschen Küstenlande) and General of the Infantry Eduard Vogel von Falckenstein allocated. He sent him to the armed steamer St. George on negotiations with the commander of the French Armed Forces, Vice admiral Martin Fourichon to tell it that shelling the German coast could lead to reprisals in occupied France. Due to the course of the war, the French blockade in the North Sea was canceled after a short time.

On 30 May 1872 William was appointed Counter admiral ''À la suite'' of the Imperial Navy.