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Franz Ritter von Hipper (September 13, 1863- May 25, 1932) was a German admiral.
He was born in Weilheim and joined the German Navy in 1881 as a cadet, serving on the frigates Niobe and Leipzig. From 1884 to 1903 he was commanding German torpedo boats until he received command of the armored cruiser Friedrich Karl. In October 1913 he was appointed as commander of the High Seas Fleet Scouting Forces.
When World War I broke out he led his battlecruisers on successful raids agains the Royal Navy, most notably in December 1914 at Scarborough in which he shelled British coastal towns. He took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank and the Battle of Jutland. In the latter he inflicted critical damage on the Royal Navy, which won him great renown both in Germany and in Britain. Shortly after the battle he was knighted by Louis III of Bavaria.
In August 1918 he was promoted to Admiral and commander of the High Seas Fleet. When the Kiel mutiny broke out he appealed to the sailors, but this proved fruitless. In his last days of active service he organized the fleets transfer to Scapa Flow.
He retired on 30 November 1918, and spent the rest of his life in Othmarschen, North Germany. His urn was returned to his home town.
The heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper was named in his honor.
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