Rolf Hans Wilhelm Karl Carls (29 May 1885 – 24 April 1945) was a high-ranking German admiral during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. Carls served as ''Flottenchef'' (

Fleet Commander The Fleet Commander is a senior Royal Navy post, responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the Naval Service. The Vice-Admiral incumbent is required to provide ships, submarine ...

), the highest ranking administrative officer of the ''Kriegsmarine'' and member of the ''

Oberkommando der Marine The (; abbreviated OKM) was the high command and the highest administrative and command authority of the ''Kriegsmarine''. It was officially formed from the ''Marineleitung'' ("Naval Command") of the ''Reichswehr'' on 11 January 1936. In 1937 ...

'' (High Command of the Navy). Carls was instrumental in planning German naval operations during

Operation Weserübung Operation Weserübung (german: Unternehmen Weserübung , , 9 April – 10 June 1940) was Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. In the early morning of 9 Ap ...

, the invasion of Denmark and Norway. When Grand Admiral

Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank, that of grand admiral, in 1939, becoming the fir ...

resigned as commander-in-chief of the ''Kriegsmarine'' in early 1943, he suggested Carls as a potential candidate to succeed him. After Admiral

Karl Donitz Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austrian ...

succeeded Raeder instead, Carls was discharged from the navy. Carls was killed in a British air raid on the town of

Bad Oldesloe Bad Oldesloe () is a town located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the capital of the district of Stormarn. The area has been inhabited since Mesolithic times. The flint tools found here from that era (6000–4500 BC) ...

on 24 April 1945.

Early life and career

German crewmembers of the Midilli at a naval artillery observation post at the Dardanelles

Rolf Carls was the son of Lieutenant Friedrich Wilhelm Anton Carls and his wife Martha Victoria Wilhelmine Anna Sophie, née Pogge. He was baptized on July 18, 1885, in the Rostock garrison church. Carls joined the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Wilhel ...

as a sea cadet on April 1, 1903, and received his shipboard training on the corvette, SMS ''Stein''. In 1905 he was assigned to the

East Asia Squadron The German East Asia Squadron (german: Kreuzergeschwader / Ostasiengeschwader) was an Imperial German Navy cruiser squadron which operated mainly in the Pacific Ocean between the mid-1890s until 1914, when it was destroyed at the Battle of the F ...

, where he was promoted to lieutenant on September 28, 1906. He served until 1907 on the large cruiser SMS ''Fürst Bismarck'' and afterwards the torpedo boat ''Taku''. After his return to Germany in October 1907, he was deployed on various ships before being assigned to the Mediterranean Division in 1914. At the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Carls served as a captain lieutenant on the cruiser SMS ''Breslau''. On August 4, 1914, the Mediterranean Division consisting of ''Breslau'' along with the battlecruiser SMS ''Goeben'', was pursued by Royal Navy forces but avoided capture after they passed through the

Dardanelles The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...

to the friendly

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

on August 7, 1914. After the ''Breslau'' was handed over to the Ottoman Navy, Carls remained on board the cruiser, which was renamed ''Midilli'', serving as First Artillery Officer. For his service with the Ottoman Navy in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

against the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

, Carls was awarded both classes of the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

, the Gallipoli Star, the

Imtiaz Medal The Imtiyaz Medal / Imtiaz Medal ( tr, İmtiyaz Madalyası) was an Ottoman military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. ...

in Silver with Saber, and the Order of Osmanieh IV Class. In mid-January 1917 he was transferred back to Germany and completed his training as a submarine commander on April 15, 1917. He received the first command of his own ship, the ''U-9'' on March 31, 1918, before taking over the ''U-124 on July 21, 1918, which he commanded until the end of the war.

Interwar period

General Tadeusz Kutrzeba visits the heavy cruiser Deutschland

After the war, Carls joined the ''

freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European military volunteer units, or paramilitary, that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenary or private armies, rega ...

'' division Marine-Brigade von Loewenfeld, serving as a company commander and battalion commander. In 1922, Carls was transferred to the ''

Reichsmarine The ''Reichsmarine'' ( en, Realm Navy) was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the '' Reichswehr'', existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as the ...

'' of the newly established

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a Constitutional republic, constitutional federal republic for the first time in ...

. From March 18, 1927 onwards Carls served in various positions in the Naval Administration. On October 1, 1930 Carls served as Chief of Staff of the Naval Command, where he became one of Admiral

's closest aides. Carls was appointed as commander of the pre-dreadnought battleship ''Hessen'' on September 27, 1932. On October 3, 1933 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Fleet. On September 29, 1934, Carls was appointed as Commander of the '' Linienschiff'', he retained this position after his command was renamed to Commander of the ''

Panzerschiffe The ''Deutschland'' class was a series of three ''Panzerschiffe'' (armored ships), a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by the ''Reichsmarine'' officially in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. The ships of the cl ...

'' until November 24, 1936. Carls acted as commander of the German naval forces off Spain during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

until September 1936. On 2 August 1936, the cruiser ''

Deutschland Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

'' and the torpedo boat '' Luchs'' under the command of Carls visited the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

-held port of

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territori ...

. There, Carls had long secret meetings with

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 193 ...

and other Nationalist military chiefs in which procedures for further German military aid were coordinated. On 19 August 1936, under the leadership of British Rear Admiral

James Somerville Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the First World War as fleet wireless officer for the Mediterranean Fleet where he was involved in providing naval suppo ...

, British, Italian, and German warships formed a single squadron to evacuate from the harbour of

Palma de Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca ...

after

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

authorities announced an imminent naval bombardment of that port. The experience prompted Carls to signal to Somerville that "it would be much better if the nations of Europe could cooperate with each other much as their ships have sailed together here." Somerville's reply affirmed that hope. At the end of December 1936, he was appointed as ''Flottenchef'' (

). On 1 November 1936 Carls took over command of the Baltic Sea Naval Station. As Fleet Commander, the highest ranking administrative officer of the ''Kriegsmarine'' and member of the ''

'', Carls was instrumental in drafting Germany's pre-war naval war plans. In a top-secret appraisal of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

's aggressive foreign policy in the summer of 1938, Carls envisaged German hegemony over Europe, the reestablishment of a

colonial empire A colonial empire is a collective of territories (often called colonies), either contiguous with the imperial center or located overseas, settled by the population of a certain state and governed by that state. Before the expansion of early mode ...

in Africa, and the securing of the major Atlantic sea lanes. Specifically, Carls argued, that such a national policy would entail war with France and the Soviet Union as well as with "a large number of overseas states; in other words, perhaps with 1/2 or 2/3 of the entire world." Carls emphasised that this kind of undertaking would be possible only if the military could make a guarantee of strategic success to the politicians. Admiral Erich Raeder viewed Great Britain and the United States as one

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

ethnic and economic bloc, wherein Great Britain was the "junior" partner. As a result, Raeder and his Naval War Staff from the start anticipated that any conflict between Berlin and London would once more bring the United States in on the side of Britain. Following war games by the Navy High Command in 1938, Carls expressed scepticism about operations in the depths of Soviet territory. He had the following assessment on a possible conflict with the Soviet Union: "...neither Germany nor Russia is in a position to undertake operations of a decisive scale against the other. German operations into Russia will peter out in the vastness of its territory, while Russian operations against Germany, which I do not consider the Russians presently capable of mounting, would shatter on Germany’s defences."

World War II

Admiral Rolf Carls and Rear Admiral Theodor Burchardi during a port inspection on the Eastern Front

Rolf Carls congratulates Siegfried Strelow on his Knight's Cross

On October 1, 1939, Carls advised Admiral Raeder of Norway's value to the German navy. A few days later, on October 10, Raeder met with Hitler and convinced him of the danger of a possible British occupation of Norway. Carls succeeded Vice Admiral

Conrad Albrecht Conrad Albrecht (7 October 1880 in Bremen – 18 August 1969 in Hamburg) was a German admiral during World War II. Early military career Albrecht entered the '' Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial German Navy) on 10 April 1899 as a sea cadet. He m ...

as Commander-in-Chief of Marine Group Command East on October 31, 1939. This command was headquartered in

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...

but was moved to

Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsh ...

and renamed Naval Group Command North. As part of

, the invasion of Denmark and Norway, Carls was responsible for preparing the naval operations off Denmark and Norway. For this, he was awarded the

on June 14, 1940. In August 1940 he was also entrusted with the operational command of the German naval forces in the

German Bight The German Bight (german: Deutsche Bucht; da, tyske bugt; nl, Duitse bocht; fry, Dútske bocht; ; sometimes also the German Bay) is the southeastern bight of the North Sea bounded by the Netherlands and Germany to the south, and Denmark and ...

, Denmark and Norway. In the autumn of 1941, the units under his command took part in the Baltic Sea campaigns and the conquest of Soviet-held Baltic islands at the beginning of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...

, the invasion of the Soviet Union. When the commander-in-chief of the ''Kriegsmarine'', ''Großadmiral''

, resigned in early 1943 after clashes with Hitler, he suggested Carls and the Commander of the Submarines, Admiral

Karl Dönitz Karl Dönitz (sometimes spelled Doenitz; ; 16 September 1891 24 December 1980) was a German admiral who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as head of state in May 1945, holding the position until the dissolution of the Flensburg Government fo ...

, as candidates to succeed him. Hitler opted for the younger and in his view, more vigorous Dönitz, who became the Supreme Commander of the Navy in January 1943. Possibly to prevent friction among the naval leadership, Carls was honourably discharged from active service on May 31, 1943.

Death

Admiral Carls was killed in an air raid of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

on the spa town of

on 24 April 1945, only two weeks before the end of the war. Carls together with 49 other people were killed in the cellar of the

Vocational school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the task ...

(''Präparandeum'') in the Königstraße. Bad Oldesloe was nearly destroyed, and between 700 and 1000 Germans died, mainly women and children.

Promotions

*1. April 1903

Seekadett ''Seekadett'' (short SKad or SK; ,Langenscheidt´s Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English and German language: „Der Große Muret-Sander“, Part II German-English, Second Volume L–Z, 8th edition 1999, ; p. 1.381 ) is a military rank of the B ...

(

Crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involved ...

03) *15. April 1904 Fähnrich zur See *28. September 1906

Leutnant zur See ''Leutnant zur See'' (''Lt zS'' or ''LZS'') is the lowest officer rank in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF1 in NATO, equivalent to an Ensign in the United States Navy, and an Acting Sub-Lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. The rank was int ...

*27. January 1909

Oberleutnant zur See ''Oberleutnant zur See'' (''OLt zS'' or ''OLZS'' in the German Navy, ''Oblt.z.S.'' in the '' Kriegsmarine'') is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF-1 in NATO. The rank was introduced in the Imp ...

*16. December 1914

Kapitänleutnant ''Kapitänleutnant'', short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( en, captain lieutenant) is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer an ...

*1. December 1921

Korvettenkapitän () is the lowest ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies. Austro-Hungary Belgium Germany Korvettenkapitän, short: KKpt/in lists: KK, () is the lowest senior officer rank () in the German Navy. Address The off ...

*1. October 1928

Fregattenkapitän Fregattenkapitän, short: FKpt / in lists: FK, () is the middle field officer rank () in the German Navy. Address In line with ZDv 10/8, the official manner of formally addressing military personnel holding the rank of ''Fregattenkapitän'' ...

*1. May 1930

Kapitän zur See Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain. Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...

*1. April 1934

Konteradmiral ''Konteradmiral'', abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to ''Generalmajor'' in the '' Heer'' and ''Luftwaffe'' or to '' Admiralstabsarzt'' and '' Generalstabsarzt'' in the ' ...

* 17. December 1936

Vizeadmiral (abbreviated VAdm) is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German (language), German-speaking countries, equivalent to Vice admiral. Austria-Hungary In the Austro-Hungarian Navy there were the flag-officer ranks ''Kontreadmiral'' (al ...

(RDA vom 1. Januar 1937) *26. May 1937

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

(RDA vom 1. Juni 1937) *19. July 1940 Generaladmiral ** 31. May 1943 außer Dienst (a. D.)

Awards

Order of the Crown (Prussia) The Royal Order of the Crown (german: Königlicher Kronen-Orden) was a Prussian order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an honour equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, membership could only be conferred upon commissioned officers (or civ ...

, 4th Class (19 September 1912) *

(1914) 1st Class (19 May 1915)Dörr 1995, p. 119. * Ottoman War Medal (12 August 1915) * Order of Distinction (Ottoman Empire) in Silver with Sabres * Order of Osmanieh, 4th Class (February 1917) *

Silesian Eagle The Silesian Eagle ( German language: ''Schlesischer Adler'') was a medal awarded to members of the German right-wing paramilitary group ''Freikorps Oberland'' for three or six months of service, as well as for fighting during the Silesian Upri ...

2nd and 1st Class (27 January 1920) *

Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (german: Das Ehrenkreuz des Weltkrieges 1914/1918), commonly, but incorrectly, known as the Hindenburg Cross or the German WWI Service Cross was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, Presiden ...

(24 December 1934) *

Wehrmacht Long Service Award The Wehrmacht Long Service Award () was a military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service. History On 16 March, 1936, Adolf Hitler ordered the institution of a service awar ...

, 4th to 1st Class *

Medalla de la Campaña Medalla is a Spanish word meaning medal. It may also refer to: * Medalla Light, a Puerto Rican beer produced by Cervecera de Puerto Rico * David Medalla (born 1942), Filipino international artist * Felipe Medalla Felipe Manguiat Medalla is a ...

Spanish Cross The Spanish Cross (german: Spanien-Kreuz) was an award of Nazi Germany given to German troops who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for nationalist general, later Spanish caudillo, Francisco Franco. History With the outbreak o ...

in Gold with Swords (6 June 1939)Dörr 1995, p. 120. * Order of Mehdauia, Grand Cross * Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria), Grand Officer Cross with Crown and Swords *

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. ...

, First Class Commander *

Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary The Hungarian Order of Merit ( hu, Magyar Érdemrend) is the fourth highest State Order of Hungary. Founded in 1991, the order is a revival of an original order founded in 1946 and abolished in 1949. Its origins, however, can be traced to the O ...

, Grand Cross *

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

, Knight Grand Cordon *

Clasp to the Iron Cross The Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz) was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World W ...

(1939) 2nd and 1st Class *

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in Gold on 28 February 1943 as '' Generaladmiral'' in the Marinegruppenkommando Nord *

on 14 June 1940 as ''

'' and Marinegruppenbefehlshaber OstFellgiebel 2000, p. 152. * Finnish

Order of the Cross of Liberty The Order of the Cross of Liberty ( fi, Vapaudenristin ritarikunta; sv, Frihetskorsets orden) is one of three official state orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. Organisation ...

1st Class with Star and Swords (27 April 1942)

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carls, Rolf 1885 births 1945 deaths People from Rostock U-boat commanders (Imperial German Navy) People from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I General admirals of the Kriegsmarine Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class German military personnel of the Spanish Civil War Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with a Star Recipients of the Silver Imtiyaz Medal Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military) Counter admirals of the Reichsmarine 20th-century Freikorps personnel German military personnel killed in World War II Deaths by airstrike during World War II Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania