|
Flottenchef
The Fleet commander of the Kriegsmarine (''Flottenchef'') was the highest ranked administrative officer in the organization of the Kriegsmarine, and served as a member of the '' Oberkommando der Marine''. The fleet commander did not actually serve as commander of an at-sea fleet, but instead was the senior officer to which the vessel type commanders reported. The position of fleet commander was created from an older position of the ''Reichsmarine'' known as ''Der Oberbefehlshaber der Seestreitkräfte''. In 1926, the position adopted the name ''Flottenchef'', but was declared defunct one year later and left vacant with no assigned officer. The title became a position within the Kriegsmarine in 1936. Fleet commanders The following naval officers served in the position as Fleet commander of the Kriegsmarine. From December 1940 to June 1941, a deputy to the fleet commander was established known by the title ''2. Admiral der Flotte''. The only officer to hold this positi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Günther Lütjens
Johann Günther Lütjens (25 May 1889 – 27 May 1941) was a German admiral whose military service spanned more than thirty years and two world wars. Lütjens is best known for his actions during World War II and his command of the battleship during her foray into the Atlantic Ocean in 1941. Born in 1889, he entered into the German Imperial Navy () in 1907. A diligent and intelligent cadet, he progressed to officer rank before the outbreak of war, when he was assigned to a Torpedo boat Squadron. During World War I, Lütjens operated in the North Sea and English Channel and fought several actions against the British Royal Navy. He ended the conflict as a ''Kapitänleutnant'' (captain lieutenant) with the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class (1914) to his credit. After the war he remained in the service of the navy, now renamed the ''Reichsmarine''. He continued to serve in torpedo boat squadrons eventually becoming a commanding officer in 1925. In the Weimar Republic era, Lütjens built ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wilhelm Marschall
Wilhelm Marschall (30 September 1886 – 20 March 1976) was a German admiral during World War II. He was also a recipient of the ''Pour le Mérite'' which he received as commander of the German U-boat during World War I. The ''Pour le Mérite'' was the Kingdom of Prussias highest military order for German officers until the end of World War I. Biography Marschall was born in Augsburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, in 1886. In 1906, he entered the Kaiserliche Marine as a Seekadett. During World War I he served as a watch officer on . In 1916, he was trained as a U-boat commander and captained both and by war's end. He sank 41 merchant ships and two troopships, for a total of 119,170 GRT, and was awarded the Pour la Mérite, Germany's highest military honour. While in the Reichsmarine, Marschall served primarily as a ''Vermessungsoffizier'' (surveying officer) and in different staff positions. At the end of 1934 he became commander of the pocket battleship ''Admiral Scheer''. As a Kont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the and the , of the , the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945. In violation of the Treaty of Versailles, the grew rapidly during German naval rearmament in the 1930s. The 1919 treaty had limited the size of the German navy and prohibited the building of submarines. ships were deployed to the waters around Spain during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) under the guise of enforcing non-intervention, but in reality supported the Nationalists against the Spanish Republicans. In January 1939, Plan Z, a massive shipbuilding program, was ordered, calling for surface naval parity with the British Royal Navy by 1944. When World War II broke out in September 1939, Plan Z was shelved in favour of a crash building program for submarine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rolf Carls
Rolf Hans Wilhelm Karl Carls (29 May 1885 – 24 April 1945) was a high-ranking German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Carls served as ''Flottenchef'' (Fleet Commander), the highest ranking administrative officer of the ''Kriegsmarine'' and member of the ''Oberkommando der Marine'' (High Command of the Navy). Carls was instrumental in planning German naval operations during Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Denmark and Norway. When Grand Admiral Erich Raeder 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 succeeded Raeder instead, Carls was discharged from the navy. Carls was killed in a British air raid on the town of Bad Oldesloe on 24 April 1945. Early life and career Rolf Carls was the son of Lieutenant Friedrich Wilhelm Anton Carls and his wife Martha Victoria Wilhelmine Anna Sophie, née Po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Battleship Bismarck
''Bismarck'' was the first of two s built for Nazi Germany's . Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the ship was Keel laying, laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and ship launching, launched in February 1939. Work was completed in August 1940, when she was ship commissioning, commissioned into the German fleet. ''Bismarck'' and her sister ship were the largest battleships ever built by Germany, and two of the largest built by any European power. In the course of the warship's eight-month career, ''Bismarck'' conducted only one offensive operation that lasted 8 days in May 1941, codenamed . The ship, along with the heavy cruiser , was to break into the Atlantic Ocean and raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. The two ships were detected several times off Scandinavia, and British naval units were deployed to block their route. At the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the battlecruiser initially engaged ''Prinz Eugen'', probably by m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 it was combined with the newly formed '' Seekriegsleitung'' (SKL). There were two major re-organisations, in November 1939 and May 1944. Organization The OKM was broadly divided into six sections: * At the top was the ''Oberbefehlshaber der Marine'' (OBdM) – the Commander-in-Chief and his staff, with responsibility for liaison with the OKW, and including planning, technical, engineering, medical, economic, research, propaganda and personnel departments. * The '' Seekriegsleitung'' (SKL) ("Naval Warfare Command") was formed on 1 April 1937. Originally closely linked with both the OBdM and the ''Marinekommandoamt'', with the Commander-in-Chief (OBdM) also the Chief of the SKL, and the Chief of the ''Marinekommandoamt'' doubling as the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otto Schniewind
Otto Schniewind (14 December 1887 – 26 March 1964) was a German General Admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Schniewind entered the Kaiserliche Marine in 1907 as a cadet. During the First World War he served as a commander of torpedoboats. When the German fleet surrendered to the British he commanded a squadron of torpedo boats, with this he partook in the Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow, after which he was taken prisoner by the British. After being released Schniewind continued to serve in the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt and later the Reichsmarine. From 1925 to 1926 he served as adjutant to the Minister of War Otto Gessler. In 1932 Schniewind became captain of the light cruiser ''Köln''. In 1934 Schniewind was appointed to another staff function. He was promoted to Konteradmiral (rear admiral) in 1937 and to Vizeadmiral (vice admiral) in 1940. He served as Chief of Staff of the Seekrieg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organization Of The Kriegsmarine
The organization of the ''Kriegsmarine'' refers to the operational and administrative structure of the German Navy from 1935 to 1945. Many of the organizational tenets of the Kriegsmarine were inherited from its predecessor the Reichsmarine. As World War II unfolded, the Kriegsmarine expanded to cover additional regions and responsibilities, most significant of which was the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, occupation of France and the Battle of the Atlantic. Navy High Command The ultimate command authority for the Kriegsmarine was the ''Oberkommando der Marine'' (OKM), which was headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Germany Navy (''Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine''). OKM in turn answered to the ''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht''; naval affairs were often run independently from the wishes of the Army, under the authority of the ''Oberkommando des Heeres''. The Navy and the Luftwaffe (Air Force) further had little coordination, leading to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hermann Boehm (admiral)
Hermann Boehm (18 January 1884, Rybnik – 11 April 1972, Kiel) was a German naval officer who rose to the rank of General Admiral during the Second World War. Military service Boehm joined the Kaiserliche Marine on 1 April 1903 as a cadet and did his basic training on SMS ''Stein''. He was promoted to Kapitänleutnant on 19 September 1914 and during the First World War commanded various torpedo boats (such as SMS G41 during the Battle of Jutland and later SMS V 69). In 1919 he was dismissed from the service, but when the navy was reactivated as the Reichsmarine in 1920 he was recalled to it, mainly serving in staff posts until 1933. On 3 October 1933 Boehm was made the commander of the ''Hessen'' for a year, until he was promoted to Konteradmiral in autumn 1934 and appointed commander in chief of the navy's reconnaissance forces. From 25 August 1936 to 3 August 1937, during the opening stages of the Spanish Civil War, he commanded the German naval forces off the Spanish coas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organization Of The Kriegsmarine
The organization of the ''Kriegsmarine'' refers to the operational and administrative structure of the German Navy from 1935 to 1945. Many of the organizational tenets of the Kriegsmarine were inherited from its predecessor the Reichsmarine. As World War II unfolded, the Kriegsmarine expanded to cover additional regions and responsibilities, most significant of which was the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, occupation of France and the Battle of the Atlantic. Navy High Command The ultimate command authority for the Kriegsmarine was the ''Oberkommando der Marine'' (OKM), which was headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Germany Navy (''Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine''). OKM in turn answered to the ''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht''; naval affairs were often run independently from the wishes of the Army, under the authority of the ''Oberkommando des Heeres''. The Navy and the Luftwaffe (Air Force) further had little coordination, leading to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a dictatorship. Under Hitler's rule, Germany quickly became a totalitarian state where nearly all aspects of life were controlled by the government. The Third Reich, meaning "Third Realm" or "Third Empire", alluded to the Nazi claim that Nazi Germany was the successor to the earlier Holy Roman Empire (800–1806) and German Empire (1871–1918). The Third Reich, which Hitler and the Nazis referred to as the Thousand-Year Reich, ended in May 1945 after just 12 years when the Allies of World War II, Allies defeated Germany, End of World War II in Europe, ending World War II in Europe. On 30 January 1933, H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified '' Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official name with respect to the 1990 incorporation of the East German '' Volksmarine'' (People's Navy). It is deeply integrated into the NATO alliance. Its primary mission is protection of Germany's territorial waters and maritime infrastructure as well as sea lines of communication. Apart from this, the German Navy participates in peacekeeping operations, and renders humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It also participates in anti-piracy operations. History The German Navy traces its roots back to the '' Reichsflotte'' (Imperial Fleet) of the revolutionary era of 1848–52. The ''Reichsflotte'' was the first German navy to sail under the black-red-gold flag. Founded on 14 June 1848 by the ord ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.svg "Click for more on -> Kriegsmarine")
_ship_badge.svg "Click for more on -> German Battleship Bismarck"){kind=icon}
