Showing the Flag: War Cruiser Karlsruhe and Germandom Abroad

219 Pages·2014·2.17 MB·English

SHOWING THE FLAG: WAR CRUISER KARLSRUHE AND GERMANDOM ABROAD

Simone Carlota Cezanne De Santiago Ramos, BS, MS, MA

Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

August 2013

APPROVED:

Robert M. Citino, Major Professor
Randolph B. Campbell, Committee Member
Olga V. Velikanova, Committee Member
GeoffreyWawro, Committee Member
Günter Gross, Committee Member
Rick McCaslin, Chair of the Department of
History
Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse
Graduate School
De Santiago Ramos, Simone Carlota Cezanne. Showing the Flag: War Cruiser Karlsruhe
and Germandom Abroad. Doctor of Philosophy (History), August 2013, 209 pp., references, 240
titles.
In the early 1920s the Weimar Republic commissioned a series of new light cruisers of
the Königsberg class and in July 1926, the keel of the later christened Karlsruhe was laid down.
The 570 feet long and almost 50 feet wide ship was used as a training cruiser for future German
naval officers. Between 1930 and 1936 the ship conducted in all five good-will tours around the
world, two under the Weimar Republic and three under the Third Reich. These good-will tours
or gute Willen Fahrten were an important first step in reconciling Germany to the rest of the
world and were meant to improve international relations. The Foreign Office and the Ministry of
Defense carefully orchestrated all stops of the vessels in conjunction with the respective
embassies abroad. Final arrangements were made at least six-nine months before the scheduled
visits and even small adjustments to the itinerary proved troublesome. Further, all visits were
treated as “unofficial presentations.”
The mission of the Karlsruhe was twofold: first to extend or renew relations with other
nations, and second to foster notions of Heimat and the Germandom (Deutschtum) abroad. The
dissertation is divided in two large parts; the individual training cruises with all the
arrangements, the selection of the individual nations and ports, and explores the level of decision
making amongst the various agencies, departments, and organizations involved. For the Weimar
Republic, the ship represented modernity and a break with the past, and embodied at one and the
same time, traditional German culture and the idea of progress. Since the cruiser continued its
training abroad after 1933, a comparison between the “two Germanies” makes sense.
The second part of the research will explore the notion of Heimat and the Germans living
abroad and how the Karlsruhe acted as a symbolic link between the two. The concept of Heimat
is important to the self-understanding, or identity construction of the Germans. It is the
quintessence of Germaness (Deutschtümelei). This multi-layered and complex idea embodies not
only language, but also traditions and customs, nature and politics. It evokes feelings of
belonging, comfort, sanctuary, and safety. We can identify the term with family, birthplace,
nation, dialect, race, even food. Heimat is a place where one doesn’t have to explain oneself.
The German navy encouraged the sailors to write diaries during the voyages, cadets were
required to do so. Several of the diaries and letters provide the foundation for this dissertation.
Other primary sources include reports, logbooks, navy policies and procedures found at the
Foreign Office in Berlin, the German Naval Archives in Flensburg, the Archives at the Museum
for Maritime History in Bremerhaven, the University of Hamburg, the University of the
Bundeswehr in Hamburg, the British National Archives in Kew, and the National Archives in
Washington, D.C. particularly the records of the German Naval High Command, as well as
cabinet meetings from the Weimar period. Various navy journals and the official Merkblätter
(information sheets) from the Karlsruhe are also included. Printed onboard, these pamphlets
contain general information about the local population, including the form of government,
important industries, and the number of Germans living there. German newspapers, but also
newspapers from each country or port visited were be incorporated.
Copyright 2013
by
Simone Carlota Cezanne De Santiago Ramos
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals and organizations that
helped made this project come to fruition. First and foremost I am endebted to Dr. Robert Citino
who guided, supported, and encouraged me along the sometimes difficult way. His insights into
German naval military history has been significant in improving this dissertation. With his
knowledge and patience this dissertation finally came to a completion. My other professors, Dr.
Randolph “Mike” Campbell and his Local History class where this project initially started, Dr.
GeoffreyWawro, and Dr. Olga Velikanova deserve an equal acknowledgement and gratitude.
Further, I am indebted to Dr. Günter W. Gross who selfishly gave me his father’s personal
thoughts to read and mine.
Along the way, the Political Archives of the Foreign Office in Berlin, the Bundesarchiv
in Berlin, the Deutsche Schiffahrtsmuseum in Bremerhaven, and the staff at the Helmut Schmidt
University of the Bundeswehr, and the National Archives in Kew, England deserve a special
thank. The gracious and helpful staff at the Marineschule Flensburg-Mürwik und Archiv des
Wehrgeschichtliches Ausbildungszentrum WGAZ Mürwik opened their doors to new material.
A big “Moin” to Jens Sutter in Scotland, Wolf von Buchholz and the rest of the sailors
who allowed me to sail with them, and who provided me with technical support and insights into
the German navy. A special thanks to the family of Frau Gerlinde Karl and her husband Felix
and Frau Renate Schallehn. Dr. Fritz E. Schwalm and his wife Renate, my confidant Margit
Noell, and Nicole, who supplied me with last minute material from German archives, and a
patient editor Ryan Schumacher all contributed and helped make this a success.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii

ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVERSIONS ...................................................................................v

RANKS ......................................................................................................................................... vii

TECHNICAL DETAILS ............................................................................................................. viii

Chapters

1. INTRODUCTION: HISTORIOGRAPHY AND CRUISER KARLSRUHE ...........1
2. OVERVIEW OF GERMAN NAVY, HISTORIOGRAPHY ................................14
3. DEUTSCHTUM ABROAD ...................................................................................33
4. MAIDEN VOYAGE AND INCIDENT IN AFRICA ...........................................54
5. LAST VOYAGE UNDER THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC ......................................74
6. UNDER THE SWASTIKA .................................................................................103
7. CREW 34 .............................................................................................................130
8. THE LAST TRAINING CRUISE, THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, AND THE
INVASION OF NORWAY .................................................................................157
9. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................176
Appendices
A. ROUTES ..............................................................................................................182
B. ILLUSTRATIONS /FLAGS ................................................................................186
C. NAMES/RANKS/POSITIONS ...........................................................................190
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................193

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ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVERSIONS

Auslandsorganization der NSDAP (Foreign Organization NADAP) AO

Auswärtiges Amt (German Foreign Office) AA

Allgemeines Wehrmachtsamt (Armed Forces General Office) AWA

Bundesarchiv (Federal German Archives) BA

Deutsches Auslands Institut (German Foreign Institute) DAI

British Foreign Office BFO

Inter-Allied Commission of Control IACC

Generalstab (General Staff) GENST

Handelspolitische Abteilung (Trade Policy Department) Ha-Pol

His Majesty’s Ships H.M.S.

International Military Tribunal IMT

Kriegstagebuch (War Diary) KTB

Marinepersonalamt (Navy Personnel Office) MPA

Marine Rundschau MR

Marinewaffenamt (Navy Ordnance Office) MWa

Marinewehramt (Naval Defense Office) MWehr

Oberkommando der Marine (Navy High Command) OKM

Public Record Office, London PRO

Principal Allied and Associated Power PAAP

Reichsauswanderungsamt (Reich Patriation Office) RAWA

Reichsgesetzblatt (Reich Law Gazette) RGBl

Reichsmarineamt (German Naval Office) RMA

Reichsmark RM
v
Reichswehrministerium (Ministry of Defense) RWeM
Völkischer Beobachter VB
Verein für das Deutschtum im Ausland (League of Germandom Abroad) VdA
Conversions
1 meter = 1.094 yard
1 centimeter = 0.393 inch
1 nautical mile = 2.205 yards = 1.852 meter
1 knot (kn) = 1.852 km/hour = 1.151 mile/hour
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RANKS
German Navy and their United States Equivalent
Kriegsmarine U.S. Navy
Grossadmiral Admiral of the Fleet
Generaladmiral no equivalent
Admiral Admiral
Vizeadmiral Vice Admiral
Konteradmiral Rear Admiral
Kommodore Commodore
Kaptain zur See Captain
Fregattenkapitän Commander
Korvettenkapitän Lieutenant Commander
Kapitanleutnant Lieutenant
Oberleutnant zur See Lieutenant Junior Grade
Leutnant zur See Ensign
Oberfähnrich zur See Midshipman
Fähnrich zur See Midshipman
Oberfeldwebel Chief Petty Officer
Stabsfeldwebel no equivalent
Feldwebel Petty Officer First Class
Obermaat Petty Officer Second Class
Maat Petty Officer Third Class
Matrosenobergefreiter Seaman First Class
Matrosengefreiter Seaman Second Class
Matrose Apprentice Sailor
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Light Cruiser Karlsruhe
Königsberg Class
Commissioned November 6, 1929
1927 to 1938 After 1938
Width 15.2 m/49.8 ft 16.6 m/54.4 ft
Length 174 m/571 ft
Draft 6.28 m/20.6 ft max
Displacement 7800 tons
Engines 68,200 horsepower
Speed 32 knots/59 kmh/37 mph 30 mph
Source: picture author
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