The German Navy Handbook 1939-1945

147 Pages·2003·50.83 MB·English

by  Jak Malmann Showell

GERMAN NAVY
HANDBOOK
1939-1945
SUTTON I' BLiSHING
First published in 1999 by
SUllon Publishing Limited· Phoenix Mill
Thrupp .Stroud· Gloucestershire .GL5 2BU
CONTENTS
This paperbackedition first published in 2002
Copyright©Jak P. Mallmann Showell, 1999
Acknow/.edgements IV
All dghlS reserycd. No panofthis publication may be reproduced, slored in aretrieval system, Chronology v
or transrnilled, in any form, or byany means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
orolherwise, witholillhe prior permission ofthe publisherand copyrightholder. After the First World War- New Beginnings I
Treaties, Agreements, Ultimatums and Plans 10
Jak P. Mallmann Showell has asserted the moral righlLO be identified as the authorofthis The Organisation ofthe Kriegsmarine, November 1938 19
Operation Orders 20
work.
The FleetCommand and Large Surface Shipsat War 25
Incidents and Operations 44
British LibraryCataloguingin Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library The Fleet 51
What the Names Mean 139
ISBN 0 75093205 8 U-boats 141
Midget Weapons 161
The Naval Air Arm 171
Naval Weaponry 180
Disguise, Camouflage and ColourSchemes 189
Naval Terra Firma 195
The Supreme Naval Command 219
Ranks and Insignia 226
Uniforms 237
Appendix: Maps 253
Glossary 256
Bibliography 263
Index 270
Typeset in I0/13pt Baskerville.
Typescuingand origination by
Sulton Publishing Limited.
Prillled in Great Britain by
].H. Haynes & Co. Ltd, Sparkford.
11\
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHRONOLOGY
If this book needs a dedication, then let it Albert Nitzschke and the DeuLScher 1870 process ofscuttling them had started. The
remember those historians who ha\'c Marinebund; Military History Deparunent of France declared waron Pnlssia, the largest of British fleet was at sea. but a few tugs and
searched for the truth and the people who the National Defence College in Tokyo; Ian the German-speaking kingdoms, hoping the pickel boats managed to LOw some ships into
have helped by prO\;ding infonnation. Sadly, Millar; Hennann and Elsa PalZke; Paul Preuss; Catholic south would help suppress the shallow waters before the majority of them
a good number of these charaClcrs are no Ray Priddey; Admiral Bernhard Rogge; Protestants in the North. sank.
longeraround to enrich Ollrli,'c . Richard Russon (United States Coast Guard 1871 28June. Germany agreed to the ultimatum
This projcCl has been ongoing for over Auxiliary of florida); the Walter Schoppe The German-speaking countries united from the Allies and signed the Diktat of
thirty years and itwould be difficult to list all Collection in U-Boot-ARCHIV, Cuxhaven; under the King of Prussia and defeated Versailles, although ha,;ng to paysuch heavy
the people who ha,'e helped. Therefore I Franz Selinger; Knul Sh"crtsen and the France. The German nation was founded in waf reparations meant there would be still
thank everybody and hope that this book will Trondheim Defence Museum; Roger Suiters; the palace at Versailles and the King of morc famine throughoutGennany.
do theireffortsjustice. Heinz Tischer from Tho~; Irm)' \·Vcnneker Prussia became emperor. The Imperial Navy 1920
The follO\,;ng have been especially helpful whose husband was captain ofDeutschlandand was founded. 7 April. A french army of occupation
and I am grateful for their assistance in lalcr naval 3tlache in Tokyo; Gordon 1914 marched into the industrial heartland of
supplying help, materials, information or Williamson and DaveWooley. Qlllbreakofthe FirstWorld War. Germany because waf reparations had slowed
photographs: Professor Heinfried Ahl of 1918 down. Much of what was being produced in
Konnoran; Ivar Berntsen; Heinrich B6hm and 11 November. The firsl World War ended with Germany had lO be handed over to theAllies,
Maria;Jan Bas; HorstBreda\\'and the German Germany's defeat and the abdication of the and the workers, suffering from severe
U-boat Archive in Cuxhaven; Professor Gus Emperor (Kaiser). The guns officially fell shortages of food and other essentials,
Brillon, MBE; the staffofthe Military Section silent at 1100 hr on ule 11th day of the 11th couldn'tsee the pointofworkingas slaves for
in the Bundesarchiv in Freiburg; Cdr Richard I monul. The Kaiser had left Germany ule day foreigners.
Compton-Hall, MBE, RN (Retd), and the before. 8August. foundation ofule NationalSocialists'
Ro)ral Navy Submarine Museum; Trevor Cox; 2J November. The remains of the German Workers Party (Nalional.sozialislische Deutsche
I
Kpl.z.S. Hans Dehnert; Kurt Fritz Dennin; fleetsurrendered. ArbeiterPartei- NSDAP). Atulis time socialisLS
I
Ralph Erskine; Ursula Kahler von friedebllrg; 1919 were nicknamed 'Sozis' hence the new parry
'Jumbo' Gerke; Cpt Quo Giese who sen'ed I /2January', A communist uprising in Berlin became 'Nazis'.
aboard Columbus, Anneli£seEsslJew'r"and se"eral was cnlshed. 30 Augusl. Admiral Paul Behncke became
I
U-boats; Hans Karl Hemmer of Pinguin, I 9 Februar)\ The first non-sLop air service SupremeCommander-in-ehiefofthe Navy.
I
Adjutanl and Komel; Wolfgang Hirschfeld; between London and Paris came inLO being. 1921
Peter Huckstepp from New Zealand; Geoff Civil flying was still prohibited, so only I Jalluary. The Imperial Navy (Kaiserliclu
Jones; friedrich Kiemle of Koln; DrJoachim military pa sengers could be carried. flying Marine) was renamed Reichsmarine.
Kindler of Widd,,; fritz Kohl; Kpl.z.S. Quo time was three and a halfhours. II April. The new flag of the Reichsmarine
and Dr Erika Kohler; David Lees of the 31 Maldl. Admiral Adolf"on Trotha became was hoisted for the first time.
German Naval Imerest Group of the World the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the 21Jul)'. Senior officers of the nited States
Ship Society; Ke,;n Mathews; Dr Ulrich Mohr TheGennan naval ensign nuueringin alight Navy. Navy were shocked when in a demonstration
of Atlantis; Heinrich Mueller; Eva 'Ieisel breeze.TheGennansused the Beaufortscale, 21June. Seventy ships of the German fleet the ex-German ballieship Ostfriesland was
whose husband was captain ofAdmiral Hip/Je1; invented bythe Englishadmiral whodied in1857, interned at Scapa Flow in the Orknc}'s and sunk b)' ix bombs dropped from aircrafl. So
Gerd eubacher; Axel Niesue; fregkpl. Karl formeasuringwindstrength. The nagwould with only skeleton crews on board hoisted far the navies of the world had maintained
I
Heinz Nitschke and his wife lise; Fregkpt. suggest thatthis isaforce2or3. their war ensigns as an indication that the that battleships could onl)' be sunk by heavy
IV v
CHRONOLOCY CIIRONOLOGY
1924 26 AIJril. General Paul \'on Hindenburg
jllntlOf)'. The light cruiser Berlin. under (1847-1934) who defeated the Russians at
command of Paul ""iilling ,'on Dillen, left Tannenberg in 1914 and later became the
Kiel for a two month tour to the Azores, SupremeCommander-in-Chiefofthe General
Canaries, Madeira and Spain. Apart from Army Staff. was elected as President of
cruises to countries around the Baltic, this Gennany. He wanted to restore the German
was the first postwarcadet u-ainingcnlise. monarchy. The large number of ,'otes from
October. Admiral Hans Zenkersucceeded Paul women had been crucial in his success. In
Behnckeas upreme Gommander-in-Chiefof BI;tain women \,'erestill not allowed to'"ate.
the avy. April. Admiral Konrad ~\'Iommsen was
A squadron of battleships ,'isited Spain and appointed to the position of Fleet
Berlin embarked on her second cruise to Commander. Such a post had not existed
foreign waters. since the end of the First World War. The
1925 sun'ey ship i\le/eor, under the command of
7January. The light cruiser Emden, the first Fregkpt. Fritz Spiess, left for the famous
majorwarship built in Genl'1anyafter the First Atlantic Expedition. She surveyed the
""arId"Var was launched in Wilhelmshaven. outh Atlantic and did nOt return until
j
27February. The 'SDAPwas refounded. May 1927.
A minesweepernoullaalsea.The photograph wastaken from Mil).
anillcl-y. This success against a substantial Reichsmarine - was hoisted for the first time
targetbroughtabout new naval thinking. by naval units.
3 August. The SDAP founded its own 1923
privatearmy, the SlunnAbteilungorSA, which 22 June. The German economy and its
wasalso known as the Brownshins. currency collapsed when the Mark had been
13 December. The Washington Treaty was devalued to the rate of more than 600,000
signed. Marks to the British Pound. Passive resistance
31 D«ember. The ensign of the Imperial avy had furtherslowed industrial and agricultural
wa officially lowered for the last time by output because the workers were living in
naval units. However, it was hoisted again on poverty while the results oftheir labours had
31 May ofeach year in remembrance of the to be paid as war reparations. Britain and the
men who had died during the First World United States were also suffering from
War. industrial unrestwiLh widespread povertyand
1922 unemployment.
The black, white and red flag with a large 8-9 November. The SDAP attempted to
iron cross in the middle and a small black, overthrowthe Bavariangovernmentbyforce. Thisshowsthesecond navalensignaftertheendofthe FirslWorld War.Thestripeswereblack,whileand
red and gold jack inset - the ensign of the 23November. The NSDAPwasbanned. redatthe bottom. Earlierflagsalsohadasmall black, redandgoldsU"ipedjackin the LOplefthand comer.
yi
'01
CHRONOLOGY CHRONOLOGY
August. The light cruiser Hamburg, under whence Germany was dominated by Sozis
FregkpL Groos, left Wilhelmshaven for the and Nazis.
first German postwar naval circumnavigation December. The light cruiser Emden sailed to
ofLhe Eanh. Africa and the Far East under command of
September. The light cruiser Berlin, under Fregkpt. Robert 'Vitthoeft-Emden, who later
Kpl.z.S. ErnstJunkermann. embarked upon a became naval attache in ""ashington. All the
more ambitious cadet trainingvoyage around men who served aboard the legendary light
South America. cruiser Emdenduling the First''''orld ""arwere
9 November. The SchUlz Stoffel or SS was awarded that name as partoftheirsurname by
founded by the NSDAP. t.he Kaiserin recognition oftheirexu'dordinary
1926 sen~ce.This happened around t.he time ofthe
5 A1ta)1. Beginning of the First General Strike abdication, when the Kaiserwas no longer in a
in BI-itain. position to bestowmilitaryawards.
14 November. The new light cruiser Emden, 1931
under KpLZ.S. Richard Foerster, left for a 19 May. Pocket battleship Deutschla.nd was
world LOur for cadettraining. launched.
1927 November. The light cruiser Karlsruhe, under
December. The light cruiser Berlin, under command of Kpt.z.S. Erwin ""assner,
KpLZ.S. Carl Kolbe, left for a training cruise embarked upon a cadet training cruise to
to the Far EastandAustralia. South America andAJaska.
1928 1932
29 Nlarch. ""omen in Britain were given the 25 February. Adolf Hitler becarne a German
The liglllcr-uiser Karlsl'ldleOn a pre-war trainingcruise for officercadets. Theshiparoused agrealdeal of
vote. citizen. He was born in Ausu·ia.
illlereslwherevCI"ilcalledascan beseen here bythe numerouscarsand thecrowdson lhequa)'.The flag
1 October. Admiral Erich Raeder became Ma1'ch and April. President Hindenburg
flying on lhe bO\,'s islhe naval ensign oflheold \\'eimarRepublic.
Commander-ill-Chief of the '£Ivy. Major defeated Hitler in two stages ofwhat became
naval administrative reshufnes and tight-run presidential elections. At first
reorganisation usually LOok place in October Hindenburg dismissed Hitler as 'a Bavarian
and coincided with the publication ofa new corporal', but during the humiliating second
Rnngliste(Rank list). elections between the two, Hiller's vote was 30Jan'llw)l. Hindenburg appoinled Hitler as 1935
December. The light cruiser Emden departed increased by almost 40 per cent, making him chancellor. 16 March. Hitler repudiated the Diktat of
for a world cruise under the command of a powerful force in German politics. 5 iV/arch. The last multi-party governmental Versailles and re-introduced national
Lotharvon Arnauld de la Penere, a holder of 30 October. Battles were fought in London elections. The NSDAP gained abouL 40 per conscription.
the POlt1·/eMeritefrom the FirstWorld War. between the police and unemployed hunger centofthe votes. 21 /Vla)l. The Reichsmarine was renamed
1929 marchers demanding a beuer deal for the 14 March. The black, red and gold striped Kriegs11lwlne.
13 May. The light cruiser Emden returned starving poor. jack inset in the naval flag was removed by 18June. The German-Anglo Naval Agreement
from a training cruise to the West Indies and 6 November. The NSDAP lost thirty-four seats order of the Reich's president, Paul von wassigned.
the entire contingent of cadets stepped over in the governmental elections. Shortly before Hindenburg. 29June. Vi, the first new submarinesince the
to the newly commissioned cnliser Karlsruhe, this Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler as 1April.Jewish shops were boycotted by the First""orld ""ar,was commissioned.
under Kpt.z.S. Eugen Lindau, for a chancellor. NSDAP. 27 September. Karl Donitz was appointed
shakedown cruise through the Mediterranean 1933 2i\lla)l.TI'ddeunionswerebannedbytheNSDAP. Chiefofthe first U-boat Flotilla, named after
and around Southern Africa. Jmuw'r)l. The German embassies in 1934 the Firsl '''Torld "Var commander Quo
1930 ""ashington, London and Paris opened 3June. Pocket battleship AdmiralCrafSpeewas Weddigen.
The NSDAP increased their seats In the offices for naval attaches. This is the first time launched. 7 November. The new naval ensign with
government from 12 to 107, making them since before the First ""orld ''''ar that there 24 October. The National Labour Front was swastika was officially hoisted for the first
the second largest party after the Socialists - had been such positions. introduced by the NSDAP. time.
\~ii
IX
CHRONOLOGY CHRONOLOGY
21 May. Battleship Gneisenauwas launched. 1 September. German troops reoccupied
22 August. The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was territories which had been taken away from
launched. Germany after the First World War to \~'\-~~:-~
.De:- ~'IlSU "brl.rube- bat _ }I).lov••be September. The 'z..Plan' was formulated. become the Polish Republic.
~ )'.,~,
I9}1 ,.In• •~UO'OnaUI. leh. in d.•• Alleland. aUlltrehn. 29 September. The Munich Agreement was 3 September. Britain sent an ultimatum to
I.'
••11••••1 ~nhn• .,••Undhll, •••tlrtUh ."on lori-lind signed. The British prime minister returned Germany saying that a state of war would - ( i
!UdaMr1U, O,n'tl.n, von SUd_ IUld :Il'or4...r1.b. S~nten.
home waving a piece of paper and saying, exist between the two countries unless troops
ht.l.
DID II1..p1-.n thllt der Chet der 1u'1_1t1tWllall!. 'Peace in ourTime'. were withdrawn from Poland. Subsequently
IMorl1n,dto lO.'o""",r 19n. 8 December. The aircraft carrier OrafZeppelin Britain and Francedeclared war. '\.li., , ~\. ;\ . ' ."
was launched. 13 September. The U-boat War Badge was lI~--J,. "-'
:D-r••1obsp:r"1dent.
1939 re-introduced with a modern design incor
~
27January. Hitler officially approved the porating a swastika instead of the imperial
'Z-Plan'. crown. U47 penetrated into the British ~
9 February. The British government prepared anchorage at Scapa Flow and torpedoed the
for war by distributing bomb shelters to battleship RoyalOak. The navalensign drawn bytheauthor'sfather
aboard UJ77.
people living in likely targetareas. 17 September. The Russians invaded the
14February'. Battleship Bismarckwas launched. eastern regions ofPoland, but Britain did not
J5 March. German troops marched into seem to objectLO the Russian attack.
Bohemia and Moravia (both districls of 23 November. The auxiliary cruiser Rawalpindi Cross of the Second World War, its highest
Theofficialwritten orderfrom Reichspresident Czechoslovakia). wassunk by Schamhorst. military decoration for bravery, to
Paulvon Hindenburg,authorisingatwelve-month 1 April. Battleship Tirpitz was launched 13-17 December. The Battle of the River Cpt Bernard Warburton-Lee of the destroyer
longvOYdgealongAmerica'swestcoast. and the head of the Navy, Erich Raeder, Plate and the scuttling of pocket battleship HMSHardy.
was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet AdmiralOrafSpee. 10June. Italy declared war on France and
(Grand Admiral), a position which had 1940 Britain. The last remnants ofBritish forces in
1936 not existed since the end of the First 31 J\!1.arch. The first auxiliary cruiser, Atlantis, Nonvaywere withdrawn.
7 March. The Rhineland, which had been World War. under Kpt.z.S. Bernhard Rogge, left German 17June. The first U-boats refuelled in French
demilitarised by the Versailles Diktat, was re 28April. Hitler renounced theAnglo-German waters for what was to become the longest Atlantic ports.
occupied by German forces. Naval Agreement. cruise (622 days) ofthe Second World War. 22fune. An armistice was signed by French
30 May. The first phase of the Naval 22 May. A military agreement for mutual 6 April. The second auxiliary cruiser, Orion, and German leaders in the same railway
Memorial at Laboe near Kiel was officially support was signed between Germany and under Kpt.z.S. Kurt Weyher, left German carriage in Compiegne where the Armistice
opened and Hitler laid the first wreath in the Italy. waters. had beensigned ending the FirstWorld War.
Hall ofCommemoration. 18 August. The German Naval High 9 April. Germany invaded Denmark and 27June. The British government announced
18July. TheSpanish Civil Warbegan. Command ordered the emergency War Norway. The heavycruiser Bliicherwassunk in a blockadeofthe European continent.
3 October. BattleshipSchamlwrstwaslaunched. Programme to come into force. Oslo Fjord. 30 June. A German aircraft landed near
1937 19 August. The first U-boats left German 10ApriL The light cruiser Kjjnigsbergwas sunk St Peter Port to mark the beginning of the
6 February. The heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper pons to take up waiting positions in the bybombs in Bergen harbour (Nonvay). German occupation ofthe Channel Islands.
was launched. North Atlantic. 10May. Germany invaded Holland, Belgium, 17 August. Germany announced a total
8June. The heavycruiser Bliicherwaslaunched. 21 August. Pocket battleship OrafSpee left Luxembourgand France. blockade of the British Isles and allowed
1938 Germany to take up a waiting position in the 15May. Dutch forces capitulated. V-boalS to conduct unrestricted sea \varfare,
4 February. Hitler appointed himselfSupreme South Atlantic. 27 May-4June. The British Expeditionary where tlleycould sinkshipswithoutwarning.
Commander-in-Chiefofall Germany's armed 22 August. A non-aggression pact was signed Force on the continent was evacuated from 24 August. Battleship Bismarck was comm
forces and servicemen swore an oath of byGermanyand the Soviet Union. the beachesat Dunkirk. issioned.
allegiance to him personally. 24 August. Pocket battleship Deutschland left 4June. The War Badge for Destroyers was 30 August. Plans for an invasion of Great
13March. Austria,vas made partofGermany. Germany to take up awaiting position in the introduced. Blitain were postponed.
28March. TheSpanish Civil War ended. North Atlantic. 7June. Britain awarded the first Victoria 31 August. The War Badge for Minesweepers,
x xi
\
CI11l0NOLOGY
CHIlONOLOGY
24 April. The War Badge for Auxiliary 29 November. Auxiliary cruiser Konnoran 4 November. End of the Battle of EI Alamein
(Kpl.z.S. Theodor Detmers) was sunk on its and the beginning of tl1e German retreat in
Cruisers was introduced.
30 April. The Fleet War Badge was 350th day at sea, following a battle Witll the Nortl1 Africa.
introduced. Auxiliary cruiser Thor (Kpl.z.S. Australian cruiserSJdtli!)l. 1943
Otto Kahler) made fast in Hamburg after a 30 November. Auxiliary cruiser Komel 14january. The Allied leaders met for the
successful myage lasting 329da)'S. (Konteradmiral Robert Eyssen) arrived in CasablancaConference.
8 MaJ', Pinguin (Kpl.z.S. Ernst-Felix Krt'der), Hamburgaftera\'oyage of516da)'S. january'. Hitler made his famous proposal to
7 December. Japanese forces attacked the scrap thesurface neet.
the auxiliary cruiser which had sunk or
UnitedStates Pacific Fleetat Pearl Harbor. 30janllar)'. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder
captured most shipping, was sunk by the
cruiser HMS ConzwaJl. JJ December. Germany declared war against resigned. He was succeeded by Karl Donillas
the nited StatesofAmerica. SupremeCommander-in-Chiefofthe Navy.
9 MaJ'. U110 (Kptll. Fritz:!ulius Lemp) was
captured by British forces without German 1942 2 February. Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus
Sllf\~\'ors having been aware that their boat 14january. Auxiliary cruiser Thor sails from surrendered, marking the end of the Battle
had fallen into British hands. The booty the Gironde Estuary in France for hersecond for Stalingrad which had lasted since a
included an Engima code writer, set up with operational voyage. Russian counter-attack on 19 November
thecode ofthe dayand a book\\1th details on 12//3 Februar)'. The Channel Dash - when 1942. Thi German defeat is often taken as
Sclwmhorsl, Gneisenau and Prinz, Eugen plus an the turning pointofthe war.
howtooperate itduringthe next fewweeks.
18 May. Battleship Bismarck and the heavy escort ofsmallerships. all under command of iWlITCh. The sixth consecutive montl'} in which
the Fleet Commander Admiral Otto Cilliax, Germany had over a hundred U-boats in the
cruiser Prinz EugenleftGotenhafen.
24 May. The British battlecruiser Hood was dashed from France to Nortl1elll Europe. North Atlantic, but thus far it had not come
26/27 February. Gneisenau was put out of to a large-scale convoy battle.
Slink by Bismarck.
27JWa)'. Bismarckwas sunk following extensive action as a result of bomb hits received 16-19 March. U-boat attacked a mass of
attacks by British forces. duringaraid on )(jet merchant ships just after the fast convoy
30Ma)'. The MotorTorpedo Boat War Badge 13/14 March. Auxiliary cruiser Michel HX229 of40ships caught up with 54 ships of
Thestern ofU53or U52with the naval ensign of successfully broke through the English the slower SC122, making this the biggest
was introduced.
theThi,-d Reich. 4june. Emperor Wilhelm 1\ and ex-King of Channel for the startofher first voyage. convoy battleofthe war.
Prussia died in Holland where he had been 2i Nlarch. A British commando raid on 23 MOIrh--8 Ap,;L Convoy HX231 succeeded in
St Nazaire (France) among other things put crossingfrom Canada\\;thoutlossaftertllI'OI\mg
Security Forces and Submarine Hunters was living since leaving Germany at the end of
the FirstWorld War. out of action the only dr), dock large ofTeveryattackingU-boa~although ti,e 'AirGap'
introduced.
August. Britain swapped bases for fift)' old 22June. Germanyinvaded the Soviet Union. enough to accommodate the big German in tl,eAtlanticwasstillalmostSOOkinwide.
American ships, many ofthem small warships 24june. The War Badge for Naval Artillery ballieships. Ma)'. Over 40 -boats were lost which ha
20 April. Motor Torpedo Boats were given prompted many historians to label this as the
suitable forcOl1voyescorts. was inu·oduced.
16-20 October. The most successful U-boat 23 August. Auxiliary cruiser Orion (Kpl.z.S. their own autonomous command under turning point of the U-boat war. However,
group attack took place against convoys SC7 Kurt ""eyer) arrived in French waters Kpu.S. RudolfPetersen. Donitz ne"er recognised itas such and said it
followingasuccessful \'o),age of511 da)'S. 9Ma)'. Auxiliarycruiser StierleftGermany. was onl)'a temporarysetback.
and HX79.
28 August. U570 (Kptll. Hans Rahmlow) /2 Seplember. The Laconia Incident - when 25 jllly. The end of Mussolini's reign of
1941
U156 (KptiL Wemer Hartenstein) sank the power in Italy.
25 February. Battleship Tirpitz was surrendered to an aircraft in mid-Atlantic.
15 November. U459, the first purpose-built passenger liner and afterwards mounted a 3 September. Allied forces landed in Italy.
commissioned.
17 Marr:h. U99 (Kptll. OltO Kretschmer) and supply -boat, was commissioned by Korvkpl. re cue operation because it was discovered 8 September. Italy surrendered and changed
Uloo (Kptll.Joachim Schepke) were sunk by Georg von \oVilamowitz-Mollendorf, one of that there were Italian prisoners of war on sides to fight against Germany.
board. (Italy was fighting the war on 22 September. British X-craft attacked
destroyers after they had been detected by tlle oldestsubmarine commanders.
Type 286 radar. This was the fir t sinking 22 November. Auxiliary cruiser f\llanlis Germany'sside at this time.) battleship Tirpitz in Non"ay.
where radarplayed avital role. (Kpl.z.S. Bernhard Rogge) was scuttled after 27 September. Auxilia'I' cruiser Stier had to be 17October. Miche~ the lastoperationalauxiliary
I April. The War Badge for Blockade 622 days at sea while under attack from the scuttled following damage by the American cnliser.wassunkby SSubmaline Tarpon thus
British cruiser Devonshire. auxiliarycruiserStephen Hopkins. endingcruiserwarfareon the high seas.
Breakers was introduced.
xii XIII
CHRONOLOGY
26 December. The Battle of North Cape and Guslloffwas sunk in the Baltic. Over 5,000
the sinkingofScharnhorstby British forces. refugeeswere killed.
1944 10 February'. The passenger liner General von
-
5 ApriL British forces moullled a large-scale Steubenwassunk, killing2,700 people. AFTER THE FIRST WORLD WAR
attackagainst battleship Ti1f1itzin orwa)'. 13February. Allied air forces attacked the City
13 May. The Clasp for lhe RoH of Honour of of Dresden, kiHing more than 130,000
the Gennan avywas instituted. people. More civilians were killed during lhis NEW BEGINNINGS
15May. The -boatClaspwas instituted. one raid lhan during lhe entire bombingwar
May. Schnorkels, enabling -boats to run against Britain. The atom bombs dropped
their diesel engines withOUl surfacing. came lateronJapan also kiHed fewer people.
intowidespread use. 16 ApriL The passenger liner Goya was sunk, The first Gemlan a\~', lhe so-called Federal About two years later, in 1919, the
6June.TheAlliedinvasionofFranceatNonnandy. killingover6,000 refugees. Fleet, was founded in 1848 and renamed Versailles Diktat demanded that these
11 June. U490, the last remaining supply 30 April. Hitler committed suicide in his Royal Prussian Fleet in 1852. In 1867 it antiquated potential disasters be brought
U-boat,wassunk. command bunker in Berlin and Grand became The Fleet of the North German back for front line service to form the
12June. U2321 (Type XXIlI) the first electro Admiral Karl Dcmitz became Head ofState. Federation. Four years later, shortly after the backbone of Germany's postwar navy. The
submarine wascommissioned. 3 Ma)'. The passenger liner Cap Arkona was unification of the German States, Emperor incompetence displayed by the war-time
27June. U2501 (Type XXI) the first large sunk, killing several lhousand people. Olher Wilhelm I changed this core into the mili13.rycommand ofall nationalitieswas now
elecLr<rsubmarinewascommissioned. passenger liners bombed around this time Imperial a"y (Kaiserliche Marine). After the taken over by politicians. Turning their
July. An experimental command was founded also resulted in heavy lossofHfe. First World War, the name was changed to hateful propaganda into shon sighted
under Admiral Helmuth Heye to develop 4 May. At 1830 hrs the German delegation Reichsmarine and in 1935 it became the revenge, ti,e Allies found the audacity to call
new midgetcraft. signed lhe 1nstrumelll ofSurrender at Field Kriegsmarine. The Federal German avy their ultimatum for a peace 'a treaty', despite
/2 Nuvember. Tirpilzwassunk in Norway. Marshal Montgomery's headquarterssouth of (Bundesmarine) was founded in 1954 in the negotiations having played no role in its
/3 November. The War Badge for Midget Hamburg. west, while the eastern German Democratic composition. Many Germans called it .Verat
Weapons was introduced in seven grades. 5 May. At 0800 hrs cessation of all hostilities Republic founded lhe Volksmarinein 1960. ofVersailles' meaning 'Treacheryor Betrayal'
1945 on land, on sea and in the air by German During the Battle ofJutland in ti,e First instead of Vertrag (Treaty). This ill-eonceived
30 January. The passenger liner Wilhelm forcescame into effect. World War, a British destroyer used the document was no more than a smokescreen
cover of darkness to launch two torpedoes to cover their own shortcomings among the
against the battleship Pommern. Only the two chaos which still surrounded lhem. Instead
end sections remained afloat long enough of seriou Iy looking towards peace, the
for witnesses to gasp as the hean of a politicians not only unwittingly created a
massive steel fortress disintegrated, laking vehicle for leading Europe into the next
m'er 800 men to tlleir dealhs. PO>n1nern had large-scale war, but they also provided a
been laid down during lhe last days of 1905, ladder for allowing lhe unscrupulOUS access
when underwater warfare was still relegated to Germany's powervacuum.
to the realms of science fiction and Allied leaders hardly had time to rest on
torpedoes were novel curiosities. Yet, only a their laurels, hoping the immense problems
decade later, this last event in a chain of in Europe would remain hidden under their
catastrophic losses made German sailor thin veneer of harsh jurisdiction, when the
realise that the horrors of new technology world's auention focused on the Far East.
had arrived with a vengeance. ConsequenLly A hive ofactivity inJapan saw lhe foundation
similarly vulnerable ships, withoutarmoured of what could quickly become the most
protection below the waterline, were powerful navy in the Pacific. America was
banished to secondary duties, such as more than perturbed because the economic
serving as harbour defence batteries or depression prevented even a country as
accommodation ships. mighty as the United States from keeping
xiv
GERAIANNAVY HAN0BOO K I939-1945 AFTER THE FIRST WORLD WAil - NEW BEGINNINGS
had been dismantled. destroyed or taken To givejust two examples ofthe enormous
abroad. This craze of stripping German contribution made by technology towards the
industl1' went as far as planning the removal building of ships. Krupp, the steel giant,
ofoak panelling in the main hall ofthe naval invented new types ofsteel. Known as 'A'oran
officers' school. It resulted in the liquidation Hard and Wotan Soft, the metal could be
ofthe naval shipyard in Danzig, and facilities given two distinctively different properties.
in Kiel being downgraded to mere The hard variety was ideal for areas where
maintenance operations. Only the old projectiles needed to be deflected while the
imperial yard in \lVilhelrnshaven remained other could absorb impacts without patches
under full military control. but there the shearing off. An additional bonus came when
facilities looked like a scrap merchant'sdepot Krupp found a way of welding the steels
which had had its stockstolen. Not only were together, without losing their unique
the yards empty and in a deplorable properties. This opened up completely new
mechanical state, but ti,e skilled labour had opportunities, making it unnecessary to
also vanished, and this dilapidation stretched attach armour to the outside of a ship.
far into the industrial heartland, making Instead the entire hull could be constructed
supplies an unknown quantity. The first step from a gigantic armoured box. Another
in the redevelopment plans had to be the re major advance, of possibly even greater
establishment of industrial and commercial potential, was in the field ofpropulsion. The
facilities. Once this was under way, the light majority of blind avenues. such as sodium
cruiser Emden became the first ship to be laid hydroxide engines. had been abandoned
down in Wilhelmshaven as a test to see early in the First ,",'arid \IVaI' and production
whether the postwar system could still had focused on refining conventional
,M/45havingbeen hauled upaslipwayfor routine maintenance.The photograph \,'as taken in Cuxhavcn
produce goodsofthe required quality. principles. Mter the war, Genl"lan firms
longbefore thewar,showingtheSallftlebenShip}'ard which was laterrenamed BeckmannShip}l<lrd.
This period of time saw some astonishing looked illlo ti,e possibilityofenlarging Rudolf
happenings. many of which have been Diesel's internal combustion engine to fit inlo
buried under a cloak of misleading large ships. The first diesel endurance run
concepts. Visions of economic depression, from Kiel to Wilhelmshaven via Skagen,
pace with such an arms racc. The big powers only be encroached by aircraft carders. The mass unemployment, uncertainties within the northern tip of Denmark, had taken
had no alternative other than to 3uCmpt interesting point, seemingly overlooked by Germany's leadership and miserable living place only a few years before the war,
some persuasive intimidation to slow down the politicians and their neet of naval conditions have helped in derailing illustrating that this powerplant was still
theJapanese expansion. This led the major advisers. was thalthe Versailles Diktatallo\\·ed hisLOdans' thinking. The years immediately very much in its infancy. Despite its
maritime nations to convene a conference, German)' to build ballieships up to 10,000 after the First World ""ar witnessed some of simplicity and development potential, there
which concluded with the signing of the so tons with II-in guns. This offered the the most astounding technical innovations were considerable problems when enlarging
called Washington Treatyof 1922. Reichsmarinean opportunityofcreatinga ship of the century. making the world recoil the principle for huge marine engines.
German naval aspirations. left rOlling in which would be too fast for the massive Allied under the pressure of new contrivances. Eventually, the most promising design,
the shallow waters of the continental battleships but powerful enough to blast This point cannot be overemphasised, developed by MAN ofAugsburg, was tested in
lowlands. did nOl feature in Washington. YCl, every \'Vashington Treaty cruiser out of the because these years saw the beginning of a the artillery training ship Bremse and later
me agreement had a most pronounced affect waterwithouteven comingwithin range ofits process in which world leaders should have similar engines were installed in the light
upon the small navy struggling for survival in guns. Thus. in an instant, Gerrnany acquired responded to fantastic opportunities offered cruiser Leipzig as supplementary cruising
Wilhelmshaven. The Washington Treaty the linchpin for rolling her puny Versailles b), new technology. Instead they led the power. ('Bremse' is usually translated as
limited battleships to 35,000 tons with Diktatnav)' illlo battle. masses down a slipper)' path of self meaning 'brake'. but it is also a 'horsefly' - a
l6-in guns and cruisers to ]0,000 lons with However, the building of new ships destruction to incredible suffering, where tiny insectwith a vicious bite.)
8-in guns. The vast area between these two presented problems ofimmense proportions no-one, not even the winners, gained any The early MAN diesel engines not only
types became a prohibited zone which could because much ofthe heavy production plants benefit. produced satisfactory power, but, as a side
2 3