Kriegsmarine

Kriegsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was the naval warfare branch of the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It succeeded the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic and was formally dissolved following Germany's defeat in World War II. The service was central to Adolf Hitler's expansionist ambitions, engaging in widespread operations across the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Baltic Sea.

History

The Kriegsmarine was officially established in May 1935, renaming the Reichsmarine in violation of the naval restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. This rearmament was facilitated by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which allowed Germany to build a surface fleet up to 35% the tonnage of the Royal Navy. Under its first commander, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, the navy pursued an ambitious construction program known as the Plan Z, aiming to create a large, balanced fleet capable of challenging British naval supremacy. The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 forced a shift in strategy, prioritizing U-boat construction and commerce raiding over capital ships. In January 1943, Raeder was replaced by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, the architect of the U-boat arm, who focused almost exclusively on submarine warfare for the remainder of the conflict.

Organization and structure

The Kriegsmarine's high command was the Oberkommando der Marine (OKM), headquartered in Berlin. Operational control was divided among several fleet and regional commands, including the Wilhelmshaven-based fleet command for the North Sea and Atlantic, and commands for the Baltic and Black Sea. Its primary components were the surface fleet, the U-boat arm (U-bootwaffe), and naval aviation (Marineflieger), though the latter operated under the control of the Luftwaffe. Key supporting organizations included the Kriegsmarinewerft naval shipyards, such as those in Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, and Hamburg, and the Abwehr's naval intelligence section. The Marine Infantry and the elite Brandenburgers conducted amphibious and special operations.

Major ships and weaponry

The surface fleet was built around a core of powerful capital ships, including the battleships ''Bismarck'' and ''Tirpitz'', the battlecruisers ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau'', and the heavy cruisers ''Admiral Hipper'' and ''Prinz Eugen''. It also deployed numerous destroyers, torpedo boats, and auxiliary merchant raiders like the ''Atlantis''. The most famous and numerous vessels were the Type VII and Type XXI U-boats, armed with G7e torpedos. Naval artillery ranged from the massive 38 cm SK C/34 guns on the ''Bismarck''-class to ubiquitous 88 mm anti-aircraft guns.

Operations and engagements

Kriegsmarine operations spanned the globe. In the early war, the Battle of the Atlantic was dominated by U-boat wolfpack tactics against Allied convoys. Major surface actions included the Battle of the River Plate, where the ''Admiral Graf Spee'' was scuttled, and the Channel Dash of 1942. The loss of the ''Bismarck'' in May 1941 after the Battle of the Denmark Strait curtailed major surface fleet sorties. In the Arctic, it attacked Convoy PQ 17 and defended against the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. The Baltic Sea campaign involved supporting the army, evacuating refugees, and fighting the Soviet Baltic Fleet.

Legacy and aftermath

Following the German Instrument of Surrender, the Kriegsmarine was disbanded. Surviving ships were divided among the Allies as war reparations, with many being scuttled in Operation Deadlight. Key commanders, including Erich Raeder and Karl Dönitz, were convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials. The Bundesmarine of West Germany and the Volksmarine of East Germany were later established during the Cold War, inheriting none of the Kriegsmarine's traditions directly. Its technological legacy, particularly in submarine design like the Type XXI, profoundly influenced postwar navies worldwide, including those of the United States Navy and the Soviet Navy.

Category:Military of Nazi Germany Category:Naval history of World War II