Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine

Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
Name	Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
Native name	Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
Country	Germany
Branch	Navy
Type	High Command
Active	1936–1945
Garrison	Berlin
Notable commanders	Erich Raeder;Karl Dönitz

Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine was the highest naval command of Nazi Germany during the period 1936–1945, overseeing the Kriegsmarine's strategic planning, force structure, and naval operations. It directed deployments across the Atlantic, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean theatre, and Arctic convoy routes while interacting with other German armed services and political organs. The OKM shaped naval policy that influenced campaigns such as the Battle of the Atlantic, Operation Weserübung, and operations in the Norwegian campaign.

History and formation

The OKM was formed in the mid-1930s amid rearmament policies associated with Reichsmarine transformation into the Kriegsmarine, influenced by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement and the Nazi Party's strategic ambitions. Its creation paralleled developments in the Wehrmacht and changes instituted under the Reichswehr successor structures during the Nazi seizure of power. Early institutional reform involved figures connected to the Treaty of Versailles limitations, the Young Plan era debates, and naval thinkers who responded to lessons from World War I, including doctrine espoused by officers influenced by the Imperial German Navy tradition and interwar contacts with the Royal Navy and United States Navy observers. The OKM evolved through prewar crises such as the Lebensraum policies and the remilitarization of the Rhineland, then adapted to wartime exigencies after the invasions of Poland, Denmark, and Norway.

Organization and command structure

The OKM's staff structure incorporated distinct departments handling operations, logistics, intelligence, training, and technical development, with liaison elements to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and to service ministries such as the Reich Ministry of Aviation. Command authority rested with a supreme commander supported by a chief of staff and directors for departments that coordinated with the Kriegsmarinewerft docks, Kriegsmarineamt administration, and the naval construction offices interacting with firms like Blohm+Voss and Krupp. The OKM maintained regional command offices for the Naval Group Command North, Naval Group Command South, and patrol sectors in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Atlantic approaches, while operational control sometimes transferred to theater commanders in coordination with the Army High Command and the Fliegerkorps of the Luftwaffe. Intelligence units liaised with Abwehr elements and the Rosenberg Circle's cultural apparatus, and legal-administrative matters interfaced with the Reich Ministry of Justice and the High Command of the Armed Forces.

Roles and responsibilities

The OKM was responsible for strategic planning, fleet disposition, convoy interdiction, mine warfare, coastal defense, submarine warfare, surface raiding, and amphibious operations. It directed U-boat campaigns that sought decisive outcomes in the Battle of the Atlantic, coordinated with surface units in operations such as the Battle of Narvik and engagements involving capital ships like the Bismarck and Tirpitz, and oversaw coastal batteries along the Atlantic Wall and Norwegian fjords. Technical and procurement roles included commissioning designs from shipyards producing classes like the Type VII U-boat, Scharnhorst-class battleship, and Admiral Hipper-class cruiser, and directing marine engineering research connected to firms such as Siemens and Rheinmetall. Training establishments such as the Mürwik Naval Academy and specialized schools for submarine crews, mine warfare, and navigation fell under OKM supervision, while disciplinary cases and commendations involved interaction with the German Cross and decorations administered through the Reichskriegsgericht channels.

Major operations and campaigns

Under OKM direction, major naval campaigns included the U-boat offensive in the Atlantic campaign of World War II; the Norwegian operations including Operation Weserübung and the ensuing Norwegian Campaign; commerce raiding missions like those by Admiral Graf Spee and surface actions such as the engagement known as the Battle of the Denmark Strait; Arctic convoy battles involving the PQ convoy series; Mediterranean operations intersecting with the Siege of Malta and the Battle of Crete; and mine-laying and anti-shipping operations linked to the Channel Dash and actions in the English Channel. The OKM directed coordinated operations with the U-boat Arm, surface flotillas, and the Kriegsmarine Coastal Artillery, including operations that culminated in the loss of major units at sea and port strikes during the Allied bombing campaign and Operation Neptune supporting Operation Overlord.

Relationship with other Nazi military and political bodies

The OKM interacted extensively with the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, the OKW, and the Heer chain of command in combined operations, and coordinated with the Luftwaffe for air cover and anti-submarine efforts. Politically, it negotiated with the Reich Ministry of Propaganda over publicity for naval victories, with the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda for morale, and with the Ministry of Armaments and War Production led by Albert Speer for shipbuilding priorities. Intelligence and covert operations required liaison with the Abwehr and later with the Reich Main Security Office in matters touching occupied territories and prisoner handling. Strategic disputes over surface fleet use and U-boat deployment involved dialogue with Nazi leaders including Adolf Hitler and senior officials in the Zentralamt of naval administration, influencing decisions at conferences such as those at Führer headquarters locations and during wartime councils with representatives of the Foreign Office.

Personnel and notable commanders

Senior commanders associated with the OKM included admirals prominent in naval policy and operations. Key figures comprised leading officers who commanded fleets, shaped doctrine, and served at naval staff posts, notable among them were commanders who presided over the transition from peacetime expansion to wartime execution. The command cadre included flag officers responsible for the U-boat arm, surface forces, naval construction, intelligence, and training institutions, many of whom later appeared in postwar histories, trials, and memoirs addressing naval strategy and accountability involving tribunals and historical commissions. The personnel network extended to ship captains, flotilla commanders, naval engineers, and staff officers who served aboard capital ships like the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen and submarines that operated from bases such as Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, Bergen, and La Pallice.

Category:Kriegsmarine