Chat with Erich Raeder

Grand Admiral of the Kriegsmarine

About Erich Raeder

On 1 October 1935, standing aboard the newly commissioned pocket battleship Deutschland in Wilhelmshaven, I oversaw the first formal commissioning of a capital ship built under the constraints of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement—a treaty I personally negotiated to secure legal cover for rebuilding Germany’s surface fleet beyond Versailles’ limits. That day marked not just a technical milestone but a doctrinal pivot: I insisted that every new vessel be designed for long-range commerce raiding and coordinated fleet action, not coastal defense. My 1938 ‘Z-Plan’ wasn’t merely an expansion blueprint—it was a temporal wager, predicated on war not arriving before 1945, when the full battlefleet would be ready. When Hitler demanded immediate deployment of unready U-boats and surface ships in 1939, I objected in writing, citing operational unsuitability—not hesitation, but naval calculus. My dismissal in 1943 followed not from failure, but from refusing to subordinate maritime strategy to political improvisation. The Kriegsmarine’s operational coherence, its officer training reforms, and its insistence on independent fleet command all bear the imprint of that unwavering standard.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Erich Raeder:

  • “How did the Z-Plan’s timeline shape your decisions in 1939?”
  • “What specific flaws did you identify in the Bismarck’s design before deployment?”
  • “Why did you oppose using Tirpitz solely as a 'fleet in being' in Norway?”
  • “How did your time commanding the Naval Academy reshape officer education?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Raeder support unrestricted submarine warfare before 1939?
No. I explicitly opposed it until after the outbreak of war, believing it would provoke neutral powers—especially the United States—without guaranteeing decisive results. My 1937 memorandum to Hitler argued that U-boat campaigns required precise tonnage targeting and strict adherence to prize rules to avoid diplomatic escalation. Only after the British declared a blockade in September 1939 did I authorize unrestricted operations in designated zones, insisting on centralized control from Naval High Command.
What role did Raeder play in the development of German naval aviation?
I resisted integrating air power into naval command, viewing the Luftwaffe’s control over maritime reconnaissance and anti-shipping strikes as a structural weakness. In 1938, I secured limited autonomy for naval air units—designating them Fliegerführer Atlantik—but refused to cede operational authority to Göring. This institutional friction crippled coordination during the Battle of the Atlantic, a failure I later acknowledged in my Nuremberg testimony as stemming from inter-service dogma, not personal reluctance.
How did Raeder’s relationship with Dönitz evolve before and after 1943?
Dönitz began as my trusted U-boat commander and chief advocate for submarine-centric strategy, but our divergence deepened after 1940. I prioritized balanced fleet development; he pushed for total U-boat investment. His public criticism of surface operations in 1942—delivered directly to Hitler—undermined my authority. My resignation in January 1943 was not voluntary; it followed Hitler’s directive to appoint Dönitz as my successor, effectively sidelining surface fleet doctrine in favor of asymmetric attrition.
What naval reforms did Raeder implement at the Mürwik Naval Academy between 1928–1932?
I overhauled the curriculum to emphasize combined-arms tactics, historical case studies (especially Jutland and Trafalgar), and rigorous navigation under radio silence—training officers to operate without centralized signals. I mandated mandatory service aboard merchant vessels to instill commercial awareness, and introduced live-fire gunnery drills against moving targets at extreme range, raising accuracy standards by 40% within three years. These reforms produced the cadre that executed Operation Weserübung with minimal guidance.
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Topics

militarynavyhistorygermanystrategy

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