Branch: Kaiserliche Marine / Reichsmarine / Kriegsmarine
Born: 24 April 1876 in Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany.
Died: 6 November 1960 in Kiel, Germany.
Ranks:
Großadmiral 1 April
1939
Generaladmiral 20
April 1936
Admiral 1 October
1928
Vizeadmiral 10 September
1925
Konteradmiral 1 August
1922
Kapitän zur See 29
November 1919
Fregattenkapitän 26
April 1917
Korvettenkapitän 15
April 1911
Kapitänleutnant 21
March 1905
Oberleutnant Zur See
9 April 1900
Leutnant zur See 1
January 1899
Unterleutnant zur See
25 October 1897
Seekadett 13 May 1895
Decorations:
Iron Cross 1914
1st Class 19 November 1914
2nd Class 18 February 1915
Order of the Red Eagle 4th Class 22 June 1907
Honor Knight's Cross 2nd Class with silver Crown of the House
and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis 17 September 1907
Kings Crown to the Order of the Red Eagle 4th Class 5 September
1911
Commander's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph 16 September
1911
Greek Commander's Cross of the Order of the Redeemer 14 May
1912
Cross of Honor 9 October 1934
Golden Party Badge 30 January 1937
Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus Grand Cross 20 September
1937
Order of the Rising Sun 9 November 1937
Clasp to the Iron Cross 1939
2nd Class
1st Class
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 30 September 1939
Romanian Order of Michael the Brave
1st, 2nd and 3rd Class 14 October 1941
Finnish Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty 25
March 1942
Commands:
Cöln
Takes command on 17 January 1918
Ends command on 9 October 1918
Other: Personnel
Articles:
Erich Johann Albert Raeder was born on 24 April 1876 and became
a Großadmiral (Grand Admiral) the highest naval rank
possible and the first since Großadmiral (Grand Admiral)
Alfred
von Tirpitz. Erich Raeder led the Kriegsmarine for the
first part of the Second World War, but resigned in 1943 and
Karl
Dönitz took over his position as head of the Kriegsmarine
(German Navy).
Erich Raeder was born into a middle class family in Wandsbek,
Hamburg, Germany. Erich Raeder father was a schoolmaster.
Erich Raeder entered the Kaiserliche Marine in 1894 and quickly
rose in rank, becoming Chief of Staff for
Franz
von Hipper in 1912. Erich Raeder served in this position
during the First World War in addition to several combat posts,
participating in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 and the
Battle of Jutland in 1916. Subsequently after the First World
War, in 1920, Erich Raeder participated in the failed Kapp
Putsch, and after its curtailment Erich Raeder was marginalised
in the Navy, being posted to the Naval Archives. Erich Raeder
also was the writer of a number of naval studies, which led
to him being awarded a Dr. of Philosophy degree by the University
of Kiel in Germany.
Erich Raeder carried on to rise steadily in the German Navy,
becoming a Konteradmiral in 1922 and a Vizeadmiral in 1925.
In October 1928, Erich Raeder was promoted to Admiral and
made Oberbefehlshaber der Reichsmarine (Commander-in-Chief
of the Reichsmarine), of the Weimar Republic Navy.
Whilst Erich Raeder in general disliked the national socialist
Party, Erich Raeder strongly backed
Adolf
Hitler's endeavour to reconstruct the Kriegsmarine, whilst
evidently taking issue on most other matters. On 20 April
1936, just a couple of days before Erich Raeder's sixtieth
birthday,
Adolf
Hitler promoted him to Generaladmiral. In his pursuit
to reconstruct the German Navy, Erich Raeder faced up to ceaseless
challenges from
Hermann
Göring's ongoing pursuit to develop the Luftwaffe.
Erich Raeder was promoted to Großadmiral in 1939, becoming
the first to hold that rank since
Alfred
von Tirpitz. In the latter part of 1939, Erich Raeder
recommended invading the Kingdom of Norway in order to guarantee
protected ports out of reach of the RAF, also to allow for
direct exits into the North Sea, but was strongly opposed
by the German Naval Staff and finally, Erich Raeder agreed
that the safest solution was to keep things as they were.
The Kingdom of Norway was critical to Third Reich as a transport
route for iron ore from the Kingdom of Sweden, a supply that
Great Britain was bent on stopping. The British already had
several plans in place one of which, was to go through the
Kingdom of Norway and occupy cities in the Kingdom of Sweden.
An Allied invasion was ordered on 12 March, and the Germans
intercepted radio communications setting 14 March as deadline
for the preparation. Peace in Finland disrupted the Allied
plans, but
Adolf
Hitler became, justifiably, certain that the Allies would
try again, and ordered operation Weseruebung. The second British
plan was to stimulate a German response by laying mines in
Norwegian waters, and once Germany showed signs of taking
action Great Britains military personnel would occupy Narvik,
Trondheim and Bergen and launch a raid on Stavanger to destroy
Sola airfield. Nevertheless the mines were not laid till the
morning of 8 April, by which time the German fleet was nearing
the Norwegian coast.
Erich Raeder reasoned against Operation Sea Lion, the planned
German invasion of Great Britain. Erich Raeder felt that the
war could be dealt far more successfully, by increasing the
numbers of U-boats and small surface ships. Erich Raeder also
had concerns about the Luftwaffe's ability to acquire air
superiority over the south of England and the Channel and
the insufficient German naval assets available for such an
operation. Air supremacy was a requirement needed to stop
the destruction of the German naval invasion fleet by the
Royal Navy. Alternatively, Erich Raeder preferred a strategical
focus on the Mediterranean theatre including a German presence
in North Africa, also an invasion of Malta and the Middle
East. Erich Raeder thought that capturing Gibraltar, and the
Canary Islands and the Suez Canal would knock the Great Britain
out of the war. For example, Erich Raeder at one time told
Adolf Hitler
that a major offensive against Egypt and the Suez gave Germany
a chance to strike a blow that would be more deadly to the
British Empire than the capture of London. On several occasions,
Erich Raeder recommended that
Adolf
Hitler send
Erwin
Rommel to Egypt.
Adolf
Hitler ultimately yielded in 1941.
Seelöwe (Operation Sea Lion) was cancelled due to
Hermann
Göring's, Luftwaffe unsuccessful attempt to gain
air superiority during the Battle of Britain, and just as
important was the numeral superiority of the Royal Navy over
the German Naval forces. So
Adolf
Hitler focused his attentions on Operation Barbarossa,
the German invasion of the USSR, which Erich Raeder vigorously
opposed. Erich Raeder believed
Adolf
Hitler was so bent on destroying the Russian regime that
he did not understand the larger, global strategy that could
have easily tipped the balance in Third Reichs advantage.
After series of disastrous naval operations e.g., Battle of
the Barents Sea, made so much worse because of the spectacular
successes of the U-boat fleet which was commanded by
Karl
Dönitz which led to Erich Raeder demotion to the
rank of Admiral Inspector of the Kriegsmarine in January 1943.
Erich Raeder tendered his resignation as an apology and officially
resigned from Kriegsmarine in May 1943.
Karl
Dönitz officially took over on 30 January 1943 as
Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine.
Erich Raeder was suspected of participating in the 20 July
plot, but instantly cleared himself by attending the Rastenburg
in person to guarantee
Adolf
Hitler of his loyalty.
At the end of the Second World War, Erich Raeder was sentenced
to life imprisonment at the Nuremberg Trials, for waging a
war of aggression, a charge arising from his planning of the
German invasion of Kingdom of Norway. The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland had previously been divided
about invading the Kingdom of Norway, Winston Churchill was
in favour, with Clement Attlee and Labour in opposition.
Adolf
Hitler dreaded a British invasion after the HMS Cossack
had stopped the Altmark in Norwegian coastal waters.
The sentence was later decreased due to ill health, Erich
Raeder was released on 26 September 1955. After his release
Erich Raeder settled down at the Uhlandstrasse in Lippstadt,
Westphalia. Erich Raeder later wrote an autobiography, Mein
Leben, in 1957.
Erich Raeder passed away in Kiel on 6 November 1960. Erich
Raeder is interned in the Nordfriedhof, Kiel, Germany.
For a complete list of
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