Kriegsmarine

The Kriegsmarine (or "War Navy") was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. The main war vessels available to the Kriegsmarine were U-boats, three pocket battleships, two battleships (Bismarck and Tirpitz), two battlecruisers (Scharnhorst and Gneisenau), three heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, and various smaller ships such as destroyers, torpedo boats, minelayers, minesweepers, gunboats and E-boats. Two old WW-I battleships were used mainly as training ships. Construction of an aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, had been started in 1936, but the vessel was never fully completed. Although a major re-armament of the navy (Plan Z) was planned, and initially begun, the start of the war in 1939 meant that the vast amounts of material required for the project were diverted to other areas.

Related Topics:
German Navy - 1935 - 1945 - Nazi - Reichsmarine - War vessels - U-boat - Pocket battleship - Battleships - Battlecruisers - Heavy cruisers - Light cruisers - Destroyer - Torpedo boats - Minelayers - Minesweepers - Gunboats - E-boat - ''Graf Zeppelin'' - Plan Z - 1939

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The main actions the navy was involved in were the invasion of Norway in April 1940 (where it suffered heavy losses), the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the River Plate. Somewhat smaller engagements included the sinkings of the HMS Royal Oak, HMS Glorious, Bismarck, HMS Hood, Scharnhorst and Cap Arcona. Most of the German surface ships were pent up in or close to their ports as fleet in being, for fear of losing them in action and to tie up British naval forces. From late 1944 until the end of the war, they were heavily engaged in providing artillery support to the retreating German land forces along the Baltic coast and in ferrying refugees to the western parts of Germany.

Related Topics:
Invasion of Norway - Battle of the Atlantic - Battle of the River Plate - HMS ''Royal Oak'' - HMS ''Glorious'' - ''Bismarck'' - HMS ''Hood'' - ''Scharnhorst'' - ''Cap Arcona'' - Fleet in being

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After the war, what few ships remained floating of the Kriegsmarine were divided among the victors. Some (like the unfinished Graf Zeppelin) were used for target practice while others (mostly destroyers) were put in service of the French and Soviet navies who lacked surface ships after war. The latter ships were all retired by the end of the 1950s. In 1956, with West Germany's accession to NATO, a new navy was established and was referred to as the Federal Navy (Bundesmarine). With the reunification of Germany in 1990, it was decided to simply use the name German Navy (Deutsche Marine).

Related Topics:
1956 - West Germany - NATO - Bundesmarine - 1990 - Deutsche Marine

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