Alfred Saalwächter | |
|---|---|
 Saalwächter in 1940 | |
| Born | (1883-01-10)10 January 1883 |
| Died | 6 December 1945(1945-12-06) (aged 62) |
| Allegiance | German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Imperial German Navy Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1901–1942 |
| Rank | Generaladmiral |
| Unit | Moltke Hertha Hessen Friedrich der Grosse Braunschweig Gneisenau |
| Commands | U-25 U-46 U-94 Schlesien |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Alfred Saalwächter (10 January 1883 – 6 December 1945) was a high-ranking GermanU-boat commander duringWorld War I andGeneral Admiral duringWorld War II.[1]
Saalwächter was born inNeusalz an der Oder,Prussian Silesia, as the son of a factory manager. He entered theKaiserliche Marine as aSeekadett on 10 April 1901, and was trained onSMS Moltke andHertha. On 29 September 1904 he was promoted toLeutnant zur See. Saalwächter then served withBordkommando units, first with the 2. Matrosen-Division, then onHessen with the 2. Werft-Division. He was promoted toOberleutnant zur See on 10 March 1906; until 1908, he served with the 2. Torpedo-Division as adjutant to the I.Abteilung. Saalwächter also served onGneisenau.[2]
Saalwächter served onHannover in 1910 and later onWestfalen asFlaggleutnant to Vice AdmiralHugo von Pohl, commander of the I. Marine-Geschwader. Saalwächter was promoted toKapitänleutnant on 10 April 1911 and joined the admiralty inBerlin. He remained in the admiralty until 1915, with his last position there being head of the signal section in the operations department.[2] In 1912 he received theOrder of the Red Eagle.
On 1 April 1915 duringWorld War I, Saalwächter became Flaggleutnant onFriedrich der Grosse, the flagship of theHigh Seas Fleet. In February 1916 he transferred to theU-boat service. After graduating from submarine school, he commandedU-25 (unknown period of command),U-46, andU-94 from September 1916 to March 1918.[2] He was awarded for his success with theIron Cross 1st Class and the Knight's Cross of theHouse Order of Hohenzollern.
In 1920, Saalwächter was named aKorvettenkapitän of the ProvisionalReichsmarine. He also served onBraunschweig as an admiralty officer. After a leave of absence, Saalwächter joined the Marineleitung in the Personnel Department on 17 May 1920. From 15 October 1923 till 31 March 1925 he served as 1. Asto in the staff of the Commander of Naval Forces. On 24 September 1926 he took command of the light cruiserAmazone, and, a year later, under promotion toFregattenkapitän of the battleshipSchlesien. On 2 October 1933 Saalwächter was named inspector for naval instruction. During the following five years he had a strong influence on the development of the young officer corps. He was promoted to Vizeadmiral on 1 April 1935 andAdmiral on 1 June 1937. Saalwächter was named Commanding Admiral ofNaval Station North Sea atWilhelmshaven, one of the highest positions in theKriegsmarine at the time, on 28 October 1938.[2]
On 2 March 1939, Saalwächter sent a report to the Naval High Command in which he openly discussed the acquisition of bases in Norway. The report stressed both the dangers to Germany of British dominance in Norwegian waters and the favourable change in the geo-strategic position that a German occupation of Norway would bring about.[3]
With the outbreak ofWorld War II in September 1939, Saalwächter received command ofMarine-Gruppenkommando West and was responsible for operations in the North Sea, which led to disputes between himself and the fleet commanders, Vice AdmiralsHermann Boehm,Wilhelm Marschall, andGünther Lütjens.[2]
On 1 January 1940 Saalwächter was promoted toGeneraladmiral. Along with AdmiralRolf Carls, Saalwächter had tactical command ofOperation Weserübung, the invasion ofNorway. He was recognized with theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 May 1940.[2] Beginning in summer 1940, Saalwächter led German surface operations in theNorth Atlantic and theEnglish Channel. In 1940, he directedE-Boat forces against British shipping during theKanalkampf phase of theBattle of Britain in support of theLuftwaffe. Later, he oversaw naval movements such asOperation Cerberus in February 1942. On 20 September of that year, he was replaced as head of Navy Group West by Marschall, who was himself replaced byTheodor Krancke in April 1944. Saalwächter resigned from active service on 30 November 1942.[2]
Saalwächter was imprisoned by theSoviet Union on 21 June 1945.[2] He was convicted by a Soviet military tribunal of war crimes on 17 October and executed by firing squad inMoscow on 6 December. In 1994, after thedissolution of the Soviet Union, Saalwächter was formally exonerated by a Russian court.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none | Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine Group Command West August 1939 – November 1942 | Succeeded by AdmiralWilhelm Marschall |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
