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| Reichsmarine | |
|---|---|
.svg) Naval ensign | |
| Active | 1 January 1921 – 31 May 1935 |
| Country | Weimar Republic -Nazi Germany |
| Type | Navy |
| Part of | Reichswehr |
| Commanders | |
| Last commander | Erich Raeder |
TheReichsmarine (State Navy) was the name of theGerman Navy during theWeimar Republic and first two years ofNazi Germany. It was the naval branch of theReichswehr, existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as theKriegsmarine (War Navy), a branch of theWehrmacht; a change implemented byAdolf Hitler. Many of the administrative and organizational tenets of theReichsmarine were then carried over into the organization of theKriegsmarine.
TheVorläufige Reichsmarine (lit. 'ProvisionalReich Navy') was formed after the end ofWorld War I from theImperial German Navy.
The provisions of theTreaty of Versailles restricted the German Navy to 15,000 men and nosubmarines, while the fleet was limited to sixpre-dreadnought battleships, sixlight cruisers, twelvedestroyers, and twelvetorpedo boats. Replacements for the outdated battleships were restricted to a maximum size of 10,000 tons.
TheReichsmarine was considered the armed naval force of theReichswehrministerium (Ministry of the Reichswehr) which was headed by a civilian minister appointed by the Weimar government. The senior most naval officer was known until 1920 as theChef der Admiralität (Chief of the Admiralty), after which the title changed toChef der Marineleitung (Chief of the Naval Command).[1]
The naval commander oversaw a headquarters office known as theMarinekommandiertenabteilung which was headquartered inBerlin. The Naval Command also maintained a headquarters intelligence officeMarinenachrichtenoffizier) and a naval archives. Internal to the naval headquarters five offices known as the:
The following officers served as head of theReichsmarine from 1918 to 1935
| No. | Portrait | Chefs der Admiralität | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Trotha, AdolfVizeadmiral Adolf von Trotha (1868–1940) | 26 March 1919 | 22 March 1920 | 362 days |
| - |  | Michaelis, WilliamKonteradmiral William Michaelis (1871–1948) Acting | 22 March 1920 | 1 September 1920 | 163 days |
| 2 | _(cropped).jpg) | Behncke, PaulVizeadmiral Paul Behncke (1869–1937) | 1 September 1920 | 14 September 1920 | 13 days |
| No. | Portrait | Chefs der Marineleitung | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Behncke, PaulVizeadmiral Paul Behncke (1869–1937) | 14 September 1920 | 1 October 1924 | 4 years, 17 days |
| 2 | .jpg) | Zenker, HansVizeadmiral Hans Zenker (1870–1932) | 1 October 1924 | 30 September 1928 | 3 years, 365 days |
| 3 |  | Raeder, ErichAdmiral Erich Raeder (1876–1960) | 1 October 1928 | 1 June 1935 | 6 years, 243 days |
The fleet command of theReichsmarine (Flottenkommando) was headquartered at Kiel and consisted of a flag staff and fleet commander embarked on board the flagship of the German fleet. During the 1920s, the German flagship was the battleshipSchleswig-Holstein with two naval officers serving as fleet commander,VizeadmiralHans Zenker and Konrad Mommsen, between 1923 and 1927. The fleet commander position was then left vacant, but the flag staff remained.
The purpose of the fleet command was to oversee the four major type commanders of German naval vessels. These commands were in turn responsible for the administration of various German ship classes to include equipment development, vessel deployments, and personnel assignment. Once at sea, operational control of the vessels switched to the commanders of the two main Naval Sea Stations. The four type commands were:
TheReichsmarine did not maintain traditional at-sea fleets, but instead assigned two geographical areas (known asMarinestation) which oversaw all vessels operationally deployed in theNorth andBaltic Seas. Each naval station maintained a headquarters staff, general naval inspectorate, training department, artillery arsenal inspector, as well as a medical command unit. The naval stations also served as a senior officer for the commanders of the various German navy ports.[2]
The Treaty of Versailles limited the size and armament of theReichsmarine and prevented it from introducing new technologies. The restrictions were intended to prevent the German Navy from becoming a threat to the Allied powers. On the other hand, the Allies had made certain that theReichsmarine would be in the foreseeable future the strongest power in the Baltic Sea, in order to serve as a counterweight against the newSoviet Union, which was viewed with distrust by the Allies.
Germany was only allowed six pre-dreadnought battleships (plus two in reserve), six cruisers (plus two in reserve), twelve destroyers (plus four in reserve), and twelve torpedo boats (plus four in reserve). TheReichsmarine tried to meet the arms restrictions with secret armament and technical innovations such as the introduction of thepocket battleship.
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