Seekriegsleitung

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The Seekriegsleitung or SKL (Maritime Warfare Command) was a higher command staff section of the Kaiserliche Marine and the Kriegsmarine of Germany during the World Wars.

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World War I

The SKL was established on August 27, 1918, on the initiative of Admiral Reinhard Scheer, who became its first commander, simultaneously to being the Chief of the German Imperial Admiralty Staff. It led the planning and execution of naval combat and directed the distribution of naval forces. Up to this point, that was done by several staffs and the individual theater commanders. When the war ended, the SKL was absorbed into the admiralty.

World War II

The SKL was reestablished in 1937 and deeply linked in the Naval High Command, the Commander-in-Chief also being the commander of the SKL with the Commander of the Naval Command Department (Marinekommandoamt) as the Chief of Staff. Though the competences of the SKL initially were equal to their role in World War I, they were narrowed when the Naval Command Department was split from it. The command was limited to except-domestic sea-areas, where the naval group commands did not possess the operational guidance. Also, the submarine war split and were, under the Commander of the submarines (Befehlshaber der U-Boote), directly subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief. In 1944, the SKL was tasked with the command of fleet units operating as transports, blockade runners, auxiliary cruisers and supply shipping.

SKL command

The Commanders of the Seekriegsleitung were:

No.PortraitCommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Almirante Reinhard Scheer.jpg
Scheer, ReinhardAdmiral
Reinhard Scheer
(1863–1928)
28 August 191814 November 191878 days
2
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1980-128-63, Erich Raeder.jpg
Raeder, ErichGroßadmiral
Erich Raeder
(1876–1960)
(as Commander-in-Chief)
1 June 193530 January 19437 years, 243 days
3
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1976-127-06A, Karl Donitz - crop.jpg
Dönitz, KarlGroßadmiral
Karl Dönitz
(1891–1980)
(as Commander-in-Chief)
30 January 19431 May 19441 year, 92 days
4
Wilhelm Meisel.jpg
Fricke, KurtAdmiral
Wilhelm Meisel
(1891–1974)
1 May 194422 May 19451 year, 21 days

The Chiefs of Staff of the Seekriegsleitung were:

No.PortraitChief of StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Gunther Guse (1923, then Korvettenkapitan, later Admiral).jpg
Guse, GüntherVice Admiral
Günther Guse  [ de ]
(1886–1953)
1 October 193731 October 19381 year, 30 days
2
Otto Schniewind.jpg
Schniewind, OttoAdmiral
Otto Schniewind
(1887–1964)
31 October 193812 June 19412 years, 224 days
3
No image.png
Fricke, KurtAdmiral
Kurt Fricke
(1889–1945)
13 June 194121 February 19431 year, 253 days
4
Wilhelm Meisel.jpg
Fricke, KurtAdmiral
Wilhelm Meisel
(1891–1974)
21 February 194322 July 19452 years, 151 days

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