WesWorld

Frankfurter Zeitung, Thursday, 10 May 1945

Reports from the Amsterdam Stock Exchange suggest that speculators are taking advantage of the uncertainty regarding the proposed confederation plan for Belgium and the Netherlands. According to information received here there have been substantial short sales of share in such firms as Koninklijke Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij and Koninklijke Nederlandsche Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken.


Emder Zeitung, Friday, 11 May 1945

The submarines Haifisch and Speerfisch were launched today in the Wilhelmshaven naval dockyard; four other boats of the new Type XXI were launched in Hamburg and Kiel. These most modern submarines will represent a gigantic step forward for the U-boat arm of the Kriegsmarine; they are expected to be followed by further vessels, as the yard at Wilhelmshaven has begun immediate preparations to lay down a second pair.


Hamburger Abendblatt, Saturday, 12 May 1945

The last of the Mondsee class minesweepers, Hallstättersee and Wörthersee, were completed today in the Deschimag yards here. Their builder’s trials have begun and it is anticipated that they will enter regular service with the Kriegsmarine before year’s end.

Dithmarscher Landeszeitung, Sunday, 13 May 1945

The Kriegsmarine support tanker Spessart arrived at Bremerhaven yesterday following several month’s deployment overseas.


Krakow (Poland), Monday, 14 May 1945

“The Central Intelligence Directorate appreciates the information forwarded by your office relative to German diplomatic communications between Warsaw and Berlin; all efforts to secure further documents in this area are authorised.”

The message from his chief pleased Jan Pajak. At last his efforts were being recognised and the worth of his network seen for what it was. Moreover, the funding of his operation had been increased. He now had the means of exploiting some of the excellent opportunities his agents inside Germany were uncovering.


Eisenbahn Kurier, Tuesday, 15 May 1945

Berliner Morgenpost, Wednesday, 16 May 1945

In a statement issued by the Cabinet Office Chancellor Adenauer indicated that Germany had expressed its concern to the Netherlands and Belgian Governments regarding how the Confederation Plan now before the parliaments of both nations might otherwise adversely impact the present economic agreements that govern commerce within the PETA zone. In related news, the rising tide of opposition to the proposal among significant segments of the Belgian electorate has been greeted with some sympathy in Germany, with the Social Democratic Party being most strident in its support of its Belgian counterpart, the Belgische Werkliedenpartij.


Frankfurter Zeitung, Thursday, 17 May 1945

The Ministry of Defence has announced the latest in a series of cutbacks intended to reduce defence procurement. Acquisition of the Bucker Bu181 and Arado Ar296 training aircraft for the Luftwaffe will cease next month, together with procurement of the Henschel Hs129 specialist ground attack aircraft. Production of the Arado Ar96 training aircraft for the Marineflieger will also cease at that time.


Berliner Abendpost, Friday, 18 May 1945

After long debate in the Reichstag the novella for the current year’s Fleet Estimates has passed by a substantial majority. Construction of eight large air defence destroyers has been authorised – two to be constructed in the current fiscal year, to be followed by the remaining six in next year’s estimates.

Lübecker Nachrichten, Saturday, 19 May 1945

The rocketry programme of the National Institute for Space Research suffered a setback today when an A-4 sounding rocket veered off course and had to be destroyed by the Range Safety Officer lest it endanger shipping in the Baltic. A spokesman at the Peenemünde test station indicated that thirty seconds after launch aberrant telemetry signals from the rocket indicated an unplanned course change which would have taken the rocket over the Danish island of Bornholm. As a precaution the rocket was blown up in the air while still over open water. A delay in the planned launch of the third A-4 rocket is expected.


Oberösterreichische Rundschau, Sunday, 20 May 1945

The rejection of the Dutch-backed Confederation Plan for Belgium and the Netherlands comes as no surprise here. The vote in the Belgian Parliament – nearly two-to-one against – was overwhelming, despite reported pressure from Den Hague. The Government has yet to formally express its thoughts on the matter but there is little doubt that the vote brings some relief to the Wilhelmstraße.


Bremen, The Bremer Ratskeller, Monday, 21 May 1945

The raucous laughter from the table in the corner occasionally rippled across the fashionable restaurant, drawing frowns from the other patrons. To the young stockbrokers from Bankhaus Neelmeyer it made no difference – today they had won their victory.

With the blessings of the management they had speculated deeply on securities on the Amsterdam and Brussels Exchanges, betting on the outcome of the vote by the Belgian Parliament on the Confederation Plan. That the vote had occurred on the weekend – with the exchanges closed – only increased the pressure on investors to sell when they opened that morning. The general strike by the Belgian Left only made their situation better. Dozens of small investors had tried to sell their shares in major concerns – Solvay, Phillips, Hoogovens, Royal Dutch Petroleum – before prices dipped even more. Working together the traders at the table had even depressed the prices further by selling their own holdings – before buying back large blocks of stock near the end of the day for far less than the opening price.

It was stock-jobbing at its best; and – they had made certain – completely legal. The bank had made some tens of millions Reichsmarks in paper profits. Each of them had made thousands in commissions on the trades, and augmented that with trading on their own account.

The waitress brought another round of drinks, and cries of “Prosit!” again disturbed the other diners…

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Tuesday, 22 May 1945

The harbour of Cuxhaven was filled with ships today as twelve of the recently completed Klagenfurt class general purpose frigates officially joined the fleet. Eight of the vessels are assigned to the reformed First Escort Group, while the four assigned to the Second Escort Group will soon be joined by their remaining sisters nearing completion in the yards at Cuxhaven and Kiel. The Klagenfurt class frigates mark a change in the composition of the fleet, with their emphasis on antiaircraft and antisubmarine capabilities.


Nürnberger Nachrichten, Wednesday, 23 May 1945

The commercial registrar in Bayreuth reports the formation of a new photographic equipment venture in the city. Known as Steiner Optik KG, the principals of the firm are the inventor Karl Steiner and entrepreneur Robert Eckert. The firm will undertake the manufacture of cameras and other optical equipment; factory space has been leased and it is expected that fifty workers are to be employed by the end of the year.


Dithmarscher Landeszeitung, Thursday, 24 May 1945

The frigates Gromitz, Großpetersdorf, Rangersdorf and Sulzbach were completed today and have begun their trials – the Rangersdorf in the Heligoland Bight, the Gromitz, Großpetersdorf and Sulzbach in the Baltic. They are expected to join the fleet in mid-autumn.

Das Andere Deutschland (Duderstadt), Friday, 25 May 1945

The resounding rejection of the so-called Confederation Plan by the Belgian Parliament is a victory for the working class across Europe. By making common cause with the parties of the Centre the plans of the Dutch monarchy were exposed and seen for what they were – the means to enshrine Dutch control of the fate of Belgium. We decry the fact that that the German Government did not see fit to denounce this plan, and thereby gave aid and comfort to the ci-devant Dutch monarchy. For all its words the Government will not take action when its time comes.

(Das Andere Deutschland (Duderstadt) is a Socialist and pacifist newspaper (recently displaced from Berlin) that in no way reflects the opinions of the German Government.)


Sächsische Zeitung, Saturday, 26 May 1945

The Heinkel aircraft firm has released some of the details of its proposed P1068 design as submitted to the Defence Ministry for consideration. Derived from its current He177, the new aircraft would be powered by a quartet of reaction-jet engines and be capable of carrying a three-tonne warload at speeds in excess of seven hundred kilometres per hour. The Defence Ministry has yet to react to the Heinkel design, and no formal requirements documents have been issued.


Bremerhaven, Sunday 27 May 1945

Korvettenkapitän Moritz Leitner of the support tanker Lahn was surprised at the orders detaching him from the Fifth Supply Group for special service. Moreover, he was surprised at the lengthy list of cold-weather equipment he was to draw from stores in the next several days. He wondered what could be up.

Militär-Wochenblatt, Monday, 28 May 1945

The Army Ordnance Office has approved procurement of the recently developed 8cm leichte Panzerabwehrkanone 45 to fulfill the Heer’s need for a lightweight regimental antitank gun for the infantry. The weapon utilises the Hoch-Niederdruck system to reduce the recoil pressures and achieve adequate performance at much lower weight, while the new projectile relies upon the Hohlladung shaped charge principle to penetrate tank armour at battle ranges. The first guns are expected to be delivered to the troops late this year.


Berlin, The Cabinet Meeting Room, Tuesday, 29 May 1945

The regular cabinet meeting had reached its mid-point. “What is next?” the Chancellor asked.

Otto Gessler, the Defence Minister, responded. “The Americans have inquired whether they might obtain an example of the Arado Ar234 bomber aircraft for evaluation. My office has no objections at this point in time.”

Adenauer nodded. “Given developments elsewhere, it seems a reasonable request. Herr Dehler, does the Wilhelmstraße have any reservations?”

The Foreign Minister shook his head. “No Herr Chancellor, I do not. Our relations with the United States have always been on a friendly basis and agreeing to this request would only improve them.”

“Then let it be done,” the Chancellor concluded.

Kieler Nachrichten, Wednesday, 30 May 1945

The inspection ships Goldener Löwe and Roter Löwe have completed their initial working up and are here making ready for sea. The vessels are intended for long-distance maritime patrol tracking icebergs in the North Atlantic and to assist in weather reporting. It is expected that they will take up their stations soon.


Bremerhaven, Thursday, 31 May 1945

The tanker Lahn slowly made her way to sea, alone. “Such is the way of the service,” mused her commander, Korvettenkapitän Moritz Leitner. Laden with diesel oil and stores to the gunwales she was under orders to take station west of Iceland and await rendezvous. Leitner understood the Lahn’s mission; he merely hoped those he might encounter would do so as well.

New Yorker Staats-Zeitung (New York), Friday, 1 June 1945




Abwehr Outstation Breslau, Saturday, 2 June 1945

Walter Schellenburg was drafting his latest progress report on his investigation and penetration of the Polish intelligence network operating in eastern Germany. The main lines of communication between “The Spider” and his agents – principally couriers and letters to drop boxes – had been identified and, in the case of the latter, were being monitored. The number of tame agents – under Schellenburg’s control – was growing nicely; not only through the turning of the Pole’s own agents after capture and interrogation, but through creation of purely notional agents of Schellenburg’s own imagination.

The flow of funds provided by “The Spider” confirmed, to Schellenburg at least, that his mission was succeeding – a point he made to his superiors. The questionnaires given to the agents – what information was sought – gave insight into what the Poles knew as well as what they did not know, and into what they considered important. Schellenburg knew that such information was quite highly regarded, even by the Admiral himself. He made a note to highlight that in the summary of his report.

The major question before him though was whether to force the pace of the operation or to move slowly and gain even more control of the network by turning its agents. “The Spider” had always been careful in his activities; and Schellenburg’s dream of tempting the Polish spymaster onto German territory was becoming more unlikely. He needed to gain more control over the spy network’s communications – perhaps if one of the tame agents suggested establishing a secret transmitter…


Hamburger Abendblatt, Sunday, 3 June 1945

The inspection ships Goldener Löwe and Roter Löwe departed this morning on their first deployments, where they will take up station in the North Atlantic to monitor the movements of icebergs in the major shipping lanes and provide weather reports on a daily basis. It is expected that they will remain on station for several months.

The recently commissioned inspection ships Roter Löwe and Goldener Löwe and the new aircraft carrier Großer Kurfürst should remind the careful reader that Germany has a long and distinguished maritime history. Indeed, the present Kriegsmarine owes its existence to the Great Elector as much as it does to Admiral von Tirpitz. It is therefore worthwhile to recall the history of the fleet of Brandenburg-Prussia in the Seventeenth Century in this the dawning of a new era for Germany.

For Elector Friedrich Wilhelm the period after the Thirty Years War was a time of danger. The state was impoverished after the constant marching of armies; a predatory Sweden was already in possession of sally-ports in Pomerania and ducal Prussia; its continual conflict with Poland was a ready source of renewed invasion. Friedrich Wilhelm had to use all the skill of the diplomat and all the strength of a monarch to wend his way between the rocks of far more powerful neighbors – and in this regard the establishment of strength at sea was high upon his list of actions.

During the Second Nordic War (1655-1660) the Elector built up a substantial force around Pillau in Prussia, which eventually comprised seven major warships, three gun sloops and twenty armed boats, which were used successfully on the Vistula against Swedish ships and fortifications ashore. Adroit diplomatic maneuvers during the course of this conflict saw the Elector rewarded with full sovereignty in Prussia and possession of the ports of Pillau and Memel, which had heretofore been under the control of Sweden.

While lack of funds forced Friedrich Wilhelm to reduce his war fleet the outbreak of the Scanian War in 1675 quickly reversed the situation. While victory at the Battle of Fehrbellin blunted the Swedish invasion of Brandenburg only command of the sea would assure the safety of the state. To command the growing naval force of Brandenburg-Prussia the Elector called upon Benjamin Raule (1634-1707), the noted privateer.

In command of ships hired for the purpose as well as those constructed for the Elector carried on a significant naval campaign against Swedish merchant shipping and supported Friedrich Wilhelm’s land offensives against Swedish forces in the siege of Stettin (27 December 1677), the siege of Stralsund (25 October 1678), the conquest of Rügen (26 September 1678) and the conquest of Greifswald (16 November 1678). Amongst other maritime activities, Raule would found Brandenburg-Prussia’s first Court of Admiralty at Kolberg (1676) and in 1680 was appointed Generaldirecteur de Marine with the rank of Oberst and placed in overall command of the Elector’s naval force.

Claus von Bevern was also a noted naval commander in the service of the Great Elector. After proving himself during the Scanian War von Bevern was selected to command a flotilla of six vessels that carried on a short-lived commercial war against Spain, which had refused to make good the subsidy payments due Brandenburg from the Scanian War. Among his actions were the capture in 1680 of the Spanish treasure ship Carolus Secundus, and a cruise to the Caribbean with six ships which, while not as profitable as the capture of the Carolus Secundus, nevertheless brought sufficient pressure to bear upon the Spanish to confirm their commitments to Brandenburg, and others, to whom they owed payment.

The conclusion of the Scanian War saw the formation of the Brandenburgisch-Afrikanische Compagnie, which in 1682 sent forth an expedition to West Africa, where under Otto Friedrich von der Groeben a trading post was established at Fort Groß Friedrichsburg, and later, posts at Fort Dorothea and Fort Louise, in what is now known as the French colony of Cote d’Or. For many years the armed trading ships of the company, often on lease from the Elector, plied the route to West Africa and to the Caribbean in search of profit in the triangular trade.

The acquisition of the port of Emden by Elector Friedrich Wilhelm in 1683 prompted the formal establishment of the Kurbrandenburgische Marine, which at the time comprised nine warships with 176 heavy cannon. In later years ships for the fleet would be built at Emden, or at Havelberg and subsequently towed to Hamburg for completion. By the death of the Great Elector in 1688 Admiralty offices would be operating in Berlin, Emden and Pillau. In addition to maintaining a substantial fleet Elector Friedrich Wilhelm established, in 1684, the Marinier-Corps, a body of naval infantry who would outlast the fleet itself until disbanded in 1744.

In January 1701 the naval forces of Brandenburg-Prussia were renamed the Königlich Preußische Marine, or Royal Prussian Navy. While it would remain in being for a few more years, with the arrival of the soldier-king Friedrich Wilhelm the last of the ships in service were sold off and a chapter closed on Germany’s long maritime history.

Among the many ships that served in the Kurbrandenburgische Marine the more notable included:

The Berlin, a frigate, constructed in 1674, measuring 80 feet (22.65 metres) long and 22 feet (6.23 metres) in the beam. Armed with sixteen cannon she distinguished herself in many combats against Swedish vessels during the Scanian War and ended her career in 1690 after several voyages to Africa.

The Derfflinger, a full rigged ship, measuring 110 feet (33.5 metres) long, 23 feet (7 metres) in the beam and rated at 340 tons. Taken into service in 1681 she would last until 1695, having long served in the West African trade.

The Goldener Löwe, a frigate built at Kolberg in 1679, approximately 38 meters in length and 10 metres in the beam, carrying forty-four cannon. Having served under Claus von Bevern in the taking of the Carolus Secundus and under Thomas Alders at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1681), she was eventually wrecked in 1692 attempting to make her way into Emden on the end of a homeward voyage from the West Indies.

The Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde, a two-deck warship constructed in 1681, flagship of the Kurbrandenburgische Marine between 1684 and 1693. Built at a cost of 70,000 gulden she could carry up to sixty cannon when equipped for war.

The Roter Löwe, a frigate of twenty-two guns acquired in the Netherlands in 1678. Flagship of Claus von Bevern in his voyages to the West Indies, she fought at Cape St. Vincent under Jakob Raule, the brother of Benjamin Raule, and later, under Cornelis Reers, made many voyages to Fort Groß Friedrichsburg. She was broken up at Emden in 1690.

Outstanding article. I particularly love the illustrations. These sorts of articles are why I started writing the Le Spectateur Militaire posts, though I've not gotten to write as many of those as I've wished...

Thank you!

It is not quite the sort of article I would have originally considered writing in a Wesworld context - but I believe that it is the sort of article that would be appearing in Wesworld Germany at this point in time - linking the present with the past. There are a few other interesting ideas that have popped into my mind that I might try my hand at writing up. But if you - or anyone else for that matter - has a German related topic that you might want discussed in greater depth, please make the suggestion.

A very interesting article and I agree it gives some context to the more marine-minded Germany of WW.
I still think generally German maritime power has not been an investment with good returns, but the Brandenburgisch-Afrikanische Compagnie could have been the start of something very profitable had it been possible to maintain triangular trade across the Atlantic.

Hood wrote,

Quoted

I still think generally German maritime power has not been an investment with good returns,

On the balance sheet, how does one price out peace and security at home and abroad? Germany has three long term goals and objectives:

1. Protect the national territory from attack
2. Secure access to markets and raw materials abroad
3. Support allies and friendly states

As far as I am concerned the German fleet has made more than adequate contribution to the attainment of these goals.

I was talking historically rather than in terms of Wesworld.

Quoted from "Hood"

I was talking historically rather than in terms of Wesworld.

Ah. That was unclear to me. Thanks for clarifying.

Frankfurter Zeitung, Monday, 4 June 1945

The Office of the Chancellor announced today that Defence Minister Otto Gessler has announced his retirement from public life. Herr Gessler, who recently celebrated his seventieth birthday, has been an architect of the modern German armed forces, having served not only in the present government, but in several of its predecessors. No decision has been announced regarding his successor.


Dithmarscher Landeszeitung, Tuesday, 5 June 1945

An exploratory committee has been formed to investigate the feasibility of constructing a replica of the East Indiaman König von Preußen, a merchant frigate which sailed the eastern seas for the Emder Ostasiatische Handelskompanie. Created in 1751 by Friedrich der Große the company operated until 1757, when the port of Emden was occupied by the French during the Seven Years War, and it continued in shadowy existence until 1762, when it was formally liquated. The original König von Preußen, constructed some time before 1750, made several profitable voyages to China under the company’s flag.


Sächsische Zeitung, Wednesday, 6 June 1945

Support Tanker Lahn, 61 dgs 50 min North, 17 dgs 47 min West, Thursday, 7 June 1945

The Lahn had reached her appointed rendezvous and was keeping station, waiting. Korvettenkapitän Moritz Leitner expected that inspection ship Goldener Löwe or Roter Löwe would show up eventually. He had heard of their departure several days ago from a broadcast by Radio Hamburg. It seemed logical that they would refuel once they had transited the Faroes Passage, and his present location, south of Iceland, was as logical as any to do it. Thankfully for the lookouts the weather was mild – or as mild as the North Atlantic can be in late spring.


Wirtschaftswoche, Friday, 8 June 1945

The vote by the Eerste Kamer of the Dutch Parliament to reject the Confederation plan brought forward by the current Netherlands Government has done little as yet to calm financial markets in Amsterdam and Brussels. Prices have undergone a series of plunges as speculators attempt to make a profit by squeezing Belgian and Dutch investors in a time of uncertainty; it is rumoured that even the privy purse of the monarch. The German Government has yet to voice an official opinion on the recent vote – and it is unlikely to do so, having taken the public position that it is an entirely domestic Dutch affair. However, it is clear that the apparent failure of the Dutch plan has been met with relief in Berlin.


Kieler Nachrichten, Saturday, 9 June 1945

The fleet tanker Oderland has finished its post-conversion trials and has arrived at Bremerhaven to take up its duties with the fleet.

Bremer Nachrichten, Sunday, 10 June 1945




Base Support Ship Moon-sund, Flensburg, Monday, 11 June 1945

Kapitän zur See Johannes Liebe returned from the conference on the flagship Coronel in high anticipation. He was to prepare his ship for sea immediately; and his was not the only one – the amphibious ships Delphin and Tümmler were also put on notice to take on fuel, supplies and cargo. The only thing Liebe knew for certain was that he was to expect to take on a deck cargo of pontoons and make provision to transport a detachment of Marine-Bau-Abteilung 311. The scuttlebutt had it that there was an exercise in the offing. For Liebe, if it meant a chance to get to sea, he was all for it.


Support Tanker Lahn, 61 dgs 52 min North, 17 dgs 44 min West, Tuesday, 12 June 1945

Some moments previously the lookouts had reported smoke bearing to the northeast, summoning Korvettenkapitän Leitner to the bridge. With his powerful cruiser glasses he could now make out the oncoming shape of the inspection ship Roter Löwe, which flashed a message in greeting, to which Leitner ordered reply.

So began the real work of the Lahn’s assignment in the North Atlantic; topping off the fuel tanks of the Roter Löwe and her sister as they went about their patrol duties. The two ships maneuvered on to parallel courses and proceeded to begin their dance of closing, refuelling, and breaking-away, only to repeat the performance until the Lahn had transferred a maximum fuel load to the Roter Löwe, as well as any stores the other ship required. The Roter Löwe also brought orders – Leitner was to head northeast and rendezvous with the Goldener Löwe east of Iceland, and refuel her before returning west to repeat a rendezvous.

“Well,” thought Leitner, “that is our mission – to keep the fleet at sea.”