Karl Dönitz

Biography

Karl Dönitz was a German naval officer and politician who led Nazi Germany's submarine fleet during World War II. He briefly took over as head of state after Hitler's death in May 1945. Born on September 16, 1891, in Grünau, Dönitz began his naval career with the Imperial German Navy before World War I. He trained at the Naval Academy at Mürwik and served as a submarine commander during World War I. As the commander of UB-68 in 1918, he was captured by the British after attacking a convoy in the Mediterranean near Malta, where he sank one ship. This experience led him to develop 'pack tactics,' where U-boats would attack in groups rather than alone.

By the start of World War II, Dönitz had become the supreme commander of the Kriegsmarine's U-boat fleet. His wolfpack tactics were very effective early in the war, making him a main threat to the Allied naval forces in the Battle of the Atlantic. In January 1943, he became a Großadmiral and replaced Erich Raeder as the head of the German Navy. His U-boats were effective from 1939 to 1943, but started to lose ground as the Allies' anti-submarine abilities got better.

Despite the increasing losses, Dönitz kept sending his submarines into combat until 1945 to help other parts of the German military. The human cost was high: out of 40,000 men serving in U-boats, around 30,000 died, and 648 U-boats were lost, with 429 having no survivors. On April 30, 1945, after Adolf Hitler's suicide, Dönitz became his successor as head of state according to Hitler's will. He led the Flensburg Government until Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies weeks later. After the war, Dönitz was tried for war crimes and was imprisoned until 1956. He spent his later years writing his autobiography and died on December 24, 1980, in Aumühle, having witnessed both world wars and major changes in Germany.