Gustav Kleikamp (born 8 March 1896 in Fiddichow an der Oder ; died 13 September 1952 in Mülheim an der Ruhr ) was a German naval officer, and a Vizeadmiral in Nazi Germany 's Kriegsmarine .
146-568: On 1 April 1913, Kleikamp entered the Imperial German Navy as a Seekadett on SMS Vineta . After basic training, he transferred to Marineschule Mürwik on 3 April 1914. After the outbreak of World War I, he was posted as a communications officer to SMS Derfflinger , where he received promotion to Leutnant zur See in 1915. From March 1918 he attended Ubootschule and later served as watch officer on SM U-9 until October 1918, when he became clerical officer of
292-493: A 75 mm field gun wz. 1902/26 , two Bofors 37 mm anti-tank guns , four 81 mm mortars , and about 40 machine guns, including 18 heavy machine guns. Field fortifications were extended: more trenches were dug, wooden barricades were built, barbed wire was strung into wire obstacles , and reinforced concrete shelters were built into the basements of the barracks. Foliage was thinned to reduce cover on expected avenues of attack. The Polish defence, which anticipated principally
438-568: A broadside at the Polish garrison. That salvo's time has been variously stated as 04:45, 04:47, or 04:48. Polish historian Jarosław Tuliszka explains that 04:45 was the planned time, 04:47 was the time the order was given by Kleikamp and 04:48 was the time the guns actually fired. Shortly after, on Westerplatte, Sucharski radioed the nearby Polish military base on the Hel Peninsula , "SOS: I'm under fire." Other sources indicate
584-497: A 'Medical Corps'. In July 1879 a separate 'Torpedo Engineer Corps' was created dealing with torpedoes and mines. In May 1872 a ten-year building programme was instituted to modernise the fleet. This called for eight armoured frigates , six armoured corvettes , twenty light corvettes, seven monitors , two floating batteries , six avisos , eighteen gunboats and twenty-eight torpedo boats , at an estimated cost of 220 million gold marks . The building plan had to be approved by
730-575: A German land-based assault, rested on three lines of defence. The outer line included entrenched outposts (codenamed Prom , Przystań , Łazienki and Wał ) which were to hold long enough for the garrison to mobilize. The second line of defence centred on five guardhouses (numbered I to V) in the center of the depot. The final defence comprised the headquarters and barracks at the depot's centre (sometimes referred to as Guardhouse VI). The Poles also had several supporting positions ( Elektrownia , Deika , Fort , Tor kolejowy and Kej ). The plan called for
876-526: A burning train toward the Polish positions, but the ploy failed when the terrified driver decoupled prematurely. The train failed to reach its target, an oil cistern; instead, it set fire to the woods, which had provided the Poles with valuable cover. In addition, the burning wagons created a perfect field of fire; the Germans suffered heavy losses. A second fire-train attack, in the afternoon, also failed. At
1022-482: A campaign to maintain a higher construction rate. Four battleships of the Helgoland class were laid down in 1909–10, with displacements of 22,800 tons, twelve 30.5 cm (12.0 in) guns in 6 turrets, reciprocating engines generating a maximum speed of 21 knots, and a price tag of 46 million marks. Again, the turret configuration was dictated by the need to use the centre of the ship for machinery, despite
1168-584: A change in attitude amongst military planners that a land war in Europe was increasingly likely, and a turning away from Tirpitz's scheme for worldwide expansion using the navy. In 1912 General von Moltke commented, "I consider war to be unavoidable, and the sooner the better." The Kaiser's younger brother, Admiral Prince Heinrich of Prussia , considered that the cost of the navy was now too great. In Britain, Churchill announced an intention to build two capital ships for every one constructed by Germany, and reorganised
1314-505: A closer relationship with France, including naval cooperation. Tirpitz saw this once again as an opportunity to press for naval expansion and the continuation of the four capital ships per year building rate into 1912. The January 1912 elections brought a Reichstag where the Social Democrats, opposed to military expansion, became the largest party. The German army, mindful of the steadily increasing proportion of spending going to
1460-621: A column at Flensburg . After the war, it was moved to stand before the Naval Academy Mürwik . Westerplatte's Guardhouses I, III and IV, the power plant, and the barracks survived the war. In 1946, a Cemetery of the Fallen Defenders of Westerplatte [ pl ] and a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were established on the peninsula; the cemetery was placed near the destroyed Guardhouse V. During
1606-556: A depth of 50 metres (160 ft), though could go to 80 metres (260 ft). Spending on the navy increased inexorably year by year. In 1909 Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow and Treasury Secretary Reinhold von Sydow attempted to pass a new budget boosting taxes in an attempt to reduce the deficit. The Social Democratic parties refused to accept the increased taxes on goods, while the conservatives opposed increases in inheritance taxes. Bülow and Sydow resigned in defeat and Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg became Chancellor. His attempted solution
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#17327807598901752-537: A guaranteed proportion of expenditure for the army, but failed when army officers refused to support him publicly. Tirpitz argued for six new capital ships, and got three, together with 15,000 additional sailors in a new combined military budget passed in April 1912. The new ships, together with the existing reserve flagship and four reserve battleships were to become one new squadron for the High Seas Fleet. In all
1898-679: A margin of superiority. More capital ships were stationed in British home waters. A treaty with Japan in 1902 meant that ships could be withdrawn from East Asia, while the Entente Cordiale with France in 1904 meant that Britain could concentrate on guarding Channel waters, including the French coast, while France would protect British interests in the Mediterranean . By 1906 it was considered that Britain's only likely naval enemy
2044-481: A naval artillery school was established at Sonderburg (north of Kiel). This aimed to address the difficulties with the new generation of guns, which with potentially greater range required aiming devices capable of directing them at targets at those extreme ranges. By 1914, experiments were being conducted with guns in increasing sizes up to 51 cm (20 in). Capital ships were fitted with spotting tops high up on masts with range finding equipment, while ship design
2190-579: A new naval air division was created at Johannisthal , near Berlin. However, in September 1913 L 1 was destroyed in a storm , while the following month L 2 was lost in a gas explosion . Orders for the undelivered machines were cancelled, leaving the navy with one machine, the L 3 . In 1910 Prince Heinrich had learned to fly and supported the cause of naval aviation. In 1911 experiments took place with Albatros seaplanes and in 1912 Tirpitz authorized 200,000 marks for seaplane trials. The Curtiss seaplane
2336-627: A quick-loading design and more powerful secondary armaments. Costs rose to 21 million marks each, as had size to 11,500 tons. In 1892 Germany had launched the protected cruiser SMS Kaiserin Augusta , the first navy ship to have triple propellers. She was succeeded by five Victoria Louise -class protected cruisers, the last 'protected', as distinct from 'armoured' cruiser class constructed by Germany. The ships, completed between 1898 and 1900, had deck armour but not side armour and were intended for overseas duties. Shortages of funding meant it
2482-706: A reliable supply of fuel oil. Two more ships of the class were later laid down, but never completed. Three light cruisers commenced construction in German yards in 1912–1913 ordered by the Russian Navy, costing around 9 million marks. The ships were seized at the outbreak of World War I becoming SMS Regensburg , SMS Pillau and SMS Elbing . Two larger cruisers, SMS Wiesbaden and SMS Frankfurt were also commenced and entered service in 1915. More torpedo boats were constructed, with gradually increasing sizes having reached 800 tons for
2628-642: A result Tirpitz had set up a special commission to develop turbines. No reliable German design was available by 1903, so British Parsons turbines were purchased. In 1899, the Imperial Naval High Command was replaced by the German Imperial Admiralty Staff ( Admiralstab ) responsible for planning, the training of officers, and naval intelligence. In time of war it was to assume overall command, but in peace acted only advisory. Direct control of various elements of
2774-541: A second conference with his officers, on 6 September, Sucharski was again ready to surrender: the German Army was by now outside Warsaw , and Westerplatte was running critically low on supplies; moreover, many of the wounded were suffering from gangrene . At 04:30 on 7 September, the Germans opened intense fire on Westerplatte which lasted till 07:00. Flamethrowers and bombardment destroyed Guardhouse II and damaged Guardhouses I and IV. Schleswig-Holstein took part in
2920-508: A ship to a catastrophic magazine explosion from an above-water attack, although the elderly pre-dreadnought SMS Pommern sank rapidly at Jutland after a magazine explosion was caused by an underwater attack. The unification of Germany under Prussian leadership was the defining point for the creation of the Imperial Navy in 1871. The newly created emperor, Wilhelm I , as King of Prussia , had previously been head of state of
3066-466: A speed around 24 knots. SMS Dresden cost 7.5 million marks, and SMS Emden 6 million marks. Four Kolberg -class cruiser were produced between 1907 and 1911 at 4,400 tons and around 8 million marks each. These had turbines, twelve 10.5 cm guns as main armament, but were also equipped to carry and lay 100 mines. From 1907 onward, all torpedo boats were constructed using turbine engines. Despite their ultimate importance,
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#17327807598903212-433: A speed of 22 knots, costing 50 million marks. Guns were arranged in the same pattern as the preceding battle-cruisers, but were now increased to 38 cm (15 in) diameter. The ships had four 8.8 cm anti-aircraft and also sixteen 15 cm lighter guns, but were coal fuelled. It was considered that coal bunkers at the sides of the ship added to protection against penetrating shells, but Germany also did not have
3358-428: A total strength of 88 all ranks, and Poland was prohibited construction of further military installations or fortifications on the site. By early 1933, German politicians and media figures complained about the need for border adjustments. In addition, the Polish and French governments discussed the need for a preventive war against Germany. On 6 March, in what became known as the "Westerplatte incident" or "crisis",
3504-576: Is inscribed in the list of the most heroic battles of modern Europe." For both sides, the battle had mostly political, rather than tactical, importance. It tied up substantial German forces for much longer than anyone had expected, preventing Schleswig-Holstein from lending fire support in the nearby battles of Hel and Gdynia . Westerplatte's defence inspired the Polish Army and people even as German advances continued elsewhere; beginning on 1 September 1939, Polish Radio repeatedly broadcast
3650-598: Is still regarded as a symbol of resistance in modern Poland. The Polish government is planning to open a dedicated public museum on the site in 2026. Westerplatte is a peninsula in the Bay of Gdańsk , which in 1939 was known as the Bay of Danzig. Following the re-establishment of Polish independence after World War I , much of the surrounding region became part of Poland . The city of Danzig (now Gdańsk , Poland), historically an important port city, became an independent city-state ,
3796-611: The Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) was the navy of the German Empire , which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy ), which was mainly for coast defence. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded the navy. The key leader was Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz , who greatly expanded the size and quality of the navy, while adopting
3942-637: The Prinz Adalbert class were commissioned in 1904, followed by two similar Roon -class armoured cruisers commissioned in 1905 and 1906, at costs around 17 million marks each. SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau followed, between 1904 and 1908, and cost an estimated for 20.3 million marks. Main armament was eight 21 cm (8.3 in) guns, but with six 15 cm (5.9 in) and eighteen 8.8 cm (3.5 in) guns for smaller targets. Eight Bremen -class light cruisers were constructed between 1902 and 1907, developed from
4088-480: The Reichstag , which controlled the allocation of funds, although one-quarter of the money came from French war reparations. In 1883 Stosch was replaced by another general, Count Leo von Caprivi . At this point the navy had seven armoured frigates and four armoured corvettes, 400 officers and 5,000 ratings. The objectives of coastal defence remained largely unchanged, but there was a new emphasis on development of
4234-546: The 1. U-Kreuzerflottille until the end of the year. Kleikamp remained with the navy after the collapse of the monarchy in November 1918, serving in the Marine-Brigade Ehrhardt . He received a provisional promotion to Oberleutnant zur See on 7 January 1920, which was confirmed on 14 May 1921. On 1 October 1920, Kleikamp was posted on Hamburg as communications and watch officer. On 4 December 1921 he
4380-647: The Battle of Coronel , it inflicted the first major defeat on the Royal Navy in over one hundred years, although the German squadron of ships was subsequently defeated at the Battle of the Falkland Islands , only one ship escaping destruction. The Navy also emerged from the fleet action of the Battle of Jutland having destroyed more ships than it lost, although the strategic value of both of these encounters
4526-619: The Depot for Polish Munitions in Transit in the Port of Danzig [ pl ] (WST) ( Polish : Wojskowa Składnica Tranzytowa ), was completed in November 1925, officially transferred to Poland on the last day of that year, and became operational shortly after in January 1926, with 22 active storage warehouses. The Polish garrison's complement was set at 2 officers, 20 NCOs , privates to
Gustav Kleikamp - Misplaced Pages Continue
4672-713: The Fall of France Kleikamp was appointed Chef der Seebefehlsstelle Calais double-hatting as Chef der Transportflotte C for Operation Sea Lion on 29 August 1940. After the invasion of Britain was cancelled, Kleikamp transferred to Naval High Command as Chef der Militärischen Amtsgruppe in Hauptamt Kriegsschiffbau , a position he held until 21 February 1943. From March 1943 until the end of 1944, Kleikamp, having been promoted to Konteradmiral and ultimately Vizeadmiral , served as Kommandierender Admiral in den Niederlanden . From 1 January until 14 March 1945, he
4818-696: The Free City of Danzig . The Free City was nominally supervised by the League of Nations but Danzig became increasingly allied with Germany, reflecting its predominantly ethnic German population. In 1921, in the wake of the Polish-Soviet War , the League of Nations granted Poland the right to install a garrisoned ammunition depot near Danzig. Despite objections from the Free City, this right
4964-756: The Kiel Canal was commenced in June 1887, which connected the North Sea with the Baltic through the Jutland peninsula, allowing German ships to travel between the two seas avoiding waters controlled by other countries. This shortened the journey for commercial ships, but specifically united the two areas principally of concern to the German navy, at a cost of 150 million marks. Later, the protection of German maritime trade routes became important. This soon involved
5110-475: The König class were completed between August and November 1914, and two Bayern -class battleships entered service in 1916. The battlecruisers Derfflinger , Lützow , and Hindenburg were completed in September 1914, March 1916, and May 1917, respectively. All but the latest pre-Dreadnoughts were soon decommissioned, so that their crews could be transferred to more useful vessels. The main fighting forces of
5256-549: The Moltke design, reaching a maximum speed of 29 knots. All cruisers were equipped with turbine engines from 1908 onwards. Between 1910 and 1912 four Magdeburg -class light cruisers were constructed of 4,600 tons, at around 7.4 million marks each. The ships were fitted with oil burners to improve the effectiveness of their main coal fueling. These were followed by the similar but slightly enlarged and marginally faster Karlsruhe and Graudenz -class light cruisers. In 1907
5402-471: The Polish Naval Academy was named for the "Heroes of Westerplatte", and that name began to be given to schools, streets, and other institutions. In 1962 a Christian cross at the cemetery was replaced with a Soviet T-34 tank, and the first government-organized remembrances began at Westerplatte. In 1966, a Westerplatte Monument , a 25 metres (27 yd)-tall obelisk atop a mound ,
5548-471: The Schleswig-Holstein' s salvos as having occurred "minutes after Luftwaffe attacks on Polish airfields" and other targets. A bridge in nearby Tczew had been bombed around 04:30, and the false-flag Operation Himmler had begun hours earlier. The Polish historian Krzysztof Komorowski writes that "Westerplatte has become one of the symbols of the Polish struggle for independence, and
5694-739: The Wehrkreiskommando I in Königsberg , having been promoted to Korvettenkapitän . Following the Nazi Party takeover in January 1933, Kleikamp became 4. Admiralstabsoffizier in the Fleet Command. On 26 September 1935 Kleikamp was made first officer on Schleswig-Holstein , the ship which he would eventually command after a stint as director of the Gruppe Technisches Nachrichtenwesen in
5840-547: The sea power theories of American strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan . The result was a naval arms race with Britain , as the German navy grew to become one of the greatest maritime forces in the world, second only to the Royal Navy . The German surface navy proved ineffective during the First World War ; its only major engagement, the Battle of Jutland , was a draw, but it kept the surface fleet largely in port for
5986-575: The 1980s, Westerplatte has been administered by the National Museum in Gdańsk . In 1981, the cross was restored to the cemetery. In June 1987, Westerplatte was visited by Pope John Paul II ; his visit is commemorated by a plaque unveiled in 2015. Following the fall of communism in Eastern and Central Europe , a change symbolic of Poland's political transformation was the 2007 transfer of
Gustav Kleikamp - Misplaced Pages Continue
6132-539: The 225-men strong Marinestosstruppkompanie from Memel . On 1 September 1939 at 04:45, Kleikamp gave the order for the attack on the Westerplatte and two minutes later the first shells left the barrels of Schleswig-Holstein ' s 28 cm guns. In April 1940 Schleswig-Holstein was flagship of Kriegsschiffgruppe 7 , which was tasked with the occupation of the Danish ports Nyborg and Korsør . After
6278-472: The 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, in 2009, was attended by Tusk, former Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki , and former Presidents Lech Wałęsa and Aleksander Kwaśniewski , as well as by important figures from about 20 other countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel , Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin , Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko , and French Prime Minister François Fillon . The Battle of Westerplatte has been
6424-549: The British. This all contributed to growing opposition in the Reichstag to any further expansion, particularly when it was clear that Britain intended to match and exceed any German expansion program. In the fleet itself, complaints were beginning to be made in 1908 about underfunding and shortages of crews for the new ships. The State Secretary of the Treasury, Hermann von Stengel , resigned because he could see no way to resolve
6570-614: The Danzig Police to land on the western side of the depot. In that initial engagement, Poles sustained two casualties, and a Polish soldier, Staff Sergeant Wojciech Najsarek , was killed by machine-gun fire . Najsarek has been described as the first Polish combat casualty of the battle and perhaps of the war. At 06:22, the German marines frantically radioed the battleship that they had sustained heavy losses and were withdrawing. Casualties were approximately fifty Germans and eight Poles, mostly wounded. A longer bombardment from
6716-572: The German 73rd Infantry Division defended the peninsula from the Soviet 76th Guards Rifle Division until the German units were evacuated by sea. The Battle of Westerplatte is often described as the opening battle of World War II , but it was only one of many battles in the first phase of the German invasion of Poland known as the Battle of the Border . British historian I. C. B. Dear described
6862-562: The German disembarkation, the orders were rescinded as Adolf Hitler had postponed hostilities on learning of the Polish-British Common Defence Pact , signed the day before, on 25 August 1939, and that Italy was hesitant about its obligations under the Pact of Steel . Neither Eberhardt nor Kleikamp had specific information on the Polish defences. The Germans assumed that preliminary bombardment would soften up
7008-580: The German fleet to a strength where it could contemplate challenging France or Russia, but would remain clearly inferior to the world's largest fleet, the Royal Navy. Following the Boxer Rebellion in China and the Boer War , a second navy bill was passed on 14 June 1900. This approximately doubled the allocated number of ships to 38 battleships, 20 armoured cruisers, 38 light cruisers. Significantly,
7154-523: The German navy declined to take up the cause of another experiment, the submarine, until 1904. The first submarine, U-1 was delivered in December 1906, built by Krupp's Germania yard in Kiel. The first submarine had 238 ton displacement on the surface and 283 tons submerged. The kerosene engine developed 10 knots on the surface with a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi). Submerged,
7300-597: The German observers may have been mistaken. On 4 September, a German torpedo boat , T196 , supported by an old minesweeper, the Von der Gronen , made a surprise attack. The Poles' Wał outpost had been abandoned. Now only the Fort outpost prevented an attack from the north. Though the Poles never landed a hit on the German naval units, T196 and Schleswig-Holstein suffered accidents due to crew error or equipment failure, with at least one fatality and several injured men on
7446-543: The Germans had the SS Heimwehr Danzig force of 1,500 men under Police General Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt . In overall command was Captain Gustav Kleikamp , aboard Schleswig-Holstein . Initially, the marines were ordered to attack on the morning of 26 August 1939, on that day Kleikamp moved the battleship farther upstream, and as a result, Sucharski put his garrison on heightened alert. Shortly before
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#17327807598907592-572: The Howaldt engine could not be developed in time. Luitpold had a top speed of 20 knots as a result, compared to 22 knots for the other ships. The ships were larger than the preceding class at 24,700 tons, but cheaper at 45 million marks. They formed part of the third squadron of the High Seas Fleet as it was constituted for World War I. Between 1908 and 1912 two Moltke -class battlecruisers were constructed, adding an extra turret on
7738-582: The Kaiser's intentions been widely known. Instead, he proceeded with a plan to expand the navy slowly, justifying enlargement step by step. In July 1888 Wilhelm II appointed Vice-Admiral Alexander von Monts as head of the admiralty. Monts oversaw the design of the Brandenburg -class battleship, four of which were constructed by 1894 at a cost of 16 million marks each and displacement of 10,000 tons. In 1889 Wilhelm II reorganised top level control of
7884-426: The Kiel canal, all of which would be enormously expensive. Estimated cost for new dreadnoughts was placed at 36.5 million marks for 19,000 tons displacement ships (larger than Dreadnought at 17,900 tons), and 27.5 million marks for battle-cruisers. 60 million mark was allocated for dredging the canal. The Reichstag was persuaded to agree to the program and passed a Novelle (a supplementary law) amending
8030-473: The Kriegsmarine ) and 150 wounded. The Poles had lost 15 men and had sustained at least 40 wounded. On 8 September, the day after the capitulation, the Germans discovered a grave with the bodies of four unidentified Polish soldiers who had been executed by their comrades for attempted desertion . According to Tomasz Sudoł this had likely taken place following the 2 September air raids. Five days after
8176-622: The Naval Defence Act of 1889, was to maintain a navy superior to Britain's two largest rivals combined. The British Admiralty estimated that the German navy would be the world's second largest by 1906. Major reforms of the Royal Navy were undertaken, particularly by Fisher as First Sea Lord from 1904 to 1909. 154 older ships, including 17 battleships, were scrapped to make way for newer vessels. Reforms in training and gunnery were introduced to make good perceived deficiencies, which in part Tirpitz had counted upon to provide his ships with
8322-615: The Navy High Command. On 26 April 1939, having been promoted to Kapitän zur See a year earlier, was given command of Schleswig-Holstein , which had returned from a tour to South America a few weeks earlier. Schleswig-Holstein was slated to be retired and converted into a remotely controlled target ship, but preparations for the Invasion of Poland , saw the ship assigned a war mission. Late in August 1939, Schleswig-Holstein
8468-486: The Poles had constructed extensive underground and armoured fortifications (six haystacks were declared to be armoured bunker domes). In the following days, the Germans bombarded the Westerplatte peninsula with naval and heavy field artillery , including a 105 mm howitzer battery and 210 mm howitzers. On 2 September, from 18:05 to 18:25, a two-wave air raid by 60 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers dropped 26.5 tonnes (58,000 lb) of bombs, eliminating
8614-586: The Polish garrison's commanding officer, Sucharski. Early historiography considered him to have been in command throughout the battle, and so early accounts portrayed him as a heroic figure. More recent accounts from the early 1990s have presented evidence that Sucharski's officers had vowed not to disclose in their lifetimes that their commander had been shell-shocked for most of the battle and had advocated surrender as early as 2 September and several times thereafter and that his second-in-command, Dąbrowski, had effectively taken command following Sucharski's breakdown on
8760-501: The Polish government landed a marine battalion on Westerplatte, briefly reinforcing the WST garrison to about 200 men, demonstrating Polish resolve to defend the depot; the Polish manoeuvre was also intended to put pressure on the Danzig government, which was trying to renounce a prior agreement on shared Danzig-Polish control over the harbour police and to acquire full control of the police and
8906-403: The Polish mortars, destroying Guardhouse V with a 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) bomb and killing at least eight Polish soldiers. The air raid shrouded all of Westerplatte in clouds of smoke and destroyed the Poles' only radio and much of their food supply. According to some German sources, after the air raid the Poles briefly displayed a white flag; but not all historians are convinced of this, and
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#17327807598909052-399: The Polish side had sustained four killed and several wounded. The German marines had lost sixteen killed and a hundred and twenty wounded. The German commanders concluded that a ground attack was not feasible until the Polish defences had been softened up. Re-examining aerial photographs, where they had previously underestimated the Polish defences, they now overestimated them, concluding
9198-406: The Royal Navy had done against the Danish navy in 1801 and 1807." Tirpitz argued that if the fleet could achieve two-thirds the number of capital ships possessed by Britain then it stood a chance of winning in a conflict. Britain had to maintain a fleet throughout the world and consider other naval powers, whereas the German fleet could be concentrated in German waters. Attempts were made to play down
9344-468: The Soviet T-34 tank from the cemetery to a museum in another town. In 2001, the Polish government recognised Westerplatte's ruins as an object of cultural heritage . On 1 September 2003, the site was designated an official Historic Monument . In the mid-2010s, the Polish government decided to create a dedicated Westerplatte Museum [ pl ] , commemorating the 1939 battle; as of 2019,
9490-561: The V-25 to V-30 craft constructed by AG Vulcan in Kiel before 1914. In 1912 Germany created a Mediterranean squadron consisting of the battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau . Naval trials of balloons began in 1891, but the results were unsatisfactory and none were purchased by the navy. In 1895 Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin attempted to interest both the army and navy in his new rigid airships , but without success. The Zeppelin rigids were considered too slow and there were concerns with their reliability operating over water. In 1909
9636-399: The WST. Despite initial assessment on both sides that the Polish garrison might hold out for several hours before being reinforced or overwhelmed, the Poles held out for seven days and repelled thirteen assaults that included dive-bomber attacks and naval shelling. The defence of the Westerplatte was an inspiration for the Polish Army and people in the face of German advances elsewhere and
9782-503: The War , misidentified the Polish commander as a Major "Koscianski". Sucharski surrendered the post to Kleikamp, and the Germans stood at attention as the Polish garrison marched out at 11:30. Over 3,000 Germans, including soldiers and support formations such as the Danzig Police, had been tied up in the week-long operation against the small Polish garrison; about half of the Germans (570 on land, over 900 at sea) had taken part in direct action. German casualties totalled 50 killed (16 from
9928-470: The Westerplatte garrison was placed on alert. Fearing a possible Nazi coup d'état in Danzig, the Poles decided secretly to reinforce their garrison and resorted to a subterfuge, civilians in Polish Army uniform would leave the base, and new Polish soldiers would enter it. By late August 1939, the Poles had reinforced their 88-man garrison, though its strength is still debated; older sources speak of 182 men but more recent research suggests something in
10074-501: The arms race by expanding the capabilities of its new battleships. The five 1912 Queen Elizabeth class of 32,000 tons would have 15 in (380 mm) guns and would be completely oil-fuelled, allowing a speed of 25 knots. For 1912–13 Germany concentrated on battlecruisers, with three Derfflinger -class ships of 27,000 tons and 26–27 knots maximum speed, costing 56–59 million marks each. These had four turrets mounting two 30.5 cm guns arranged in two turrets either end, with
10220-410: The army. Either an enormous sum now had to be found to develop the navy further, or naval expansion had to be abandoned. The decision to continue was taken by Tirpitz in September 1905 and agreed by Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow and the Kaiser, while Dreadnought was still at the planning stage. The larger ships would naturally be more expensive, but also would require enlargement of harbours, locks and
10366-422: The battleship total to 45, a target which rose to 48 by 1909. Tirpitz's ultimate goal was a fleet capable of rivaling the Royal Navy . As British public opinion was turned against Germany, Admiral Sir John Fisher twice – in 1904 and 1908 – proposed using Britain's current naval superiority to ' Copenhagen ' the German fleet, that is, to launch pre-emptive strikes against the Kiel and Wilhelmshaven naval bases as
10512-440: The battleship, lasting from 07:40 to 08:55, preceded a second attack and succeeded at knocking out the Polish field gun. The Germans assaulted again from 08:35 to 12:30 but encountered mines , felled trees, barbed wire and intense fire. By noon, when the Germans retreated, Henningsen had been gravely wounded. Eberhardt requested air support, but it was delayed due to bad weather over Westerplatte. On that first day's combat,
10658-415: The battleship. On 5 September, Sucharski held a conference with his officers, during which he urged surrender: the post had only been supposed to hold out for twelve hours. His deputy, Dąbrowski, opposed surrender and the group decided to hold out a while longer. Subsequently, the Poles repelled several cautious German probing attacks. At 03:00 on 6 September, during one of the attacks, the Germans sent
10804-413: The bill set no overall cost limit for the building program. Expenditure for the navy was too great to be met from taxation: the Reichstag had limited powers to extend taxation without entering into negotiations with the constituent German states, and this was considered politically unviable. Instead, the bill was financed by massive loans. Tirpitz, in 1899 was already exploring the possibilities for extending
10950-467: The bombardments. At 09:45 on 7 September 1939, a white flag appeared. The Polish defence had so impressed the Germans that their commander, Eberhardt, initially let Sucharski keep his ceremonial szabla (Polish saber ) in captivity although it would be confiscated later. Contemporary English-language publications which reported on the event, such as Life and the Pictorial History of
11096-583: The budget deficit. The elections of 1907 had returned a Reichstag more favourable to military exploits, following the refusal of the previous parliament to grant funds to suppress uprisings in colonies in German South-West Africa . Despite the difficulties, Tirpitz persuaded the Reichstag to pass a further Novelle in March 1908. This reduced the service life for ships from 25 years to 20 years, allowing for faster modernisation, and increased
11242-476: The building rate to four capital ships per year. Tirpitz's target was a fleet of 16 battleships and 5 battlecruisers by 1914, and 38 battleships and 20 battlecruisers by 1920. There were also to be 38 light cruisers, and 144 torpedo boats. The bill contained a restriction, that building would fall to two ships per year in 1912, but Tirpitz was confident of changing this at a later date. He anticipated that German industry, now heavily involved in shipbuilding, would back
11388-400: The calibre of the large guns, while ships were increasingly divided internally into watertight compartments to make them more resistant to flooding when damaged. The design was hampered by the necessity to use reciprocating engines instead of the smaller turbines, since no sufficiently powerful design was available and acceptable to the German navy. Turrets could not be placed above the centre of
11534-518: The capitulation, on 12 September 1939, the Polish wireless operator, Sergeant Kazimierz Rasiński, was murdered by the Germans. He was shot after brutal interrogation during which he refused to hand over radio codes . On 19 September Hitler came to visit Danzig. While there, on 21 September, he inspected Westerplatte. Westerplatte saw another round of fighting during the Vistula–Oder Offensive in 1945. From 28 March to 1 April, elements of
11680-521: The centre line astern, raised above the aft turret, but still using 28 cm guns. SMS Moltke became part of the High Seas Fleet, but SMS Goeben became part of the Mediterranean squadron and spent World War I as part of the Ottoman navy . The ships cost 42.6 and 41.6 million marks, with maximum speed of 28 knots. Seydlitz was constructed as a slightly enlarged version of
11826-466: The disadvantage of the turret layout. The ships were now equipped with 50 cm (20 in) torpedoes. The Kaiser -class battleships built between 1909 and 1913 introduced a change in design as turbine engines were finally approved. The ships had ten 30.5 cm guns, losing two of the centre side turrets but gaining an additional turret astern on the centre line. As with the Von der Tann design, which
11972-458: The earlier Gazelle class . The ships had ten 10.5 centimetres (4.1 in) guns and were named after German towns. SMS Lübeck was the first German cruiser to be fitted with turbine engines , which were also trialled in torpedo boat S-125 . Turbines were faster, quieter, lighter, more reliable and more fuel efficient at high speeds. The first British experimental design (the destroyer HMS Velox ) had been constructed in 1901 and as
12118-475: The early postwar Stalinist era, Westerplatte was presented as a symbol of Poland's prewar anticommunist government and was marginalised in official history; Mieczysław Słaby, the garrison surgeon at Westerplatte, was arrested, tortured and died in the custody of the Ministry of Public Security in 1948. After the mid-1950s liberalization , Westerplatte was repurposed as a communist propaganda symbol; in 1956,
12264-503: The eastern side of the peninsula, advanced, expecting an easy victory over the Poles. However, after crossing the artillery-breached brick wall at the border, advancing about 200 metres (220 yd), and engaging the Polish Prom outpost, the Germans ran into an ambush . They found themselves in a kill zone of Polish crossfire from concealed firing positions, while barbed-wire entanglements impeded their movements. Around 05:15,
12410-412: The field gun, commanded by Pająk, opened intense fire on the advancing Germans, firing 28 rounds and knocking out several machine-gun nests atop warehouses across the harbour canal. Meanwhile, the German infantry was also shelled by the Polish mortars, and even the battleship itself was targeted by the Polish 37 mm guns. Around that time, the Poles also repulsed an attempt by a small maritime unit of
12556-530: The first Navy Bill was passed by the Reichstag . It authorised the maintenance of a fleet of 19 battleships, 8 armoured cruisers, 12 large cruisers and 30 light cruisers to be constructed by 1 April 1904. Existing ships were counted in the total, but the bill provided for ships to be replaced every 25 years on an indefinite basis. Five million marks annually was allocated to run the navy, with a total budget of 408 million marks for shipbuilding. This would bring
12702-501: The fleet to move battleships from the Mediterranean to Channel waters. A policy was introduced of promoting British naval officers by merit and ability rather than time served, which saw rapid promotions for Jellicoe and Beatty , both of whom had important roles in the forthcoming World War I. By 1913 the French and British had plans in place for joint naval action against Germany, and France moved its Atlantic fleet from Brest to Toulon , replacing British ships. Britain also escalated
12848-407: The fleet was subordinated to officers commanding those elements, accountable to the Kaiser. The reorganisations suited the Kaiser who wanted to maintain direct control of his ships. A disadvantage was that it split apart the integrated military command structure which before had balanced the importance of the navy within overall defence considerations. It suited Alfred von Tirpitz, because it removed
12994-720: The fleet were less than impressive; out of four taking part one crashed, one was unable to take off and only one succeeded in all tasks. The most successful aircraft had been the British design, and indeed experiments in Britain had been proceeding with the support of Winston Churchill, and included converting ferries and liners into seaplane carriers . By the start of the First World War, the German Imperial Navy possessed 22 pre-Dreadnoughts, 14 dreadnought battleships and 4 battle-cruisers. A further three ships of
13140-418: The fleet would have five squadrons of eight battleships, twelve large cruisers and thirty small, plus additional cruisers for overseas duties. Tirpitz intended that with the rolling program of replacements, the existing coastal defence squadron of old ships would become a sixth fleet squadron, while the eight existing battle-cruisers would be joined by eight more as replacements for the large cruisers presently in
13286-444: The fleet. German foreign policy as espoused by Otto von Bismarck had been to deflect the interest of great powers abroad while Germany consolidated her integration and military strength. Now Germany was to compete with the rest. Tirpitz started with a publicity campaign aimed at popularising the navy. He created popular magazines about the navy, arranged for Alfred Thayer Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power upon History , which argued
13432-472: The fortifications enough for the marines to capture Westerplatte. Kleikamp had been assured by the Danzig Police that "Westerplatte would be taken in 10 minutes." Eberhardt himself was more cautious, estimating that "a few hours" would be needed to overcome the Polish garrison, which the Germans estimated at no more than 100 men. On the early morning of 1 September 1939, Schleswig-Holstein fired
13578-492: The garrison to hold out for 12 hours, after which the siege was expected to be lifted by reinforcements arriving from the mainland. On 25 August 1939, the German pre-dreadnought battleship Schleswig-Holstein , under the pretext of making a courtesy call , sailed into Danzig harbour , anchoring 150 metres (160 yd) from Westerplatte. On board was a Marinestosstruppkompanie ( marine shock-troop company ) of 225 marines under Lieutenant Wilhelm Henningsen. On land
13724-556: The harbour. According to one source, on 14 March 1933, the League had authorized Poland to reinforce its garrison. However, according to another, the additional Polish troops were withdrawn on 16 March, following protests from the League, Danzig, and Germany but only in exchange for Danzig's withdrawal of its objections to the harbour-police agreement. Later, the Poles constructed clandestine fortifications on Westerplatte. These were relatively minor: there were no bunkers or tunnels, only several small guardhouses, partially hidden in
13870-501: The hull intended to stop torpedoes, but these reduced maximum speed to an impractical 8 knots and were later removed. Construction began in 1910 of the first submarine powered by twin diesel engines. U-19 was twice the size of the first German submarine, had five times the range at 7,600 nautical miles (14,100 km; 8,700 mi) cruising at 8 knots, or 15 knots maximum. There were now two bow and two stern torpedo tubes, with six torpedoes carried. The ships were designed to operate at
14016-592: The importance of naval forces, to be translated into German and serialised in newspapers, arranged rallies in support and invited politicians and industrialists to naval reviews. Various pressure groups were formed to lobby politicians and spread publicity. One such organisation, the navy league or Flottenverein , was organized by principals in the steel industry ( Alfred Krupp ), ship yards and banks, gaining more than one million members. Political parties were offered concessions, such as taxes on imported grain, in exchange for their support for naval bills. On 10 April 1898
14162-499: The influence of the admiralty staff from naval planning, but left him the possibility, in wartime, to reorganise command around himself. Wilhelm II, however, never agreed to relinquish direct control of his fleet. On 3 December 1906 the Royal Navy received a new battleship, HMS Dreadnought . She became famous as the first of a new concept in battleship design, using all big gun, single size of calibre armament. She used turbine propulsion for greater speed and less space required by
14308-416: The inner turret superfiring over the outer. SMS Derfflinger was the first German ship to have anti-aircraft guns fitted. In 1913, Germany responded to the British challenge by laying down two Bayern class battleships. These did not enter service until after the Battle of Jutland, so failed to take part in any major naval action of the war. They had displacement of 28,600 tons, a crew of 1,100 and
14454-587: The intention of doing for the navy what his grandfather Wilhelm I had done for the army. The creation of a maritime empire to rival the British and French empires became an ambition to mark Germany as a truly global great power . Wilhelm became Grand Admiral of the German Navy, but also was awarded honorific titles from all over Europe, becoming admiral in the British, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Austro-Hungarian and Greek navies. On one occasion he wore
14600-609: The invasion – a Polish Battle of Thermopylae . As early as 1943, a Polish People's Army unit was named for Westerplatte's soldiers (the Polish 1st Armoured Brigade of the Defenders of Westerplatte ). That same year, the Polish Underground State named a street after Westerplatte; and the following year, during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising , an insurgent stronghold was named Westerplatte . Controversy surrounds
14746-426: The machinery, and guns arranged so that three times as many could be brought to bear when firing ahead, and twice as many when firing broadside. The design was not a uniquely British concept as similar ships were being built around the world, nor was it uniquely intended as a counter to German naval expansion, but the effect was to immediately require Germany to reconsider its naval building program. The battleship design
14892-549: The main task of the new Imperial Navy was coastal protection, with France and Russia seen as Germany's most likely future enemies. The Imperial Navy's tasks were then to prevent any invasion force from landing and to protect coastal towns from possible bombardment. In March 1872 a German Imperial Naval Academy was created at Kiel for training officers, followed in May by the creation of a 'Machine Engineer Corps', and in February 1873
15038-416: The navy bills and allocating 940 million marks for a dreadnought program and the necessary infrastructure. Two dreadnoughts and one battlecruiser were to be built each year. Construction of four Nassau -class battleships began in 1907 under the greatest possible secrecy. The chief German naval designer was Hans Bürkner. A principle was introduced that the thickness of side armour on a ship would equal
15184-559: The navy by creating a Navy Cabinet ( Marine-Kabinett ) equivalent to the German Imperial Military Cabinet which had previously functioned in the same capacity for both the army and navy. The Head of the navy cabinet was responsible for promotions, appointments, administration and issuing orders to naval forces. Captain Gustav von Senden-Bibran was appointed as its first head and remained so until 1906, when he
15330-501: The navy rejected proposals for aircraft to be launched from ships, and again in 1910 declined Zeppelin's airships. Finally in 1911, trials with aircraft began and in 1912 Tirpitz agreed to purchase the first airship for naval reconnaissance at a cost of 850,000 marks. The machine had insufficient range (1,440 km (890 mi)) to operate over Britain, but had machine guns for use against aircraft and experimental 80 kg (180 lb) bombs. The following year ten more were ordered and
15476-534: The navy were to become the High Seas Fleet and the U-boat fleet. Smaller fleets were deployed to the German overseas protectorates, the most prominent being assigned to the East Asia Squadron at Qingdao . Battle of Westerplatte Baltic coast 4–10 September Northern Front Southern Front The Battle of Westerplatte was the first battle of the German invasion of Poland , marking
15622-705: The navy, demanded an increase of 136,000 men to bring its size closer to that of France. In February 1912 the British war minister, Viscount Haldane , came to Berlin to discuss possible limits to naval expansion. Meanwhile, in Britain, the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill made a speech describing the German navy as a 'luxury', which was considered an insult when reported in Germany. The talks came to nothing, ending in recriminations over who had offered what. Bethmann Hollweg argued for
15768-465: The outbreak of World War I, one billion marks had been added to Germany's national debt because of naval expenditures. While each German ship was more expensive than the last, the British managed to reduce the cost of the succeeding generations of Bellerophon (3 ships) and St. Vincent (3) battleships. Successive British battlecruisers were more expensive, but less so than their German equivalents. Overall, German ships were some 30% more expensive than
15914-399: The overseas squadrons. The plan envisaged a main fleet of 100,000 men, 49 battleships and 28 battlecruisers by 1920. The Kaiser commented of the British, "... we have them up against the wall." Although Tirpitz had succeeded in getting more ships, the proportion of military expenditure on the navy declined in 1912 and thereafter, from 35% in 1911 to 33% in 1912 and 25% in 1913. This reflected
16060-424: The peninsula's forest and several more buildings in the middle of the peninsula, including barracks . Most buildings were constructed with reinforced concrete and were supported by a network of field fortifications, including trenches , barricades and barbed wire . In March 1939, a German ultimatum to Lithuania led to Germany's annexation of the nearby Lithuanian coastal Klaipėda region ; subsequently,
16206-446: The perceived threat to Britain, but once the German fleet reached the position of equalling the other second-rank navies, it became impossible to avoid mention of the one great fleet it was intended to challenge. Tirpitz hoped that other second-rank powers might ally with Germany, attracted by its navy. The policy of commencing what amounted to a naval arms race did not properly consider how Britain might respond. British policy, stated in
16352-467: The phrase that made Westerplatte an important symbol: "Westerplatte broni się jeszcze" ("Westerplatte fights on"). On 16 September Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński penned a poem, Song about the Soldiers of Westerplatte [ pl ] , voicing a subsequent myth that all of Westerplatte's defenders had died in the battle, fighting to the last man. The battle became a symbol of resistance to
16498-661: The range of 210 to 240, including six officers: Major Henryk Sucharski , his second-in-command Captain Franciszek Dąbrowski , Captain Mieczysław Słaby , Lieutenant Leon Pająk , Lieutenant Stefan Ludwik Grodecki [ pl ] , and Second Lieutenant Zdzisław Kręgielski [ pl ] . Estimates include some 20 mobilized civilians and about 10 regular troops who happened to be on site when fighting began. In addition to light arms consisting of pistols, grenades, and about 160 rifles, weaponry included
16644-627: The rest of the war. The submarine fleet was greatly expanded and threatened the British supply system during the U-boat campaign . As part of the Armistice , the Imperial Navy's main ships were ordered to be turned over to the Allies but they were instead scuttled by their own crews. All ships of the Imperial Navy bore the title SMS , for Seiner Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship). The Imperial Navy achieved some important operational feats. At
16790-459: The second day of the siege. Sucharski's conduct is still debated by historians. Westerplatte is a common venue for state remembrance ceremonies relating to World War II, usually held on 1 September. They are generally attended by high-ranking Polish politicians such as Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2014), President Bronisław Komorowski (2015), President Andrzej Duda (2016), and Prime Minister Beata Szydło (2017). The commemoration of
16936-453: The setting up of some overseas supply stations, so called Auswärtige Stationen (foreign stations) and in the 1880s the Imperial Navy played a part in helping to secure the establishment of German colonies and protectorates in Africa, Asia and Oceania. In June 1888 Wilhelm II became Emperor after the death of his father Frederick III , who ruled for only 99 days. He started his reign with
17082-641: The ship and instead had to be placed at the side, meaning two of the six turrets would always be on the wrong side of the ship when firing broadsides. Main armament was twelve 28 cm guns. The ships were all completed by 1910, over budget, averaging 37.4 million marks each. In 1910 they were transferred from Kiel to Wilhelmshaven, where two new large docks had been completed and more were under construction. The first German battlecruiser— SMS Von der Tann —was commenced March 1908. Four Parsons turbines were used, improving speed to 27 knots and reducing weight. Four twin turrets mounted 28 cm guns; although
17228-414: The ship could manage 50 nautical miles at 5 knots using battery electric propulsion. The ships followed a design by Maxime Laubeuf first used successfully in 1897, having a double hull and flotation tanks around the outside of the main crew compartments. The submarine had just one torpedo tube at the front and a total of three torpedoes. The early engines were noisy and smoky, so that a considerable boost to
17374-425: The shot was fired at 04:00 rather than at or around 04:45. The battleship's initial bombardment was not very successful, failing to inflict a single casualty among the defenders, as due to the battleship's proximity to its target its heavier shells did not have time to arm and did not explode upon impact. Eight minutes later Henningsen's marines from the Schleswig-Holstein , who had disembarked two hours earlier on
17520-722: The start of World War II in Europe. It occurred on the Westerplatte peninsula in the harbour of the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland ). In the mid-1920s, the Second Polish Republic established the Polish Military Transit Depot ( Wojskowa Składnica Tranzytowa , WST) on the Westerplatte peninsula in the Free City of Danzig . Beginning on 1 September 1939, the German Wehrmacht and Danzig Police assaulted
17666-589: The strongest state forming part of the new empire. The navy remained the same as that operated by the empire's predecessor organisation in the unification of Germany, the North German Confederation , which itself in 1867 had inherited the navy of the Kingdom of Prussia . Article 53 of the new Empire's constitution recognised the existence of the Navy as an independent organisation, but until 1888 it
17812-403: The subject of two Polish films: Westerplatte (1967), and Tajemnica Westerplatte (The Secret of Westerplatte, 2013). It has also inspired dozens of books and scores of press articles, scholarly studies, and fictional works, as well as poems, songs, paintings, and other works of art. The Polish 75 mm field gun became one of Germany's first war trophies of World War II, displayed on
17958-431: The torpedo, which offered the possibility of relatively small ships successfully attacking much larger ones. In October 1887 the first torpedo division was created at Wilhelmshaven and the second torpedo division based at Kiel. In 1887 Caprivi requested the construction of ten armoured frigates. Greater importance was placed at this time on development of the army, which was expected to be more important in any war. However,
18104-595: The two centre turrets were still placed one either side of the ship, they were offset so could now fire either side. The design was considered a success, but the cost at 35.5 million marks was significantly above the 1906 allocation. Light cruiser development continued with the Dresden -class light cruisers, which were to become famous for their actions in the start of World War I in the Pacific. The ships were 3,300 tons, and armed with ten 10.5 cm rapid fire guns and
18250-417: The uniform of a British admiral to receive the visiting British ambassador. At this time the Imperial Navy had 534 officers and 15,480 men. The concept of expanding naval power, inevitably at the cost of not expanding other forces, was opposed by the three successive heads of the German armed forces, Waldersee , Schlieffen and Moltke between 1888 and 1914. It would also have been more widely opposed, had
18396-409: The usefulness of the submarine came with the introduction of quieter and cleaner diesel engines in 1910, which were much more difficult for an enemy to detect. German expenditure on ships was steadily rising. In 1907, 290 million marks was spent on the fleet, rising to 347 million marks or 24 percent of the national budget in 1908, with a predicted budget deficit of 500 million marks. By
18542-662: Was Germany. Five battleships of the Wittelsbach class were constructed from 1899 to 1904 at a cost of 22 million marks per ship. Five ships of the Braunschweig class were built between 1901 and 1906 for the slightly greater 24 million marks each. Technological improvements meant that rapid fire guns could be made larger, so the Braunschweig class had a main armament of 28 cm (11 in) guns. Due to torpedo improvements in range and accuracy, emphasis
18688-556: Was adopted. By 1913 there were four aeroplanes, now including a British Sopwith, and long-term plans to create six naval air stations by 1918. By 1914, the Marine-Fliegerabteilung , the naval counterpart to the well-established Fliegertruppe land-based aviation units of the Army , comprised twelve seaplanes and one landplane and disposed of a budget of 8.5 million marks. Trials in 1914 using seaplanes operating with
18834-534: Was agreed for five battleships of the Kaiser Friedrich III class , completed by 1902. The ships were innovative for their time, introducing a complex system of watertight compartments and storing coal along the sides of the ship to help absorb explosions. However, the ships went against the trend for increasingly larger main guns, having smaller diameter guns than the Brandenburg design, but with
18980-494: Was altered to place turrets on the centre line of the ship for improved accuracy. The four König -class battleships were commenced between October 1911 and May 1912 and entered service in 1914 at a cost of 45 million marks, forming the other part of the Third Squadron of the High Seas Fleet. They were 28,500 tons, with a maximum speed of 21 knots from three triple-stage Brown-Boverie-Parsons turbines. Main armament
19126-591: Was at the disposal of the Oberbefehlshaber des Marineoberkommandos Nord . On 15 March 1945 he took over as Kommandierender Admiral Deutsche Bucht . Kleikamp became a Prisoner of War on 7 May 1945 and remained in British custody until 18 April 1947. In poor health, he was unemployed until Spring 1952, when he joined Hugo Stinnes in Mülheim an der Ruhr . There he died on 13 September 1952. Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or
19272-804: Was commanded by army officers and initially adopted the same regulations as the Prussian army. Supreme command was vested in the emperor, but its first appointed chief was General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry) Albrecht von Stosch . Kiel on the Baltic Sea and Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea served as the Navy's principal naval bases. The former Navy Ministry became the Imperial Admiralty on 1 February 1872, while Stosch became formally an admiral in 1875. Initially
19418-416: Was complemented by the introduction of a variant with lighter armour and greater speed, which became the battlecruiser . The revolution in design, together with improvements in personnel and training severely brought into question the German assumption that a fleet of two-thirds the size of the Royal Navy would at least stand a chance in an engagement. By 1906 Germany was already spending 60% of revenue upon
19564-599: Was confirmed in 1925, and an area of 60 hectares (0.60 km ) was selected on the Westerplatte peninsula. Westerplatte was separated from the New Port of Danzig mainly by the harbour channel; on land, the Polish-held part of Westerplatte was separated from Danzig's territory by a brick wall topped with barbed wire. A dedicated rail line, passing through the Free City, connected the depot with nearby Polish territory. The depot, referred to in League documents as
19710-562: Was drawn up at a similar time, all guns could be fired either side in broadsides, meaning more guns could come to bear than with the Helgoland design, despite having fewer in total. Five ships were constructed rather than the usual four, one to act as a fleet flagship. One ship, the SMS ; Prinzregent Luitpold , was equipped with only two turbines rather than three, with the intention of having an additional diesel engine for cruising, but
19856-479: Was erected at Westerplatte, set within a park, with smaller installations. Westerplatte became a popular tourist attraction. Later, Guardhouse I was relocated in order to save it from destruction during the construction of a new harbour channel. In 1971, Sucharski's grave was relocated to Westerplatte from his original burial place in Italy. In 1974, a small museum was opened in the renovated Guardhouse I. Since
20002-475: Was five double turrets housing twin 30.5 cm guns, arranged with two turrets fore and aft and one in the centre of the ship. The second turret at either end was raised higher than the outer so that it could fire over the top ( superfiring ). As with Prinzregent Luitpold , the ships were originally intended to have one diesel engine for cruising, but these were never developed and turbines were fitted instead. The ships were equipped with torpedo nets, trailed along
20148-474: Was minimal. The Imperial Navy was the first to operate submarines successfully on a large scale in wartime, with 375 submarines commissioned by the end of the First World War , and it also operated zeppelins . Although it was never able to match the number of ships of the Royal Navy, it had technological advantages, such as better shells and propellant for much of the Great War, meaning that it never lost
20294-585: Was not possible to create several designs of cruisers specialised for long range work, or more heavily armoured for fleet work. Work commenced on an armoured cruiser design, SMS Fürst Bismarck started in 1896 and commissioned in 1900. On 18 June 1897 Rear-Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was appointed State Secretary of the Navy, where he remained for nineteen years. Tirpitz advocated the cause of an expanded navy necessary for Germany to defend her territories abroad. He had great success in persuading parliament to pass successive Navy bills authorising expansions of
20440-455: Was placed on a secondary armament of smaller guns to defend against them. The five Deutschland -class battleships constructed between 1903 and 1908 had similar armament as the Braunschweig class, but heavier armour, for the slightly greater sum of 24.5 million marks each. Development of armoured cruisers also continued. Fürst Bismarck ' s design was improved upon in the subsequent Prinz Heinrich , completed in 1902. Two ships of
20586-510: Was put out of service, he transferred to Schlesien , the new flagship of Marinestation Nordsee , in the same role. From 28 September 1928 Kleikamp was the officer responsible for training and education on the cruiser Emden , before being appointed director of the Nachrichtenmittelversuchsanstalt on 11 February 1930. He served in this position until October 1932, when he was appointed naval liaison officer to
20732-644: Was replaced by the long-serving Admiral Georg Alexander von Müller . The existing Imperial admiralty was abolished and its responsibilities divided between two organisations. A new position of Chief of the Imperial Naval High Command was created, being responsible for ship deployments, strategy and tactics, an equivalent to the supreme commander of the Army. Vice admiral Max von der Goltz was appointed in 1889 and remained in post until 1895. Construction and maintenance of ships and obtaining supplies
20878-425: Was sent to Danzig on a friendship visit, in place of the cruiser Königsberg . The visit was a ruse to bring a landing force to Danzig in order to neutralize Polish fortifications in the harbour. For this purpose Schleswig-Holstein had received 60 men with five 2 cm AA guns and six machine guns. While en route, Schleswig-Holstein rendezvoused with the German minesweeper M-1 and other vessels, carrying
21024-538: Was the responsibility of the State Secretary of the Imperial Navy Office ( Reichsmarineamt ), responsible to the chancellor and advising the Reichstag on naval matters. The first appointee was Rear Admiral Karl Eduard Heusner , followed shortly by Rear Admiral Friedrich von Hollmann from 1890 to 1897. Each of these three heads of department reported separately to Wilhelm II. In 1895 funding
21170-605: Was to initiate negotiations with Britain for an agreed slow down in naval building. Negotiations came to nothing when in 1911 the Agadir Crisis brought France and Germany into conflict. Germany attempted to 'persuade' France to cede territory in the Middle Congo in return for giving France a free hand in Morocco. The effect was to raise concerns in Britain over Germany's expansionist aims, and encouraged Britain to form
21316-535: Was transferred to the pre-dreadnought battleship Braunschweig in the same capacity, where he served until he was given command of the German minesweeper M 113 on 1 October 1922. After a year as commanding officer, Kleikamp joined the faculty at the Marinenachrichtenschule on 1 October 1923. Having received promotion to Kapitänleutnant in 1925, he joined the battleship Hannover on 24 September 1926 as Rollenoffizier . When Hannover
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