Kriegsmarine

800px-War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg

The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime (1935–1945). It superseded the Reichsmarine and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.

The Kriegsmarine's most famous ships were the U-boat wolf packs, constructed after Plan Z was abandoned on the eve of the war.

Kriegsmarine in Days of Infamy[]

The Kriegsmarine was busy fighting in the Atlantic when Japan invaded Hawaii in 1941. News of their victories was printed in the Japanese-run newspapers and footage shown in cinema news reels.

After the first attempt to retake the islands failed, the US Navy adopted the sub tactics of the Kriegsmarine and applied them to the Japanese with devastating results.

Kriegsmarine in Joe Steele[]

After Hitler declared war on the U.S., U-boats of the Kriegsmarine started sinking shipping off the US east coast. These losses were kept out of the newspapers.

Kriegsmarine in "News From the Front"[]

Throughout World War II, many US newspapers reported on the staggering losses US shipping was taking from U-boats of the Kriegsmarine. They were angered and frustrated that the US Navy and the Roosevelt administration seemed powerless to not only prevent these losses but sink the U-Boats plaguing the waters off the US East Coast.

Kriegsmarine in The War That Came Early[]

When war broke out in 1938, the Kriegsmarine could do very little except sinking British frigate ships in the North Atlantic and fighting Russian ships in the Baltic.

In mid-1939, the Kriegsmarine had it's biggest challenge, when they were used to support the German invasion of Norway. As the land campaign progressed in favour of the Germans, it became clear that their surface ships simply weren't a match for the Royal Navy. Although their battle cruisers managed to sink a few destroyers and a carrier, they suffered heavy losses, which they could not afford to let happen again. In spite of those set backs, the Kriegsmarine dominated the waters of the eastern North Sea.

After the "Big Switch" in mid 1940, the Kriegsmarine concentrated all of their efforts in the Baltic Sea against the Soviet Navy, while the Royal Navy concentrated on the Barents sea. However, they were unable to break through and get at the Soviet Fleet, due to sea mines and aircraft.

After the British Coup, the Kriegsmarine began conducting U-Boat operations out of Norway, attempting to prevent the BEF from returning to England.

In later parts of the war, the situation was growing worse for the Kriegsmarine, with the British having improved their ability to locate and destroy German U-boats. Admiral Karl Dönitz, a conscientious commanding officer, confided in Captain Julius Lemp his increasing reluctance to send crews on missions which were likely to to end with their deaths.

This worsening situation at sea was kept secret from the general public, but was presumably shared with other branches of the German armed forces. Together with the two-front war on land going badly for Germany and with Hitler's reckless declaration of war on the US, this might have been among the factors impelling the generals to overthrow Hitler and terminate the war on relatively good terms.

Since unlike 1918 there were no limits placed on German armaments, the Kriegsmarine embarked on production of an improved new type of U-boat which had not been used in the war.

Kriegsmarine in Worldwar[]

The Kriegsmarine was busy fighting the bulk of the Royal Navy for control of the Atlantic when the Race invaded in mid 1942, and quickly found itself pushed into the background. As The Race did not process a Navy of its own, the Kreigsmarine was reduced to transport roles, though it was implied by Fleetlord Atvar that some ships bombarded Race positions on land. After the US detonated an atomic bomb of its own, Atvar ordered Race killercraft to attack Tosevite navies. It is unknown what losses the Kriegsmarine suffered.

Although the Kriegsmarine played no significant role, their major strike against the Race came in 1944 when an Elektroboot sailed from Crete to Alexandria completely underwater, and detonated Germany's third explosive-metal bomb.

During the Race-German War of 1965, the Kriegsmarine's nuclear submarines launched nuclear attacks against Race colonies. After the war concluded, the Race was forced to allow Germany to remain an independent country, as they retained some submarines that could devastate Race territory.

During an argument with Race ambassador Queek in which Vyacheslav Molotov was warned the USSR would be blamed if China obtained nuclear armaments, Molotov retorted that a rogue and disgruntled Kriegsmarine submarine commander could give weapons to the Chinese. Much to Queek's annoyance, the Race had to seriously consider this possibility.