Befehlshaber der U-Boote
Encyclopedia
Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) was the title of the supreme commander of the Kriegsmarine
s U-boat Arm (Ubootwaffe) during World War II
. The term also referred to the Command HQ of the U-boat
arm itself
.
The title was established on 17 October 1939, when Karl Dönitz
was promoted to Rear Admiral
(Konteradmiral). His previous title had been U-Boat Leader (Führer der U-Boote), a position he had held from January 1936.
On 31 January 1943 Dönitz was promoted to Grand Admiral
(Großadmiral) and became supreme commander (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) of the entire Kriegsmarine, replacing Erich Raeder
. He retained the title, but was replaced as operational commander at BdU by his chief of staff Eberhard Godt
.
Godt's successor was Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg who held the position at the end of the war.
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
s U-boat Arm (Ubootwaffe) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The term also referred to the Command HQ of the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
arm itself
.
The title was established on 17 October 1939, when Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...
was promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
(Konteradmiral). His previous title had been U-Boat Leader (Führer der U-Boote), a position he had held from January 1936.
On 31 January 1943 Dönitz was promoted to Grand Admiral
Grand Admiral
Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use was in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
(Großadmiral) and became supreme commander (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine) of the entire Kriegsmarine, replacing Erich Raeder
Erich Raeder
Erich Johann Albert Raeder was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral — in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz...
. He retained the title, but was replaced as operational commander at BdU by his chief of staff Eberhard Godt
Eberhard Godt
Eberhard Godt was a German naval officer who served in both World War I and World War II, rising eventually to command the Kriegsmarine's U-boat operations. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1918 and resigned after the ceasefire in November of that year...
.
Godt's successor was Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg who held the position at the end of the war.