Hans Zenker
Encyclopedia
Hans Zenker was a German
admiral
.
, Poland
), he entered the Kaiserliche Marine
on April 13, 1889. After serving as captain of several torpedo boat
s, he commannded in turn the light cruisers Lübeck in 1911 and Cöln in 1912-13. As captain of the battle cruiser Von der Tann
in 1916-17, Zenker saw action in the Battle of Jutland
on May 31/June 1, 1916.
Zenker joined the Admiralty Staff in 1917. He was appointed to the North Sea area command in 1918, holding this post when the German war effort collapsed in November 1918.
After the war, he was an officer of the Reichsmarine
, serving as Inspekteur der Marineartillerie from 1920 to 1923 and the top post of Oberbefehlshaber der Reichsmarine from October 1, 1924, to September 30, 1928. His tenure as OBderRM saw the beginning of the rebuilding of the German fleet with the construction of light cruiser
s and torpedo boats and the planning of Panzerschiffe, later built as the Deutschland, Admiral Scheer, and Admiral Graf Spee.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
.
Biography
Born in Bielitz (now Bielsko-BiałaBielsko-Biała
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), he entered the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
on April 13, 1889. After serving as captain of several torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s, he commannded in turn the light cruisers Lübeck in 1911 and Cöln in 1912-13. As captain of the battle cruiser Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" in German. was the first battlecruiser built for the German Kaiserliche Marine, as well as Germany's first major turbine-powered warship. At the time of her construction, Von der Tann was the fastest dreadnought-type...
in 1916-17, Zenker saw action in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
on May 31/June 1, 1916.
Zenker joined the Admiralty Staff in 1917. He was appointed to the North Sea area command in 1918, holding this post when the German war effort collapsed in November 1918.
After the war, he was an officer of the Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
, serving as Inspekteur der Marineartillerie from 1920 to 1923 and the top post of Oberbefehlshaber der Reichsmarine from October 1, 1924, to September 30, 1928. His tenure as OBderRM saw the beginning of the rebuilding of the German fleet with the construction of light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s and torpedo boats and the planning of Panzerschiffe, later built as the Deutschland, Admiral Scheer, and Admiral Graf Spee.