Erich Raeder

Erich Raeder
Official Portrait (1940)
Chief of the German Navy High Command
In office
1 June 1935 – 30 January 1943
DeputyRolf Carls
Preceded byHimself (as Head of the Naval Command)
Succeeded byKarl Dönitz
Head of the German Naval Command
In office
1 October 1928 – 1 June 1935
Preceded byHans Zenker
Succeeded byHimself (as Oberbefehlshaber der Marine)
Personal details
Born
Erich Johann Albert Raeder

(1876-04-24)24 April 1876
Wandsbek, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died6 November 1960(1960-11-06) (aged 84)[1]
Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany
Resting placeNordfriedhof cemetery, Kiel[2][3]
SpouseAugusta Schultz
Children4
Parent(s)Hans Friedrich Eduard Raeder (father)
Gertrud Wilhelmine Margaretha (mother)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/service
Years of service1894–1943
RankGroßadmiral
CommandsSMS Cöln
Battles/warsWorld War I World War II
Awards
Criminal conviction
Criminal statusDeceased
Conviction(s)Conspiracy to commit crimes against peace
Crimes of aggression
War crimes
TrialNuremberg trials
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment

Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960[1]) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II and was convicted of war crimes after the war. He attained the highest possible naval rank, that of grand admiral, in 1939. Raeder led the Kriegsmarine for the first half of the war; he resigned in January 1943 and was replaced by Karl Dönitz. At the Nuremberg trials he was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released early owing to failing health in 1955.

  1. ^ a b The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2 November 2020) [20 July 1998]. "Erich Raeder". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Erich Raeder 24.IV.1876 – 06.XI.1960". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 14 April 2021. Obituary.
  3. ^ Thorne, Stephen J. (30 October 2019). "Raeder's Defence: German Admiral Fights for His Doomed Fleet". Legion. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.