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Showing the Flag: War Cruiser Karlsruhe and Germandom Abroad

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Showing the Flag: War Cruiser Karlsruhe and Germandom Abroad SHOWING THE FLAG: WAR CRUISER KARLSRUHE AND GERMANDOM ABROAD Simone Carlota Cezanne De Santiago Ramos, BS, MS, MA Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2013 APPROVED: Robert M. Citino, Major Professor Randolph B. Campbell, Committee Member Olga V. Velikanova, Committee Member GeoffreyWawro, Committee Member Günter Gross, Committee Member Rick McCaslin, Chair of the Department of History Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School De Santiago Ramos, Simone Carlota Cezanne. Showing the Flag: War Cruiser Karlsruhe and Germandom Abroad. Doctor of Philosophy (History), August 2013, 209 pp., references, 240 titles. In the early 1920s the Weimar Republic commissioned a series of new light cruisers of the Königsberg class and in July 1926, the keel of the later christened Karlsruhe was laid down. The 570 feet long and almost 50 feet wide ship was used as a training cruiser for future German naval officers. Between 1930 and 1936 the ship conducted in all five good-will tours around the world, two under the Weimar Republic and three under the Third Reich. These good-will tours or gute Willen Fahrten were an important first step in reconciling Germany to the rest of the world and were meant to improve international relations. The Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense carefully orchestrated all stops of the vessels in conjunction with the respective embassies abroad. Final arrangements were made at least six-nine months before the scheduled visits and even small adjustments to the itinerary proved troublesome. Further, all visits were treated as “unofficial presentations.” The mission of the Karlsruhe was twofold: first to extend or renew relations with other nations, and second to foster notions of Heimat and the Germandom (Deutschtum) abroad. The dissertation is divided in two large parts; the individual training cruises with all the arrangements, the selection of the individual nations and ports, and explores the level of decision making amongst the various agencies, departments, and organizations involved. For the Weimar Republic, the ship represented modernity and a break with the past, and embodied at one and the same time, traditional German culture and the idea of progress. Since the cruiser continued its training abroad after 1933, a comparison between the “two Germanies” makes sense. The second part of the research will explore the notion of Heimat and the Germans living abroad and how the Karlsruhe acted as a symbolic link between the two. The concept of Heimat is important to the self-understanding, or identity construction of the Germans. It is the quintessence of Germaness (Deutschtümelei). This multi-layered and complex idea embodies not only language, but also traditions and customs, nature and politics. It evokes feelings of belonging, comfort, sanctuary, and safety. We can identify the term with family, birthplace, nation, dialect, race, even food. Heimat is a place where one doesn’t have to explain oneself. The German navy encouraged the sailors to write diaries during the voyages, cadets were required to do so. Several of the diaries and letters provide the foundation for this dissertation. Other primary sources include reports, logbooks, navy policies and procedures found at the Foreign Office in Berlin, the German Naval Archives in Flensburg, the Archives at the Museum for Maritime History in Bremerhaven, the University of Hamburg, the University of the Bundeswehr in Hamburg, the British National Archives in Kew, and the National Archives in Washington, D.C. particularly the records of the German Naval High Command, as well as cabinet meetings from the Weimar period. Various navy journals and the official Merkblätter (information sheets) from the Karlsruhe are also included. Printed onboard, these pamphlets contain general information about the local population, including the form of government, important industries, and the number of Germans living there. German newspapers, but also newspapers from each country or port visited were be incorporated. Copyright 2013 by Simone Carlota Cezanne De Santiago Ramos ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals and organizations that helped made this project come to fruition. First and foremost I am endebted to Dr. Robert Citino who guided, supported, and encouraged me along the sometimes difficult way. His insights into German naval military history has been significant in improving this dissertation. With his knowledge and patience this dissertation finally came to a completion. My other professors, Dr. Randolph “Mike” Campbell and his Local History class where this project initially started, Dr. GeoffreyWawro, and Dr. Olga Velikanova deserve an equal acknowledgement and gratitude. Further, I am indebted to Dr. Günter W. Gross who selfishly gave me his father’s personal thoughts to read and mine. Along the way, the Political Archives of the Foreign Office in Berlin, the Bundesarchiv in Berlin, the Deutsche Schiffahrtsmuseum in Bremerhaven, and the staff at the Helmut Schmidt University of the Bundeswehr, and the National Archives in Kew, England deserve a special thank. The gracious and helpful staff at the Marineschule Flensburg-Mürwik und Archiv des Wehrgeschichtliches Ausbildungszentrum WGAZ Mürwik opened their doors to new material. A big “Moin” to Jens Sutter in Scotland, Wolf von Buchholz and the rest of the sailors who allowed me to sail with them, and who provided me with technical support and insights into the German navy. A special thanks to the family of Frau Gerlinde Karl and her husband Felix and Frau Renate Schallehn. Dr. Fritz E. Schwalm and his wife Renate, my confidant Margit Noell, and Nicole, who supplied me with last minute material from German archives, and a patient editor Ryan Schumacher all contributed and helped make this a success. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVERSIONS ...................................................................................v RANKS ......................................................................................................................................... vii TECHNICAL DETAILS ............................................................................................................. viii Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION: HISTORIOGRAPHY AND CRUISER KARLSRUHE ...........1 2. OVERVIEW OF GERMAN NAVY, HISTORIOGRAPHY ................................14 3. DEUTSCHTUM ABROAD ...................................................................................33 4. MAIDEN VOYAGE AND INCIDENT IN AFRICA ...........................................54 5. LAST VOYAGE UNDER THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC ......................................74 6. UNDER THE SWASTIKA .................................................................................103 7. CREW 34 .............................................................................................................130 8. THE LAST TRAINING CRUISE, THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, AND THE INVASION OF NORWAY .................................................................................157 9. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................176 Appendices A. ROUTES ..............................................................................................................182 B. ILLUSTRATIONS /FLAGS ................................................................................186 C. NAMES/RANKS/POSITIONS ...........................................................................190 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................193 iv ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVERSIONS Auslandsorganization der NSDAP (Foreign Organization NADAP) AO Auswärtiges Amt (German Foreign Office) AA Allgemeines Wehrmachtsamt (Armed Forces General Office) AWA Bundesarchiv (Federal German Archives) BA Deutsches Auslands Institut (German Foreign Institute) DAI British Foreign Office BFO Inter-Allied Commission of Control IACC Generalstab (General Staff) GENST Handelspolitische Abteilung (Trade Policy Department) Ha-Pol His Majesty’s Ships H.M.S. International Military Tribunal IMT Kriegstagebuch (War Diary) KTB Marinepersonalamt (Navy Personnel Office) MPA Marine Rundschau MR Marinewaffenamt (Navy Ordnance Office) MWa Marinewehramt (Naval Defense Office) MWehr Oberkommando der Marine (Navy High Command) OKM Public Record Office, London PRO Principal Allied and Associated Power PAAP Reichsauswanderungsamt (Reich Patriation Office) RAWA Reichsgesetzblatt (Reich Law Gazette) RGBl Reichsmarineamt (German Naval Office) RMA Reichsmark RM v Reichswehrministerium (Ministry of Defense) RWeM Völkischer Beobachter VB Verein für das Deutschtum im Ausland (League of Germandom Abroad) VdA Conversions 1 meter = 1.094 yard 1 centimeter = 0.393 inch 1 nautical mile = 2.205 yards = 1.852 meter 1 knot (kn) = 1.852 km/hour = 1.151 mile/hour vi RANKS German Navy and their United States Equivalent Kriegsmarine U.S. Navy Grossadmiral Admiral of the Fleet Generaladmiral no equivalent Admiral Admiral Vizeadmiral Vice Admiral Konteradmiral Rear Admiral Kommodore Commodore Kaptain zur See Captain Fregattenkapitän Commander Korvettenkapitän Lieutenant Commander Kapitanleutnant Lieutenant Oberleutnant zur See Lieutenant Junior Grade Leutnant zur See Ensign Oberfähnrich
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