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Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:41 am
by José M. Rico
In the link below you will eventually have access to all important naval conferences that took place between the Führer and the Commander in Chief of the Kriegsmarine between 1939 and 1945. These documents, together with many other German Navy files, were captured by the Allies at Tambach Castle near Coburg in April 1945, and can now be found at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. For the most part the documents translated are the result of notes taken for the head of the Kriegsmarine during his meetings with Hitler. After these notes were subsequently typed, they were signed by Grand Admiral Raeder (Dönitz from February 1943 to April 1945).

http://www.kbismarck.com/fuhrer-conferences.html

Happy reading!!

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:24 am
by RF
Happy reading indeed, and a lot of it. Thanks for posting these records.

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 3:32 am
by José M. Rico
All conferences up to August 1943 are now accesible.
The rest will be added in the following weeks.

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 5:56 pm
by paul.mercer
Hi Jos'e,
I seem to remember I had a book entitled 'The Fuhrer Naval Conferences' which was published some time ago, is this newer information that what was in the book?

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 6:41 pm
by OpanaPointer
I doubt it. I have that book. It was taken from the same source IIRC. I'd have to walk across the room to check.

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:02 pm
by José M. Rico
paul.mercer wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 5:56 pm I seem to remember I had a book entitled 'The Fuhrer Naval Conferences' which was published some time ago, is this newer information that what was in the book?
It is basically the same thing. The book you mention: "Fuehrer Conferences on Naval Affairs, 1939-1945", is a reprint of Brassey's Naval Annual from 1948, but with a short introduction by Jak P. Mallmann Showell. The same material was published in the United States by the Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department.

The American release (what I'm basically uploading to the website), consists of the translated minutes themselves without the "background commentary" from the British editor, BUT including all annexes and appendixes which are missing in the British version.

So, to answer your question, yes, there is some information that can not be found in the book.

There are also some minor translation differences between the British and American versions. For example, the German "Schnellboote" is translated as "PT boats" in the American version, and "Motor boats" in the British version (note: the British actually call them "E-boats" during the war). However, for the HTML version that I am uploading, I chose to use "S-boats" instead, which is closer to the original German "S-boote".
I also made some other modifications of the original text such as:

"Panzerschiffe" instead of "Pocket Battleship",
"Seekriegsleitung" instead of "Naval Staff",
"Lutfwaffe" instead of "Air Force",
Original Wehrmacht ranks instead of English translations.
Etc.

All remarks placed in square brackets [...] within the HTML text are made by myself.

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:04 pm
by José M. Rico
By the way, the original German language version of the conferences is also available at NARA, Washington DC. T1022.

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:43 am
by paul.mercer
Gentlemen,
Just had another look at the 'Report of the Commander in Chief, Navy, to the Führer on 6 June 1941, at the Berghof'. it seems that the German navy had a considerable amount of information about where the all RN ships that were involved in the pursuit and even the names of their captains - was their intelligence really that good?
Also, without wanting to reopen the already much discussed thread about whether Bismarck should have gone after PoW, it states that after the it on her bow her speed was limited to 28 knots, which would have meant that it would have been a very long 'stern chase' to catch up with PoW as no doubt the Germans were aware of her maximum speed as well.
All in all a very interesting read of the battle from 'the other side'

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 7:00 pm
by wadinga
Hi Paul,

All the Germans had to do was have a friend buy a copy of the News Chronicle newspaper for 28th May 1941, price one penny. I have a facsimile copy which mentions most of the ships and their Captain's names. British newspapers may have been available in other neutral countries including the USA and foreign language correspondents will have used this material to write their own versions.

Mr Rico's provision of these Naval Conference reports is a brilliant resource.

All the best

wadinga

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 1:15 am
by José M. Rico
wadinga wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 7:00 pm All the Germans had to do was have a friend buy a copy of the News Chronicle newspaper for 28th May 1941, price one penny. I have a facsimile copy which mentions most of the ships and their Captain's names. British newspapers may have been available in other neutral countries including the USA and foreign language correspondents will have used this material to write their own versions.
I was about to mention that. Link below:

http://www.kbismarck.com/archives/bpressart1.html

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 9:30 am
by RF
British newspapers would also be very easily obtainable in places like Portuguese Goa as well, along with all the shipping information......

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 3:47 pm
by Steve Crandell
One of the most valuable contributions of intelligence services even today is the gathering of unclassified information in countries around the world.

Re: Führer Naval Conferences

Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:50 pm
by José M. Rico
Embassies around the world, diplomatic correspondence that is inviolable, etc. also play an important role in intelligence.