Raeder, E. Mein Leben. Oberbefehlshaber der deutschen Kriegsmarine 1935 - 1943

Life Memoirs. In the memoirs of the Grand Admiral Dr. h.c. Erich Raeder, first published in a two-volume edition in 1956 and 1957, reflect the history of the German navy in the first half of the 20th century. Erich Raeder joined the Kaiserliche Kriegsmarine as a naval cadet in 1894 after graduating from high school. As a signal officer, he served on the armoured ships "Sachsen", "Baden" and on the large cruiser "Deutschland". After scientific studies at the Naval Academy, he was promoted to lieutenant captain in 1905. In the First World War, he was used as an admiral staff officer under Admiral von Hipper, at whose side he stood in the battles on the Dogger Bank and in the Skagerrak. After promotion to frigate captain in April 1917, he attained the position of "Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Reconnaissance Forces". Towards the end of the war, he was commander of the small cruiser "Cölln" and, after the German surrender, became a member of the Armistice Commission and Chief of the Central Department of the Reichsmarineamt. Under promotion to Rear Admiral, Raeder was appointed Inspector of Naval Education on 1.7.1922. In autumn 1924 followed the appointment as Commander of the Light Naval Forces of the North Sea and in January 1925, as Vice-Admiral, he came to the post of Chief of Naval Station of the Baltic Sea. On 1 October 1928, Admiral Raeder assumed the post of Chief of Naval Headquarters, a position that was renamed Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine in 1935. This also gave Erich Raeder the rank of Reich Minister in National Socialist Germany. Promotion to Admiral General followed on 20.4.1936, and to Grand Admiral on 1.4.1939.