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Theodor KranckeGerman admiral, participant in the First and Second World Wars.
Date of Birth: 30.03.1893
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Theodor Kranke
Theodor Kranke was a German admiral and participant in both the First and Second World Wars. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1912 and served during the First World War, sailing on torpedo boats.
Career
From 1930 to 1932, Kranke served as the commander of the 4th Torpedo Flotilla. He then became the chief of the country's defense department in the Imperial Naval Command from 1935 to 1937. In 1937, he was appointed as the head of the Naval Academy.
In August 1939, Kranke became the chief of staff for the commander-in-chief of the North Sea. On October 31, 1939, he took command of the pocket battleship "Admiral Scheer." Under his leadership, the ship successfully raided the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, sinking 13 merchant vessels, the auxiliary cruiser "Jervis Bay," and capturing three additional ships. The total tonnage of the sunk and captured vessels amounted to 115,195 gross registered tons. As a result of this campaign, Kranke was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and awarded the Knight's Cross on February 21, 1941.
From June 1941, Kranke became the chief of the Command Department of the Naval High Command and the chief of staff for naval operations. In January 1942, he served as the representative of Admiral Erich Raeder, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, at Adolf Hitler's headquarters. However, in February 1943, he was removed from his position with the arrival of Admiral Karl Dönitz as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.
Later Years
From April 1943, Kranke commanded the Western Naval Group with headquarters in Paris. During the conspiracy against Hitler in July 1944, led by General Carl von Stülpnagel, the conspirators took control of Paris and arrested all members of the SS and SD. However, Kranke directed his subordinate sailors to suppress the uprising, which the conspirators did not expect.
On October 18, 1944, Kranke was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. In May 1945, he was arrested and remained in prison until 1947.
