Die deutsche Kriegsmarine

The Kriegsmarine - (War Navy) was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime (1935--1945). It superseded the Reichsmarine and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany. The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly during German naval rearmament under Plan Z, a large-scale plan calling for the construction of multiple naval vessels. The ships of the Kriegsmarine, some of which (mostly battlecruisers) were made under Plan Z, fought during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. The commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine was Adolf Hitler, who exercised his authority through the Oberkommando der Marine.