Bernhard Rogge (4 November 1899 – 29 June 1982) was a German naval officer who, during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, commanded a
merchant raider
Merchant raiders are armed commerce raiding ships that disguise themselves as non-combatant merchant vessels.
History
Germany used several merchant raiders early in World War I (1914–1918), and again early in World War II (1939–1945). The cap ...
. Later, he became a
Konteradmiral
''Konteradmiral'', abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to ''Generalmajor'' in the '' Heer'' and ''Luftwaffe'' or to '' Admiralstabsarzt'' and '' Generalstabsarzt'' in the ' ...
in
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
's
navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
.
Rogge became a ''
Vizeadmiral
(abbreviated VAdm) is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German (language), German-speaking countries, equivalent to Vice admiral.
Austria-Hungary
In the Austro-Hungarian Navy there were the flag-officer ranks ''Kontreadmiral'' (al ...
'' (vice-admiral) by the end of World War II, and, when the
West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
navy was established after the war, returned to service as a ''Konteradmiral'' (rear-admiral). He also was one of the few German officers of
flag rank
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countries ...
who was not arrested by the Allies after the war. This was due to the way he had exercised his command of .
Early life
Rogge was born in
Schleswig
The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...
, the son of a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
minister, and was himself devoutly religious.
Military career
* 1915 — joins the
Imperial German Navy
The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Kaise ...
as a volunteer
* After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
— serves on various
cruisers
* Mid-1930s to 1939 — commander of the sail training ship
SSS ''Albert Leo Schlageter''
* September 1939 — assigned to the
** Mid-December 1939 — ''Atlantis'' is formally commissioned
** 31 March 1940 — ''Atlantis'' sets out to sea
** 11 November 1940 — ''Atlantis'' scuttles British cargo ship near
Sumatra after retrieving top secret documents for which the Japanese government would reward Rogge with an ornate
katana
A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the '' tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge f ...
in April 1943
** 22 November 1941 — ''Atlantis'' is sunk by
**15 Apr 1942- Chief of Staff to Inspector of Training Affairs
**1 March 1943- promoted to Konteradmiral and Inspector of Training Affairs
**20 Sept 1944- Cdr Fleet Training Formations
**1 March 1945- promoted to Vizeadmiral
* After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
— discharged
* 1 June 1957 — enters the post-World War II
West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
Bundesmarine
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
with the rank of Konteradmiral
** 1 June 1957 – 29 September 1957 — delegated with the Command of Military Area Command I
** 30 September 1957 – 31 March 1962 — Commander of Military Area Command I
** 15 April 1958 – 31 March 1962 — at the same time,
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
Commander of Land Forces in
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
(COMLAND-SCHLESWIG)
* 31 March 1962 — retires from the German Bundesmarine as a
Konteradmiral
''Konteradmiral'', abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to ''Generalmajor'' in the '' Heer'' and ''Luftwaffe'' or to '' Admiralstabsarzt'' and '' Generalstabsarzt'' in the ' ...
Assessment
![Hilfskreuzer Atlantis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Hilfskreuzer_Atlantis.jpg)
J. Armstrong White, captain of the British merchant ship
City of Bagdad
The SS ''City of Bagdad'' was a British merchant ship built for the Ellerman Lines that was captured and sunk by the German raider ''Atlantis'' on 11 July 1940.
The crew were kept prisoner for 107 days on the ''Atlantis'' before transferring to ...
, which ''Atlantis'' sank in July 1940, stated, "His treatment of prisoners left respect, instead of hatred". White later wrote the foreword to ''Atlantis, the Story of a German Surface Raider'', written by U. Mohr &
A. V. Sellwood.
Admiral
Karl Dönitz, who was prosecuted for war crimes at the
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II.
Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany invaded m ...
, cited his own support of Rogge, who had a Jewish grandparent, in an effort to clear himself of the charge of being
antisemitic.
Rogge confirmed the death sentence of the 21-year-old sailor
Johann Christian Süß. Süß was sentenced to death on 10 May 1945, two days after the German capitulation, for "undermining the discipline" and "disruptive speeches" based on paragraph 5 numeral 2 of the ''Kriegssonderstrafrechtsverordnung'' (KSSVO—Special War Criminal Regulation). Süß was executed by firing squad on 11 May 1945.
Awards
*
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...
(1914) 2nd and 1st Class
[Thomas 1998, p. 222.]
*
General Honor Decoration
*
Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (german: Das Ehrenkreuz des Weltkrieges 1914/1918), commonly, but incorrectly, known as the Hindenburg Cross or the German WWI Service Cross was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, Presiden ...
(7 November 1934)
[Dörr 1996, p. 180.]
*
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Meri ...
2rd Class with Swords
*
Wehrmacht Long Service Award
The Wehrmacht Long Service Award () was a military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service.
History
On 16 March, 1936, Adolf Hitler ordered the institution of a service awar ...
, 4th to 1st Class
* Italian
Bronze Medal of Military Valor
The Bronze Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry.
It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on 26 March 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold and Silver Medals for Military ...
(''Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare'') (25 September 1941)
*
Japanese sword
A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794 – 1185) to ...
(27 April 1942)
*
Clasp to the Iron Cross
The Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz) was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World W ...
(1939) 2nd and 1st Class
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Knight' ...
** Knight's Cross on 7 December 1940 as ''
Kapitän zur See
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain.
Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...
'' and commander of auxiliary cruiser ''Atlantis'' (HSK 2)
** Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as ''Kapitän zur See'' and commander of HSK 2 auxiliary cruiser ''Atlantis'' (Ship 16)
*
Auxiliary Cruiser Badge with diamonds.
* Commanders Cross,
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
(31 March 1962)
Works
*Rogge, Bernhard, and Wolfgang Frank. ''Under Ten Flags''. New York: Ballantine, 1960; which is a translation of ''Schiff 16''.
[Rogge, Bernhard, and Wolfgang Frank. ''Under Ten Flags''. New York: Ballantine, 1960. ]
References
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogge, Bernhard
1899 births
1982 deaths
People from Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein
Military personnel from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
Vice admirals of the Kriegsmarine
Bundesmarine admirals
German Christians
Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I
Reichsmarine personnel
Counter admirals of the German Navy
20th-century Freikorps personnel