__NOTOC__ Theodor Krancke (30 March 1893 – 18 June 1973) was a naval commander (

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

) of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

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 opposin ...

and a recipient of the

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' ...

. Under the command of Krancke, during the five-month-long raiding cruise, the pocket battleship ''Admiral Scheer'' sank 13 merchant ships, one armed merchant cruiser , and captured three merchant ships representing of Allied and neutral shipping. During the Allied

Invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

Krancke, as Commander-in-Chief of Navy Group Command West headquartered in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, controlled all German naval vessels in France, as well as the various land-based naval units and the naval coastal artillery and anti-aircraft batteries along the French Atlantic coast.

Dates of Rank

*Fähnrich zur See – 12 April 1913 *Leutnant zur See – 22 March 1915 *Oberleutnant zur See – 25 December 1917 *Kapitänleutnant – 1 September 1922 *Korvettenkapitän – 1 October 1930 *Fregattenkapitän – 1 November 1935 *Kapitän zur See – 1 April 1937 *Konteradmiral – 1 April 1941 *Vizeadmiral – 1 April 1942 *Admiral – 1 March 1943

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 est ...

(1914) 2nd Class (May 1915) & 1st Class (27 September 1919)Dörr 1995, p. 358. *

Sudetenland Medal The 1 October 1938 Commemorative Medal (german: Die Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938), commonly known as the Sudetenland Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, and the second in a series of Occupa ...

1939 *

High Seas Fleet Badge The High Seas Fleet Badge (), also known as High Seas Fleet War Badge, was a World War II German military decoration awarded for service to the crews of the ''Kriegsmarine'' High Seas Fleet, mainly of the battleships and cruisers, but also those s ...

1941 *

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 Class (29 October 1939) & 1st Class (20 April 1940) *

** Knight's Cross on 21 February 1941 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 heavy cruiser ''Admiral Scheer''Scherzer 2007, p. 470. ** 614th Oak Leaves on 18 October 1944 as ''

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

'' and commander in chief of ''Marinegruppenkommando West'' (Navy Group Command West)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Krancke, Theodor 1893 births 1973 deaths Military personnel from Magdeburg People from the Province of Saxony Admirals of the Kriegsmarine Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I Reichsmarine personnel