This volume presents a complete and structured English translation of all known Führer conferences with the German Navy for the year 1939, the pivotal first year of WWII. It includes:
- Verbatim transcripts of conferences between Hitler and the German Navy High Command (especially Grand Admiral Raeder)
- Reflections and memoranda prepared by naval officers such as Admiral Assmann
- Strategic planning documents: warship dispositions, submarine warfare policies, fleet mobilization plans
- Operational assessments: British fleet estimates, Atlantic shipping lanes, mine-laying operations
- Economic warfare strategies, including the proposed “Siege of England” through unrestricted submarine warfare
- Political context, showing Hitler’s hesitations and miscalculations (e.g., belief that Britain and France might not enter the war)
- Annexes:
- Annex 1: Strategic memo on intensified economic warfare
- Annex 2: Draft Führer Order on naval mobilization priority
- Glossary of operational and bureaucratic terms
Arrangement
- Chronological order of conferences
- Structured into conference records, reflections, supplementary materials, and appendices
- Each entry is referenced with a microfilm code (e.g., PC 52185 T-15B)
Disclaimer
This document is a historical translation of original German naval records from the year 1939, compiled and translated by the United States Office of Naval Intelligence and declassified for public access. The content reflects the military strategies, operational planning, and ideological views of the Nazi regime and its naval command structure during the early stages of World War II.
The inclusion of names, terminology, symbols, or quotations from the original source does not imply endorsement of any kind by the translator, publisher, or any affiliated institution.
Researchers should be aware that:
- The document contains explicit references to Nazi military planning, including aggressive warfare, unrestricted submarine warfare, and economic blockade strategies.
- The language and worldview of the original authors reflect the political and ideological context of National Socialist Germany and may be offensive or disturbing to modern readers.
- This file is presented strictly for educational, historical, and archival purposes to support scholarly research, analysis, and the preservation of factual historical records.
No part of this document may be interpreted as promoting or legitimizing the actions, policies, or ideology of the Nazi regime.
Condition Note
The file is in generally good archival condition, with clear, high-resolution scans of the original microfilmed pages. The text is fully legible throughout, aided by a consistent typewriter font and structured formatting. While some minor artifacts from microfilm reproduction are present (e.g., page edge darkening or slight warping), they do not impede readability. Pagination and headings are intact.
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