Bernhard Rogge

Bernhard Rogge
Bernhard Rogge
Born	(1899-11-04)4 November 1899 Schleswig
Died	29 June 1982(1982-06-29) (aged 82) Reinbek
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Kaiserliche Marine Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine German Federal Navy
Years of service	1915–1962
Rank	Vizeadmiral Konteradmiral
Unit	SMS Freya SMS Moltke SMS Stralsund SMS Pillau light cruiser Amazone Schleswig-Holstein SSS Niobe
Commands held	SSS Niobe (in deputize) SSS Gorch Fock SSS Albert Leo Schlageter auxiliary cruiser Atlantis
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub Great Cross of Merit

Bernhard Rogge (4 November 1899 – 29 June 1982) was a Captain (German: Kapitän zur See) of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) who, during World War II, commanded a merchant raider.

He was awarded a Japanese ornate Samurai sword and the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions as the commander of the Hilfskreuzer (auxiliary cruiser) Atlantis (Schiff 16).

Rogge eventually became a Vizeadmiral (vice-admiral—equivalent to a two star admiral during World War II) by the end of World War II, and, when the West German Bundesmarine was established after the war, returned to service as a Konteradmiral (rear-admiral—a two star admiral).

Rogge also was one of the few German officers of flag rank who was not arrested by the Allies after the war. This was due to the way he had exercised his command of Atlantis.

Early life

Rogge was born in Schleswig, the son of a Lutheran minister, and was himself devoutly religious.

Rogge was one of many German officers who were forced to apply for a German Blood Certificate, that would allow their racial background to be overlooked (he had a Jewish grandparent).

Compliments

Atlantis

The skipper of the British vessel, City of Baghdad, which the Atlantis sank in July 1941, stated, "His treatment of prisoners left respect, instead of hatred". The Captain of the City of Baghdad, J. Armstrong 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, cited his own support of Rogge in an effort to clear himself of the charge of being antisemitic.

Military career

• 1915 — joins the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) as an ensign
• After World War I — serves on various cruisers
• Mid-1930s to 1939 — commander of the German Navy's sail training ship Albert Leo Schlageter
• September 1939 — assigned to the Hilfskreuzer Atlantis
  • mid-December 1939 — the Atlantis is formally commissioned
  • 31 March 1940 — the Atlantis sets out to sea
  • 22 November 1941 — the Atlantis is sunk by HMS Devonshire
• After World War II — discharged
• 1 June 1957 — enters the post-World War II West German Bundesmarine 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 Commander of Land Forces in Schleswig-Holstein (COMLAND-SCHLESWIG)
• 31 March 1962 — retires from the German Bundesmarine as a Konteradmiral

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
• Cross of Honor
• Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. to I. Class
• Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Kriegsabzeichen für Hilfskreuzer with Diamonds (sole recipient)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 7 December 1940 as Kapitän zur See and commander of auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (HSK 2)
  • 45th Oak Leaves on 31 December 1941 as Kapitän zur See and commander of HSK 2 auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (Ship 16)
• Grand Cross of Merit (31 March 1962)

Film

Rogge and the cruise of Atlantis were depicted in the 1960 film Sotto dieci bandiere (Under Ten Flags) starring Van Heflin and Charles Laughton.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Dörr, Manfred (1996). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 2:L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2497-2.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Huß, Jürgen & Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939–1945 (in German). VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 3-925480-79-X.
• Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-355-0.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Helden der Wehrmacht – Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2004. ISBN 3-924309-53-1.