Admiral Karl Doenitz: A Legacy of Leadership.

Abstract

A study of the operational leadership exhibited by ADM Karl Doenitz, Commander in Chief, Submarines, German Navy, during World War II. An examination of his planning, preparation and conduct of the U-boat war in the Atlantic Theater of Operations against the British, and later, the Americans. His objective of sinking the merchant fleet of the British nearly brought Britain to defeat. He displayed great talent in his dedicated fight for resources, innovative tactics of using wolfpacks, his intentive training program and unique command and control system, of these innovations enabled him to maximize use of his limited resources in the optimum way possible to achieve the strategic and operational objectives in the theater. He was also a master of operational maneuver and shifted his focus and his assets within his theater to take advantage of allied vulnerabilities. His personal character traits served him well as he inspired trust and unparalleled loyalty from his subordinates. His operational thinking and practice of operational art throughout this campaign remain a relevant model of operational leadership. (KAR) P. 2

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 16, 1995
Accession Number
ADA297842

Entities

People

  • Joyce E. King

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boats
  • Command And Control
  • Command And Control Systems
  • Control Systems
  • Leadership
  • Maneuvers
  • Navy
  • Personality
  • Second World War
  • Submarines
  • Thinking
  • Training
  • Vehicles
  • Vulnerability
  • War
  • Watercraft

Readers

  • Maritime and Naval Warfare Studies
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control