Oh, ok, I thought you also wanted to add the words "From" and "to" to the text...

NP's, easy to get confused

A little correction... Führer der Unterseeboote is the Commander in Chief of Submarines (a duty that was executed by Dönitz himself), and Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote is the High-Command of Submarines (which is a group of naval officers that take the decisions about submarines).

Cheers :rock:

Well, on the other hand: "From 1936 until August 1939 Karl Dönitz lead the U-boat force as FdU (Führer der Unterseeboote) with a relatively small staff. The title FdU was changed to BdU (Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote) on 19 September, 1939."

So Dönitz' title official was BdU. The entire organisation/command was also called BdU. :hmm:

Where did you find that? Because I don't see it that way. Führer is Chief, Director, so, that should be the title of Dönitz, while Befehlshaber is the High-Command, but one can't be the Chief and the High-Command at the same time. Either he is the Chief or he is part of the High-Command. That makes a lot more sense. :hmm:

http://www.uboat.net/men/bdu.htm
http://www.uboatwar.net/bdu.htm

Also on several other German and English pages.

Dönitz was BdU and then there was BdU Command, divided into two sections.

My usually-reliable German-English dictionaries (on and off-line) translate "Befehlshaber" as "Commandant" or "Commander", which would make sense in the context of treating/addressing Dönitz individually as BdU, whether or not his staff/command team/HQ unit was also called by the same name.

:hmm:
Well, if was that way... but it still sounds quite strange for me. :roll: