The annual assesses German naval activity after the failed December attack on a Russia-bound convoy near Bear Island. Its writer treats Raeder's replacement as a consequence of that reverse and compares his departure with Tirpitz's retirement in 1916. The passage locates major German warships, doubts whether Graf Zeppelin could become an effective operational carrier, and notes that several reported cruisers had not been seen at sea. Its long U-boat loss list draws heavily on neutral reports, while the discussion of S-boats and a scuttled surface raider extends the picture beyond capital ships. This records what informed wartime readers could believe from published information, without assuming that every contemporary claim was correct.
Chapter · 17:54-20:24
The 1943 annual's published picture of the German Navy
A contemporary assessment links failed attacks on Russia-bound convoys to German command changes and inventories surface ships, carrier prospects, and reported U-boat losses.