Theodor Krancke (30 March 1893 – 18 June 1973) was a naval commander (admiral) of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Under the command of Krancke, during the five-month-long raiding cruise, the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer sank 13 merchant ships, one armed merchant cruiser , and captured three merchant ships representing of Allied and neutral shipping. During the Allied Invasion of Normandy Krancke, as Commander-in-Chief of Navy Group Command West headquartered in Paris, controlled all German naval vessels in France, as well as the various land-based naval units and the naval coastal artillery and anti-aircraft batteries along the French Atlantic coast. Dates of Rank Fähnrich zur See – 12 April 1913 Leutnant zur See – 22 March 1915 Oberleutnant zur See – 25 December 1917 Kapitänleutnant – 1 September 1922 Korvettenkapitän – 1 October 1930 Fregattenkapitän – 1 November 1935 Kapitän zur See – 1 April 1937 Konteradmiral – 1 April 1941 Vizeadmiral – 1 April 1942 Admiral – 1 March 1943 Awards Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (May 1915) & 1st Class (27 September 1919) Sudetenland Medal 1939 High Seas Fleet Badge 1941 Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (29 October 1939) & 1st Class (20 April 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 21 February 1941 as Kapitän zur See and commander of heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer 614th Oak Leaves on 18 October 1944 as Admiral and commander in chief of Marinegruppenkommando West (Navy Group Command West) References Citations Bibliography 1893 births 1973 deaths Military personnel from Magdeburg People from the Province of Saxony Admirals of the Kriegsmarine Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I Reichsmarine personnel