Günther Lütjens

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Johann Günther Lütjens (German pronunciation: [ˈjoːhan ˈɡʏntɐ ˈlʏtjəns]; 25 May 1889 – 27 May 1941) was a German admiral whose military service spanned more than 30 years and two world wars. Lütjens is best known for his actions during World War II and his command of the battleship Bismarck during her foray into the Atlantic Ocean in 1941. He was killed in action during the last battle of the battleship Bismarck. Born in 1889, Lütjens entered into the Imperial German Navy in 1907 and saw service during World War I against the British Royal Navy, achieving the rank of Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant). After the war he remained in the navy, now renamed the Reichsmarine. In the Weimar Republic era, Lütjens built a reputation as an excellent staff officer. In 1935, after the Nazi regime came to power in 1933, the navy was remodelled again and renamed the Kriegsmarine. Lütjens soon became acquainted with Erich Raeder and Karl Dönitz, the two commanders-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine in World War...

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