Rogge, Bernard Friedrich Karl Edgar.

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Rogge, Bernard Friedrich Karl Edgar, born 04-08-1899 in Schleswig, ten years after Adolf Hitler (did you know), the son of the Lutheran minister Hermann Friedrich „Friedel“ Bernhard Rogge (1867–1932), and was himself devoutly religious. Bernhard Rogge’s grandfather was also called “Bernhard”. Bernhard Friedrich Wilhelm Rogge (1831-1919) was a doctor of theology and court preacher to the King of Prussia in Potsdam. From 1862-89 this division pastor (his father Wilhelm was a military pastor) of the 1st Guard Infantry Division of the Guard Corps and became an honorary citizen of Potsdam in 1906. Rogges father was Hermann Friedrich “Friedel” Bernhard Rogge (1867-1932), Prussian district administrator in Tondern, 1919 co-founder and until 1929 regional chairman of the DNVP in Schleswig-Holstein. His mother was Ruth Rose Klara Hildegard “Hilde”, born Anders (1871–1924), daughter of the really secret senior government councilor Carl Friedrich Anders (1835–1890). His siblings were Lisel Frieda Anna Gertrud Rogge (12-09-1897), Eberhard Christian Waldemar Max (1903–1977) and Friedrich Karl (1913–1995). Rogge was one of many German officers who were forced to apply for a German Blood Certificate, that would allow their racial background to be overlooked (he had a Jewish grandparent). His wife, Anna Elisabeth “Anneliese” born Frahm, committed suicide on 04-09-1939. The next day, his mother-in-law also ended her life willingly. Rogge was a “Quarter-Jew”. In 1915 during World War I he joined the Imperial German Navy, the Kaiserliche Marine, served in World War I and won the Iron Cross in second and first class, after the war he served in various cruisers. From the mid 30s until 1939 he commanded the German Navy’s sail training ship “Albert Leo Schlageter”, in September 1939. Albert Leo Schlageter

 (12-08-1894 – 26-05-1923) was a member of the German Freikorps. His activities sabotaging French occupying troops after World War I led to his arrest and eventual execution by French forces. His death created an image of martyrdom around him, which was cultivated by German nationalist groups, in particular the Nazi Party. During the Third Reich, he was widely commemorated as a national hero.

Bernard Rogge was assigned to the Hilfskreuzer, auxiliary cruiser “Atlantis” , the “Atlantis” capture or sink 21 ships, in one of those ships captured Rogge found top-secret documents about the defenses of the port of Singapore and pass it to the Japanese for those action he won the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves  and a samurai sword from the emperor of Japan , after the sinking of the “Atlantis” in 22-11-1941. J. Armstrong White, captain of the British City of Baghdad, which Atlantis sank in July 1941, stated, “His treatment of prisoners left respect, instead of hatred”. In the five and a half years of the war, German shipyards built 1.156 U-boats, of which 784 were lost from enemy action or other causes. Their toll of enemy shipping was 2.603 merchant ships of over 13½ million tons, and 175 naval vessels of all types. In terms of human lives, 28.000 German U-boat crew of the total 40.900 men recruited into the service lost their lives and 5.000 were taken prisoners of war. Some 30.000 men of the allied merchant service died, in addition to an unknown number of Allied naval personnel. When the war ended, 156 U-boats surrendered, 221 were scuttled by their own crews and two escaped to Argentina.

Admiral Karl Dönitz  who was prosecuted for war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials, cited his own support of Rogge in an effort to clear himself of the charge of being antisemitic.

Rogge confirmed the death sentence of the 21-year-old sailor Johann Christian Süss. Süss was sentenced to death on 10 May 1945, one day after the German capitulation, for “undermining the discipline” and “disruptive speeches” based on paragraph 5 numeral 2 of the Kriegssonderstrafrechtsverordnung (KSSVO—Special War Criminal Regulation). Süss was executed by firing squad on 11 May 1945.

Rogge was appointed Chief Of Staff, Inspection of Training- Affairs of the Kriegmarine from 15-0-1942 until 28-02-1943.  Following he was Inspector of Training-Affairs of the Navy until 19-09-1944 and Commander of Training-Formations of the Fleet. At the same time, Commander of Battle-Group Rogge from 10-03-1945 until 10-04-1945.

Rogge spend the rest of the war in Germany and by the end of it he achieved the rank of Vizeadmiral. Rogge also was one of the few German officers of flag rank who was not arrested by the Allies after the war. This was due to the way he had exercised his command of Atlantis. In 1957 he joined the West German navy the Bundesmarine as a Konteradmiral and retire from it in 1962.

Leutnant zur See Rogge married his fiancée Anna Elisabeth “Anneliese” Frahm on 14-11-1925 in Rendsburg (born 21-05-1900 in Charlottenburg), the daughter of the civil engineer Johann Frahm (1855-1909), who studied in Hanover, a railway specialist and was appointed government builder in 1906. Anneliese fell seriously ill and died on 05-09-1939 in a Kiel hospital (she was cremated in a Kiel crematorium on 08-09-1939). Her mother, Magdalena Henriette Marie, born Sievers on 11-03-1871 in Rendsburg), is said to have been so dismayed that she (possibly on September 5) “one” attempted suicide and on 06-09-1939 in the same Kiel hospital died. At least two children should come from the marriage. B. Rudolph “Rudi” (born 1933) and Cornelia Nella ( born 1937), but this remains unproven.

In 1947 Rogge married a second time, his chosen one was Elisabeth “Elsbeth” Schumacher (1909–1999), with whom he spent the rest of his life.

Death and burial ground of Rogge, Bernard  Friedrich Karl Edgar.

  Living in Reinbek, Rogge died on 29-06-1982, age 82 and is buried with his wife Elsbeth, born Schumacher, who died age 90, in 1999, on the Stadtfriedhof of Reinbek, close by the grave of Generalmajor der Flieger, Kommandant Flug Lufthafen PraqueHans Metzner.

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