The Inspector of the Navy (German: Inspekteur der Marine) is the commander of the Navy of the modern-day German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr. Since the various bodies responsible for the high command of the German Navy were merged in 2012, the Inspector has been based at the Navy Command at Rostock.[1] Before then, the Inspector was head of the Naval Staff of the Ministry of Defence, based in Bonn. Both the Inspector and his deputy hold the rank of vice admiral (German: Vizeadmiral).[2]

Inspector of the German Navy
Inspekteur der Marine
Standard of the Inspector of the Navy
Incumbent
Vizeadmiral Jan Christian Kaack
Acting 
since 22 January 2022
Federal Minister of Defence
AbbreviationInspM
Reports toGeneral Inspector of the Bundeswehr
PrecursorOberkommando der Marine

The Inspector is responsible for the readiness of personnel and materiel in the German Navy, in that regard he reports directly to the Federal Minister of Defence. The Inspector commands the Navy Command; however, the subordinate departments of the Navy are led by their heads at Navy Command and do not report directly to the Inspector. The Inspector sits under the General Inspector of the Bundeswehr and is a member of the Defence Council for Bundeswehr-wide matters.[1]

List of Inspectors of the Navy

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No. Portrait Inspector of the Navy Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1Ruge, FriedrichVizeadmiral
Friedrich Ruge
(1894–1985)
June 1956August 19615 years, 2 months-
2Zenker, Karl-AdolfVizeadmiral
Karl-Adolf Zenker
(1907–1998)
August 196130 September 19676 years, 1 month-
3Jeschonnek, GertVizeadmiral
Gert Jeschonnek
(1912–1999)
1 October 196730 September 19713 years, 11 months-
4Kühnle, HeinzVizeadmiral
Heinz Kühnle
(1915–2001)
1 October 197131 March 19753 years, 5 months-
5Luther, GünterVizeadmiral
Günter Luther
(1922–1997)
1 April 197531 March 19804 years, 11 months-
6Bethge, AnsgarVizeadmiral
Ansgar Bethge
(1924–2008)
1 April 198031 March 19854 years, 11 months-
7Wellershoff, DieterVizeadmiral
Dieter Wellershoff
(1933–2005)
1 April 1985September 19861 year, 5 months-
8Wellershoff, DieterVizeadmiral
Hans-Joachim Mann
(born 1935)
1 October 198630 September 19914 years, 11 months-
9Weyher, Hein-PeterVizeadmiral
Hein-Peter Weyher
(born 1935)
1 October 1991April 19953 years, 6 months-
10Boehmer, Hans-RudolfVizeadmiral
Hans-Rudolf Boehmer
(born 1938)
April 1995September 19983 years, 5 months-
11Lüssow, HansVizeadmiral
Hans Lüssow
(born 1942)
1 October 1998February 20034 years, 4 months-
12Feldt, LutzVizeadmiral
Lutz Feldt
(born 1942)
1 March 2003April 20063 years, 1 month-
13Nolting, WolfgangVizeadmiral
Wolfgang E. Nolting
(born 1948)
April 200628 April 20104 years-
14Schimpf, AxelVizeadmiral
Axel Schimpf
(born 1952)
28 April 201028 October 20144 years, 6 months-
15Krause, AndreasVizeadmiral
Andreas Krause
(born 1956)
28 October 201424 March 20216 years, 4 months-
16Schönbach, Kay-AchimVizeadmiral
Kay-Achim Schönbach
(born 1965)
24 March 202122 January 20229 months-
17Kaack, Jan ChristianVizeadmiral
Jan Christian Kaack
(born 1962)
22 January 2022Incumbent2 years, 10 months-

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Schimpf, Axel (2013). "Das Marinekommando in Rostock - Die Marine auf Zukunftskurs". Marineforum (in German) (1/2): 22ff.
  2. ^ Informationen zur Neuausrichtung der Bundeswehr auf der Bundeswehr-Homepage
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