A Postcard & Signed Letter from Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz to Author John R. Angolia

Postcard (black and white, matte finish, obverse illustrating the bust of Admiral Dönitz in his naval uniform, inscribed "Admiral DÖNITZ" at the lower left, reverse maker marked "Photo - Hoffmann, München, Friedrichstr. 34" and marked "Nachdruck verboten" (Reprinting Prohibited), with postcard address patch, 89 mm x 138 mm); Letter on Dönitz' Personal Letterhead (masthead printed in black ink, inscribed "DÖNITZ / GROSSADMIRAL A. D. / 2055 AUMÜHLE (HOLSTEIN), PFINGSTHOLZALLEE 4 / TELEFON 30 69", dated "22. 5. 1976" (May 22, 1976), typewritten letter inscribed "Sehr geehrter Mr. Angolia! / Ich danke Ihnen für Brief vom 1. 2. 76. Verzeihen Sie bitte die Verzögerung meiner Antwort, ich war krank und verreist. / Ich möchte mich zu Ihren Fragen kurz fassen: Ich habe das Ritterkreuz zum Eisernen Kreuz am 20. 4. 1940 erhalten. / Das Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz habe ich am 7. 4. 1943 erhalten. / Nähere Einzelheiten kann ich Ihnen bei einem gelegentlichen Gespräch sagen. / Mit besten Grüssen bin ich / Ihr" (loosely translated from the German: "Dear Mr. Angolia! / Thank you for your letter of February 1, 1976. Please forgive the delay of my answer, I was sick and travelling. / I want to briefly address your question: I received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 20, 1940 / I received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on April 7, 1943 / For details, I can tell you in an occasional conversation. Best regards, I am") with Dönitz' signature in blue ink, 148 mm x 210 mm, vertical fold mark); and Mailing Envelope (masthead printed in black ink, inscribed "PFINGSTHOLZALLEE 4 / 2055 AUMÜHLE (HOLSTEIN)", typewritten addressed to: "Mr. Ltc. John R. Angolia / 20 5th Artillery Road / Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 60627 / U.S.A.", with three stamps and an air mail label, postmarked, 113 mm x 162 mm). Extremely fine. Footnote: Karl Dönitz (September 16, 1891 – December 24, 1980) was a German Admiral who played a major role in the Naval history of the Second World War. He began his career in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) before the First World War. In 1918, while he was in command of UB-68, the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner. While in a prisoner of war camp, he formulated what he later called Rudeltaktik ("pack tactic", commonly called "wolfpack"). At the start of the Second World War, he was the senior submarine officer in the Kriegsmarine. In January 1943, Dönitz achieved the rank of Grossdmiral (Grand Admiral) and replaced Grand Admiral Erich Raeder as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine). On April 30, 1945, after the death of Adolf Hitler and in accordance with Hitler's last will and testament, Dönitz was named Hitler's successor as Staatsoberhaupt (Head of State), with the title of Reichspräsident (President) and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl (May 10, 1890 – October 16, 1946) was a German military commander, attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, or OKW) during the Second World War, acting as deputy to Wilhelm Keitel. On May 7, 1945, Grossadmiral Dönitz ordered Generaloberst Alfred Jodl to sign the German instruments of unconditional surrender in Rheims, France. Grossadmiral Dönitz remained as head of the Flensburg Government, as it became known, until it was dissolved by the Allied powers on May 23rd. At the Nuremberg trials, he was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. After his release, he lived quietly in a village near Hamburg until his death in 1980. At those same Nuremburg trials, Generaloberst Alfred Jodl was sentenced to death and hanged as a war criminal.