Erich Raeder
At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the "Luftwaffe" had few specialised naval aviation units and aircraft. By 1940, the "Wehrmacht" occupied much of Western Europe and Scandinavia. The "Kriegsmarine" (Navy) and its commander-in-chief Erich Raeder saw this as an opportunity to destroy the sea communications of the United Kingdom, Germany's last significant opponent in Europe.