Reinhard Scheer
Reinhard Scheer (September 30, 1863 - November 26, 1928) was a Vice-admiral in the German navy. He was in command of the Kaiserliche Marine High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland, one of the largest naval battles in history.
Scheer was born in Obernkirchen, Germany. He entered the navy in 1879, becoming Kapitän zur See in 1905 and Rear Admiral in 1910.
Scheer became chief of the High Seas Fleet in January 1916. On May 30, he lead the fleet into the Battle of Jutland. Although not defeating the British Royal Navy, he successfully evaded the destruction of his fleet by the numerically superior Royal Navy, his ships inflicting heavy losses upon the British (the British lost about double the amount of ship's tonnage and sailors as the Germans). Scheer was offered a knighthood for his leadership at Jutland by the German Emperor, but he turned down that offer (his subordinate at the battle of Jutland, Vice-Admiral Franz Hipper who led the battlecruisers of the High Seas Fleet, did not turn down such an offer and became Franz Ritter von Hipper eventually). After the Battle of Jutland, Scheer did not believe anymore that the British could be defeated by the High Seas Fleet in battle, and became a strong advocate of the submarine warfare against Britain.
He retired in 1918 after a period of mutinies in the navy and political unrest in Germany.
In 1899, he married Emillie Mohr. She was murdered October 9, 1920.
In 1928, Scheer accepted an invitation to visit his old adversary at the Battle of Jutland, Admiral John Jellicoe, in England, but just prior to his trip he died in Marktredwitz. He is buried in Weimar.
