GRAND ADMIRAL KARL DONITZ - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 08/26/1978 - HFSID 283423

GRAND ADMIRAL KARL DÖNITZ
World War II German Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz wrote this letter on his personalized stationery in 1978. In it, he asks the recipient to read three books by Dönitz for answers to his questions, adding about three books that he had written, adding: "My health regrettably became so very worse that I can't answer your great number of questions." Accompanied by original mailing envelope.
Autograph letter signed "Your Dönitz" in blue ink.2 pages, 8¼x11½, frotn and verso, on Dönitz's personalized stationery. Aug. 26, 1978. Written in German, translated: "Dear Mr. Jerry Granat! I thank you for your letter of August 6. My health regrettably became so very worse that I can't answer your great number of questions and requests for your book 'Dönitz at Nuremberg...'. I regret that and send your book back. I will be 87 years old the next month, for this high age, my weakness. If you are interested: I wrote 3 books after 1956: 1) '10 Years and 20 Days', which describes my official duty from 1935 to 1945 and the last days of the war 1945 as head of the state. This book has also been released in the U.S.A.: 'Memoirs, Ten Years and Twenty Days', Publishing house: The World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York. 2) 'My Changeful Life', Publishing house Musterschmidt, 34 Göttingen, Turmstrasse 7. This book deals with my personal life. 3) I have already mentioned this book to you in my letter of June 17. You also can find the answers of your questions in these books. With best greetings". Lightly toned, stained and creased. Show-through touches body of letter and signature. Handwriting, but not signature, is slightly shaky but legible. Signature and body of letter are lightly smeared but legible. Folded in quarters and unfolded. Otherwise in fine condition. Accompanied by: Autograph envelope signed "Abs: Dönitz" in return address. 6¼x4½. Postmarked Aumühle, West Germany, Aug. 8, 1978. Addressed to Mr. Ferry Granat, Hewlett, New York. Three West German stamps and air mail label affixed. Envelope is open and empty. Normal postal stamps. Lightly toned and creased. Light tears at top edge, which signature. Torn open at top edge. Paper loss on flap and on verso (no show-through) Stains from adhesive on flap and verso (no show-through). Otherwise in fine condition. During World War II, German Admiral Dönitz (1891-1980, born in Grünau-bei-Berlin, Germany) developed the idea of fighting in wolf packs. In January of 1943, Hitler named Dönitz to replace Erich Raeder as Commander in Chief of the German Navy.In that capacity, Dönitz gave permission for a radically improved U-boat to be built in 1944. Working closely with Albert Speer, the Minister of Armaments, Germany was producing 42 of these all-electric boats a month by 1945, but it was too late to make an impact on the outcome of the war. As the war was coming to a close, Hitler selected Dönitz to succeed him as Führer. After forming a new government, Führer Dönitz negotiated Germany's surrender on May 5, 1945. At the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials, Dönitz was found guilty of war crimes and was sentenced to ten years in prison. He was 79 when he died on Christmas Eve in 1980.