 Reinhard Scheer ( 30 September 1863 – 26 November 1928 ) was an Admiral in the Imperial German Navy ( Kaiserliche Marine ) . Scheer joined the navy in 1879 as an officer cadet ; he progressed through the ranks , commanding cruisers and battleships , as well as major staff positions on land . At the outbreak of World War I , Scheer commanded the German High Seas Fleet .
 everybody should be aware of the fact that the German Navy is not only the strongest in the world, but also the most modern and most highly developed.
— Scheer, 1915
Scheer was born in 186