Dönitz contacted the British commander of the city of Flensburg, asking him for permission to conduct a formal state funeral, which was approved by royal assent. That funeral, the last such of the Third Reich, was held on 16 May 1945 with Dönitz, Adolf Hitler's successor as Head of State, delivering the eulogy. In advance, Dönitz had ordered a board of inquiry and court martial to clarify the circumstances of the shooting. During the court martial, Gottlob stated that, in accordance with his orders, he had asked for the password three times without receiving a response from the person, whom he could not visually identify in the darkness. Without aiming he had fired his rifle from the hip. The chain of events was confirmed by the watch leader. The court ruled that Gottlob was not guilty and cleared him of any fault.