When Hitler blew his brains out (April 30, 1945), what was left of the baton was passed to the Nazi fleet admiral, Karl Doenitz (1891 - 1980). This article points out that the admiral was a predictable choice for Hitler to make and no one at SHAEF was surprised.
"Doenitz always has been identified closely with the Nazis. Back in August, 1943, when rumors had it that Goering, Doenitz and Keitel had succeeded Hitler, OWI Chief Elmer Davis remarked that if the dispatches were true, the real situation seemed not to have changed much - implying that the Nazis were still on top."
