Yes, in the early years of World War II, Germany had considerable success in its naval operations against Great Britain and Russia, particularly in the Atlantic and the North Sea. However, the tide of the war began to turn in favor of the Allies as the conflict progressed, with the Battle of Normandy in 1944 marking a significant turning point in the broader war effort.
Germany's success against British and Russian naval forces was most apparent during the early stages of the war, particularly in the Battle of the Atlantic. German U-boats, part of the Kriegsmarine (the German Navy), waged an effective and relentless campaign of submarine warfare against British and Allied merchant shipping. The U-boats aimed to sever supply lines between North America and Britain, a critical strategy that nearly succeeded. The so-called "wolf pack" tactics, where multiple submarines would coordinate attacks against convoys, were particularly effective at first, causing severe losses to British shipping.
Germany also had some early successes against British warships, especially with surface ships like the battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee. The Bismarck famously sank the British battlecruiser Hood in May 1941 before being hunted down and destroyed by the Royal Navy. Meanwhile, the Admiral Graf Spee had success in raiding Allied merchant convoys in the Atlantic before it was scuttled after the Battle of the River Plate.
On the Eastern Front, German naval forces in the Baltic and Black Sea initially had success in confronting Soviet ships, limiting the Soviet Navy’s ability to disrupt German supply lines and operations.
However, as the war progressed, the Allied forces adapted and countered these early successes. Improved anti-submarine tactics, the use of convoy escorts, advancements in radar, and eventually the entry of the United States into the war significantly weakened Germany’s naval capabilities. The D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 marked a pivotal shift, as the Allies gained a foothold in Western Europe, leading to the eventual collapse of Nazi Germany and the defeat of the Kriegsmarine.