Imperial German Navy order of battle (1914) explained

This is the order of battle of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) on the outbreak of World War I in August 1914.

Commanders and locations of the Imperial German Navy

The overall commander of the Imperial German Navy was Kaiser Wilhelm II. All authority over the navy was vested in the Kaiser, and he was ultimately responsible for all decisions regarding the navy. Under the Kaiser were a number of organisational bodies responsible for various aspects of the navy's administration and operation, each of which was directly responsible to the Kaiser:

The departmental heads within the Imperial Naval Administration were:[1]

Nautical DepartmentVice-Admiral Max von Grapow
Armaments DepartmentVice-Admiral Gerhart Gerdes
Shipyard DepartmentVice-Admiral Karl Dick
Naval Construction DepartmentVice-Admiral Friedrich Schrader
German DepartmentRear-Admiral Friedrich Bodicker
States DepartmentVice-Admiral Harald Dähnhardt

Training schools

The navy had a number of establishments to train its personnel, both generally and in specific technical areas. In addition, a number of ships were on the strength of training establishments to provide practical experience.

German naval bases

Germany had two major naval bases covering its main areas of interest:

In addition to its two major bases in Germany, the Imperial German Navy had a number of units stationed overseas.

Barrack ships

As well as barracks ashore, the navy maintained a number of old and withdrawn ships for use as accommodation for its personnel while in harbour.

High Seas Fleet

The High Seas Fleet (Hochseeflotte) was the primary formation of the Imperial German Navy, with its main element being the three operational battle squadrons to which the navy's battleships were assigned. The majority of units of the High Seas Fleet were stationed at Wilhelmshaven for operations in the North Sea. A small force was stationed at Kiel for use in the Baltic, which could be quickly reinforced by North Sea-based units via the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal. The High Seas Fleet was under the command of Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl.[4]

Battle squadrons

Scouting groups

Torpedo boats

U-boats and Mine warfare

Coastal defence

A number of small units were formed whose primary purpose was coastal and harbour defence of the various naval bases in and around Wilhelmshaven. These usually consisted of one or more light cruisers, commanding a number of torpedo-boat destroyers and other vessels. To provide heavy support for coastal defence, one of the reserve squadrons of the High Seas Fleet, consisting of eight obsolete coastal defence ships that were of no use as part of the main battle fleet, was assigned to the North Sea coast.

Baltic Fleet

Although part of the High Seas Fleet, the force stationed permanently at Kiel for operations in the Baltic operated with a degree of independence. Grand Admiral Prince Heinrich of Prussia, the brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was the commander-in-chief of the Baltic Fleet, with Rear-Admiral Robert Mischke in operational command of units at sea.

Coast Defence Group Baltic

Battle squadrons

Outpost Half-Flotilla Kiel / Elder

Naval Aviation

The Imperial German Navy had a small aviation capability, which was originally formed in 1913 when the Kaiser decreed the foundation of the Naval Aviation Forces (Marinefliegerkräfte). Within the newly formed aviation section were two separate commands - the Naval Airship Detachment, based at Nordholz, near Cuxhaven, and the Naval Flying Detachment, which was split between Kiel, Heligoland and Putzig.[6]

Overseas units

In addition to the main body of the Imperial German Navy stationed in home waters, Germany also maintained a number of overseas deployments of ships. The majority of these were usually of one or two cruisers operating independently, with the primary formation of German warships outside German waters being the East Asia Squadron, under the command of Vice-Admiral Maximilian von Spee, which was stationed at Tsingtao.[7] [8] The navy also provided a significant proportion of the garrison at Tsingtao, with approximately 1,200 of the 3,000 strong garrison coming from one of the marine battalions.[9] The other major formation was the Mediterranean Division, commanded by Rear-Admiral Wilhelm Souchon.[10]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Introduction to Die Kaiserliche Marine 1914-1918 . Watson . Graham . Organisation of the Imperial German Navy 1914-1918. naval-history.net . 24 February 2022 .
  2. Herwig p.22
  3. Web site: Flag Officers of the Imperial German Navy 1914-1918 . Watson . Graham . Organisation of the Imperial German Navy 1914-1918. naval-history.net . 26 February 2022 .
  4. Web site: Imperial German Navy Deployment, 1914 . Alton . Dave . 2 September 2002 . The WWI Document Archive . 26 February 2022 .
  5. Tarrant, p. 286
  6. Web site: 100 Years of German Naval Aviation: A Continuous Change from the Beginning . Neumann . Arndt . 14 September 2014 . Joint Air Power Competence Center . 26 February 2022 . 28 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220328230858/https://www.japcc.org/100-years-of-german-naval-aviation/ . dead .
  7. Bassett, p. 55
  8. Web site: The Great War in the South Atlantic . . 8 December 2021 . The Critic . 26 February 2022 .
  9. Web site: Aufstellung des III. Seebataillons . . Gesichte der Marine-Infanterie (1675-1919). 26 February 2022 . German.
  10. Bassett, p. 40

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