Sea defense zone

During World War II, a sea defense zone (Seeverteidigung) was a tactical area in the organization of the Kriegsmarine intended to provide operational command of all German naval forces, within a given geographical area, in the event of actual enemy attack on the coastline of occupied Europe.

History

The first sea defense zones were established in the spring of 1940 to protect the large amount of coast line which Germany had acquired after invading the Low Countries, Denmark, Norway, and France. Originally, commanders of the sea defense zones were known as "coastal commanders" (Küstenbefehlshaber). In the summer of 1940, in preparation for Operation Sea Lion, the Kriegsmarine established seven "sea command sectors" (Seebefehlsstellen) which were commanded by officers ranked Kapitän zur See. All of the sea command sectors had been disestablished by the end of 1941.

Original Sea Command Sectors (1940)

  • Seebefehlsstelle Antwerpen - Antwerp (Sep 1940 - May 1941)
  • Seebefehlsstelle Boulogne - Boulogne-sur-Mer (Aug - Oct 1940)
  • Seebefehlsstelle Dünkirchen - Dunkirk (Aug - Oct 1940)
  • Seebefehlshaber Le Havre - Le Havre (Aug - Oct 1940)
  • Seebefehlshaber Rotterdam - Rotterdam (Jun 1940 - Dec 1940)
  • Seebefehlshaber Ostende - Ostend (Aug - Oct 1940)
  • Seebefehlshaber West - Calais (Aug 1940 - Mar 1941)

In the spring 1940, the Kriegsmarine began to reorganize coastal defense under a new position known as Kommandant der Seeverteidigung (Sea Defense Zone Commander). Between 1941 and 1945, the sea defense zones were expanded and retracted, gaining and losing territory to other zones or to the advance of allied or Red Army (Soviet) forces. Logistically, the sea defense zones were strictly a Navy command, but were integrated into the Atlantic Wall which was generally overseen by the German Army.

Command and control

Sea defense zones were normally commanded by an officer ranked as either Kapitän zur See or Konteradmiral. The sea defense zone commander answered to a Navy regional commander and would take tactical control over all shore forces in a given area should an enemy launch an attack against a segment of German coastline.

The only units permanently assigned to a sea defense zone were naval artillery batteries and anti-aircraft units. These units also maintained their own administrative chain of command in addition to falling under operational control of a sea defense zone. During an actual enemy attack, the sea defense commander became the direct superior for all Navy units in the zone's geographical area. This included all harbor defense units as well as naval infantry regiments. Typically, the sea defense zone commander would appoint as a deputy the commander of a major German port. The defense zone commander would himself report to a naval region commander who then acted in the capacity as a ground forces divisional commander. The ultimate command authority for all sea defense zones were the Navy Group commanders.

List of sea defense zones

Defense zoneEstablishedHeadquartersRegionGroupDisestablished
"Albanien"Sep 1943TiranaAdriaticSouthJan 1945
"Attika"Feb 1941CorinthOct 1944
"Baltischen Inseln"Sep 1944LithuaniaEastern BalticNorthNov 1944
"Bergen"Apr 1940HardangerCentral NorwayApr 1944
"Boulogne"July 1940BoulogneFranceWestDec 1940
"Brest"Brest
"Bretagne"Sep 1944
"Calais"CalaisDec 1941
"Dänische Inseln"Apr 1944CopenhagenDenmarkNorthMay 1945
"Dalmatien"Sep 1943SplitAdriaticSouthApr 1944
"Dodekanes"Dec 1943Porto LagoOct 1944
"Drontheim"Jul 1940TrondheimNorthern NorwayNorthMay 1945
"Dünkirchen"DunkirkFranceWestDec 1941
"Elbe-Weser"Nov 1944CuxhavenGerman BightNorthJan 1945
"Estland"Feb 1944LithuaniaEastern BalticSep 1944
"Französische Riviera"Sep 1943ToulonSouthern FranceWestJan 1944
"Gascogne"Jul 1941BordeauxAtlantic Coast
"Hammerfest"Mar 1942NordkinnhalvøyaPolar CoastNorth
"Harstad"Jan 1945NarvikMay 1945
"Istrien"Sep 1943SusakAdriaticSouthDec 1944
"Italienische Riviera"NizzaSouthern France
"Kanalinseln"Jul 1942Channel IslandsChannel CoastWestJul 1944
"Kirkenes"Mar 1941PorsangerfjordenPolar CoastNorthMar 1942
"Kreta"Jun 1941CreteAegean SeaSouthOct 1944
"Kristiansand-Süd"May 1940LangesundSouthern NorwayNorthAug 1940
"Languedoc"Jan 1941ToulonSouthern FranceWestJul 1944
"Lemnos"Jul 1941LemnosAegean SeaSouthApr 1944
"Lettland"Jan 1942LibauEastern BalticNorthSep 1944
"Libau"Apr 1941Jan 1943
"Loire"Dec 1940CarnacAtlantic CoastWestJun 1944
"Mecklenburg"Apr 1945HeiligendammWestern BalticNorthMay 1945
"Mittelholland"Nov 1944AmsterdamNetherlandsWest
"Molde"May 1940StadtlandetCentral NorwayNorth
"Narvik"Jun 1940NarvikPolar Coast
"Norddalmatien"Apr 1944SebenicoAdriaticSouthNov 1944
"Nordfriesland"Nov 1944HusumGerman BightNorthMay 1945
"Nordgriechenland"Apr 1944ThessalonikiAegean SeaSouthOct 1944
"Nordholland"Jun 1940ScheveningenNetherlandsWestFeb 1945
"Nordjütland"Apr 1940FrederikshavnDenmarkNov 1944
"Normandie"Feb 1941CherbourgChannel CoastJun 1944
"Oslofjord"Apr 1941LarvikNorwayNorthMay 1944
"OstendeAug 1940CalaisChannel CoastWestDec 1941
"Ostfriesland"Feb 1944TidofeldGerman BightNorthApr 1945
"Ost und WestpreußenDec 1944GotenhafenEastern BalticNorthJan 1945
"Ostpreußen"Jan 1945PillauMay 1945
"Pas de Calais"Dec 1941CalaisChannel CoastWestOct 1944
"Peloponnes"Sep 1943KalamataAegean SeaSouthSep 1944
"Polarküste"Jul 1940FinnfjordbotnPolar CoastNorthApr 1945
"Pommern"Nov 1944SwinemündeWestern Baltic
"Saloniki"Feb 1941KevallaAegean SeaSouthApr 1944
"Sandnessjöen"Jul 1940RörvikNorthern NorwayNorthMay 1945
"Schleswig-Holstein und Mecklenburg"Nov 1944KielWestern Baltic
"Seine-Somme"Feb 1941Le HavreChannel CoastWestSep 1944
"Stavanger"May 1940HaugesundCentral NorwayNorthMay 1945
"Südddalmatien"Apr 1944SplitAdriaticSouthNov 1944
"Südholland"Jun 1940MiddelburgNetherlandsWest
"Südjütland"[N 1]Apr 1940Copenhagen
"Tromsö"Jul 1940FinnfjordbotnPolar CoastNorthMay 1945
"Ukraine"[N 2]Nov 1941NikolajewBlack SeaIndependentDec 1942
May 1943Dec 1943
"Westkrim"[N 3]Aug 1942May 1943
"Westadria""Sep 1943Lido bei VenedigAdriaticSouthApr 1945
"Westgriechenland"Aug 1943PatrasAegean SeaOct 1944
"Westpreußen"Jan 1945GotenhafenEastern BalticNorthMar 1945

References

  • Lohmann W. & Hildebrand H., Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine, Verlag Hans-Henning Podzun, Bad Nauheim (1956)

Notes

  1. From 1940 to 1944 the command was known in its full title as "Der Kommandant im Bereich Südjütland und Dänische Inseln". The name was shortened to simply "Südjütland" in April 1944.
  2. Originally established as Seekommandant "V" before changing names in January 1942 to Seekommandant "U". By the summer of 1942 was known by the final name of Kommandant der Seeverteidigung Ukraine. Reestablished in May 1943 after being disbanded the previous winter.
  3. Established in August 1942 as Seekommandant "X". By the start of 1943 was known as Seekommandant Kaspisches Meer. Shifted that summer to the command's final name of Kommandant der Seeverteidigung Westkrim. Merged with the Ukraine sea defense zone in May 1943.
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