Minesweeper flotilla (Kriegsmarine)

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A group of German minesweepers moored together Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2005-0715-510, Kiel, Zu Passagierdampfern umgebaute M-Boote.jpg
A group of German minesweepers moored together

Minesweeper flotillas of the Kriegsmarine were administrative units which grouped German minesweepers together. There were three types of minesweeper flotillas: standard minesweepers, auxiliary minesweepers, and "mine barrage" vessels. Flotilla commanders operated from a shore office, and were usually commanded by an officer ranked as a Korvettenkapitän . All minesweeper flotillas were under the command of the Führer der Minensuchboote (Leader of Minesweepers) which, by 1940, had been divided into three separate offices for activities in the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and off the coast of France.

Contents

When operationally deployed, the minesweepers were under a separate chain of command under the authority of harbor security commanders. [1]

Minesweeper flotillas

The first minesweeper flotilla of the Kriegsmarine was formed in 1936 from pre-existing units of the Reichsmarine, which had maintained two minesweeper and one auxiliary minesweeper flotillas during the inter-war years. The standard German minesweeper flotilla of World War II contained between seven and fifteen minesweeper class vessels.

List of minesweeper flotillas
FlotillaFormedOperational areasOriginal vessels assignedAdditional vessels assigned
1st1936 German Bight (1939), Norway (1940), France (1942), North Sea (1944) M 1, M 3, M 4, M 5, M 6, M 7, M 8 [N 1] M 36, M 37, M 155, M 203, M 204, M 255, M 256
2nd Danzig (1939), Norway (1940), Netherlands (1942), France (1944)M 2, M 6, M 9, M 10, M 11, M 12, M 13. [N 2] M 21, M 25, M 38, M 152, M 153, M 256
3rd1940North Sea (1940), Finland (1942)M 15, M 16, M 17, M 18, M 19, M 22, M 29, M 30.
4th1939Norway (1940), Atlantic Coast (1942)M 36, M 81, M 101, M 132, M 151, M 203, M 204, M 255 [N 3]
5th1940North Sea (1940), Baltic Sea (1941), Norway (1943)M 4, M 23, M 31, M 201, M 202, M 205, M 251, M 252, M 253
6th1939North Sea (1939), French Coast (1943)M 72, M 104, M 117, M 122, M 126, M 145, M 146M 38, M 39, M 82, M 83, M 84, M 85, M 102, M 133, M 155, M 156, M 206, M 256, M 265, M 267.
7thBaltic Sea (1939), North Sea (1941)M 75, M 84, M 85, M 102, M 122, M 126M 82, M 83, M 154, M 205, M 206.
8th1941French Coast (1941)M 24, M 26, M 27, M 28, M 32, M 34, M 152, M 254, M 256, M 265, M 277, M 292, M 329, M 370.
9th1943Norway (1943)M 272, M 273, M 274, M 276, M 306, M 326, M 346, M 348, M 364, M 365.
10thAtlantic Coast (1943)M 236, M 264, M 275, M 307, M 347, M 366, M 367, M 385, M 408, M 428, M 438.
11thNorth Sea (1943)M 264, M 291, M 307, M 327, M 329, M 347, M 348, M 368, M 386.
12th1944Baltic Sea (1944)M 601, M 602, M 603, M 604, M 605, M 612, M 801, M 802, M 803, M 804.
13th1939Baltic Sea (1939), Norway (1940), Netherlands (1942)M 1301, M 1302, M 1303, M 1304, M 1305, M 1306, M 1307, M 1308
14thBaltic Sea (1939) M 1401, M 1402, M 1403, M 1404, M 1405, M 1406, M 1407, M 1408
15thBaltic Sea (1939), Norway (1940)M 1501, M 1502, M 1503, M 1504, M 1505, M 1506, M 1507, M 1508
16thNorth Sea (1939), France (1943)M 1601, M 1602, M 1603, M 1604, M 1605, M 1606, M 1607, M 1608, M 1609
17thBaltic Sea (1939), Norway (1940)M 1701, M 1702, M 1703, M 1704, M 1705, M 1706, M 1707, M 1708.
18thNorth Sea (1939), Northern France (1942)M 1801, M 1802, M 1803, M 1804, M 1805, M 1806, M 1807, M 1808.
19thBaltic Sea (1939)M 1901, M 1902, M 1903, M 1904, M 1905, M 1906, M 1907, M 1908.
21st1942Norway (1942)M 82, M 103, M 261, M 305, M 323, M 324, M 327, M 341, M 342, M 343, M 362, M 383.M 504, M 526, M 545.
22nd1941North Sea (1941), Norway (1943), Baltic Sea (1945)M 301, M 302, M 303, M 321, M 322, M 361, M 368, M 381, M 382, M 436.
23rd1942Norway (1942), Baltic Sea (1945)M 324, M 401, M 411, M 423, M 431, M 441, M 443, M 467, M 468.
24th English Channel (1942)M 343, M 402, M 412, M 422, M 432, M 442, M 452, M 475, M 483.
25thNorth Sea (1942), Baltic Sea (1944)M 278, M 294, M 295, M 328, M 330, M 341, M 342, M 403, M 413, M 423, M 433, M 443, M 451, M 453, M 459, M 460
26th1943French Coast (1943)M 404, M 424, M 434, M 444, M 454, M 476, M 486, M 495
27thNorth Sea (1943), Netherlands (1944)M 261, M 271, M 304, M 323, M 327, M 329, M 362, M 369, M 4ß5, M 414, M 425, M 434, M 435, M 461, M 469, M 471, M 484.
28th1942English Channel (1942), French Coast (1943)M 262, M 271, M 304, M 325, M 344, M 345, M 363, M 384, M 463.
29th1943Norway (1943)Reserve command for the 19th Minesweeper FlotillaM 406, M 415, M 426, M 436, M 445, M 455, M 462, M 470.
30thReserve command for the 15th Minesweeper FlotillaM 403, M 406, M 415, M 426, M 436, M 445, M 455, M 462, M 470.
31st1940North Sea (1940), Baltic Sea (1942)M 3101, M 3102, M 3103, M 3104, M 3105, M 3106, M 3107, M 3108, M 3109, M 3110, M 3111, M 3112, M 3113, M 3114, M 3115, M 3116, M 3117, M 3118, M 3119, M 3120, M 3121, M 3122, M 3123, M 3124, M 3125, M 3126, M 3127, M 3128, M 3129, M 3130, M 3131, M 3132, M 3133, M 3134, M 3135, M 3136, M 3137, M 3138, M 3139.
32ndNetherlands (1940), Scheldt River (1944)M 3200, M 3201, M 3202, M 3203, M 3204, M 3205, M 3206, M 3207,M 3208, M 3209, M 3210, M 3211, M 3212, M 3213, M 3214, M 3215, M 3216, M 3217, M 3218, M 3219, M 3220, M 3221, M 3222, M 3223, M 3224, M 3225, M 3226, M 3227, M 3230, M 3231, M 3232, M 3233, M 3234, M 3235, M 3236, M 3237, M 3238, M 3239, M 3240, M 3241, M 3242.
34thNetherlands (1940)M 3400, M 3401, M 3402, M 3403, M 3404, M 3405, M 3406, M 3407, M 3408, M 3409, M 3410, M 3411, M 3412, M 3413, M 3414, M 3415, M 3416, M 3417, M 3418, M 3419, M 3420, M 3421, M 3422, M 3423, M 3424, M 3425, M 3426, M 3430, M 3431, M 3432, M 3433, M 3434, M 3435, M 3436, M 3437, M 3438, M 3439, M 3440, M 3441, M 3442M 3443, M 3444, M 3445.
36thDenmark (1940)M 3600, M 3601, M 3602, M 3603, M 3604, M 3605, M 3606, M 3607, M 3608, M 3609, M 3610, M 3611, M 3612, M 3613, M 3614, M 3615, M 3616, M 3617, M 3618, M 3619, M 3620, M 3621, M 3622,M 3623, M 3624, M 3625, M 3626, M 3627, M 3630, M 3631, M 3632, M 3633, M 3634, M 3635, M 3636, M 3637, M 3638, M 3639.
38thEnglish Channel (1940)M 3800, M 3801, M 3802, M 3810, M 3811, M 3812, M 3813, M 3814, M 3815, M 3816, M 3817, M 3818, M 3819, M 3820, M 3821, M 3822, M 3823, M 3824, M 3825, M 3826, M 3827, M 3828, M 3829, M 3830, M 3831, M 3832, M 3833, M 3834, M 3835, M 3836, M 3837, M 3838, M 3840, M 3841, M 3846, M 3848, M 3851, M 3852, M 3853, M 3854, M 3855, M 3856, M 3857, M 3860, M 3861, M 3862, M 3863, M 3864, M 3865, M 3866, M 3867, M 3868, M 3869, M 3870, M 3871, M 3872, M 3873, M 3874, M 3875, M 3880, M 3881, M 3882, M 3883, M 3884, M 3885, M 3886, M 3887, M 3889, M 3890, M 3891, M 3892, M 3893, M 3894, M 3895, M 3896.
40thFrench Coast (1940)M 4000, M 4001, M 4002, M 4003, M 4004, M 4005, M 4006, M 4007, M 4008, M 4009, M 4010, M 4011, M 4012, M 4013, M 4014, M 4020, M 4021, M 4022, M 4023, M 4024, M 4030, M 4031, M 4032, M 4033, M 4040, M 4041, M 4042, M 4043, M 4044, M 4045, M 4046, M 4047, M 4055.
42ndAtlantic Coast (1940)M 4202, M 4203, M 4204, M 4205, M 4206, M 4207, M 4208, M 4209, M 4211, M 4212, M 4213, M 4214, M 4215, M 4216, M 4217, M 4218, M 4219, M 4221, M 4222, M 4223, M 4224, M 4225, M 4226, M 4227, M 4230, M 4231, M 4232, M 4233, M 4234, M 4235, M 4236, M 4237, M 4238, M 4241, M 4242, M 4243, M 4245, M 4246.
44thFrench-Atlantic Coast (1940)M 4401, M 4402, M 4403, M 4404, M 4405, M 4406, M 4407, M 4408, M 4409, M 4410, M 4411, M 4412, M 4413, M 4414, M 4415, M 4416, M 4417, M 4421, M 4422, M 4423, M 4424, M 4425, M 4426, M 4427, M 4428, M 4429, M 4430, M 4431, M 4432, M 4433, M 4434, M 4435, M 4436, M 4437, M 4438, M 4440, M 4441, M 4442, M 4443, M 4444, M 4445, M 4446, M 4447, M 4448, M 4449, M 4450, M 4451, M 4452, M 4453, M 4454, M 4455, M 4456, M 4457, M 4458, M 4459, M 4460, M 4461, MM 4462, M 4463, M 4464, M 4465, M 4470, M 4471, M 4472, M 4473, M 4474, M 4475.
46th1941M 4600, M 4601, M 4602, M 4603, M 4604, M 4605, M 4606, M 4607, M 4608, M 4609, M 4610, M 4611, M 4612, M 4613, M 4614, M 4615, M 4616, M 4617, M 4618, M 4619, M 4620, M 4621, M 4622, M 4623, M 4624, M 4625, M 4628.
52nd1940NorwayM 5201, M 5202, M 5203, M 5204, M 5205, M 5206, M 5207, M 5208, M 5209, M 5210.
54thM 5401, M 5402, M 5403, M 5404, M 5405, M 5406, M 5407, M 5408, M 5409, M 5410, M 5411, M 5412
56thM 5601, M 5602, M 5603, M 5604, M 5605, M 5606, M 5607, M 5608, M 5609, M 5610, M 5611, M 5612, M 5613, M 5614, M 5615, M 5616, M 5617, M 5618, M 5619, M 5620, M 5621, M 5622v, M 5623, M 5624, M 5631, M 5632.
70th1943ItalyM 7002, M 7003, M 7004, M 7005, M 7006, M 7007, M 7008, M 7009, M 7010, M 7011, M 7012, M 7013, M 7014, M 7015, M 7016, M 7017, M 7018, M 7019, M 7020, M 7021, M 7022, M 7030, M 7031, M 7032, M 7033, M 7034, M 7601, M 7602, M 7603, M 7604, M 7605, M 7606, M 7607, M 7608.

Auxiliary Minesweeper flotillas

In addition to the standard minesweeper flotillas, twenty "auxiliary minesweeper" (R boat) flotillas (Räumboots-Flottille) were formed during the Second World War. [2]

1. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in October 1937, with boats: R 17, R 18, R 19, R 20, R 21, R 22, R 23, R 24.

2. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in November 1938, with boats: R 25, R 26, R 27, R 28, R 29, R 30, R 31, R 32.

3. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in 1939 at Pillau, with boats: R 33, R 34, R 35, R 36, R 37, R 38, R 39, R 40.

4. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in April 1940, with boats: R 41, R 42, R 43, R 44, R 45, R 46, R 47, R 48, R 49, R 50, R 51, R 52.

5. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in August 1939, with boats: R 1, R 3, R 4, R 5, R 6, R 7, R 8, R 9, R 10, R 11, R 12, R 13.

6. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in July 1941 at Cuxhaven, with boats: R 9, R 10, R 11, R 12, R 13, R 14, R 15, R 16.

7. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in October 1940, with boats: R 151, R 152, R 153, R 154, R 155, R 156, R 157, R 158, R 159, R 160, R 161, R 162.

8. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in January 1942, with boats: R 92, R 93, R 94, R 95, R 96, R 97, R 98, R 99, R 100, R 101.

9. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in May–June 1942 at Rotterdam.

10. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in February–March 1942 at Cuxhaven

11. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in September 1939, with 8 fishing trawlers and 1 escort ship. In October 1940, was renamed 7th Minesweeper Flotilla and assigned purpose-built R-boats.

12. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in May 1942 at Bruges; then moved into the Mediterranean. Dissolved in February 1945.

13. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established on 15 November 1943; used in the German Bight. In 1957, the flotilla was transferred to the new German Navy ( Bundesmarine ) from the German Mine Sweeping Administration.

14. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in December 1943; used in the English Channel. After the invasion of France in June 1944 was used in the German Bight and the Baltic Sea.

15. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established on 1 July 1944; used in the Baltic Sea, including Finnish waters. Disbanded after the German surrender.

16. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in October 1944, main base Haugesund, Norway. Dissolved on 25 November 1947.

17. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in July 1944 with school and training boats; initially named Räumbootsflottille zbV, and used in the Baltic Sea. Dissolved late 1947.

21. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in July 1943. The flotilla consisted of 12 large escort minesweepers (Geleit-Räumbooten) based at Bergen, Norway. Dissolved early 1946.

25. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in the summer of 1945 at Denmark with boats from various flotillas, for the German Mine Sweeping Administration. Dissolved early 1946.

30. Räumboots-Flottille [2]

Established in June 1943 with small Dutch minesweepers and moved into the Black Sea. Dissolved in August 1944.

Mine Barrage flotillas

Mine barrage flotillas (Sperrbrecherflottille) were composed of auxiliary naval ships and merchant vessels that had been converted to enter minefields ahead of other ships in order to detonate enemy mines. These Sperrbrecher vessels were heavily armored and were occasionally outfitted as anti-aircraft platforms. The Kriegsmarine first organized the mine barrage vessels into Speerbrechergruppe (mine barrage groups) at the start of World War II. Each group contained various auxiliary vessels designated by roman numerals augmented by a naval tender.

Original mine barrage groups

In June 1940, the Kriegsmarine formed a mine barrage unit in the Low Countries known as Sperrbrechergruppe Niederlande. Shortly thereafter, the Kriegsmarine began to designate mine barrage vessels with capitol letters, but only three such vessels were ever declared (Sperrbrecher A, B, & C). By late 1940, the mine barrage vessels were designated with standard numbers while the mine barrage groups were re-designated as flotillas. Eight flotillas were authorized with seven eventually formed; the standard rank for a mine barrage flotilla commander was Fregattenkapitän. As the Sperrbrecher ships were mostly auxiliary vessels, the flotillas were considered administrative in nature and operated from shore offices.

Mine barrage flotillas
FlotillaFormedPredecessor unitOperating areasVessels assigned
1. SperrbrecherflottilleSeptember 19401 SperrbrechergruppeBaltic Sea (1940), German Bight (1942)Sperrbrecher 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 22, 27, 29, 36, 133, 138, 160, 161, 163, 164, 167, 169, 173, 176, 177
2. SperrbrecherflottilleJune 19412, 4, & 6 SperrbrechergruppeFrench Coast (1941), Normandy (1944)Sperrbrecher 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 32, 34, 35, 36, 122, 136, 137, 146, 153, 163, 168, 175, 178
3. SperrbrecherflottilleOctober 19401. Vorpostenflottille Baltic Sea (1940)Sperrbrecher 13, 14, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 120, 131, 139, 145, 148, 158, 161, 165, 166, 172, 181, 185
4. SperrbrecherflottilleSeptember 1940Sperrbrechergruppe Niederlande English Channel (1940), French Coast (1943)Sperrbrecher 21, 102, 120, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 167, 168, 170, 171, 183, 184
Flußsperrbrecher 201, 202, 203, 204
5. SperrbrecherflottilleNovember 19414. Sperrbrecherflottille North Sea Reserve unit for the 4th mine barrage flotilla. Disbanded to form the 8th flotilla in December 1941
6. SperrbrecherflottilleJuly 19412. SperrbrecherflottilleFrench Coast (1941)Sperrbrecher 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 19, 121, 134, 135, 157, 162, 170, 171, 174, 180
8. SperrbrecherflottilleDecember 19415. SperrbrecherflottilleNorth Sea (1941), Netherlands Coast (1943), Denmark Coast (1944)Sperrbrecher 26, 28, 33, 102, 145, 147, 148, 149, 150, 153, 154, 179, 185, 190
Flußsperrbrecher 201, 202, 203, 204, 205

Support craft and tenders

In addition to the standard Sperrbrecher craft, some flotillas possessed support and tender vessels for refit and supply duties

Mine barrage support vessels

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References

  1. ↑ Lott, A., Most Dangerous Sea: A History of Mine Warfare and an Account of U.S. Navy Mine Warfare Operations in World War II and Korea, Naval Institute Press (1959)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Räumboots-Flottillen". Lexikon der Wehrmacht, Räumboots-Flottillen (in German). Andreas Altenburger (webmaster). Retrieved 2014-05-04.[ better source needed ]

Notes

  1. ↑ Originally, the first flotilla contained the M 1915- and M 1916-class vessels M 66, M 89, M 111, M 122, M 132, and M 146. By 1938, the flotilla had been reformed with M 1935-class vessels.
  2. ↑ Originally, the second flotilla contained the M 1915- and M 1916-class vessels M 98, M 104, M 117, M 133, and M 145. By 1939, the flotilla had been reformed with M 1935-class vessels.
  3. ↑ Originally, the fourth flotilla contained the M 1915- and M 1916-class vessels M 61, M 82, M 84, M 89, M 111, M 132, M 134, and M 136. The flotilla was reformed in 1941 with M 1935-class vessels.
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