***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***
SILENT HUNTER III
SUBMARINE SIMULATOR
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE KREIGSMARINE
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The Kriegsmarine (the German Navy) was led by a Naval High Command headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy. The Naval High Command maintained several offices for ordnance, engineering, administration, as well as a War Operations Office known as the "SKL". The high command directed the activities of three major Navy Groups (North, South, and West) which acted the same way as a modern day naval fleet.
Kriegsmarine Organization Chart
The Kriegsmarine also maintained a large shore establishment to operate the many ports, harbors, and bases of the German Navy. The shore commands were organized into four naval regions, subdivided into local naval districts.
Kriegsmarine Shore Organization
German naval vessels (including submarines) were under the command of a naval officer known as a "Type Commander". Type commanders existed for battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, minesweepers, fast attack boats, as well as patrol and motor boats. The type commanders answered to a senior admiral known as the Fleet Commander of the Kriegsmarine.
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Right: Admiral Günther Lütjens -
Fleet Commander of the Kriegsmarine in 1941
Tactical operations at sea were under the command of the Navy Groups which formed task forces and task groups of ships to accomplish various missions and objectives. For permanent administration, all submarines and ships (with the exception of cruisers and battleships) were grouped into naval flotillas.
Within the German ports and harbors, a separate chain of command existed for harbor patrol ships such as minesweepers, submarine chasers and submarine netting ships. Harbors also maintained a number of Verpostenbooten which were converted civilian craft used for harbor sentry duties. Harbor security was overseen by a Regional Naval Security Commander who oversaw a number of harbor defense flotillas. Later in World War II, harbor security was re-consolidated into eleven Naval Security Divisions.
Additional branches of the German Navy included a special operations branch, which oversaw deployment of miniature submarines, as well as a signals corps, medical branch, and engineering division. The Kriegsmarine further maintained a sizeable ground force known as the Naval Infantry, divided into several divisions and regiments similar to the German Army. Additional ground forces included the crews of naval anti-aircraft guns as well as the sailors who manned German coastal defense batteries.
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Right: A sailor of the Naval Infantry
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