Minesweeper flotilla (Kriegsmarine)
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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.
When operationally deployed, the minesweepers were under a separate chain of command under the authority of harbor security commanders.[1]
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.
| Flotilla | Formed | Operational areas | Original vessels assigned | Additional vessels assigned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1936 | 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 | |
| 3rd | 1940 | North Sea (1940), Finland (1942) | M 15, M 16, M 17, M 18, M 19, M 22, M 29, M 30. | |
| 4th | 1939 | Norway (1940), Atlantic Coast (1942) | M 36, M 81, M 101, M 132, M 151, M 203, M 204, M 255[N 3] | |
| 5th | 1940 | North 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 | |
| 6th | 1939 | North Sea (1939), French Coast (1943) | M 72, M 104, M 117, M 122, M 126, M 145, M 146 | M 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. |
| 7th | Baltic Sea (1939), North Sea (1941) | M 75, M 84, M 85, M 102, M 122, M 126 | M 82, M 83, M 154, M 205, M 206. | |
| 8th | 1941 | French 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. | |
| 9th | 1943 | Norway (1943) | M 272, M 273, M 274, M 276, M 306, M 326, M 346, M 348, M 364, M 365. | |
| 10th | Atlantic Coast (1943) | M 236, M 264, M 275, M 307, M 347, M 366, M 367, M 385, M 408, M 428, M 438. | ||
| 11th | North Sea (1943) | M 264, M 291, M 307, M 327, M 329, M 347, M 348, M 368, M 386. | ||
| 12th | 1944 | Baltic Sea (1944) | M 601, M 602, M 603, M 604, M 605, M 612, M 801, M 802, M 803, M 804. | |
| 13th | 1939 | Baltic Sea (1939), Norway (1940), Netherlands (1942) | M 1301, M 1302, M 1303, M 1304, M 1305, M 1306, M 1307, M 1308 | |
| 14th | Baltic Sea (1939) | M 1401, M 1402, M 1403, M 1404, M 1405, M 1406, M 1407, M 1408 | ||
| 15th | Baltic Sea (1939), Norway (1940) | M 1501, M 1502, M 1503, M 1504, M 1505, M 1506, M 1507, M 1508 | ||
| 16th | North Sea (1939), France (1943) | M 1601, M 1602, M 1603, M 1604, M 1605, M 1606, M 1607, M 1608, M 1609 | ||
| 17th | Baltic Sea (1939), Norway (1940) | M 1701, M 1702, M 1703, M 1704, M 1705, M 1706, M 1707, M 1708. | ||
| 18th | North Sea (1939), Northern France (1942) | M 1801, M 1802, M 1803, M 1804, M 1805, M 1806, M 1807, M 1808. | ||
| 19th | Baltic Sea (1939) | M 1901, M 1902, M 1903, M 1904, M 1905, M 1906, M 1907, M 1908. | ||
| 21st | 1942 | Norway (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. |
| 22nd | 1941 | North 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. | |
| 23rd | 1942 | Norway (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. | ||
| 25th | North 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 | ||
| 26th | 1943 | French Coast (1943) | M 404, M 424, M 434, M 444, M 454, M 476, M 486, M 495 | |
| 27th | North 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. | ||
| 28th | 1942 | English Channel (1942), French Coast (1943) | M 262, M 271, M 304, M 325, M 344, M 345, M 363, M 384, M 463. | |
| 29th | 1943 | Norway (1943) | Reserve command for the 19th Minesweeper Flotilla | M 406, M 415, M 426, M 436, M 445, M 455, M 462, M 470. |
| 30th | Reserve command for the 15th Minesweeper Flotilla | M 403, M 406, M 415, M 426, M 436, M 445, M 455, M 462, M 470. | ||
| 31st | 1940 | North 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. | |
| 32nd | Netherlands (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. | ||
| 34th | Netherlands (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 3442 M 3443, M 3444, M 3445. | ||
| 36th | Denmark (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. | ||
| 38th | English 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. | ||
| 40th | French 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. | ||
| 42nd | Atlantic 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. | ||
| 44th | French-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. | ||
| 46th | 1941 | M 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. | ||
| 52nd | 1940 | Norway | M 5201, M 5202, M 5203, M 5204, M 5205, M 5206, M 5207, M 5208, M 5209, M 5210. | |
| 54th | M 5401, M 5402, M 5403, M 5404, M 5405, M 5406, M 5407, M 5408, M 5409, M 5410, M 5411, M 5412 | |||
| 56th | M 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. | |||
| 70th | 1943 | Italy | M 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. | |