“Sea defense zone”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

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.

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 zone

Established

Headquarters

Region

Group

Disestablished

"Albanien"

1943|Sep}}

Tirana

Adriatic

South

1945|Jan}}

"Attika"

1941|Feb}}

Corinth

1944|Oct}}

"Baltischen Inseln"

1944|Sep}}

Lithuania

Eastern Baltic

North

1944|Nov}}

"Bergen"

1940|Apr}}

Hardanger

Central Norway

1944|Apr}}

"Boulogne"

Boulogne

France

West

"Brest"

Brest

"Bretagne"

1944|Sep}}

"Calais"

Calais

1941|Dec}}

"Dänische Inseln"

1944|Apr}}

Copenhagen

Denmark

North

1945|May}}

"Dalmatien"

1943|Sep}}

Split

Adriatic

South

1944|Apr}}

"Dodekanes"

1943|Dec}}

Porto Lago

1944|Oct}}

"Drontheim"

Trondheim

Northern Norway

North

1945|May}}

"Dünkirchen"

Dunkirk

France

West

1941|Dec}}

"Elbe-Weser"

1944|Nov}}

Cuxhaven

German Bight

North

1945|Jan}}

"Estland"

1944|Feb}}

Lithuania

Eastern Baltic

1944|Sep}}

"Französische Riviera"

1943|Sep}}

Toulon

Southern France

West

"Gascogne"

1941|Jul}}

Bordeaux

Atlantic Coast

"Hammerfest"

1942|Mar}}

Nordkinnhalvøya

Polar Coast

North

"Harstad"

1945|Jan}}

Narvik

1945|May}}

"Istrien"

Susak

Adriatic

South

"Italienische Riviera"

Nizza

Southern France

"Kanalinseln"

1942|Jul}}

Channel Islands

Channel Coast

West

1944|Jul}}

"Kirkenes"

1941|Mar}}

Porsangerfjorden

Polar Coast

North

1942|Mar}}

"Kreta"

1941|Jun}}

Crete

Aegean Sea

South

1944|Oct}}

"Kristiansand-Süd"

1940|May}}

Langesund

Southern Norway

North

1940|Aug}}

"Languedoc"

1941|Jan}}

Toulon

Southern France

West

1944|Jul}}

"Lemnos"

1941|Jul}}

Lemnos

Aegean Sea

South

1944|Apr}}

"Lettland"

1942|Jan}}

Libau

Eastern Baltic

North

1944|Sep}}

"Libau"

1941|Apr}}

1943|Jan}}

"Loire"

1940|Dec}}

Carnac

Atlantic Coast

West

1944|Jun}}

"Mecklenburg"

1945|Apr}}

Heiligendamm

Western Baltic

North

"Mittelholland"

1944|Nov}}

Amsterdam

Netherlands

West

"Molde"

1940|May}}

Stadtlandet

Central Norway

North

"Narvik"

1940|Jun}}

Narvik

Polar Coast

"Norddalmatien"

1944|Apr}}

Sebenico

Adriatic

South

1944|Nov}}

"Nordfriesland"

1944|Nov}}

Husum

German Bight

North

1945|May}}

"Nordgriechenland"

1944|Apr}}

Thessaloniki

Aegean Sea

South

1944|Oct}}

"Nordholland"

1940|Jun}}

Scheveningen

Netherlands

West

1945|Feb}}

"Nordjütland"

1940|Apr}}

Frederikshavn

Denmark

1944|Nov}}

"Normandie"

1941|Feb}}

Cherbourg

Channel Coast

1944|Jun}}

"Oslofjord"

1941|Apr}}

Larvik

Norway

North

1944|May}}

"Ostende

1940|Aug}}

Calais

Channel Coast

West

1941|Dec}}

"Ostfriesland"

1944|Feb}}

Tidofeld

German Bight

North

1945|Apr}}

"Ost und Westpreußen

1944|Dec}}

Gotenhafen

Eastern Baltic

North

1945|Jan}}

"Ostpreußen"

1945|Jan}}

Pillau

1945|May}}

"Pas de Calais"

1941|Dec}}

Calais

Channel Coast

West

1944|Oct}}

"Peloponnes"

1943|Sep}}

Kalamata

Aegean Sea

South

1944|Sep}}

"Polarküste"

1940|Jul}}

Finnfjordbotn

Polar Coast

North

"Pommern"

1944|Nov}}

Swinemünde

Western Baltic

"Saloniki"

1941|Feb}}

Kevalla

Aegean Sea

South

1944|Apr}}

"Sandnessjöen"

1940|Jul}}

Rörvik

Northern Norway

North

"Schleswig-Holstein und Mecklenburg"

1944|Nov}}

Kiel

Western Baltic

"Seine-Somme"

1941|Feb}}

Le Havre

Channel Coast

West

1944|Sep}}

"Stavanger"

1940|May}}

Haugesund

Central Norway

North

1945|May}}

"Südddalmatien"

1944|Apr}}

Split

Adriatic

South

"Südholland"

1940|Jun}}

Middelburg

Netherlands

West

"Südjütland"^[1]

1940|Apr}}

Copenhagen

"Tromsö"

1940|Jul}}

Finnfjordbotn

Polar Coast

North

1945|May}}

"Ukraine"^[2]

1941|Nov}}

Nikolajew

Black Sea

Independent

1942|Dec}}

1943|May}}

1943|Dec}}

"Westkrim"^[3]

1942|Aug}}

1943|May}}

"Westadria""

1943|Sep}}

Lido bei Venedig

Adriatic

South

1945|Apr}}

"Westgriechenland"

1943|Aug}}

Patras

Aegean Sea

1944|Oct}}

"Westpreußen"

1945|Jan}}

Gotenhafen

Eastern Baltic

North

1945|Mar}}

References

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.