1st Marine Division (German Empire)

1st Marine Division
active	November 29, 1914 to 1919
Country	German Empire
Armed forces	Imperial Navy
Type	Marine Division
structure	See: Outline
First World War	Western front
Commanders
Please refer:	List of commanders

The 1st Marine Division was a major unit of the Imperial Navy consisting mainly of marine infantry during the First World War .

history

Due to the transition to trench warfare in the late autumn of 1914, it became necessary for the Supreme Army Command to further strengthen the coast of Flanders at the northern end of the Western Front against a possible invasion by British troops . For this reason, after the formation of the 2nd Marine Division, the Marine Division was dissolved and reorganized as the 1st Marine Division on November 29, 1914 . The division was subordinate to the Marine Corps Flanders and, in addition to direct coastal protection, was instructed to secure the city of Bruges and the areas of Stene, Zandvoorde , Ostend , Bredene , Klemskerke, Vlissegem, Stalhille, De Haan , Wenduine, Uitkerke, Nieuwmunster, Zuienkerke, Houtave, Meetkerke, Lissewege, Heist, Knokke, Ramskapelle, Westkapelle and Hoeke zu.

structure

• Marine Infantry Brigade
  • 1st Marine Infantry Regiment
  • Marine Infantry Regiment 2nd
• 1st Marine Brigade
  • Sailor Regiment 1
  • Sailor Artillery Regiment 1
• 2nd Marine Brigade
  • Sailor Regiment 2
  • Sailor Artillery Regiment 2
  • 1st Landwehr Squadron X Army Corps
  • I. Landwehr Field Artillery Department
  • 2nd Marine Engineer Company

Division of War of October 19, 1918

• 1st Marine Brigade
  • Sailor Regiment 1
  • Coastal Battalion 1st
  • Sailor Artillery Regiment 1
• 2nd Marine Brigade
  • Sailor Regiment 2
  • Coast Battalion 2nd
  • Sailor Artillery Regiment 2
  • Coast Battalion 3rd
  • Marine Artillery Regiment
  • Navy Engineer Battalion
  • Division News Commander No. 291

Battle calendar

1914

• from November 29th - coastal defense and coastal battles in Flanders

1915

• January 1st to December 31st - coastal defense and coastal battles in Flanders

1916

• January 1st to December 31st - coastal defense and coastal battles in Flanders
• Late September / October - Battle of the Somme

1917

• January 1st to December 31st - coastal defense and coastal battles in Flanders
  • July 9th to 11th - storming the bridgehead at the Yser estuary
  • from December 4th - trench warfare in Flanders

1918

• January 1st to July 11th - coastal defense and coastal battles in Flanders
  • until September 27th - trench warfare in Flanders
• September 28th to October 17th - defensive battle in Flanders
• October 18 to 24 - rearguard battles between Yser and Lys
• October 25th to November 1st - Battle of the Lys
• November 2nd to 4th - rearguard fighting on both sides of the Scheldt
• 5th to 11th November - fighting in retreat in front of the Antwerp - Meuse position
• from November 12th - evacuation of the occupied territory and march home

Commanders

Rank	Surname	date
Vice Admiral z.D.	Hermann Jacobsen	November 29, 1914 to June 23, 1916
Vice admiral	Carl Schaumann (acting)	June 23 to July 7, 1916
Vice Admiral zD	Hermann Jacobsen	July 7, 1916 to February 20, 1917
Vice admiral	Friedrich Schultz (acting)	February 20 to April 12, 1917
Vice Admiral zD	Hermann Jacobsen	April 12, 1917 to January 10, 1918
Vice admiral	Friedrich Schultz	January 10 to December 12, 1918

literature

• Hall of Fame of our Old Army. Published on the basis of official material from the Reichsarchiv , Militär-Verlag, Berlin 1927, pp. 60, 85.
• Johan Ryheul: Marine Corps Flanders 1914–1918. ES Mittler & Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0541-X .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dermot Bradley (ed.), Günter Wegner: Occupation of the German Army 1815-1939. Volume 1: The higher command posts 1815–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1990, ISBN 3-7648-1780-1 , p. 165.