Commander of the Kirkenes naval defense
The commandant of the naval defense Kirkenes , short naval commandant Kirkenes , was a regional coastal commander of the German navy in World War II .
history
After the German occupation of Norway in July 1940, the Navy set up the port captain Kirkenes' office , which was subordinate to the sea commander Tromso . In March 1942, the newly established Kirkenes sea command, which was subordinated to the admiral of the Norwegian polar coast , was removed from its area . Their area of command initially extended from the Finnish-Russian border to the Porsangerfjord in Norway. It included both Norwegian territory and Petsamo , Finland's ice-free access to the North Sea .
In March 1942, the area between Porsangerfjord and Laksefjord with Nordkyn as the border point was again detached to form the new sea command Hammerfest . When the Germans withdrew, the entire area was given up and the agency was dissolved in December 1944.
Subordinate departments and associations
The following units and offices were subordinate to the sea commander:
- Port Captain Kirkenes
- Harbor captain Vardø , from August 1944 at the same time fortress and island commander
- Port Captain / - commander Petsamo (until October 1944)
- Naval artillery department 513 (Vardø area, closed in October 1944)
- Naval Artillery Division 517 (Petsamofjord, disbanded October 1944)
- Kirkenes Harbor Protection Flotilla, renamed the 67th Outpost Flotilla in July 1944 and subordinated to the 1st Coastal Protection Association
- 5th landing flotilla (reorganized in the Kirkenes area from July 1944, relocated to Tromsö for the evacuation of Norway in November 1944 and subordinated to the Tromsö sea commander )
- Kirkenes naval artillery equipment office, from 1943 Kirkenes naval artillery arsenal
- Kirkenes Naval Equipment Station
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Because of the atmospheric disturbances in radio communications, the 1st Coastal Security Association , which had previously been subordinate to the commanding Admiral Arctic Coast, was placed under the command of the sea commander Kirkenes:
- 61. Outpost Flotilla
- 67th Outpost Flotilla
- 5. Minesweeping Flotilla
- 7th clearing boat flotilla
- 21. Clearance boat flotilla
- 12th submarine chase flotilla
- Gunboats K 1 and K 3
- Mine sweeper Bali
- Workshop ship Südmeer
Associations and agencies not subordinate to the Kirkenes area
The 8th Schnellbootflotille was deployed in the area of the sea commander Kirkenes with one interruption from July to November 1942. Her escort ship Tanga was stationed in Kirkenes and served there as the flagship of Admiral Nordmeer , Admiral Hubert Schmundt , from October 1941 to April 1942 .
Naval commanders
The following officers held the post of sea commander Kirkenes:
- Frigate Captain Adolf Hesse, March 1941 - March 1942
- Rear Admiral Heinz Nordmann , from March to September 1942 then Admiral of the Norwegian Polar coast
- Rear Admiral Werner Stichling , September 1942 - September 1943
- Vice-Admiral Günther Krause , representing September - October 1943
- Rear Admiral Clamor von Trotha , October 1943 - September 1944, then in command of the Bergen Sea Defense
- Captain of the Sea / Rear Admiral Ludolf von Hohnhorst , September - December 1944, former sea commander Bergen and then chief of staff at the commanding admiral Norway
literature
- Walter Lohmann , Hans H. Hildebrand: The German Navy 1939-1945 . Compilation in three volumes. OO 1956. Volume II, main chapter XII, chapter 5
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Walter Lohmann, Hans H. Hildebrand: The German Navy 1939-1945 . Compilation in three volumes. OO 1956. Volume II, main chapter XII, chapter 5, p. 10 f.
- ↑ Walter Lohmann, Hans H. Hildebrand: The German Navy 1939-1945 . Compilation in three volumes. OO 1956. Volume I, main chapter V, chapter 5, p. 7
- ↑ Walter Lohmann, Hans H. Hildebrand: The German Navy 1939-1945. Compilation in three volumes. OO 1956. Volume I, main chapter IV, chapter 0, p. 5 f.