Coastal Defense High Command

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Standard of a staff of an army high command (1871-1918)

As High Command of Coastal Defense one was major formation and the associated command authority of the German army during the First World War (1914-1918) referred. It comprised several army or reserve corps as well as numerous special troops.

history

Commander in chief
Chief of Staff
  • Colonel von Derschau (from April 15, 1916)
  • Colonel von Zitzewitz (July 10, 1918)

As early as August 2, 1914, units were brought together in Schleswig-Holstein to counter the feared landing of Entente troops . This was primarily the reinforced IX. Reserve corps under General der Infantry Max von Boehn , which was also known as the “Northern Army”. After about three weeks, however, the units were relocated to the Western Front on August 23, 1914 .

With the Supreme Cabinet Order of April 14, 1916, another coastal defense was organized, as the threat from the sea seemed to have grown. Colonel General Ludwig von Falkenhausen was appointed as the new commander-in-chief in the "High Command of Coastal Defense" . Hamburg was chosen as its official seat . The high command consisted of a full staff with a chief of the general staff , a quartermaster general (until March 5, 1918), a general of the foot artillery (until June 30, 1917) and a general of the pioneers (until October 24, 1917).

The high command received the order to keep the defenses on the coast in a ready state and to take all measures to pull together an army in the event of an Allied threat. In addition, it had power of disposal over the corps districts I, XXVII, II, IX, X, VII and VIII bordering the sea, the border guard against Denmark and all troops in the service of coastal defense. From time to time closed units were also subordinate to the High Command, such as the Altona and Stettin divisions (July 1 to October 10, 1916) or the 251st, 252nd and 253rd Infantry Divisions (January 10, 1917 to October 25, 1916) February 1918). At times the General Command 65 and the General Command of the XXXIX. Reserve corps for the formation of combat groups subordinated to the high command. Cooperation with the Imperial Navy should also be coordinated.

On September 18, 1918, the position of commander-in-chief was cut for budget reasons. On November 1, 1918, the high command itself was declared immobile and finally dissolved on November 24, 1918.

See also

literature

  • Hermann Cron: History of the German Army in the World War 1914–1918 , Military Publishing House Karl Siegismund, Berlin 1937 ( History of the Royal Prussian Army and the German Imperial Army 5).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Hermann Cron: History of the German Army in World Wars 1914–1918 , Berlin 1937, p. 401
  2. ↑ Hermann Cron: History of the German Army in World Wars 1914–1918 , Berlin 1937, p. 73 fn. 51
  3. ↑ a b c Hermann Cron: History of the German Army in World Wars 1914–1918 , Berlin 1937, p. 80f