During World War II, 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.
Original Sea Command Sectors (1940)
Seebefehlsstelle Antwerpen - Antwerp (Sep 1940 - May 1941) Seebefehlsstelle Boulogne - Boulogne-sur-Mer (Aug - Oct 1940) Seebefehlsstelle Dünkirchen - Dunkirk (Aug - Oct 1940) Seebefehlshaber Le Havre - Le Havre (Aug - Oct 1940) Seebefehlshaber Rotterdam - Rotterdam (Jun 1940 - Dec 1940) Seebefehlshaber Ostende - Ostend (Aug - Oct 1940) Seebefehlshaber West - Calais (Aug 1940 - Mar 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" Tirana Adriatic South "Attika" Corinth "Baltischen Inseln" Lithuania Eastern Baltic North "Bergen" Hardanger Central Norway "Boulogne" Boulogne France West "Brest" Brest"Bretagne" "Calais" Calais "Dänische Inseln" Copenhagen Denmark North "Dalmatien" Split Adriatic South "Dodekanes" Porto Lago "Drontheim" Trondheim Northern Norway North "Dünkirchen" Dunkirk France West "Elbe-Weser" Cuxhaven German Bight North "Estland" Lithuania Eastern Baltic "Französische Riviera" Toulon Southern France West "Gascogne" Bordeaux Atlantic Coast"Hammerfest" Nordkinnhalvøya Polar Coast North"Harstad" Narvik "Istrien" Susak Adriatic South "Italienische Riviera" Nizza Southern France"Kanalinseln" Channel Islands Channel Coast West "Kirkenes" Porsangerfjorden Polar Coast North "Kreta" Crete Aegean Sea South "Kristiansand-Süd" Langesund Southern Norway North "Languedoc" Toulon Southern France West "Lemnos" Lemnos Aegean Sea South "Lettland" Libau Eastern Baltic North "Libau" "Loire" Carnac Atlantic Coast West "Mecklenburg" Heiligendamm Western Baltic North "Mittelholland" Amsterdam Netherlands West "Molde" Stadtlandet Central Norway North"Narvik" Narvik Polar Coast"Norddalmatien" Sebenico Adriatic South "Nordfriesland" Husum German Bight North "Nordgriechenland" Thessaloniki Aegean Sea South "Nordholland" Scheveningen Netherlands West "Nordjütland" Frederikshavn Denmark "Normandie" Cherbourg Channel Coast "Oslofjord" Larvik Norway North "Ostende Calais Channel Coast West "Ostfriesland" Tidofeld German Bight North "Ost und Westpreußen Gotenhafen Eastern Baltic North "Ostpreußen" Pillau "Pas de Calais" Calais Channel Coast West "Peloponnes" Kalamata Aegean Sea South "Polarküste" Finnfjordbotn Polar Coast North "Pommern" Swinemünde Western Baltic"Saloniki" Kevalla Aegean Sea South "Sandnessjöen" Rørvik Northern Norway North "Schleswig-Holstein und Mecklenburg" Kiel Western Baltic"Seine-Somme" Le Havre Channel Coast West "Stavanger" Haugesund Central Norway North "Südddalmatien" Split Adriatic South "Südholland" Middelburg Netherlands West"Südjütland"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. Copenhagen "Tromsö" Finnfjordbotn Polar Coast North "Ukraine"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. Nikolajew Black Sea Independent "Westkrim"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. "Westadria"" Lido bei Venedig Adriatic South "Westgriechenland" Patras Aegean Sea "Westpreußen" Gotenhafen Eastern Baltic North
References
Lohmann W. & Hildebrand H., Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine, Verlag Hans-Henning Podzun, Bad Nauheim (1956)
Notes