British Naval Forces Germany was a command (military formation) of the Royal Navy that was active from 1944 to 1961 under three titles.
It was administered originally by the British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany from 1944 to 1946. In 1946 the commander's title changed to Vice-Admiral Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany from 1946 to 1947, before being renamed to Flag Officer, British Naval Forces Germany until 1961.
History In 1944, the Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief, Expeditionary Force, was also given the title of British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany. In addition, he became also Head of the Naval Division of the Control Commission for Germany, not always in attendance in Berlin, he was represented by a Deputy Head who attended the BERGOS (Chiefs of Staff) meetings.
His headquarters were initially at Hamburg and then transferred later at Minden. His title was altered in 1946 to Vice Admiral Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany. In 1947 the post holders title was changed to Flag Officer Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany. Apart from his additional role as Chief British Naval Representative in the Allied Control Commission (Germany), he was responsible for all naval matters in Western Germany, Denmark, Holland and Norway.
As British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany, he was supported by a number of flag officers some of whose titles changed, due to an expanding of their particular command areas and duties. Rear-Admiral Harold Tom Baillie-Grohman began his appointment in 1944 as Flag Officer-in-Charge, Kiel but then became Flag Officer, Schleswig-Holstein. Baillie-Grohman's main task was eliminating remnants of the Kriegsmarine. Flag Officer, Wilhelmshaven became Flag Officer, Western Germany.
In May 1951 the admiral's title was changed again to Flag Officer, Germany.Navy List May 1951. p. 386 In 1955 the Secretary of State for Defence described the admiral's duties as "The Flag Officer, Germany, in his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation capacity as the Commander, Allied Naval Forces, Northern Area, Central Europe, is responsible to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, for naval planning matters in the British Zone and for the operational control of the Royal Naval forces in Germany. He is the naval member of the Commanders-in-Chief Committee (Germany) which is responsible to the Chiefs of Staff Committee in this country. The entry into force of the Paris Treaties will not affect the foregoing duties of the post until at least the future German navy is capable of performing the tasks required of naval forces in Germany."
In 1961 the post was disestablished.
The command had its headquarters in four successive locations: Unit Location Dates Notes/Ref HMS Royal Henry Hamburg State, Germany 1944–1945 HMS Royal Albert Hamburg State, Germany/West Germany 1946–1950 HMS Royal Prince Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany 1950–1956 HMS Royal Charlotte Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany 1957–1961
Flag Officers
British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany Post holders included:
Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany 1 Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay27 April 1944 – May 19452 Admiral Sir Harold M. Burrough May 1945 – March 1946
Flag Officer, Holland
Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer, Holland 1 Rear-Admiral Gerald C. Dickens1944–1945 ret. Adm recommissioned as Radm.
Flag Officer-in-Charge, Kiel
Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer-in-Charge, Kiel 1 Rear-Admiral Harold Tom Baillie-Grohman1944–1945 title changed to FOS-HGrehan and Mace 2014.
Flag Officer, Norway Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer, Norway 1 Rear-Admiral James Stewart McClaren Ritchie1944–1945
Flag Officer, Schleswig-Holstein Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer, Schleswig-Holstein 1 Rear-Admiral Harold Tom Baillie-Grohman1945–1946
Flag Officer, Western Germany Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer, Western Germany 1 Rear-Admiral G. C. Muirhead-Gould1945–1946
Flag Officer, Wilhelmshaven Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer, Wilhelmshaven 1 Rear-Admiral G. C. Muirhead-Gould1944–1945 title changed to FOWGGrehan and Mace 2014.
Commodore-in-Charge, Hamburg Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Commodore-in-Charge, Hamburg 1 Commodore Hugh England1944–1945
Vice-Admiral Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Vice-Admiral Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany 1 Vice-Admiral Sir Harold T.C. WalkerMarch 1946-June 1947
Flag Officer Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany 1 Rear-Admiral Stephen H. T. ArlissJune 1947 – August 19492 Rear-Admiral Archibald DayAugust 1949 – April 1950Mackie p. 1623 Rear-Admiral Lachlan D. Mackintosh April–November 1950Mackie p. 1624 Rear-Admiral George W. G. Simpson November 1950 – -May 1951Mackie p. 162
Flag Officer, Germany Rank Flag Name Term Notes/Ref Flag Officer, Germany 1 Rear-Admiral George W. G. Simpson May–November 1951Mackie p. 1622 Rear-Admiral Robert St. V. Sherbrooke November 1951 – November 1953Mackie p. 1623 Rear-Admiral Robert S. WarneNovember 1953 – March 1955Mackie p. 1624 Rear-Admiral Keith McN. Campbell-WalterMarch 1955 – May 1958Mackie p. 1625 Rear-Admiral Michael S. Townsend May 1958 – 1961Mackie p. 162
Units and shore establishments Shore establishments and units in Germany at various times from 1945 included:
Location Unit In command Dates Notes/RefBerlin HQ HMS Royal PrinceFlag Officer, BerlinMarch–August 1945shore establishmentHamburgHQ HMS Royal AlfredFlag Officer-in-Charge, Hamburg 1944 shore establishment Kiel/TravemündeHQ HMS Royal AlfredFlag Officer-in-Charge, Kiel 1945–1946shore establishment Ploen HQ HMS Royal AlfredFlag Officer, Schleswig Holstein 1945–1946shore establishment Wilhelmshaven HQ HMS Royal KatherineFlag Officer, Wilhelmshaven1944–1945shore establishmentWilhelmshaven HQ HMS Royal KatherineFlag Officer, Western Germany 1945–1946shore establishmentKiel/TravemündeHQ HMS Royal Alfred Senior Naval Officer Schleswig Holstein 1945–1946shore establishmentBad Oeynhausen HQ British Army on the Rhine Royal Navy Representative C-in-C Committee, Germany 1958Berlin HQ HMS Princess IreneSenior Naval Officer, Royal Navy Headquarters, Germany shore establishmentBrunsbüttel HMS Princess Louise 1945–1946shore establishmentCuxhaven Minesweeping UnitControl Commission Germany 1948–1951Cuxhaven Elbe SquadronCommanding Officer, Elbe Squadron Cuxhaven HMS Augusta 1945–1946administrative unit msCuxhaven HQ HMS Royal AlbertNaval Officer-in-Charge, Cuxhaven 1945–1948accounting baseEckernförde HQ HMS Princess Caroline 1945–1946shore establishmentFlensburgHQ HMS Royal AlexandraNaval Officer-in-Charge, Flensburg1945–1946shore establishmentFlensburgHQ HMS Royal AlexandraSenior Naval Officer-in-Charge, Flensburg1946–1947shore establishmentKielBritish Baltic Fishery Protection Service 1949–1955covert intelligence unitKielHQ Land Commissioner, Schleswig-Holstein Naval Liaison Officer to LC, Schleswig-Holstein KielHMS Royal Charlotte Senior Officer Intelligence Kiel 1945 intelligence unitKielHMS Royal Harold Naval Officer-in-Charge, Kiel 1945–1948shore establishmentKrefeldRhine Flotilla Commanding Officer, Rhine Flotilla1950 KrefeldRhine Squadron Commanding Officer, Rhine Squadron1954 Lübeck HQ Royal CarolineNaval Officer in Charge, Lubeck1945–1946shore establishment Lübeck 1 Commando BrigadeCommander 1st Commando Brigade May–July 1945Royal Marines SyltHMS Royal Adelaide Naval Officer-in-Charge, Sylt May–October 1945 shore establishmentTonningHMS Royal Adelaide 1945–1946 shore establishmentTravemündeHMS Royal Caroline shore establishmentWilhelmshaven HQ HMS Royal RupertNaval Officer in Charge, Wilhelmshaven1945–1950shore establishment
References
Further reading Chris Madsen, The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament, 1942–1947 https://www.commsmuseum.co.uk/dykes/smallsnips/rhinesqdn/rhinesqdn.htm Rhine Squadron