German Navy

The German Navy traces its roots back to the Reichsflotte (Imperial Fleet) of the revolutionary era of 1848–52. The Reichsflotte was the first German navy to sail under the black-red-gold flag. Founded on 14 June 1848 by the orders of the democratically elected Frankfurt Parliament, the Reichsflotte's brief existence ended with the failure of the revolution and it was disbanded on 2 April 1852; thus, the modern day navy celebrates its birthday on 14 June.

A sailor of the German Navy during the 1970s

Between May 1945 and 1956, the German Mine Sweeping Administration and its successor organizations, made up of former members of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (War Navy), became something of a transition stage for the navy, allowing the future Marine to draw on recently experienced personnel upon its formation. Also, from 1949-52 the US Navy had maintained the Naval Historical Team in Bremerhaven. This group of former Kriegsmarine officers acting as historical and tactical consultants to the Americans, was significant in establishing a German element in the NATO senior naval staff. In 1956, with West Germany's accession to NATO, the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy), as the navy was known colloquially, was formally established. In the same year the East German Volkspolizei See (literally People's Police Sea) became the Volksmarine (People's Navy). During the Cold War all of the German Navy's combat vessels were assigned to NATO's Allied Forces Baltic Approaches's naval command NAVBALTAP.

With the accession of East Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 the Volksmarine along with the whole National People's Army became part of the Bundeswehr. Since 1995 the name German Navy is used in international context, while the official name since 1956 remains Marine without any additions. As of April 2020, the strength of the navy is 16,704 men and women.[1]

A number of naval forces have operated in different periods. See

• Preußische Marine (Prussian Navy), 1701–1867
• Reichsflotte (Fleet of the Realm), 1848–52
• North German Federal Navy, 1867–71
• Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine), 1871–1919
• Reichsmarine, 1919–35
• Kriegsmarine, 1935–45
• German Mine Sweeping Administration, 1945–48
• Volksmarine, the navy of East Germany (GDR) 1956–90
• Marine, 1956–present (Bundesmarine, colloquially)

German warships permanently participate in all four NATO Maritime Groups. The German Navy is also engaged in operations against international terrorism such as Operation Enduring Freedom and NATO Operation Active Endeavour.

Presently the largest operation the German Navy is participating in is UNIFIL off the coast of Lebanon. The German contribution to this operation is two frigates, four fast attack craft, and two auxiliary vessels. The naval component of UNIFIL has been under German command.[3]

The navy is operating a number of development and testing installations as part of an inter-service and international network. Among these is the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE CSW), an affiliated centre of Allied Command Transformation. The COE CSW was established in April 2007 and officially accredited by NATO on 26 May 2009.[4] It is co-located with the staff of the German Flotilla 1 in Kiel whose Commander is double-hatted as Director, COE CSW.

The German Navy is commanded by the Inspector of the Navy (Inspekteur der Marine) supported by the Navy Command (Marinekommando) in Rostock.

Formations

• HQ German Navy (Marinekommando), Rostock
  • Einsatzflottille 1 (HQ Kiel)

• 1st Corvette Squadron (1. Korvettengeschwader), Warnemünde
• 1st Submarine Squadron (1. Ubootgeschwader), Eckernförde
  • Submarine Training Centre (Ausbildungszentrum Unterseeboote), Eckernförde
• 3rd Minesweeping Squadron (3. Minensuchgeschwader), Kiel
• 5th Minesweeping Squadron (5. Minensuchgeschwader), Kiel
• 7th Fast Patrol Boat Squadron (7. Schnellbootgeschwader), Warnemünde
• Naval Force Protection Battalion, (Seebataillon), Eckernförde
• Naval Special Forces Command, (Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine), Eckernförde
• Naval Base Command Kiel (Marinestützpunktkommando Kiel)
• Naval Base Command Eckernförde
• Naval Base Command Warnemünde

• Einsatzflottille 2, Wilhelmshaven

• HQ 2nd Flotilla
• 2nd Frigate Squadron (2. Fregattengeschwader), Wilhelmshaven
• 4th Frigate Squadron (4. Fregattengeschwader), Wilhelmshaven
• Auxiliary Squadron (Trossgeschwader), Wilhelmshaven
• Naval Base Command Wilhelmshaven

• Naval Aviation Command (Marinefliegerkommando), Nordholz

• Naval Air Wing 3 (Marinefliegergeschwader 3), Nordholz
• Naval Air Wing 5 (Marinefliegergeschwader 5), Nordholz

• Naval Support Command (Marineunterstützungskommando — MUKdo)
• Naval Medical Institute (Schiffahrtsmedizinisches Institut), Kiel

Mürwik Naval School

• Naval Academy (Marineschule Mürwik), Flensburg
• Petty Officer School (Marineunteroffiziersschule), Plön
• Engineering School (Marinetechnikschule), Parow, near Stralsund
• Naval Operations School (Marineoperationsschule), Bremerhaven
• Naval Damage Control Training Centre (Ausbildungszentrum für Schiffssicherung), Neustadt in Holstein

• DH038
• DHJ58
• DHJ59

• The German government has announced the selection in January 2020 and contracting in June 2020 of Damen Group as the main contractor, together with partners Blohm+Voss and Thales, for supplying four Multi-Purpose Combat Ship MKS 180 frigates (Mehrzweckkampfschiff 180) to the German Navy with an option for 2 additional ships. The ships will be built at Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg and at other shipyard locations of the North German Lürssen Group.[11]
• Two further-developed Type 212 submarines with significant advancements (Common Design) will be designed & procured with Norway in the next decade.[12]
• Five additional Braunschweig class corvettes are ordered and will be delivered 2020–2023.[13]
• NH90 NFH 'Sea Tiger' Helicopters ordered to replace Lynx in ASW/AsuW role, originally ordered by the German Army as NH90 TTH variant with deliveries planned from 2025 onwards. Up to 31 could be ordered.
• 18 NH90 MRH 'Sealion' Helicopters are unarmed and will replace the current 21 Sea King helicopters of Naval Air Wing 5 in SAR and ship-based Transport Role (VertRep) with deliveries planned from 2019 onwards.
• The Saab Skeldar has been ordered as a testbed for a future maritime UAV for the Braunschweig class corvette.[14]
• Integration of the German Navy Marines (Seebatallion) in the Netherlands Marine Corps and use of the Amphibious ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy such as the Joint Support Ship HNLMS Karel Doorman (A833) as of 2016.
• In June 2020 it was announced that German Navy and Royal Netherland Navy will cooperate and plan the future replacement of both the Sachsen-class frigate and De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate from 2030 onwards.
• 2 Combat Support Ships (Type 707) planned to replace Rhön-Class ships (Type 704), introduction into service planned for 2024.

• List of ship classes of the Bundesmarine and Deutsche Marine
• List of ships of the German navies
• List of admirals of the German Navy
• German commando frogmen
• Marineamt
• Marine-Regatta-Verein
• U-boat
• Volksmarine

• Jan Wiedemann: COE CSW celebrates fifth anniversary; in: NAVAL FORCES III/2014 p. 90 f.
• Hans-Joachim Stricker: Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters COE CSW – Das COE als Ausdruck unserer besonderen nationalen Fähigkeiten im Bündnis; in: Marineforum 6-2007 p. 3 f.
• Fritz-Rudolf Weber: Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters – Think Tank für die NATO; in: Marineforum 1/2-2010 p. 11 ff.
• Hans Georg Buss, Stefan Riewesell: Maritime C-IED and Harbour Protection: A Joint Effort; in: The Transformer Fall 2013 Vol 9 Issue 2 p. 18
• Rahn, Werner. "German Navies from 1848 to 2016: Their Development and Courses from Confrontation to Cooperation." Naval War College Review 70.4 (2017). online

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deutsche Marine.

• Official website
• The German Navy — Facts and Figures, 12th Edition, February 2013
• Uniforms