The Flanders Corps. Photo collection.

The "Flanders Corps" was originally formed on 29.08.1914 as the „Mobile Marine-Division“, and on 15.11.1914 it was officially elevated to a "Marine Corps".

The decision to form a naval expedition corps is said to have come from Grand Admiral v. Tirpitz (B. v. Hülsen, Das Marinekorps in Flandern 1914 1918. in: Marinerundschau und Nachrichtenblatt der O.B. des M.J.R. 2 und 2. S.B.).

Because the Imperial Navy mobilized far more reservists at the outbreak of war than there were places on the warships, surplus sailors were retrained as infantrymen.

Commander throughout was Admiral Ludwig von Schröder, who, because of his energetic leadership style, was also called the "Lion of Flanders".

The corps reported directly to the Kaiser and the Imperial Naval Office, but operated on land in coordination with the OHL (Supreme Army Command).

The "Flanders Corps" grew from an initial approx. 12,000 men to as many as 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers (distributed across three naval divisions) by 1917.

The "Flanders Corps" was an early precursor of modern joint-service formations and consisted of:

Land forces (naval infantry):

Three naval divisions that were primarily employed for coastal defense, but also engaged in regular trench warfare on the Western Front.

They developed the Belgian coast into one of the most heavily fortified positions of World War I ("Fortress Flanders").

Naval forces (Naval Forces Flanders):

Consisting of the Destroyer Flotilla Flanders and the U-boat Flotillas Flanders I and II.

Smaller, agile boats (especially the UB and UC classes) were used, ideal for the shallow waters of the English Channel.

Aerial forces (Naval aviation):

Included seaplane units (reconnaissance and sea rescue) and naval fighter squadrons (protection of bases and fighter aviation).

The organization of the naval divisions in Marine Corps Flanders

was a military peculiarity.

Although the soldiers belonged to the Imperial Navy organizationally, disciplinarily and by tradition, the divisions were structured like infantry divisions of the Prussian Army so they could be employed flexibly on the Western Front and in coastal defense.

The corps comprised two marine divisions from the end of 1914 and finally three from the summer of 1917.

Before looking at the organization, one must understand which three personnel groups the divisions were composed of:

Sea battalions: Originally the regular, standing naval infantry of the Imperial Navy for overseas deployment (e.g., in Tsingtau).

In 1914 there were three sea battalions, namely:

I. Sea Battalion with 4 companies, 1 fortress telegraph platoon and 1 machine-gun platoon in Kiel,

II. Sea Battalion with 4 companies, 1 fortress telegraph platoon and 1 machine-gun platoon in Wilhelmshaven, and

III. Stamm Sea Battalion with 2 companies and a garrison battery in Cuxhaven.

The III Sea Battalion belonged to the East Asian naval detachment (in Tsingtau).

The inspection of the naval infantry was in Kiel. Inspector in 1914 was Colonel v. Wichmann.

The sea battalions formed the highly professional core of the "Flanders Corps".

On the phase of mobilization one can read the following in the style of the time in: Theodor Kinder (ed.), The Marine Infantry Regiment 1 - 1914 - 1918, Kiel 1933, p. 10 ff.:

"In the barracks in Gaarden there was meanwhile lively activity. Seamen of the reserve and naval militia arrived from north and south, from east and west, young and old, fighters from China, Southwest and East Africa. There was loud greeting everywhere when two old acquaintances met who had served "actively" together and were now seeing each other again for the first time after years. The barracks filled up. Dormitories and corridors, the yard and drill sheds became animated with busy activity. Although all the old and young seamen had been torn away from their profession and families, there was good spirit everywhere, and hearty soldierly humour kept gloomy thoughts from arising. The liveliest place, however, was the room high up under the roof that smelled of leather and camphor. Here the warriors crowded to "fit" their things. But now, unlike when they had stood here as young recruits, there was not a "sixth" but a "first parcel". And the busy quartermaster sergeant and his assistants tossed the "clothes" to the warriors in high arcs. But not everyone found suitable tunics or trousers. Many had, during their civilian life, acquired a civic paunch that would not squeeze into any of the imperial sets. Many gentlemen initially had to go about in civilian jackets with sewn-on shoulder straps, in Litewkas, drill coats or cut-off greatcoats. However, they later had the advantage of receiving a uniform "made to measure", after they had first been allowed to sweat off the most superfluous of their civilian fat on marches and field-service exercises, while "swinging the cow's foot" and digging saps.

Two battalions were newly formed and were given the designation V and VIII Sea Battalion. The I Sea Battalion was under the command of its peacetime commander Colonel Lessing, the V Sea Battalion under Major v. Hirschfeld, the VIII Sea Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel v. Obstfelder."

Naval reservists:

These were conscripted sailors, draftees and reservists from the coastal towns for whom there was no use at sea due to a lack of operational warships.

They received accelerated infantry training and made up most of the members of the Flanders Corps.

Naval artillerymen:

were specialists for heavy ship and fortress guns, responsible for the numerous coastal batteries.

"The ... sea battalions each numbered roughly 3,000 to 5,000 men. On the one hand there were two marine infantry regiments, which constituted a kind of elite force; on the other hand they included regular sailor regiments made up of reservists and were accordingly less well trained. Most of them, incidentally, had never served on the mainland and were basically real seamen. In addition there was the sailors' artillery brigade with two regiments, which were to prove their usefulness on the Flemish coast in the expansion of the batteries and which, moreover, were often armed with naval guns. The total strength amounted to around 20,000 men" (Johan Ryheul, Marinekorps Flandern 1918 - 1918, Hamburg - Berlin - Bonn 1997, p. 21).

A naval division was typically divided into brigades, which in turn were split into regiments and battalions.

1. Infantry component (trench warfare)

Naval infantry brigade / marine brigade: included the infantry forces.

Sailor regiments 1, 2 and 3: (later marine infantry regiments).

Each regiment consisted of three battalions.

Each battalion was in turn equipped with its own machine-gun companies (MG companies) to ensure the enormous firepower in trench warfare

2. Artillery component (coastal and long-range defense)

Sailors' artillery regiments: These units were unique. They manned both the mobile field artillery in the rear and the gigantic, fixed coastal batteries on the North Sea, which were equipped with naval guns (e.g., to defend against British warships).

3. Support and Divisional Troops

Each division was independently combat-capable and had its own specialist units:

Naval pioneer battalions: Responsible for the extremely labor-intensive construction of bunkers, trenches and the concrete emplacements of the "Fortress Flanders".

Trench mortar companies: For direct tactical support of the infantry.

Divisional signals units: Responsible for telephone communications, carrier pigeons and signaling between the front line and the command posts.

Cavalry squadrons: Cavalry units, usually assigned by the army, for dispatch rider duties and reconnaissance in the rear area.

Development over the course of the war:

1914:

The Mobile Naval Division began with only two brigades.

The soldiers often still wore their dark blue naval uniforms, which made them an easy target for the field army.

1915–1916:

Uniforms were converted to the field-gray army system (often identifiable by special sleeve stripes or naval buttons).

The structure was adapted precisely to the downsized but more heavily armed "new-type divisions" of the army (shifts from 4-regiment structures to more flexible 3-regiment structures).

1917:

With the formation of the 3rd Naval Division, front coverage was optimized. While two divisions held the extremely endangered coastline and the Yser front, one division could be pulled from the front as an operational reserve, refreshed, or deployed at hotspots on the Western Front (such as the Battle of the Somme).

The organization of the torpedo boats was divided into two main formations, structured according to the age and size of the boats:

The flotilla was divided into two fixed subunits:

1. Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla Flanders (at times under Lieutenant Commander Hermann Densch)

2. Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla Flanders (at times under Lieutenant Commander Günther Lütjens, who later became an admiral in the Second World War).

Tasks: coastal defense, escort protection for minesweepers, repelling British attacks on the coast, and rescuing downed naval aviators.

2. The Destroyer Flotilla Flanders

Because the small A-boats were too weak for offensive operations in the English Channel against the heavily armed British Dover Patrol, naval leadership from February 1916 relocated larger, ocean-going torpedo boats (built in Germany as “Large Torpedo Boats” but operating as destroyers) to Flanders.

Command: Formed under the command of Corvette Captain Paul Cleve (with boats such as V 47, V 67 and V 68).

This formation also split into two units over the course of the war:

1. Destroyer Half-Flotilla Flanders.

2. Destroyer Half-Flotilla Flanders.

Tasks: These units conducted offensive night operations into the English Channel and against the English coast (e.g., in the naval engagements in the Channel in 1916/1917) to attack British commercial and supply shipping.

Additionally, in the area of small combat craft there was the Boat Detachment Flanders, which among other things operated the fast, torpedo-armed LM boats (Luftschiff motor boats, the precursors of the later fast attack boats).

Special types of ships were built and used for the particular conditions of the Flanders theater of war:

The “A-boats” (coastal torpedo boats):

These boats were specifically designed for operations in the Flanders waters and canals. Because they were relatively small, they could be transported in sections by rail from Germany to Flanders and only be assembled into operational condition at the shipyards in Bruges.

Type A-I:

were very small coastal torpedo boats (approx. 110 to 150 tons). They often proved too slow and unstable on the open sea. They were used primarily in the Minesweeper Half-Flotilla Flanders.

Type A-II & A-III:

were larger, greatly improved versions (up to 340 tons) with heavier armament and higher speed, which from 1916/1917 significantly increased the striking power of the formations.

Large torpedo boats (destroyers):

In addition to the small coastal boats, the Imperial Navy also redeployed larger units of the High Seas Fleet to Flanders. These were usually grouped there as the Destroyer Flotilla Flanders, including well-known boats of the S-, V- and G-class series as well as the large captured destroyers of the B-97 class.

The minesweepers of Marine Corps Flanders played a decisive role in securing the Flemish coast during the First World War.

Their main task was to keep the sea and transit routes clear of enemy minefields for the German submarines of U-Flotilla Flanders stationed there, as well as for the torpedo boats.

Within the naval forces of Marine Corps Flanders, the mine countermeasure forces were subordinate to the Command of Mine and Barrier Operations.

Minesweeper Half-Flotilla Flanders:

This specialized formation was officially established on 1 April 1917. Previously, these tasks were carried out by rotating boat detachments and units of the harbor flotillas (e.g., in Zeebrugge and Ostend).

Coastal defense & convoy escort:

In addition to the actual mine searching and clearing, the boats were intensively used for coastal defense, reconnaissance and to repel British attacks on the bases.

The bases in Flanders (in particular the ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend, which were connected by canals to the headquarters in Bruges) were considered a "hornet's nest" by the British Royal Navy.

Because the highly effective U-boat commerce war against England was waged from here, the British constantly attempted to block the exits with dense minefields and net barriers.

The minesweepers of the Flanders Corps therefore remained in an unbroken, extremely dangerous continuous deployment until the evacuation of Flanders in October 1918

In the Flanders area, different types of minesweeping and clearance vessels were used:

1. A-I-Boats (Small torpedo boats):Because the shallow waters off Flanders restricted oceangoing ships, many of the small, older coastal torpedo boats of the A-I class (such as A 1 to A 25) were converted for minesweeping service. They had a shallow draft, were maneuverable, but often suffered heavy losses from mine hits and rough seas.

2. Shallow-draught minesweepers (FM boats):Towards the end of the war (from 1918) the Imperial Navy developed the smaller FM boats specifically for use in shallow coastal waters and river mouths, some of which were also intended for Flanders.

3. Fishing cutters and auxiliary minesweepers:Military vessels were supplemented by requisitioned civilian craft (e.g., motorboats and fishing steamers) that were equipped for mine clearance with simple sweeping gear

The overall commander

Admiral Ludwig von Schröder (1854–1933) – The 'Lion of Flanders'

He was the undisputed face and the strategic mind of the entire corps.

Schröder joined the Imperial Navy in 1871. He held numerous sea and staff commands, rose to the rank of admiral and actually retired in May 1912.

At the outbreak of war in 1914 he was reactivated and took command of the newly formed Mobile Naval Division. He led the troops at the siege of Antwerp and, after the unit was reorganized into the Marine Corps, became its Commanding Admiral.

Schröder was regarded as an extremely energetic, strict, but popular commander among his men. He was responsible for the massive expansion of the coastal fortifications ("Fortress Flanders"). Under his command the corps held its positions until the orderly withdrawal in October 1918. Because of his relentless defense of the Flemish coast he earned the nickname 'Lion of Flanders'.

After the war he was active in the conservative-national spectrum and died in Berlin in 1933.

The chief of the submarines

Captain at Sea Karl Bartenbach (1881–1949) – Flotilla Commander Flanders

Bartenbach was responsible for perhaps the most painful part of the Flemish conduct of war against the United Kingdom – the submarine war in the Channel.

From March 1915 he built up the U-Flotilla Flanders in Bruges. He coordinated the deployment of the smaller UB and UC submarines in the shallow English Channel and the Irish Sea.

Under his leadership the Flanders submarines sank more than 2,000 Allied ships. Bartenbach enjoyed high esteem for his tactical finesse in naval mining and commerce warfare. For his successes he received the Order Pour le Mérite in October 1917. He led the flotilla until the bases had to be evacuated in the autumn of 1918.

After the war he temporarily advised foreign navies (including the Finnish Navy in building up their submarine arm) and later left the service as a rear admiral.

The corps headquarters was located inland in Bruges.

The coastal towns served as operational bases:

Bruges: A secure home harbour for submarines and torpedo boats, which were connected to the coast via a protected canal system.

Zeebrugge & Ostend:Canal outlets lying directly on the North Sea, heavily fortified with heavy coastal artillery (e.g., the famous batteries 'Kaiser Wilhelm II' and 'Tirpitz').

Naval warfare and commerce raiding:

From Flanders, the submarines operated extremely successfully in the English Channel and the Irish Sea. By 1918 they had sunk well over 2,000 merchant ships and inflicted severe blows to British supply.

Channel engagements:

Regular sorties by torpedo boats against the British "Dover Patrol" (patrol fleet) and attacks on the shipping lanes in the English Channel.

Infantry deployment on land:

The "Flanders Corps" was involved in heavy land battles, including the Battle of the Yser (1914), the Battle of the Somme (1916) and the Third Battle of Flanders (1917).

Defense against the Zeebrugge attack (April 1918):

The corps repelled a large-scale British surprise attack ("Zeebrugge Raid"), in which the Royal Navy attempted to permanently block the harbor entrances by sinking old cruisers.

The attempt largely failed; the canals were passable again after a few days.

Evacuation (October 1914): In the course of the general withdrawal of the German army in the autumn of 1918, the Marine Corps had to abandon its bases in Flanders. The remaining port facilities and ships were blown up or rendered unusable.

Retreat: The unit marched back to Germany in disciplined order and was formally dissolved there after the armistice in November/December 1918.

For the Marinekorps Flandern the number of the fallen amounted to over 10,000 men. If all the wounded, sick, missing and those taken prisoner are added, total losses amount to well over 30,000 men. With an average strength of 60,000 to 70,000 men, this means that statistically almost every second soldier of the corps was affected during the war.

The losses were distributed very unevenly among the various branches:

The infantry (naval divisions) – the bulk of the casualties

By far the highest blood toll was paid by the three naval divisions in the trenches of the Western Front.

While service in purely coastal defence (repelling landing attempts) claimed comparatively few victims, the divisions were thrown in as a 'fire brigade' into the heaviest material battles.

Alone in the Third Battle of Flanders (1917) and in the relief attacks on the Somme the regiments sometimes lost more than half their operational strength to British barrages and mustard gas attacks. Thousands of naval infantry were wounded here, taken prisoner or remained missing in the mud of Flanders.

The submarine flotillas – suffered the highest death rate.

In percentage terms, however, the Flanders submarine flotillas suffered the most dramatic losses.

Service on the small UB and UC boats in the shallow, heavily mined English Channel was a suicide mission.

Boat losses:

Of the approximately 180 submarines stationed in Flanders, 80 boats were lost due to enemy action, mines or accidents.

Since a submarine sinking almost never left survivors, the loss of a boat meant the death of the entire crew (usually between 14 and 35 men). More than 1,000 highly specialized submariners of the Flanders Corps lost their lives in this way.

Losses of the torpedo boats and minesweepers.

The smaller surface units (A-boat classes) encountered extreme resistance time and again during their nocturnal forays against the British Dover Patrol or ran into the densely spaced British minefields.

Dozens of boats were sunk, resulting in hundreds of deaths among the sailors

How severe and costly the fighting was perceived to be is shown by the Flanders Cross, which was instituted after the war.

Battle clasps could be applied for this honor cross. The names on these clasps stand for the places where the corps suffered its heaviest losses: the breakthrough battle (1918), the Flanders battle (1917), the Battle of the Somme (1916) and the Battle of the Yser (1914).

In the Weimar Republic, the Flanders Cross (Honor and Memorial Cross of the Marine Corps Flanders) was instituted in 1921 by former members.

It was not an official state award, but a widely used distinction for the corps' veterans.