by Gareth Collins

Until December 1940 all units and commands in the area of Western France were directly subordinate to the Marinebefehlshaber Westfrankreich. Initial control of the immediate area of Gascony was delegated to the Hafenkommandant Bayonne. Even when the command area was re-organised in December 1940 the area of the Gascogne was not given its own Seekommandant, part the area (from the Seudre to the Gironde Estuary) became part of Seekommandant Loire-Gironde. The area of Gascony, south of the Gironde Estuary only had units in the area of Biarritz and Bayonne which were controlled locally. It was not until July 1941 that Gascony was given its own Seekommandant. It had its seat in Bordeaux until March 1942 when it was moved to Royan. The area of command ranged from the Seudre in the north to the French-Spanish border, now incorporating the Girond Estuary which was ceded from Seekommandant Loire-Gironde. It was subordinate to the Marinebefehlshaber Westfrankreich, then Kommandierender Admiral Atlantikküste.

Seekommandant

Kapitän zur See Hans Lipinski (00 Jul 1941-27 Aug 1943)
Konteradmiral Hans Michahelles (28 Aug 1943-17 Apr 1945)

Stabsoffizier beim Stabe (A I)

Korvettenkapitän M.A. der Reserve Franz Seim (00 May 1942-17 Apr 1945)

Subordinate Commands & Units

Hafenkommandant Bayonne
Hafenkommandant Bordeaux
Kriegsmarinedienststelle Bordeaux
Hafenschutzflottille Gironde
Marineartillerieabteilung 284
Marineartillerieabteilung 286
Marineartillerieabteilung 618
16. Marinekraftfahrabteilung
1. Marinenachrichtenabteilung
Marinesonderdienst Bordeaux
Marineflakschule II

Sources used

Research by Gareth Collins
Erich Gröner - Die Schiffe der deutschen Kriegsmarine und ihr Verbleib 1939-1945, J.F. Lehmanns Verlag, München (1976)
Hans H. Hildebrand - Die organisatorische Entwicklung der Marine nebst Stellenbesetzung 1848 bis 1945, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück(2000)
Hans H. Hildebrand & Ernest Henriot – Deutschlands Admirale 1849-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück (1989)
Hans H. Hildebrand, Albert Röhr & Hans-Otto Steinmetz – Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe, Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg (1980)
Walter Lohmann & Hans H. Hildebrand – Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine, Verlag Hans-Henning Podzun, Bad Nauheim (1956)

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -