by Gareth Collins

Formed in November 1940 and employed in escort & security duties in the North Sea and for a short time in southern Norway. In 1941 the Flotilla was used to lay a minefield from Memel to the southern tip of Sweden. In the Eastern Campaign it was involved in combat with the conquests of Liepāja, Ventspils, the break-through at Irbe Strait, the conquests of Saaremaa & Hiiumaa & it was used to bombard the Sõrve Peninsula. In February 1942 it was then shifted to Brest in France where it participated in the 'Channel Dash'. After that it was employed in Norway & in particular in escort duties around the North Cape.

After the wars end the Flotilla was used with the Deutscher Minenräumdienst (DMRL, the German Mine Sweeping Administration, GMSA; Kriegsmarine vessels under Allied control used for mine sweeping duties 1945-1948) at the Westwall and Skagerrak until October 1947.

Flottillenchef

Fregattenkapitän Rudolf Lell (00 Nov 1940-00 Sep 1943)
Korvettenkapitän Erich Klünder (00 Sep 1943-00 May 1945)

Subordinate Units & Vessels

M 4
M 23
M 31
M 35
M 81
M 154
M 201
M 202
M 205
M 251
M 252
M 253

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 -