by Gareth Collins

Formed in Linz at the integration of Austria in November 1938. The Flotilla was operationally subordinated to OKM and Stationskommando Ostsee for Troop Service. After the outbreak of the war, as there were no Operations in the Danube area the Flotilla was down-sized and in the Spring of 1940 was moved to Holland for the Western Campaign. It was the subordinated to Marinebefehlshaber in den Niederlanden. In April 1941 the Flotilla was redeployed to the Danube. The Flotilla, now subordinated to Admiral Südost/Marinegruppenkommando Süd, was principally used in Black Sea operations with the beginning of the Campaign against Russia. From January 1942 to August 1942 the Flottenchef was also Räumchef Krim. In July 1943 the Flotilla was divided, in the area of the Black Sea a Group was employed consisting of the 30. Räumbootsflottille and 30. Geleitflottille and in the Danube area another Group was employed as the new Donauflottille. On 01 January 1945 the Flotilla was again split into the 1. and 2. Donauflottille.

Chef

Kapitän zur See Hans Bütow (08 Nov 1938-29 Nov 1939)
Korvettenkapitän Hans Stubbendorff (30 Nov 1939-00 Jul 1941)
Korvettenkapitän Fritz Petzel (00 Jul 1941-00 Nov 1941)
Korvettenkapitän Eduard von Helleparth (m.W.d.G.b.) (00 Nov 1941-00 Jan 1942)
Korvettenkapitän Friedrich-Karl Birnbaum (00 Jan 1942-00 Jun 1943)
Korvettenkapitän Viktor Mohr (00 Jul 1943-00 Oct 1944)
Korvettenkapitän Kurt Seifert (i.V.) (00 Oct 1944-31 Dec 1944)

Chef der 1. Donauflottille
Korvettenkapitän Kurt Seifert (01 Jan 1945-08 May 1945)

Chef der 2. Donauflottille
Fregattenkapitän Eduard von Helleparth (01 Jan 1945-08 May 1945)

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 -