by Gareth Collins

Formed on the island of Borkum in Lower Saxony in August 1939. The Abteilung was subordinate to Abschnitt Borkum.

Known war crimes

Seven United States Army Air Forces personnel from the 486th Bombardment Group (Heavy) who had survived the crash of their damaged B-17 Flying Fortress on the island of Borkum on 8 April 1944 were killed by soldiers from this unit.
15 soldiers were tried for this war crime at the Dachau International Military Tribunal 6 February - 21 March 1946 (US v Kurt Goebell et al.). (1)

Kommandeur

Korvettenkapitän M.A. Dr. Max Grotewahl (00 Aug 1939-00 Jun 1940)
Korvettenkapitän M.A. der Reserve Hermann Haueisen (00 Jun 1940-00 Aug 1942)
Korvettenkapitän der Reserve Dr. Gustav Pfeiffer (i.V.) (00 Aug 1942-00 Oct 1942)
Korvettenkapitän M.A. der Reserve Carl-Friedrich Birkendahl (00 Oct 1942-00 May 1944)
Korvettenkapitän M.A. Walter Krolikowsky (00 Jun 1944-00 May 1945)

Photo from the Ludwigsburg War Crimes Trials

(Courtesy of Northeastern University Library / Wikimedia)

Photo from the Ludwigsburg War Crimes Trials

(Courtesy of Northeastern University Library / Wikimedia)

Memorial on Borkum to the men from 486th Bombardment Group (Heavy) who were murdered

(Courtesy of SPBer)

Footnotes

1. "Americans, Germans, and War Crimes: Converging Narratives from the Good War" by James J. Weingartner.

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)
James J. Weingartner - Americans, Germans, and War Crimes: Converging Narratives from "the Good War"

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -