1st Flotilla
Einsatzflottille 1
Coat of arms of the Einsatzflottille 1
ActiveJune 29, 2006 to present
Country Germany
Branch German Navy
Part ofNavy Command
Garrison/HQ Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Commanders
Current
commander		Flotilla admiral Christian Bock
Notable
commanders		Andreas Krause

Einsatzflottille 1 (EinsFltl 1 or EF 1) is one of the three brigade-level units of the German Navy, in addition to Einsatzflottille 2 and the Naval Air Command. It is based in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, and is under the head of the Navy Command, based in Rostock.[1]

History

Staff building of Einsatzflottille 1

Einsatzflottille 1 was set up on 29 June 2006 as part of a major reorganization of the fleet. The Schnellbootflottille [de], the Ubootflottille [de], and the Flottille der Minenstreitkräfte [de] were merged. This brought all fast attack craft, mine warfare ships, and submarines of the German Navy under one organisational umbrella. The five corvettes of the Braunschweig class were integrated into the flotilla from 2008 onward. In 2012 the EF 1 was stationed in the Baltic Sea. On 27 September 2016 the 5th Minensuchgeschwader, formerly part of Einsatzflottille 1, was decommissioned in Kiel, and was replaced by the Unterstützungsgeschwader [de] (Support Squadron).[2] On 16 November 2016 the 7. Schnellbootgeschwader in Warnemünde was also decommissioned.[3][4]

Subordinate units

1st Corvette Squadron

The 1. Korvettengeschwader was created on 29 June 2006 with the commissioning of the first Braunschweig-class corvettes and is stationed at Hohe Düne Naval Base near Rostock-Warnemünde. Five additional corvettes built to the same (slightly modernised) design were ordered in 2017 and are planned to be commissioned from 2022 on, beginning with F265 Köln.

3rd Mine Countermeasures Squadron

3. Minensuchgeschwader was raised on 15 October 1956 as 3rd Fast (schnelles) Mine Countermeasures Squadron in Wilhelmshaven and moved to Kiel from 1 August 1958 on. The squadron received its current name in February 1960. On 23 September 1992, the squadron was temporarily disbanded but reinstituted on 2 April 1996 in Olpenitz (today part of Kappeln). About a decade later, Olpenitz naval base was dissolved and the squadron returned to Kiel on 1 February 2006.[5]

With the 1st and 5th mine countermeasures squadrons having been disbanded, the 3rd squadron now unites all mine warfare vessels of the German Navy.

Support Squadron

The Unterstützungsgeschwader commands five of the six Elbe-class tenders and is stationed in Kiel.

1st Submarine Squadron

1. Ubootgeschwader and its units are stationed in Eckernförde where the squadron was created on 1 October 1961. It was part of the Ubootflotille (Submarine Flotilla) which was stationed in Eckernförde and also commanded the 1st squadrons sister unit, 3. Ubootgeschwader. Both units were dissolved in 2006, with the remaining submarines being transferred to 1st squadron.

Sea Battalion

Main article: Sea Battalion (Germany)

Navy Special Forces Command

Main article: Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine

Naval Base Commands

The commander of EF 1 also functions as director of the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters, COE CSW. The COE CSW is an organization founded to support NATO's transformation program. As part of the NATO Centres of Excellence programme the COE CSW was established in April 2007 and officially accredited by NATO on 26 May 2009.[6] It is co-located with the staff of the Einsatzflottille 1.

Commanders

N0. Name Start of command End of command
7 Flotilla admiral Henning Faltin 15 September 2021
6 Flotilla admiral Christian Bock 19 April 2018 15 September 2021
5 Flotilla admiral Jan Christian Kaack 24 April 2015 19 April 2018
4 Flotilla admiral Jean Martens 1 May 2013 24 April 2015
3 Flotilla admiral Thomas Jugel 1 April 2010 30 April 2013
2 Flotilla admiral Rainer Brinkmann 1 October 2008 31 March 2010
1. Flotilla admiral Andreas Krause 29 June 2006 30 September 2008

References

  1. ^ Axel Schimpf: Das Marinekommando in Rostock – Die Marine auf Zukunftskurs. In: Marineforum, No. 1/2-2013, Pg. 22.
  2. ^ Neuer Verband in der Einsatzflottille 1 Presse- und Informationszentrum Marine, 28 September 2016.
  3. ^ Ein ganzes Waffensystem außer Dienst gestellt – Die Ära der Schnellboote ist zu Ende PIZ Marine 17 November 2016.
  4. ^ 7. Schnellbootgeschwader außer Dienst gestellt Archived 2016-11-17 at the Wayback Machine T-Online Regionales 16 November 2016.
  5. ^ 50 years 3rd Mine Countermeasures Squadron on https://www.presseportal.de/ (in German)
  6. ^ Faermann, Matthias (25 May 2009). "Deutsche Marine - Pressemeldung (Fachartikel): Neues Nato-Expertenzentrum an der Kieler Förde nimmt Fahrt auf" (in German). Presse- und Informationszentrum Marine. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
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