Naval regions and districts of the Kriegsmarine

Naval regions and districts of the Kriegsmarine were the official shore establishment of the German Navy during the Second World War. The Kriegsmarine shore establishment was divided into four senior regional commands, who were in turn subordinated to the operational Navy Group commanders who commanded all sea and shore naval forces within a particular geographical region. Within each naval region were several subordinate naval districts who were responsible for all navy shore activities within their area of responsibility, most significantly were the various German ports of occupied Europe.

The naval regions (Maineoberkommando) were the senior most shore command in a given geographical area and were subordinate to the Navy Group commanders. A total of four naval regions were eventually established in occupied Europe during the Second World War. A deputy commander, known as the "2. Admiral" commanded staff units and oversaw regional administrative matters. Specifically, the deputy region commander oversaw the Schiffsstamm-Abteilung (Ship's Administration Department) which was a liaison for port commands and also served as the ultimate authority for personnel in transit or stationed in shore naval garrisons. For those permanent assigned to the ship's department, a subordinate Schiffsstamm Regiment existed as an intermediary command.

Other major subordinates to the regional command were the Befehlshaber der Sicherung (Commander of Security), Schiffsmaschineninspektion (Naval engineering inspector), Artilleriearsenalinspektionen (Inspector of arsenals and artillery), and the Sanitätsamt der Marinestation (Medical department). A regional signals detachment (Marinenachrichtenabteilung) also existed to coordinate orders and messages between the various subordinate commands.

All naval regions were permanently assigned at least one navy shore combat unit. In most cases this was known as the Marine-Schützen-Bataillon; a larger formation known as a Marine-Bordflak-Brigade also existed. Engineering and pioneer naval units were typically grouped into a Marine-Festungspionier-Bataillon. Regional commands were also responssible for the operation of all naval brigs, which were known as Prisenhof. Naval prisoner-of-war camps were under the jurisdiction of a senior officer known as the Kommandantur des Marine-Kriegsgefangenen- und Interniertenlagers.

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