Surface flotillas of the Kriegsmarine

Surface flotillas of the Kriegsmarine were organizational groupings of German naval vessels during World War II based on class of vessel and geographical location. Surface flotillas were not operationally deployed units, but functioned through the administrative command chain of the Kriegsmarine.

Surface flotillas were first formed in 1938 from preexisting surface divisions, some of which had existed since before the First World War. The surface flotillas were primarily used for mid to smaller class vessels, such as destroyers and minesweepers, while capital ships and heavy cruisers were considered "stand alone" vessels answering directly to a vessel type commander. Surface flotilla commanders reported to a type commander for their particular class of vessel. The Fleet commander of the Kriegsmarine, to which the vessel type commanders answered, was the highest authority for all flotillas.

Submarine flotillas were unique in that they were considered operationally deployed commands and answered directly to the Commander of Submarines, oftentimes bypassing other chains of command, including the Fleet commander of the Kriegsmarine. Intermediary regional commands also existed for most U-boat flotillas. Miniature submarines were under the command of the German Navy's special operations branch.

Late in World War II, the German Navy began consolidating several types of harbor defense units, along with their associated flotillas, into a series of naval security divisions. In most cases, the original surface flotillas were then placed as subordinate units to the security divisions.

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