British Naval Forces Germany

Flag Officer, British Naval Forces Germany
Flag Officer, British Naval Forces Germany
Active	1944–1961
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Command
Part of	Admiralty (1944–1961);
Garrison/HQ	HMS Royal Charlotte, Minden; North Rhine-Westphalia; West Germany

British Naval Forces Germany was a command (military formation) of the Royal Navy that was active from 1944 to 1961 under three titles.

Quick Facts Flag Officer, British Naval Forces Germany, Active ...

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It was administered originally by the British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany from 1944 to 1946. In 1946 the commander's title changed to Vice-Admiral Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany from 1946 to 1947, before being renamed to Flag Officer, British Naval Forces Germany until 1961.^[1]

In 1944, the Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief, Expeditionary Force, was also given the title of British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany. In addition, he became also Head of the Naval Division of the Control Commission for Germany, not always in attendance in Berlin, he was represented by a Deputy Head who attended the BERGOS (Chiefs of Staff) meetings.^[2]

His headquarters were initially at Hamburg and then transferred later at Minden. His title was altered in 1946 to Vice Admiral Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany.^[3] In 1947 the post holders title was changed to Flag Officer Commanding, British Naval Forces, Germany. Apart from his additional role as Chief British Naval Representative in the Allied Control Commission (Germany), he was responsible for all naval matters in Western Germany, Denmark, Holland and Norway.^[4]

As British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany, he was supported by a number of flag officers some of whose titles changed, due to an expanding of their particular command areas and duties. Rear-Admiral Harold Tom Baillie-Grohman began his appointment in 1944 as Flag Officer-in-Charge, Kiel but then became Flag Officer, Schleswig-Holstein. Baillie-Grohman's main task was eliminating remnants of the Kriegsmarine. Flag Officer, Wilhelmshaven became Flag Officer, Western Germany.^[5]

In May 1951 the admiral's title was changed again to Flag Officer, Germany.^[6] In 1955 the Secretary of State for Defence described the admiral's duties as "The Flag Officer, Germany, in his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation capacity as the Commander, Allied Naval Forces, Northern Area, Central Europe, is responsible to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, for naval planning matters in the British Zone and for the operational control of the Royal Naval forces in Germany. He is the naval member of the Commanders-in-Chief Committee (Germany) which is responsible to the Chiefs of Staff Committee in this country. The entry into force of the Paris Treaties will not affect the foregoing duties of the post until at least the future German navy is capable of performing the tasks required of naval forces in Germany."

In 1961 the post was disestablished.

The command had its headquarters in four successive locations:

More information Unit, Location ...

Unit	Location	Dates	Notes/Ref
HMS Royal Henry	Hamburg State, Germany	1944–1945	^[7]
HMS Royal Albert	Hamburg State, Germany/West Germany	1946–1950	^[8]^[9]
HMS Royal Prince	Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany	1950–1956	^[10]
HMS Royal Charlotte	Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany	1957–1961	^[11]

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