German Marines

[Barrett]

Then there's Sir Walter Scott's famous quote: "Tell it to the marines; the sailors won't believe it."
But did Germany have a marine corps in WW I?

[Scott]

Lt. G. Plüschow was the "Dragon Master." He sported a dragon tattoo on his left arm and flew for the Kaiser against the Japanese in China during WWI. He was unofficially credited with downing a Maurice Farman. See

Dragon Master

Dragon Master

by Robert E. Whittaker.

[mike_baram]

Barrett,
To the best of my knowledge, the answer is "no".
Also, I remember something that was explained to me many years ago in the Navy....according to international law, a nation that has a military organization called "Marines" can land that force anywhere in the world to protect that nations citizens and/or property and it's not an act of war.
If anyone has any info to the contrary, I am open to correction.
Regards,
Mike

Mike, I don't know ANYTHING about naval law, but certainly the US Marines have been used as if such a statute exists! Between the world wars it was said that the USMC was a branch of United Fruit Company! (no pun intended...)

"Marine" in German means "Navy"
To my knowlegde, there never was a German unit that was specially attacked to naval operations, like the US-Marines are. In WW I and II, however, the German Navy formed land units from their excess reservists. These where used just like normal land units, only that they had less to no formal infantrist training. In WWI these where responsible for the coastal areas. (In WWII they were only used late in the war)
There where air-units attached to the Navy, but afaik only to support naval operation, not for the land operations. It may be (not sure about this) that until 1916 (the reorganization of the German aircraft service) the Navy had own aircraft-units.

There where always (up to day) small units of specialists in the Navy, today the Minentaucher and Kampfschwimmer - perhaps a total of three companies. The latter certainly belong to the best soldiers available, but due to their small number and usage can hardly count as a unit in the classic sense.

In short: No German "Teufelhunde"

To the spelling: "Teufelshunde" would be the correct spelling, and means devils dogs. An unusual term today, but likely in use in the trenches.

[Barrett]

Axel: Thanks so much for your elaboration. I now assume that the one reference I saw to the Flanders Marine Korps probably dealt with "dismounted" sailors serving as ground troops. Evidently akin to what the Japanese Navy called special naval landing forces and the Soviet Navy called naval infantry.

[Shooter]

Since we are speaking about a subject of which I am something of an authority (but not the absolute authority), I would like to point out that there were very few "marine corps" world-wide, until after WWII. The Royal Marines were, like the USMC, small organizations, clinging to naval institutions for survival. All other "naval infantry" where it existed at all, was just that.

After WWII, numerous "marine" organizations have sprung up in name, and mostly in the model of the USMC, which is the world's foremost authority on amphibious warfare. For example, the Netherlands has a particularly adept, if tiny, corps of marines.

To the best of my knowledge, Barrett, Germany has never had a "marine" organization of any sort, and the fliers of the Marine jasta were at best nominal naval aviators more than Marines.

The USMC was not a part of the United Fruit Company, however, during the "banana wars" Marine units often fought in Central America to suppress indigionous uprisings which threatened the interests of many corporations, United Fruit amongst them.

The "devil-dog" sobriquet appended to USMC legend and lore might possibly be something made in whole cloth from the mind of Floyd Gibbon. As a war correspondant who had much affection for Marines, he gave them a lot of ink in the press back home and was known to stretch the truth a little here and there (as well as giving credit for activities of the US Army's 3d Division to the Marines). German soldiers may never have spoken the phrase, but the Germans who faced the 4th Marine Bde were righteously awed at the ferocity of martial spirit in their foes. Marines were famous for drilling German strosstruppen " 'tween the running-lights" with their '03 Springfields at ranges up to 600 yds (German riflemen had difficulty hitting targets at 100 yds, by 1918) and were very handy with the bayonet also. Landsers most likely had a lot of names for them which were not as flattering, but about "devil-dogs" who can know?

r/s

Bill

I looked this up to get definite information.

Due to the nature of warships and enlistment the naval service had a large excess of reservists for which no on-board duty could be found. In the times of mobilization, however, they were attached to the Navy. Thus came into life the "Marine-Korps Flandern", some divisions that where made up entirely of navymen, but had 100%-groundbased service. The corps was given the task to cover the right flank - up to the sea (unsurprisingly).
The navy also had its own aircraft-unit, and in addition to several units entirely for naval tasks in November 1916 the first navy-half-jasta was installed. This was the core of the later Marine-Jagdstaffe ("Marine" as German for "Navy").

The whole service belonged entirely to the navy and was not subject to the central HQ, the Kogenluft (Commanding Generalö Airforce).

At the end of 1917, two Jasta and two Feldfliegerabteilungen where set up for support of the landforce, in addition to several coastal units.

The existence of the Marine-Flandern-Korps was more due to prestige and rivalry between Marine and Heer in Germany, and certainly was not beneficial to the war efforts, since the naval divisions were comparatively badly trained and led for years.

Best regards

Axel

[Barrett]

Axel: Thanks a bunch; this is the most definitive info I've seen. Can you recommend an English language source for more details?
PS: Give my regards to Waldo and Ernst when you see them!

Actually this information is not from the (in)famous Kroeschel&Stuetzer, but from Nowarras "Eisernes Kreuz und Balkenkreuz".

I don't know wether this is available in English, but since Nowarra is one of the best sources around I assume that there is an english edition.
It is only handled very short there, but at least it has this kind of information.

If you are interested more in the German Imperial Army (and their naval divisions) I would have to look for other sources.

Best regards

Axel