|
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
|