Imperial German Marines

[Chris Dale]

Great photo CCJ, thanks for sharing it. Especially interesrting with the Turkish medals. Where was the photo taken? Do you know the name of the original officer?
Cheers
Chris

[ccj]

I have the name of the owner, I'll look for it.

[ccj]

It's a OLt d Res - Rotellia - Rotellio - Rohtlis - Rohblis - or something else

[jluetjen]

I believe that Germany had several battalions of marines (Seebattalion) prior to and during WWI. Were these battalions under the control of the Imperial German Navy, the Royal Prussian Army, or the Ministry of War?-Patrick

Although the three Seebataillone are listed in the Prussian Army Rangliste, they do not figure as part of the Royal Prussian Army itself, but are listed in the supplement like the Ostasiatisches Detachment in China and the Schutztruppen.

Hans Jürgen Witthöft, Lexikon der deutschen Marinegeschichte, page 70/71, mentions the formation of an Inspekteur der Marineinfanterie under the Chef der Ostseestation in 1889/1890. So they are part of the Imperial Navy.

Robert Stuhr

Interestingly, officers seemed to have been posted back and forth from the Army to the Seebataillone, although the senior officers seemed to have been Admirals. For example Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck I believe had held postings both in the Seebataillon and the Army. I've seen a few other notable examples that I can't remember at the moment.

[Chris Dale]

Interestingly, officers seemed to have been posted back and forth from the Army to the Seebataillone, although the senior officers seemed to have been Admirals. For example Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck I believe had held postings both in the Seebataillon and the Army. I've seen a few other notable examples that I can't remember at the moment.

The Marine Infantry came under the command of the navy, but as you say their officers were usually from the army or Schutztruppe (eg as you say Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck). As far as I know Admirals did not serve in the Marine Infantry,

Cheers
Chris

[jluetjen]

I'm not sure that I'd say that Admirals "served" in the Marine Infantry or the Seebatailone, but rather the Seebataillone would ultimately report into an Admiral as opposed to an Army General. The exception may have been when they fought on the Somme. I guess it's just another way of saying that they were under the command of the Imperial Navy.