Courtesy of Dave Alton, (dabg14378@blueyonder.co.uk).
Commanders of the High Seas Fleet Scouting Groups and Leaders of the Torpedo boats, 1914-1918
Pre-war the Scouting Groups (Aufklärungsgruppe) consisted of the 1st Scouting Group (Large Cruisers/Battlecruisers) and the 2nd Scouting Group (Modern Light Cruisers). The other cruisers in home waters were either in reserve or employed on training duties.
On the outbreak of war the Commander of the Scouting Forces (Befehlshaber der
Aufklärungsstreitkräfte (BdA)), Konteradmiral Hipper, was given the title 1st Commander of
Scouting Forces (I. BdA), he was also leader of the 1st Scouting Group (I. AG). The 2nd
Scouting Group (II. AG) was led by his 2nd Commander, Konteradmiral Maass, who, due to a
shortage of suitably qualified officers had also to become 1st leader of Torpedo boats (I. FdT).
Hipper's 3rd Commander, Konteradmiral Tapken, became 2nd Commander of the 1st Scouting
Group. Within this organisation was Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Hartog as 2nd Leader of
Torpedo boats (II. FdT).
The training and reserve cruisers were organised under the II. BdA, Konteradmiral von
Rebeur-Paschwitz, who had Konteradmiral Jasper as his 2nd Commander. Initially the 3rd
Scouting Group (III. AG) consisted of the older Light Cruisers and the more slowly mobilising
Armoured Cruisers became the 4th Scouting Group (IV. AG). On 25/8/1914 this was changed
and the Armoured Cruisers became the III. AG and the Light Cruisers the IV. AG. The old
Protected Cruisers of the Training Division formed the 5th Scouting Group (V. AG).
Konteradmiral von Rebeur-Paschwitz commanded the Armoured Cruisers of the 3rd Scouting
Group and Konteradmiral Jasper, the 5th Scouting Group. Due again to the lack of qualified
flag officers, there was no commander appointed to lead the 4th Scouting Group.
After Konteradmiral Maass was killed on 28/8/1914, both Light Cruiser units were
now without a Flag Officer. Their being led by the senior captain of the ships allocated to them,
was only a temporary solution. Similar problems occurred for the Torpedo Command, Kapitän
zur See und Kommodore Hartog moved up to I. FdT. Kapitän zur See von Restorff, who was
CO of the newly completed Light Cruiser GRAUDENZ became II. FdT, first as a temporary
appointment and after a new CO was found for GRAUDENZ, formally appointed. Also from
1/1/1915, von Restorff would temporarily lead the 4th Scouting Group. Finally suitable officers
became available, on 26/12/1914 Konteradmiral Hebbinghaus was appointed as commander
of the 2nd Scouting Group, although he was originally scheduled to become 2nd Commander of
the 3rd Battle Squadron, and on 26/1/1915, Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Scheidt was
appointed as Commander of the 4th Scouting Group
Apparently Konteradmiral Tapken was not considered suitable to lead either of the Light Cruiser units. The position of 2nd Commander of the 1st Scouting Group was dissolved on 25/12/1914. The post was reinstated on 15/10/1916, with Konteradmiral Boedicker. After the problems in finding suitable Flag Officers in the early months of the war, sufficient qualified officers became available during the rest of the war to fill all positions as necessary.
Sources, Die Deutschen Admirale by Hildebrand and Henriot and Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe by Hildebrand, Röhr and Steinmetz.
Commanders of the 1st Scouting Group (I. Aufklärungsgruppe) 1
Konteradmiral / Vizeadmiral Franz (Ritter von) Hipper, 1/10/1913 - 11/8/1918. 2
Konteradmiral Ludwig von Reuter, 11/8/1918 - 17/11/1918.
Temporary commanders
Konteradmiral Friedrich Boedicker, 27/3/1916 - 12/5/1916 and 2/9/1916 - 14/10/1916.
Konteradmiral Ludwig von Reuter, 5/2/1918 - 9/2/1918 and 6/8/1918 - 10/8/1918.
2nd Commanders of the 1st Scouting Group
Konteradmiral Arthur Tapken, 1/3/1914 - 25/12/1914.
Position dissolved, 26/12/1914 - 14/10/1916.
Konteradmiral Friedrich Boedicker, 15/10/1916 - 20/1/1918.
Konteradmiral Ludwig von Reuter, 22/1/1918 - 10/8/1918.
Kapitän zur See Carl Feldmann, 15/8/1918 - 4/12/1918.
Temporary 2nd Commander.
Kapitän zur See Wilhelm Tägert, 19/6/1918 - 19/7/1918.
Commanders of the 2nd Scouting Group (II. Aufklärungsgruppe)
Konteradmiral Leberecht Maass, 1/3/1914 - 28/8/1914. 3
Position vacant, 29/8/1914 - 25/12/1914. 4
Konteradmiral Georg Hebbinghaus, 26/12/1914 - 27/8/1915.
Konteradmiral Friedrich Boedicker, 28/8/1915 - 10/9/1916.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore / Konteradmiral Ludwig von Reuter, 11/9/1916 - 21/1/1918. 5
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Magnus von Levetzow, 21/1/1918 - 5/8/1918.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Viktor Harder, 6/8/1918 - 28/11/1918.
Temporary commander.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Ludwig von Reuter, 28/3/1916 - 12/5/1916.
Commander of the 3rd Scouting Group (III. Aufklärungsgruppe) 6
Konteradmiral Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz, 2/8/1914 - 17/4/1915.
Commanders of the 4th Scouting Group (IV. Aufklärungsgruppe)
Position vacant, 2/8/1914 - 1/1/1915. 7
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Karl von Restorff, 1/1/1915 - 25/1/1915. 8
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore / Konteradmiral Georg Scheidt, 26/1/1915 - 3/9/1915. 9
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Ludwig von Reuter, 3/9/1915 - 10/9/1916.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore / Konteradmiral Karl Seiferling, 11/10/1916-11/12/1916. 10
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore / Konteradmiral Max Hahn, 25/12/1916 - 30/11/1917. 11
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore / Konteradmiral Johannes von Karpf, 2/12/1917 - 8/11/1918. 12
Temporary commander.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Paul Heinrich, 22/4/16 - 12/5/16.
Commander of the 5th Scouting Group (V. Aufklärungsgruppe) 13
Konteradmiral Gisberth Jasper, 12/8/1914 - 16/11/1914.
1st Leader of Torpedo boats (Erster Führer der Torpedobootsstreitkräfte) 14
Konteradmiral Leberecht Maass, 1/3/1914 - 28/8/1914.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Johannes Hartog, 6/9/1914 - 3/4/1916.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Andreas Michelsen, 14/4/1916 - 4/6/1917.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Paul Heinrich, 5/6/1917 - 30/11/1918.
2nd Leader of Torpedo boats (Zweiter Führer der Torpedobootsstreitkräfte)
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Johannes Hartog, 1/8/1914 - 28/8/1914.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Karl von Restorff, 29/8/1914 - 28/10/1915.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Max Köthner, 12/11/1915 - 3/4/1916.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Paul Heinrich, 4/4/1916 - 4/6/1917.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Hans Eberius, 5/6/1917 - 28/11/1917.
Kapitän zur See und Kommodore Rudolf Madlung, 29/11/1917 - 23/7/1918.
Fregattenkapitän Hans Quaet-Faslem, 23/7/1918 - 30/11/1918.
Notes
1 On 1/8/1918 post renamed 1st Commander of Scouting Forces and Leader of 1st Scouting Group, (Erster Befehlshaber der Aufklärungsstreitkräfter und Führer der I. AG (I. BdA). Note also that the Germans always used Roman numerals to designate main formations and ranks, sub divisions within these are numbered with Arabic numerals.
2 Promoted to Vizeadmiral, 17/5/1915. Awarded Ordré Pour le Mérite on 5/6/196 and noble title with the Königlich Bayerischer Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden on 6/6/1916.
3 Maass was also 1st Leader of Torpedo boats (I. FdT)
4 The Senior Officer of the ships allocated to the Group, Kapitän zur See Viktor Harder, on STRALSUND, led the 2nd Scouting Group, during this period.
5 Promoted to Konteradmiral on 25/11/1916.
6 The 3rd Scouting Group was disbanded on 17/4/1915; the ships were detached to the Baltic Command.
7 The Senior Officer of the ships allocated to the Group, Kapitän zur See Friedrich Richter, on STUTTGART, led the 4th Scouting Group, during this period.
8 Temporary appointment, von Restorff was also 2nd Leader of Torpedo boats (II. FdT).
9 Promoted to Konteradmiral on 23/2/1915.
10 Promoted to Konteradmiral, 25/11/1916.
11 Promoted to Konteradmiral, 14/10/1917.
12 Promoted to Konteradmiral, 18/9/1918.
13 The 5th Scouting Group was detached to the Baltic Command on 21/9/1914 and disbanded on 16/11/1914. Because of personnel shortages the ships were then decommissioned and returned to training duties.
14 Post renamed Commander of Torpedo boats (Befehlshaber der Torpedobootsstreitkräfte) on 17/8/1918.
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