Seebataillon

This formation provided small contingents of marines to perform traditional functions such as protecting officers, general policing aboard warships and limited amphibious shore intrusions.

Bismarck’s continental policies sought to avoid colonial or naval entanglements and he would oppose plans to further develop navy forces.

That approach would position the Seebataillon as a compact, self-contained organization, roughly equivalent to the British Royal Marine Light Infantry.

Seebataillon, reinforced by an engineer company and field artillery battery, comprised the German contingent to the international relief force.

In 1904–1908 during the Herero Wars, a formation in battalion strength supported the Schutztruppe in German South West Africa; during 1905–1906 a Seebataillon detachment served in German East Africa during the Maji Maji Rebellion.Additional small formations were the East Asian Marine Detachment (OMD) at Beijing and Tianjin, and Marine-Detachment Skutari, a company composed of personnel from I. and II.

[citation needed] In early February 1917 a third Marine Division was organized thus giving the naval infantry corps a strength of 70,000 men.

[citation needed] Marine units fought in 1914 at Tsingtao and Antwerp, in 1915 at Ypres, in 1916 on the Somme, in 1917 in Flanders and during the 1918 offensive battles in northern France.

In 1945, a number of Navy sailors were sent to fight in the Battle of Berlin by order of Grand Admiral Dönitz, while thousands were organized into infantry formations.

On 1 April 2014, a new Seebataillon was formed from existing naval protection forces, boarding teams, and the Minentaucher company.