United States Naval Forces Germany (NAVFORGER) was a command of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, active from 1944 to 1958.Bestand der Dienststelle
/ref> It also had the designation Task Force 104 (TF-104).
/ref> NAVFORGER was responsible for all US naval activities in Germany. Its first commander was

Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

Robert L. Ghormley Vice admiral (United States), Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley (October 15, 1883 – June 21, 1958) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander, South Pacific Area during World War II. Ghormley was long considered to be an in ...

(1944–45). After the formation of the command, it was first necessary to take under U.S. control the German warships assigned to the U.S. as

war prize A prize of war (also called spoils of war, bounty or booty) is a piece of enemy property or land seized by a belligerent party during or after a war or battle. This term was used nearly exclusively in terms of captured ships during the 18th and 1 ...

s (for example, the heavy cruiser ''Prinz Eugen''). To this end, in Bremerhaven, a Naval Service Unit (MDG) was established. After the initial, purely administrative order, the settlement of the German

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...

and the merchant navy was in cooperation with the other allies, finished, the command was greatly reduced. It was intended to completely dissolve the command in 1948. However, the American military governor General Lucius D. Clay and since July 1948 COMNAVFORGER Rear Admiral Wilkes convinced the leadership in Washington to leave some naval forces in Germany. The now allotted backup and reconnaissance tasks were to deal with three main elements: the Naval Advanced Base Bremerhaven, the Rhine River Patrol and the Intelligence Unit stationed in Berlin. The tasks also included the supervision and management of commercial shipping on the inland waters of the United States Zone.

Commanders

*Vice admiral

(December 1944 – August 1945) *Vice admiral

William A. Glassford William Alexander Glassford (6 June 1886 – 30 July 1958) was a United States Navy officer with the rank of vice admiral, who is most noted for his service during World War II. Early naval career William Alexander Glassford was born on 6 June 1 ...

(August 1945 - February 1946) *Rear admiral Roscoe E. Schuirmann (June, 1946 - August 1948) *Rear admiral John E. Wilkes (August 1948 – April 1951) *Rear admiral Carl F. Holden (April 1951 – June 1952) *Rear admiral Howard E. Orem (June 1952 - March 1954) *Rear admiral Bertram J. Rodgers (March 1954 – October 12, 1955) *Rear admiral Walter G. Schindler (October 12, 1955 - July 31, 1957)

References

{{Authority control Commands of the United States Navy Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1958 United States military in Germany