| Page Created |
| January 8th, 2026 |
| Last Updated |
| January 8th, 2026 |
| Germany |
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| Additional Information |
| Unit Order of Battle Commanders Operations Equipment Multimedia References Biographies |
| Operations Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung |
| September 1st, 1939 |
| Fall Weiß |
| Marinestoßtruppkompanie |
| The Marinestoßtruppkompanie, embarks aboard the battleship Schleswig-Holstein on August 24th, 1939. The embarkation forms part of preparations for the German invasion of Poland. The ship enters Danzig harbour under the pretext of a training visit. The unit is commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Henningsen. Its task is to spearhead the amphibious assault against the Westerplatte peninsula. The target is a Polish military depot controlling the harbour entrance. This operation marks the combat debut of the Marinestosstruppkompanie. It also becomes one of the opening engagements of the Second World War. At 04.45 on September 1st, 1939, Schleswig-Holstein opens fire. The main battery fires twenty-eight shells at Polish defensive positions. Shortly afterwards, the assault force begins its landing. Henningsen’s troops disembark using steam pinnaces and barges. Naval gunfire continues during the landing. The men are equipped as shock infantry. Weapons include submachine guns, hand grenades, and flamethrowers. The assault advances in platoon formation toward the perimeter of the depot. The defences consist of concrete bunkers, machine-gun nests, and 37-mm anti-tank guns. The Polish garrison numbers about 200 soldiers. Command lies with Major Henryk Sucharski. The initial assault wave aims to seize the shoreline positions and the railway viaduct. Immediate and heavy defensive fire meets the attackers. Polish artillery fires at close range from the guardhouse. Hidden firing positions deliver enfilading fire. Losses mount within minutes among the exposed landing force. The attack stalls under intense resistance. Around 12.30, Henningsen leads a renewed assault. He is mortally wounded during this action. He dies the following day. Command passes to Oberleutnant Walter Schug. Schug coordinates further efforts with supporting elements of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig. Despite repeated attacks over the following days, the position remains unbroken. The assaults are supported by Luftwaffe Stuka dive-bombing and additional Heer artillery fire. Even so, the core Polish defences remain intact. The naval infantry employ close-combat pioneer tactics. These include demolition of obstacles and the use of smoke for infiltration. These measures fail to achieve a decisive breakthrough. German records report heavy casualties among the naval infantry. More than fifty men are killed or wounded during the first assault alone. The fighting exposes weaknesses in poorly coordinated landings against fortified positions. This occurs despite naval gunfire support. The Polish defenders rely on prepared trenches and ammunition stores. Resistance continues under constant bombardment. At 07.00 on September 7th, 1939, the Polish garrison surrenders. Ammunition shortages, wounds, and prolonged shelling force capitulation. The defence lasts for 182 hours. After Westerplatte, the Marinestosstruppkompanie undertakes security tasks in the Danzig area. These include patrols and clearing operations. Its primary effort, however, remains focused on the peninsula assault within the wider Fall Weiss campaign. |
| April 9th, 1940 |
| Unternehmen Weserübung |
| Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung |
| The Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung is committed as a spearhead force during Unternehmen Weserübung. The invasion of Denmark and Norway begins on April 9th, 1940. Elements of the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung land at Narvik from Kriegsmarine destroyers of the Narvik group. The landing secures the strategically vital iron ore port. Initial Norwegian resistance is minimal. The operation supports German efforts to establish naval bases and control key fjords. The assault troops operate as amphibious pioneers under difficult Arctic conditions. After the landing, the unit supports the disembarkation of follow-on forces. Mountain infantry of the 3. Gebirgs-Division comes ashore with this assistance. Subsequent fighting around Narvik intensifies in late April and May 1940. These engagements are conducted mainly by Heer units against Allied counterattacks. The direct combat role of the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung remains largely confined to the initial seizure phase. |
| May 10th, 1940 – June 25th, 1940 |
| Fall Gelb |
| Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung |
| In mid-1940, the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung redeploys to France during the ongoing Battle of France. The campaign runs from May 10th to June 25th, 1940. The unit participates in ground operations supporting the German advance through the Low Countries into northern France. Its shock troop training and engineering skills are employed for breakthroughs and port security tasks. Precise details of individual engagements remain limited. The Abteilung operates in line with Kriegsmarine objectives to secure coastal areas. It also supports preparatory measures for potential amphibious operations. After the Franco-German armistice on June 22nd, 1940, the unit is withdrawn from France. |
| July 1st, 1940 – March 1941 |
| Occupation of the Channel Islands |
| Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung |
| In late June 1940, the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung is airlifted to the Channel Islands. The deployment begins on or around June 30th, 1940. Elements of the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung land on Jersey and Guernsey by July 1st, 1940. This action marks the only occupation of British soil by German forces during the Second World War. The local authorities on the islands face overwhelming German naval and air superiority. They order a surrender without resistance. The handover takes place without bloodshed. The Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung establishes garrisons without combat operations. After occupation, existing defences are strengthened. Additional fortification work is carried out across key sites. The unit’s duties remain largely administrative and defensive. No major fighting occurs during this period. The Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung remains on the islands until March 1941. It is then withdrawn from the Channel Islands. The unit redeploys eastward for further operational employment. |
| Mid-1941 – May 8th, 1945 |
| Eastern Front |
| Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 531 |
| In preparation for Unternehmen Barbarossa, elements of the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 531 transfer to the Eastern Front in mid-1941. The unit is assigned to the sector of Heeresgruppe Nord near Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg. Its first major commitment occurs in the Oranienbaum Pocket. This Soviet-held bridgehead lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. From late 1941 through 1942, the Abteilung conducts continuous combat operations in this area. Tasks focus on assault pioneer duties. These include bridge construction, mine clearance, and the breaching of fortified positions. Operations take place under severe winter conditions. The actions support German efforts to contain and reduce the bridgehead. Soviet counterattacks are frequent and intense. Losses mount steadily through combat and attrition. Specialist naval equipment proves adaptable but vulnerable during prolonged land fighting. By 1944, surviving elements of the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 531 operate further south along the Baltic front. They take part in defensive fighting during the Battle of Narva. The unit also participates in Unternehmen Tanne Ost. This operation occurs in September 1944. The objective is an amphibious raid against the Finnish island of Suursaari, also known as Hogland. The raid fails to disrupt Soviet naval movements. In October 1944, the Abteilung defends Oesel, now Saaremaa Island. Soviet forces advance rapidly across the Baltic islands. The unit employs its amphibious experience during evacuation operations. Rearguard actions delay Soviet progress while withdrawals are organised. Surviving elements retreat by sea toward the Hela Peninsula. Final engagements take place in early 1945 around Gotenhafen, now Gdynia, and on the Hela Peninsula. Remaining personnel fight as conventional infantry. Continuous Soviet offensives cause severe losses. The unit suffers near-total attrition as the front collapses. The remains are evacuated from the peninsula on May 8th, 1945, after the German surrender. |