The German navy is the navy of the German Empire and not of any of its constituent kingdoms or states. Its mem bers take the oath of allegiance to the emperor and it flies the colors of the empire. Article 52 of the constitution of the German Empire states: ((The navy of the empire is a unit tinder the command of the emperor. Its or ganization and structure is in the hands of the emperor.)) Since March 1899 the emperor had himself been in chief command of the navy. The organ that carried out his orders was a naval board presided over by an admiral in the emperor's retinue.
Every ship in foreign service which has spe cial orders from the chief of the admiral staff is independent of the others and is in politico military matters directly subordinate to the em peror, but otherwise to the station commander of its home port.
The highest in command on land are the naval station commanders of the Baltic (Kiel) and of the North Sea (Wilhelmshaven) ; the station commanders being admirals.
The immediate subordinates to the station commanders of the Baltic are the first naval inspector, torpedo inspector and inspector of the naval infantry, and to the naval station commander of the North Sea are: the second naval inspector and the inspector of the naval artillery.
The rank of naval inspector corresponds to that of brigade commanders in the army and is filled by a rear-admiral who regulates the service of the sailor and wharf divisions as well as of the reserve divisions.
The inspection of the naval artillery (Wil helmshaven) is concerned with the develop ment of the ship and coast artillery department as well as of the mine department and is in charge of the following: The artillery brigades: (1) Friedrichsort, (2) Wilhelms haven, (3) Lehe, (4) Kuxhaven, (5) Heligo land, for the coast defenses and mines, the artillery and mine school ships, the artillery testing ships and commission, the mine testing commission and the naval telegraph school. The inspection of the naval infantry (Kid), and the first marine corps (Kid) and the sec ond marine corps (Wilhelmshaven), is under the authority of an inspector equivalent in rank to a major-general.
Only the coast fortifications of the harbor of Kid., at the Elbe, on Heligoland, at the Weser and on the bay of Jade are assigned to the navy, and manned by the navy naval artillery that also lays the mines and mans the torpedo boat batteries, while the fortifications along the coast of Prussia (Memel, Pillap, Neufahrwasser), and the coast of Pomerania (Swinemiinde, Stralsund, Riigen), are not subordinate to the navy, but to the foot artil lery of the army.
Personnel. In 1905 the personnel of the navy consisted of : 1. Admiral of the fleet (gross-admiral), namely, the Kaiser.
2. Twenty-seven flag officers, five ad mirals (admirale) ; six vice-admirals (Vize admirale); 16 rear-admirals (Kontre-admirale).
3. Five hundred and fourteen staff officers, 67 captains (Kapitane zur See) ; 447 com manders (Fregatten-Kapitane) and lieutenant" commanders (Korvetten-Kapitane).
4. Eight hundred and eighty-three senior lieutenants, lieutenants and sub-lieutenants (Kapitan-Leutnants, over eight years' service; Ober-Leutnants zur See less than eight years' service; Leutnants zur See).
The entire naval personnel in 1905 consisted of 1,832 officers, 208 doctors, 271 paymasters, 1,762 warrant officers, 8,461 petty officers, 27,302 seamen, 1,109 ship-boys; aggregate 2,311 offi cers and officials, and 38,632 men.
Subsequent, however, to 1905 the personnel i was increased, so that by July 1912 it reached a total of 66,000.
Owing to the large number discharged from service in previous years the supply of expe rienced men is adequate to any possible devel opment of the navy, and their subsequent ex perience as in the merchant marine, etc.
The officers are drawn from the cadets, the latter being selected from young men of approved origin and education. The recruits are taken from sailors, fishermen, sail makers, ships' stewards, cooks and waiters; also from men employed on rivers and canals, and from non-seafaring people, such as fire men, machinists, painters, etc.
The period of duty is divided into the ac tive period and the furlough period. The active period is for three years; the furlough period is divided as follows: Reserve Eeevrehr corresponding to Landwehr: 4 years.
1st levy 5 years.
2d levy To end of 39th year. Naval Ersatz (supernumeraries) men of seafaring or quasi-seafaring population 12 years.
In extraordinary cases use is made of the Landsturm same as in the army all sea faring and river people not in the navy; first levy, 17th to 39th year; second levy, 39th to 45th year.
For the record of German navy in the World War, see WAR, EUROPEAN.
Bibliography. Ferber,