Description
Silver “Schnappsbecher” Flussräumflottille Niederlande – Führer der Motorbootsverbände Niederlande (F. d. Mot.)
The Flussräumflottille Niederlande (Netherlands river clearing flotilla) was a security unit of the German Navy during the occupation of the Netherlands. Their base was in Dordrecht.
After the occupation of the Netherlands by the Wehrmacht, the Navy formed the Netherlands river clearing flotilla in December 1940 in order to be present on Dutch waters as well. The flotilla was initially under the naval commander in the Netherlands and was led by Kapitänleutnant d. R. Emmerich Steppwieser, set up in Dordrecht and commanded with interruptions until September 1944. From January 1941, the subordination changed to the leader of the motorboat associations in the Netherlands with the naval commander in the Netherlands. The Maas flotilla (April 1941 until the transfer to the Rhine flotilla in February/March 1945) and the Rhine flotilla (set up in January 1940) were also subordinated to this.
The task of the flotilla was to clear Dutch inland waterways of mines and, where necessary, to lay new mine barriers. In the course of the war, other tasks were added, such as escorting merchant ships and defending against Allied bombers. On February 8, 1945, the unit was dissolved by order of the naval high command and in February/March 1945 the remaining boats were handed over to the Rhine flotilla. The rest of the crews were transferred to land units and were locked up by the Allies in Fortress Holland as the war progressed.
The Flussräumflottille Niederlande consisted of the following parts:
Hafenschutz Flottille SüdHolland
Hafenschutz Flottille NordHolland
FlüssRaum Flottille Niederlande
Führer de Motorbootsverbände Niederlande
Maas Flottille
Rhein Flottille
The here offered silver Schnappsbecher was for the Führer de Motorbootsverbände Niederlande. These cups were given as presents to men who had served.
The Führer de Motorbootsverbände Niederlande formed in Janary 1941 and was subordinate to the Marinebefehshaber in den Niederlanden, then Kommandierender Admiral in den Niederlanden. it was based in The Hague until September 1942 when it was moved to Dordrecht. It was dissolved in March 1945. The boats of the Flussraumflotille and Maasflotille were moved to the Rheinflotille.
It was commanded by:
- Korvettenkapitän Hans Stubbendorff (from januari 1941 – april 1941)
- Korvettenkapitän Gustav Strempel (from april 1941 – januari 1942)
- Kapitänleutnant z. V. Hanns Mitzka (m.W.d.G.b.) (from januari 1942 – march 1942)
- Korvettenkapitän z.V. Alfred Giesinger (from march 192 – december 1943)
- Korvettenkapitän z.V. Erich Schimmelpfennig (from december 1943 – march 1944)
- Korvettenkapitän z. V. Alfred Giesinger (from March 1944 – September 1944)
- Korvettenkapitän der Reserve Heinrich Engel (from september 1944- March 1945)
The cup has the name Führer de Motorbootsverbände Niederlande (F.D Mot. Niederl.)) engraved, as well as a German Kriegsmarineflag. On the back are several autographs engraved.
The cup is on the underside silver hallmarked with BK 830.
The cup has a height of 5 centimeters and is in excellent condition. Due to the silver color it’s very hard to take good pictures. In hand it is very good!
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This a very rare item and it’s only the first time i can offer one in all my collecting life.
