German 628th Naval Artillery Battalion

628th Naval Artillery Battalion

628 Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung - MMA628

History

Formed in April 1944 for defense of the Dalmatian islands around Split, disbanded in November 1944 after German retreat.

3rd Battery didn't transport its guns to mainland and instead destroyed them before retreating from Drvenik Veli island.

During German retreat from Dalmatia around 20 October 1944 battalion was reformed as 583rd Naval Rifle Battalions. Coastal artillery guns which couldn't be evacuated were destroyed.

6th Battery was destroyed during failed Operation Kranich.

On the night of 14/15 September 1944, 7th Battery at SuÄ‡uraj together with 6th Company of the 2nd Battalion from the 738th Regiment come under attacked by Yugoslav Partisans 5th (Italian) battalion of the 1st Dalmatian Brigade and Naval Infantry company of the 4th POS. Helped by artillery form the mainland attacked failed as did attack on 17 September at 23:00. With fall of Sumartin on BraÄ island, German garrison in SuÄ‡uraj become pointless and was withdrawn on 20 September.

Order of Battle

1st Battery -

2nd Battery -

3rd Battery -

4th Battery -

5th Battery - Trogir, Drvenik Veli

6th Battery - Sumartin, BraÄ island - 4x90mm, range 11 km, crew arrived on 16 June from Mostar

7th Battery - SuÄ‡uraj, Hvar island - 3x84mm, range 11 km, crew arrived on 16 June from Mostar

Staff

KorvettenkapitÃ¤n M.A. der Reserve Ernst Werntgen - from April to November 1944

Reference

Mirko NovoviÄ‡, Stevan PetkoviÄ‡: Prva dalmatinska proleterska NOU brigada, VojnoizdavaÄki zavod, Belgrade 1986