Constantinople Flotilla

Mediterranean Division
Active	Raised May 1915, Dissolved October 1918
Country	Germany
Branch	Imperial German Navy
Type	U-boat flottilla
Garrison/HQ	Istanbul
Nickname(s)	Istanbul flotilla
Commanders
Notable commanders	Kapitänleutnant Adam

The Istanbul flotilla (German: U-Halbflottille Konstantinopel) was an Imperial German Navy formation set up during World War I to prosecute the U-boat campaign against Allied shipping in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in support of Germany’s ally, the Ottoman Empire. Despite its official name, the "U-boats of the Mediterranean Division in Istanbul" (U-Boote der Mittelmeerdivision in Konstantinopel), it saw little service there, operating mostly against Russian shipping in the Black Sea.

The Istanbul Flotilla had a maximum strength of 11 U–boats but due to the unfavourable conditions for commerce raiding in the Black Sea saw little success during its three years of operations. In three years of operation, the force sank ships totalling 117,093 GRT.

14 U-boats served in the Istanbul Flotilla; 6 were lost operationally.

In 1917 the force was amalgamated with the Pola Flotilla, coming under the command of the U-Boat Leader, Mediterranean (Führer der U-boote im Mittelmeer) there; the unit was renamed the Istanbul Half-Flotilla (U-Halbflotille Konstantinopel).

In 1918, with the collapse of the Central Powers, the U-boats were scuttled, or fled to join the Pola boats in their evacuation to Germany.

Commanding officers

Date	Commander	Title
1915	?
1916	?
1917	K/L Kreuger	(Chef) Commanding Officer (CO) Mediterranean Division
1918	K/L Adam	(Chef) CO Constantinople Half-Flotilla

References

• VE Tarrant The U-Boat offensive 1914-1945 (1989) ISBN 0-85368-928-8