The enforced and, in many respects, over-hasty rebuilding of the Kriegsmarine led to numerous changes in command structure during the war. Until 1939, destroyers came under the umbrella of the FdT (Führer der Torpedoboote, literally ‘Torpedo-Boat Leader’), whose flagship was Z 1 Leberecht Maass. On 26 October 1939 the destroyer command organisation came into being under an FdZ (Führer der Zerstörer, or ‘Destroyer Leader’). In the period from 26 October 1939 until the time of ‘Weserübung’ (the Norwegian campaign), the FdZ was Kommodore Friedrich Bonte; he was lost with his Staff aboard Z 21 Wilhelm Heidkamp on 10 April 1940.
These destroyers were originally organised in three-ship divisions, as follows (note that not all the divisions had been formed by the time the first two flotillas had been drawn up):
1. Z-Flotilla was formed of 1. Z-Div. and 3. Z-Div. on 26 October 1938 and was based at Swinemünde in the Baltic. The flotilla commander until 24th October 1939 was Kapitän zur See Wilhelm Meisel; the post remained vacant until 11 December, when Fregattenkapitän Fritz Berger took over.
2. Z-Flotilla was raised under Kapitän zur See Friedrich Bonte on 1 November 1938 from 2. Z-Div., based at Wilhelmshaven; ships of 4. Z-Div. joined the flotilla as and when they entered service. Following the appointment of Bonte as FdZ on 19 October 1939, Fregattenkapitän Rudolf von Pufendorf became Flotilla leader.
4. Z-Flotilla, based at Wesermünde and commanded by Fregattenkapitän Erich Bey, was set up in April 1939 and embraced 6. Z-Div. and 8. Z-Div. The post of FdZ came into effect on 26 October 1939. Z 1 Leberecht Maass was attached to 4. Z-Div. of 2. Z-Flotilla, thereby releasing Z 21 Wilhelm Heidkamp for duty as FdZ flagship.
3. Z-Flotilla was formed on 1 December 1939 at Swinemünde and comprised 5. Z-Div, plus Z 20 Karl Galster and Z 22 Anton Schmitt from 4. Z-Div. The flotilla commander was Fregattenkapitën Hans Joachim Gadow.
Tactical Numbers
In peacetime destroyers displayed a large white-painted tactical number on both sides of the hull below the bridge. The first numeral indicated the division and the second the tactical position of the ship within it. Occasionally the divisional organisation was changed, or a destroyer was attached to another division, resulting in a a change in the tactical number. Details are as follows: