During
World War I, the
German Navy had maintained its own aviation service, the Naval Air Unit (), but this was disbanded upon the signing of the
Versailles Treaty, which banned all military aviation in the country as a way of preventing Germany from again becoming a threat to make war on the victorious Allies. Technological developments in
naval aviation after the war made it clear that incorporating aircraft into naval operations would be an important part of becoming a credible world-class navy. After the rise to power of the Nazi Party, Germany began a major re-armament effort, forgoing the previous limitations on its military armaments. The navy's new
cruisers and
pocket battleships were equipped with catapults designed to launch
floatplanes for scouting and defense, and new aircraft were developed in the country to meet this need. As the Navy was rebuilding its fleet, so too was the Air Force building itself. Under the powerful
Hermann Göring's
Air Ministry (), the Air Force had complete authority over all aircraft, and such was the breadth of this authority that even aircraft aboard Navy ships were to be operated by Air Force pilots, although naval officers served as commander/observer on operational flights. Thus, it fell to the
Luftwaffe to organize units to provide aircraft for the
Kriegsmarine ships. The first aircraft were provided from the coastal reconnaissance squadrons which used similar floatplanes, but by 1936 it was clear that a more specialized unit was warranted and in April the Air Force planned the creation of a Fleet Air Group () with seven squadrons which would support the various naval bases and catapult-equipped ships present at them. The name was changed to Embarked Air Group () the following year as plans were expanded to three groups, each of three front line and one reserve squadron. The wing number 196 was assigned at that time as well, but this would merely be used as a designation, however, as the actual command structure and staff was not formed until 1943 when the unit was officially established as
Bordfliegergruppe 196 (BFGr. 196). Despite initial plans, several of the proposed squadrons never materialized and the unit was never large enough to be designated a wing ().
Group organization and staff The first attempt to provide a unit structure for the squadrons was the brief establishment in October 1937 of two groups. I Embarked Air Group (I./196) was formed at
Wilhelmshaven, taking command of the 1st Embarked Air Squadron based there, and would remain there until its dissolution in May 1941. The group was originally planned to have four squadrons, the 2nd and 3rd squadrons were not formed until after the group was dissolved, and the 4th squadron, intended as a reserve, never got past the planning stages. I./196 essentially served as a group command for its existence. II Embarked Air Group (II./196) existed briefly in 1937. Forme along with I./196, it was to take responsibility for the Coastal Reconnaissance Squadron 1./406 which became 5./196. It too had additional units planned, but these did not get past the planning stages, and the group was never truly established, officially being dropped in October 1940. From the dissolution of the groups, 1st and 5th Squadrons continued to operate under the 196 designation through the first half of the war. After the transfer of the 5th Squadron to Coastal Reconnaissance Group 126, the organization was revamped, and the actual Embarked Air Group 196 was formed on 1 August 1943 under the command of Major Gerrit Wiegmink at
Aalborg,
Denmark. Taking command of the 1st Squadron (1./BFGr. 196), the group rapidly established the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons by September. The Group's staff unit (Stab/BFGr. 196) was initially equipped with a single
Junkers W 34 for general use. This was replaced in June 1944 by a pair of
Ar 196 A-5 float planes to match the equipment of its squadrons. Group headquarters moved to
Pillau from June through August 1944, returning to Aalborg until a final move in January 1945 to
Rügen. After the dissolution of 2nd and 3rd Squadrons, the BFGr. 196 was disbanded in March 1945, followed by the official disbandment of the group in April.
5th Squadron The 5th Squadron (5./196) was formed at
Kiel, both equipped with the
Heinkel He 60 floatplane. At the start of the war, the group was re-equipped with
Arado Ar 196 floatplanes which would remain the unit's equipment through the war. 5th Squadron was deployed to Denmark and Norway in 1940 and then spent most of the war in
France supporting Navy ships based in French ports. In mid-1943, the squadron was transferred to Maritime Reconnaissance Group 128 () as its 1st Squadron (1./SAGr. 128), reflecting the demise of Germany's surface fleet and the heavy use of the Ar 196 aircraft in coastal patrol and rescue missions, but would be dissolved in January 1944. The unit's remnants were reformed into 8th Squadron,
Zerstörergeschwader 1 with
Junkers Ju 88 night fighters, a squadron which would ultimately be withdrawn to Germany and equipped with
Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-engine fighters for home air defense as part of
Jagdgeschwader 4.
2nd and 3rd Squadrons For a brief period after the departure of 5th Squadron, the group consisted solely of its 1st Squadron, then based at
Stavanger-Sola. However, the 2nd Squadron (2./196) was quickly raised at Kiel on 8 August 1943 and sent to
Venice-Lido Airport to support efforts in the
Mediterranean Sea. The 2nd would remain in Venice until its disbandment on 3 June 1944. Soon after the formation of the 2nd Squadron, a staff unit was founded as Stab/196 on 1 September 1943 at
Aalborg Airport in
Denmark, and the following month the 3rd Squadron was stood up at Kiel. == Bases ==