Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) was a Principal Subordinate Command (PSC) of the NATO Military Command Structure, with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002 and consisted of the Danish Armed Forces, units of the West German Bundeswehr and allied wartime reinforcements.
The NATO command Baltic Approaches was created on 8 January 1962, with headquarters in Karup, Denmark. It was created at Germany's urging, in order to end the previous separation of the German naval forces between the NATO commands Northern Europe and Central Europe. After the changes in the international security situation in 1990, the command was restructured in 1993 and deactivated in 2002.
BALTAP was led by a Danish officer with the rank of a Lieutenant General or a Vice Admiral, who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP). His deputy was a German officer of the same rank. From 1962 to 1993, COMBALTAP was under the NATO command Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) in Kolsås outside Oslo in Norway. After a change in the NATO structure, it was placed under Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) on 1 October 1993. For the operational command of the air and sea forces, a partial assignment of these forces to Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST) with its component commands AIRNORTHWEST and NAVNORTHWEST was made.
In case of war, COMBALTAP would have had to lead the NATO forces assigned to it. According to plans, all Danish forces with the exception of some units in the outer regions were to be placed under COMBALTAP. Germany had provided for its land and air forces stationed in the BALTAP area, and its entire naval and naval air forces, to be subordinated to COMBALTAP. In addition, external reinforcements from the United States and Britain (UK Mobile Force, primarily 1st Infantry Brigade) were planned.
1962 to 1993
The structure that was brought into being with the creation of BALTAP remained with few changes from 1962 to 1994. During this time, BALTAP comprised 4 subordinate commands:
Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (COMLANDJUT) in Rendsburg
Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (COMLANDZEALAND) in Ringsted
Commander, Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (COMAIRBALTAP) in Karup
Commander, Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (COMNAVBALTAP) in Karup
LANDJUT and its Germans units and Corps units in 1989
LANDJUT was tasked with defending the Jutland peninsula. Holding Jutland was crucial for the mission of NAVBALTAP to keep the Danish straits blocked and thus prevent the Soviet Baltic Fleet from breaking out into the North Sea. In case the Jutland peninsula would fall into Soviet hands, the LANDZEALAND units defending the Danish Isles would have been dangerously flanked. Therefore, LANDJUT was to be reinforced at the earliest with British and American troops to ensure that advancing Soviet forces would be prevented from crossing the Kiel Canal and Eider river.
British and American formations earmarked to reinforce LANDJUT included the British 1st Infantry Brigade[citation needed] and the American 9th Infantry Division.[2] British infantry battalions and armoured regiments rotated every two years or so; thus locations are shown, but no unit identities.
Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland, Rendsburg, commanded by a Danish or German lieutenant general:
185th Panzer Artillery Battalion, Boostedt, (18 × M109A3G)
180th Anti-Tank Company, Bad Segeberg, (12 × Jaguar 1)
180th Armored Engineer Company, Lübeck
180th Supply Company, Boostedt
180th Maintenance Company, Boostedt
51st Home Defence Brigade, Eutin (originally a brigade of the Territorial Army; it was partially activated and staffed in 1982 and subordinated to the 6th Division as reinforcement in 1985)
Units ad LANDZEALAND and Bornholms Værn in 1989 Brigades Battle Groups Corps Artillery
LANDZEALAND was tasked with defending the Danish Isles incl. Bornholm and preventing Warsaw Pact troops from amphibious landings. Order of battle in 1988.
Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (ELK), Ringsted, commanded by a Danish lieutenant general:
5th Brigade Staff Company (5 × M113, 8 × TOW on Land Rover)
2nd Btn, Sjællandske Livregiment, (30 × Centurion Mk5/2.DK (105 mm L7 gun), 25 × M113 (incl 4 with TOW), 2xM125)
1st Btn, Danske Livregiment, (Mechanised Infantry – 10 × Centurion (105 mm L7 gun), 46 × M113 (including 4 with TOW), 6 × M106, 4 TOW on Land Rover)
1st Btn, Den Kongelige Livgarde, (Mechanised Infantry – 10 × Centurion (105 mm L7 gun), 46 × M113 (including 4 with TOW), 6 × M106, 4 TOW on Land Rover)
The island of Bornholm was in wartime independent, due to the long distance from Zealand and agreements after World War II said that no foreign units could reinforce Bornholm.
Therefore, Bornholm had only the Battlegroup and homeguard units of the 7th Territorial Region.
Bornholms Værn's Battle Group
Staff and Signal Company
1st Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (4 × TOW on Land Rover)
2nd Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (reserve) (4 × TOW on Land Rover)
3rd Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (reserve) (12 × 106 mm RR on Jeep M38)
Light Tank Squadron,"Bornholm Dragoons" (10 × M41 DK-1)
Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (AIRBALTAP) was a NATO military formation under Allied Forces Baltic Approaches tasked with providing air support in the BALTAP area of operations. AIRBALTAP commanded all flying units based within its sector and all reinforcements flying into its sector, as well as ground-based radar systems and stations, air defence units and the airfields in its sector. The commander of AIRBALTAP was the commander in chief of the Royal Danish Air Force. AIRBALTAP was formed in 1962 with its area of responsibility covering Germany north of the river Elbe and Denmark with the surrounding seas; however air defence for the German state of Schleswig-Holstein was the responsibility of Second Allied Tactical Air Force
The peacetime headquarters of AIRBALTAP were at Karup in Denmark. AIRBALTAP commanded the Royal Danish Air Force and flying units of the German Luftwaffe and Marine, as well as extensive air defence and radar installations manned by German and Danish personnel.
If needed AIRBALTAP would have been reinforced with units from the US Third (UK based), Eighth (reconnaissance and bombing), Ninth (immediate reinforcements) and Twelfth Air Force (follow on reinforcements), and with Royal Air Force units. At the start of hostilities AIRBALTAP would have had immediately almost 300 combat planes at its disposal. The following units would have come under AIRBALTAP in wartime in 1989:
AIRBALTAP was disbanded in 1993.
Wartime structure c. 1989
Structure of Air Forces Baltic Approaches in 1989 (click to enlarge)
Air Defence Squadron 3, Nordholz, with 6 × Roland systems
Commander, Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches
Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP) was located until 1976 in Kiel-Holtenau, and thereafter at Karup. Its commander was a Danish or German vice admiral and had the following deputy commanders:
Flag Officer Denmark (FOD) in Aarhus, simultaneously the national commander of the Danish fleet. Task Force designation 420.
Flag Officer Germany (FOG) in Glücksburg, simultaneously the national commander of the German fleet. Task Force designation 500.
Commander German North Sea Subarea (COMGERNORSEA) in Wilhelmshaven-Sengwarden, simultaneously the German national Commander Naval Forces North Sea (Befehlshaber der Seestreitkräfte der Nordsee (BSN)).
Danish naval bases and coastal fortresses under NAVBALTAP in 1989
Danish mobile Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher
The Flag Officer Denmark (FOD) commanded the entire Danish home fleet. As the fleet's main tasks were to prevent Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits and to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the Danish navy fielded a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts. The first would have been used to mine all sealanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks. Additionally the Danish navy fielded RGM-84 Harpoonanti-ship missiles mounted on Scania trucks as mobile coastal artillery.
The torpedo boats had a mobile base (MOBA) with approximately 40 trucks. MOBA LOG supplied fuel, ordnance, freshwater and provided repair facilities outside the naval bases. MOBA OPS had mobile radars for tactical surveillance and target acquisition.[8]
At the beginning of 1989 the Danish navy consisted of the following ships.[9]
Fregateskadren FGE (Danish Frigate Squadron) 2nd Squadron from April 1992
The Flag Officer Germany (FOG) was the commanding vice admiral of the West-German Navy's Fleet Command. In peacetime he commanded all German naval units in the North and Baltic Sea. In case of war the command of German units in the North Sea would pass to the Commander German North Sea Subarea. Fleet Command was based during peacetime in Glücksburg, but would have moved to an underground command center in Glücksburg-Meierwik in case of war.
The German naval forces in the Baltic Sea had the task to prevent Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits and to prevent amphibious landings on the German coast. To fulfill its mission the German navy fielded like the Danish navy a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts. All German submarines were based in the Baltic Sea and tasked with mining enemy harbors and sinking enemy supply ships far from German waters. The main bases in the Baltic Sea were Naval Base Kiel, Naval Base Kiel-Holtenau, Naval Base Flensburg, Naval Base Flensburg-Mürwik, Naval Base Olpenitz, Neustadt Naval Base and Naval Base Eckernförde.
At the beginning of 1989 the Flag Officer Germany would have commanded the following ships. The peacetime administrative flotilla commands in Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven would have been removed from the chain of command in times of war.
A66 Neckar, 401B-class supply and support tender, decommissioned November 1989
Mine Countermeasures Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven
Mine Diver Company in Eckernförde
1st Minesweeping Squadron in Flensburg with Schütze-class fast minesweepers
M1051 Castor
M1054 Pollux
M1055 Sirius
M1056 Rigel
M1057 Regulus
M1058 Mars
M1059 Spica
M1060 Skorpion
M1062 Schütze
M1063 Waage
A1437 Sachsenwald, 762-class naval mine transport ship
A1438 Steigerwald, 762-class naval mine transport ship
3rd Minesweeping Squadron in Kiel with Ariadne-class coastal minesweepers
M2650 Ariadne
M2651 Freya
M2652 Vineta
M2653 Hertha
M2654 Nymphe
M2655 Nixe
M2656 Amazone
M2657 Gazelle
5th Minesweeping Squadron in Olpenitz, between 1988 and 1991 the squadron's Schütze-class fast minesweepers were replaced with Hameln-class fast minesweepers
M1064 Deneb, decommissioned September 1989
M1065 Jupiter, decommissioned September 1989
M1093 Neptun
M1094 Widder, decommissioned July 1989
M1096 Fische, decommissioned April 1989
M1092 Hameln, commissioned June 1989
M1095 Überherrn, commissioned September 1989
M1097 Laboe, commissioned December 1989
A67 Mosel, 402A-class supply and support tender
7th Minesweeping Squadron in Neustadt with Frauenlob-class minesweepers
M2658 Frauenlob
M2659 Nautilus
M2660 Gefion
M2661 Medusa
M2662 Undine
M2663 Minerva
M2664 Diana
M2665 Loreley
M2666 Atlantis
M2667 Acheron
Submarine Flotilla in Kiel
1st Submarine Squadron in Kiel with Type 205 and Type 206 submarines
S170 / U21
S176 / U27
S180 / U1 (Type 205)
S181 / U2 (Type 205)
S188 / U9 (Type 205)
S189 / U10 (Type 205)
S190 / U11 (Type 205A)
S191 / U12 (Type 205B)
S192 / U13
S193 / U14
S198 / U19
S199 / U20
A55 Lahn, 403B-class supply and support tender
3rd Submarine Squadron in Eckernförde with Type 206 submarines
S171 / U22
S172 / U23
S173 / U24
S174 / U25
S175 / U26
S177 / U28
S178 / U29
S179 / U30
S194 / U15
S195 / U16
S196 / U17
S197 / U18
A56 Lech, 403B-class supply and support tender, decommissioned June 1989
Supply Flotilla in Cuxhaven
1st Supply Squadron in Kiel, in wartime six additional transport ships and a fuel ship would be activated from the Navy's reserve.
The Commander German North Sea Subarea (GERNORSEA) was the commanding Flottillenadmiral (equivalent to a US NavyRear admiral (Lower Half)) of the West-German Navy's fleet in the North Sea. In peacetime he was subordinate to the vice admiral commanding West-German Navy's Fleet Command, but in case of war he command a parallel command under NAVBALTAP. In peacetime the command was based in Wilhelmshaven, but would have moved to an underground command center in Wilhelmshaven-Sengwarden in case of war.
While German naval forces in Baltic Sea were tasked with preventing Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits, the North Sea fleet was to patrol the German Bight and protect allied reinforcements and shipping heading for German ports. To GERNORSEA's East Allied Command Channel's BENECHAN command was tasked with patrolling the Western half of the Southern North Sea, while to North Allied Forces Northern Europe's SONOR command was patrolling the Southern Norwegian coast. Unlike in the Baltic Sea most vessels of GERNORSEA were destroyers and frigates. The main bases in the North Sea were Naval Base Wilhelmshaven and Naval Base Cuxhaven.
At the beginning of 1989 the Commander German North Sea Subarea would have commanded the following ships in wartime:
6th Minesweeping Squadron in Wilhelmshaven with 351-class minesweepers (improved Lindau-class minesweepers)
M1073 Schleswig
M1076 Paderborn
M1079 Düren
M1081 Konstanz
M1082 Wolfsburg
M1083 Ulm
A68 Werra, 401A-class supply and support tender
A1410 Walther Von Ledebur, mine diver support vessel
Supply Flotilla in Cuxhaven
2nd Supply Squadron in Wilhelmshaven, in wartime two additional two fuel transport ships and nine hospital ships would be activated from the Navy's reserve.
A1413 Freiburg, 701E-class supply ship
A1414 Glücksburg, 701C-class supply ship
A1416 Nienburg, 701A-class supply ship
A1426 Tegernsee, 703-class fuel transport ship
A1427 Westensee, 703-class fuel transport ship
A1429 Eifel, 766-class fuel transport ship
A1436 Odenwald, 760-class ammunition transport ship
A1443 Rhön, 704A-class fuel transport ship
A1451 Wangerooge, 722C-class ocean going tug
A1457 Helgoland, 720A-class salvage tug
Y848 Wotan, maintenance ship
1993 to 2002
On 1 October 1993, a restructuring took effect, which took into account the changed military situation in the Baltic Sea. Whilst the two land forces commands remained in place, the two headquarters of the naval and air forces were deactivated. The Interim Combined Air Operations Centre 1 (ICAOC 1) in Karup took the place of COMAIRBALTAP. The two national naval commanders were placed directly under COMBALTAP as Admiral Danish Fleet (AdmDanFleet) and Commander German Fleet (COMGERFLEET).
^Brian Wanstall; Luftverteidigung im Ostseeraum – Dänemark bewacht die Meerengen; in: Interavia 12-1982, S. 1297ff
^Gen. Lyng: "If the 9th Infantry Division is reduced or disbanded we will need other reinforcements," said Gen Lyng. "The Soviets would be able to concentrate a substantial number of divisions against the 6th Panzergrenadier Division and the Jutland Division and we would have no division behind them. The UKMF is very good but it only has 14 tanks, it is only a brigade and we need a division." 1990 Complete Edition of Jane's Defence Weekly page 850.
^Soldaten als potentielle Sexualpartner. In: Der Spiegel. Nr. 3, 1984, S. 23 (online – 16. Januar 1984). Zitat: „Sämtliche Panzerartilleriebataillone bei der Bundeswehr sind nummeriert und haben als Schlußziffer eine Fünf. Nur das Bataillon 177 Hamburg-Rahlstedt, in dem Lindner Dienst tat, bekam am Ende eine Sieben.“ (translation: "All Panzer Artillery Bataillons in the Bundeswehr were numbered with a 5. Only the 177 Hamburg Rahlstedt, were Linder served, was numbered with a 7)
Peter Monte, Die Rolle der Marine der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in der Verteidigungsplanung für Mittel- und Nordeuropa von den 50er Jahren bis zur Wende 1989/90; in: Werner Rahn (Hrsg.), Deutsche Marinen im Wandel, S. 565 ff.. München 2005. ISBN3-486-57674-7
Norbert Rath; Headquarter Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (HQ BALTAP); in Marineforum 4–1997, S. 3ff.
Literature
Thomas-Durell Young, Command in NATO After the Cold War: Alliance, National and Multinational Considerations
Brigades 
Battle Groups (Reserve) 
Artillery
_underway_in_1988.JPEG)
