Parademarsch № 1 der Nationalen Volksarmee (Parade March)
Military unit
A company of Landstreitkräfte troops on parade in East Berlin, May 1985
The Land Forces of the National People's Army[2] (German: Landstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee – LaSK) was the ground-based military branch of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) National People's Army (NPA). The Land Forces Command, located at Geltow, was established on 1 December 1972 as a management body created for the land forces. The NPA itself was created on March 1, 1956, from the Kasernierte Volkspolizei (Barracked People's Police).
Organisation
Peacetime organisation of the Landstreitkräfte in 1986
The LaSK had a peacetime organisation since 1972 under the command of the Kommando Landstreitkräfte(Kdo. LaSK). Its largest formations between 1956 and 1990 were the Military Districts III and V, which generally consisted of three active divisions each, plus training, combat support and logistic units. The 1st Motor Rifle Division was additionally attached to the Military District V, but was designated to leave that formation in wartime to play a key role in the assault on West Berlin. The 6th Motor Rifle Division existed only for two years (1956–1958) as an active formation.
While the two districts held the bulk of the GDR's land forces, additional artillery- and support elements, as well as the paratroopers of the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (upgraded to the 40th Air Assault Regiment in 1986) were under direct command of the Kdo. LaSK.
In wartime both military districts would form field armies: the 3rd Army in the south, reinforced by the GDR 6th, 10th, and 17th reserve divisions, and the 5th Army in the north, reinforced by the Soviet 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 138th and 221st Separate Tank Regiments from the GSFG. Both armies would have been commanded by the Soviet high-command, while the Kommando Landstreitkräfte was to focus on the military supply chain, medical services, internal security and assist in the capture of West Berlin.[3]
Order of battle (1980s)
Military District V
Artist's rendering of a T-34-85 in service with the Landstreitkräfte
A T-55AM2B on display at the Panzermuseum in Münster
In the event of a full-scale mobilisation, the six regular divisions of the NVA would have been supplemented by three mobilisation divisions and two reserve divisions.[4] All five divisions would be mobilised on M+2. The cadre of each mobilisation/reserve division remained on hand as the regular staff of training centers/non-commissioned officer (NCO) schools. The five second line divisions were the 6th Motor Rifle Division (Königswartha), the 10th Motor Rifle Division (Ronneburg), the 17th Motor Rifle Division (Petersroda), the 19th Motor Rifle Division (Wulkow, which was not based on a training centre), and the 20th Motor Rifle Division (Bredenfelde).
Mobilisation Divisions – command of the Military District III of land forces (Leipzig)
Hubschrauberstaffel der Führung und Aufklarung 5 (HSFA-5), Mi-2, Mi-8PS. Mi-9
Other units
The Kommando Landstreitkräfte also contained some specially trained units – like the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (later the 40th Air Assault Regiment "Willi Sänger"). The structure and equipment was mostly of Soviet design, and the NVA operated in close collaboration with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. There were also reports of a special NVA diversionary battalion in south Germany equipped with M-48s and M-113s, to cause confusion amongst NATO forces (emulating and improving on the example of Otto Skorzeny's 150th Panzer Brigade during the Ardennes Offensive).[5][6] However, more recent reports throw doubt on the existence of any such unit.[7]
Manufactured by the state arsenal as the MPi-KM (fixed stock, later variants were distinctive stippled plastic) and MPi-KMS-72 (AKMS) with a single strut "coathanger" side-folding stock
MPi-AK-74N, MPi-AKS-74N, MPi-AKS-74NK variants made by the state arsenal for a short period of time starting in 1983 (withdrawn from service after German reunification)
The West-German Bundeswehr obtained 851 vehicles after 1990 (mainly BMP-1P). They were brought to NATO standards, known as the BMP-1A1 Ost. 764 were extant (remainder sold) in 1994, and only 450 in 1996. The remainder were scrapped or sold, including 110 previously to Finland unmodified. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost were sold to Greece in 1993–1994, 350 to Sweden also.
9K33 Osa. 41 Osa-AK. 39 sold to Greece after the German reunification.
Mobile self-propelled AA guns
ZSU-23-4 Shilka. 131 were delivered from USSR, passed on to Germany after the German reunification.
ZSU-57-2. 129 ordered in 1957 from Soviet Union and delivered between 1957 and 1961.Replaced by ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" SPAAGs between 1967 and 1974. It was completely removed from East German service in 1979. Some were converted into the FAB 500U driver training vehicle. They were passed on to the unified German state.
Zilian, Frederick, Jr (1999). From Confrontation to Cooperation: The Takeover of the National People's (East German) Army by the Bundeswehr. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. ISBN0-275-96546-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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