tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36435328269475911412024-03-20T02:33:54.833-07:00DECODED: The Cold War in Europe 1945-1995 Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-58604238410401516962014-07-06T16:06:00.002-07:002014-07-06T16:06:26.274-07:00Commandant's Corner Update 6 July 2014Greetings Cold War Enthusiasts,<br />
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It has been a while since I have been able to contribute articles to this site as I would like but I wanted to stop by and post a quick update to share with all the readers that I have so graciously had the pleasure of hearing from over the past several months. First and foremost I hope everyone had a joyous Fourth of July celebration. Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed comments, suggestions and corrections over the passed several months. When dealing with particular subjects and issues regarding varying nations, the information is not always regularly available in English so sometimes differing subjects fall victim to misinterpretation and or mistranslation so therefore it becomes imperative to have input from those who were there at the time or that speak the native language to which many of these reports and documents were originally written. So again I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all who have supplied further information and suggestions to various articles I have posted over the duration of the year.<br />
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I am currently in the process of rebranding and relaunching this blog with a somewhat more expansive take on the Cold War. My collections have continued to grow in relation to the belligerents of the European Cold War to their fronts across the globe. I will expand to several fronts although not as in depth as the Cold War in Europe but there are several proxy conflicts that will be covered as well. The growth of my collections have seen the inclusion of the 1946-1954 French Indochina War in Southeast Asia which was the precursor to America's involvement in Vietnam in 1955 and ultimately the Vietnam War's escalation in 1965. I will not cover America's war in Vietnam post-1964 as I do feel that there are more than enough websites and blogs dedicated primarily to this conflict so there is no disrespect intended to the veterans of the Vietnam War I am just a firm believer that to understand America's war in Vietnam one must understand the French campaigns in southeast Asia. Also the post-1953 situation on the Korean peninsula and 38th parallel, Planet Earth's most heavily defended piece of real estate the DeMilitarized Zone. What the general public often fails to realize is just how many clashes have taken place along the Korean DMZ since the armistice was signed in 1953.<br />
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Other conflicts I have had the privilege of coming upon artifacts from include the French campaigns in Algeria, and the combined Franco-Belgian operation in 1978 to counter communist sponsored guerrillas in the African nation of Zaire. The British Operations Banner in Northern Ireland and Corporate in the Falkland Islands of 1982. The Soviet Union's lengthy and costly war in a Central Asian Republic known as Afghanistan has also seen additions to the growing interests. As NATO nations prepare to wind down their commitments to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, I believe again it is only appropriate in understanding the current situation in Afghanistan by understanding the Soviet Union's length war in Afghanistan years earlier. A war that not only left Afghanistan ripe for breeding internal instability but also lead to the destruction of a nation and the ruin of the USSR. The Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 and even the subsequent 1990 Persian Gulf War will see articles contributed as they march hand in hand but on a more sensitive note, I am debating whether or not to branch into the Arab-Israeli Wars which I have a great amount of material but I've seen a large number of disparaging and often inappropriate remarks and comments but the determination will be met as the subject comes to fold.<br />
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I look forward to continuing on with this blog and supplying a steady source of information for military history enthusiasts, veterans, researchers, airsofters, reenactors and general fans of world history and political science as well as other militaria collectors. As always,<br />
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Horrido!<br />
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Redd Catcher<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-12183451727363672532014-01-04T14:29:00.000-08:002014-01-04T14:30:08.602-08:00List of British V-Bomber Bases during the Cold War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following is a list of stations across the United Kingdom where RAF Bomber Command dispersed its V-Bomber fleet of Vickers Valiants, Handley Page Victors and Avro Vulcans throughout the Cold War.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>SCOTLAND</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prestwick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Machrihanish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Kinloss</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RNAS Lossiemouth (later transferred to the Royal Air Force)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Leuchars</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>NORTHERN IRELAND</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Ballykelly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>ENGLAND</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAE Bedford</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A&AEE Boscombe Down</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Bruntingthorpe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Burtonwood</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Cranwell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Coltishall</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Elvington</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Filton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Leconfield</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Leeming</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Lyneham</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Manston</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Middleton St. George</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RRE Pershore (Royal Radar Establishment)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF St Mawgan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Tarrant Rushton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Wattisham</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Wyton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RNAS Yeovilton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Shawbury</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wales</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RNAS Brawdy (later transferred to the Royal Air Force)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Llanbedr</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAF Valley</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-47355349106961831952014-01-04T14:20:00.000-08:002014-01-04T14:20:52.956-08:00Britannia's Vanguard: Great Britain & The V-Bomber Force<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emerging victorious from the Second World War, the British Royal Air Force ended the war against Nazi Germany and her Axis allies in May of 1945, with a seasoned policy of using massive four engined heavy bombers to conduct raids in masse against hostile centers. This policy utilized by RAF Bomber Command, which had laid waste to the German cities of Duisburg and Brunswick during the war and severally crippled the German war industry was carried on into the postwar years. The piston four engined Avro Lancaster heavy bomber which was the pride of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command during the war was upgraded to become the Avro Lincoln and pressed into service in August 1945 to be the last piston engined bomber used by the RAF. Even as the Lincolns were used against the Mau Mau uprisings in Kenya and against the Communist insurgency in Malaya, elements in the RAF and the British government sought to capitalize on and adopt new nuclear weapons and advances in aviation technology to introduce more potent and effective means of conducting aerial warfare. Earlier in November of 1944, the British Chiefs of Staff had requested a report from Sir Henry Tizard on potential future means of conducting warfare. Unaware of the progresses made in the United States with the Manhattan Project, in July 1945 the Tizard Committee urged the large scale development of atomic energy research. The Committee foresaw the potential of harnessing the devastating effects of atomic weapons and envisioned fleets of high flying jet powered bombers cruising at speeds of 500 mph (800 km/h) at altitudes of 40,000 ft (12,000 m). The logic behind the thinking was that potential aggressors may be deterred by the knowledge that Britain would retaliate with atomic weapons if attacked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the German V-2 rocket bringing about the dawn of a new era in warfare, there were military analysists who could see that guided missile technology would eventually make strategic aircraft vulnerable, but development of such missiles was proving difficult, and fast and high flying bombers were likely to serve on for years to come before there was a need for something better. The need for massed formations of bombers would be made unnecessary if a single bomber could carry weaponry capable of destroying an entire city or military installation. For the program to become a reality it would have to be a large bomber, since afterall the first generation of nuclear weapons were large and heavy. Such a large and advanced bomber would be expensive on a unit basis, but would also be produced in much smaller quantities. With the rise of the Soviet threat and the arrival of the Cold War, British military planners realized the need to modernize Great Britain's forces. Furthermore, the United Kingdom's uncertain military relationship with the United States, particularly in the immediate postwar years when American sentiments of isolationism made a short-lived comeback, led the UK to conclude it needed its own strategic nuclear strike force.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After taking into consideration and formulating various specifications for such an advanced jet bomber project in late 1946, the British Air Ministry issued a request in January 1947 for an advanced jet bomber that would be at least the equal of anything available in the United States or Soviet Union's arsenal. The request followed guidelines developed from the earlier Air Ministry Specification B.35/46, which proposed for a 'medium-range bomber landplane, capable of carrying one 10,000 pound (4,535 kg) bomb to a target at a distance of 1,500 nautical miles (2,775 km) from a base which may be anywhere in the world.' The request also indicated that the fully loaded takeoff weight should not exceed 100,000 pounds (45,400 kg), though this would be adjusted upward in practice; that the bomber should have a cruise speed of 500 knots (925 km/h); and that it have a service ceiling of 50,000 feet (15,200 m). The Royal Air Force's mainstay jet bomber, the then-current English Electric Canberra had been introduced in May 1951 and designed during the Second World War but could only have reached the Soviet border and had a limited capacity of 6,000 lb (2,720 kg).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This finalized request went to most of the United Kingdom's major aircraft manufacturers with the Handley Page and Avro firms both coming up with very advanced designs for the RAF's bomber competition. The design proposals would ultimately become the crescent winged Handley Page Victor and the delta winged Avro Vulcan respectively. The Air Staff decided to award devlopment and production contracts to both companies as insurance against one of the designs being deemed a failure. Work on the Victor began in November 1947 and the Vulcan in January 1948. As a further insurance measure against both radical designs failing, in July 1947 the Air Ministry issued Specification B.9/48 written around Vickers-Armstrongs' more conservative design, which would later be named Valiant and work on this project began in April 1948. In August 1947 the Short Brothers PLC aerospace company also received a contract for the Short Sperrin SA.4 based on the earlier less-stringent Specification B.14/4 with work beginning in November 1947.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Short Sperrin would ultimately be cancelled in late 1949, but work on the three new aircraft now christened the 'V Bombers' continued. The term V Bomber was developed and used for the Royal Air Force as all the names of the new aircraft all started with the letter "V" and which were known collectively as the V-class. While more expensive than the American approach of building one bomber design per category, the RAF insisted on having multiple choices. Air Chief Marshal Sir John Slessor came to believe that had the Royal Air Force been forced into choosing among the three British bombers under development in the late 1930: the Avro Manchester, Short Stirling, and Handley Page Halifax it would have utlimately chosen the wrong one and hindered Britain's ability to employ an effective nuclear deterrent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The development of the V Bomber force was also seen as a measure of gaining British military independence from it's American ally, the primary nation that dominated NATO.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-cYoT4VcyYo7brI_ncYwvM32mZ9buV85DX8pS51rQUq6f6sanA1HT7N-gR6-5lO5V8OHywEXKzqUGhFQ-kz9EasjztjwiUSeA6nmi2FzbWubRk2eWhKcZWUINVNtrS8bQxcr22DIls2B/s1600/3vbombers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-cYoT4VcyYo7brI_ncYwvM32mZ9buV85DX8pS51rQUq6f6sanA1HT7N-gR6-5lO5V8OHywEXKzqUGhFQ-kz9EasjztjwiUSeA6nmi2FzbWubRk2eWhKcZWUINVNtrS8bQxcr22DIls2B/s400/3vbombers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Vickers Valiant took its first flight in 1951 and went into full scaleproduction as the first V Bomber in 1955. The Valiant entered RAF service in 1955, followed by the Avro Vulcan in 1956 and the Handley Page Victor in April 1958, with the first Valiant squadron, No. 138 Squadron RAF standing up at RAF Gaydon in 1955, and the first Vulcan squadron, No. 83, standing up at RAF Waddington in May 1957. The first operational Victor squadron was No. 10 Squadron RAF Cottesmore in April 1958. The Valiant which entered service first was equipped with nuclear weapons supplied by the United States under Project E, which supplemented the British Blue Danube and later Red Beard weapons systems. The American weapons supplied under Project E were not available for the RAF to use as part of the UK's national nuclear deterrent; only British owned weapons could be utilized for that purpose. Although often referred to as part of the V Force, the Valiants were actually assigned to SACEUR as part of Britain's Tactical Bomber Force, although remaining nominally part of the RAF Bomber Command. The Vulcan and Victor were armed with British built bombs such as the Blue Danube, Red Beard, Violet Club the Interim Megaton Weapon and Yellow Sun of both versions, the Mk1 and Mk.2.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Particular attention and emphasis was placed on the quick reaction and high maneuverability of the V Force aircraft, especially the Vulcan model B Mk. 2. The Vulcan in particular was specifically designed for the quick reaction response mission. The bomber could start all four of it's Olympus turbojet engines simultaneously with little ground support equipment necessary when remotely deployed to one of its dispersal airfields; and, at readiness state: 15 (fifteen minute alert), it would be airborne from less than 5000 feet of runway. The Avro Vulcan would never be caught on the ground, or be in need of one of the few, conspicuous, 10,000 foot runways that the American B-47 Stratjet or B-52 Stratofortress required for a fully fueled and loaded take-off. The Vulcan also did not need immediate or intermediate aerial refueling, after a fully loaded take off, needlessly delaying the execution of a strike mission. From the day of its deployment in the deterrent force, an on alert Vulcan was ready to launch, and strike, limited only by the readiness state established by her crew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In service the V Force would have been capable of destroying both area and high value point targets including air bases, command centers and ground forces staging areas hours before they could be attacked by NATO or Strategic Air Command's long range bomber forces. RAF Bomber Command attrition attacks against air defense positions in Warsaw Pact nations and European Russia alone by the V-Force (in prosecuting their initial attacks upon the Soviet Union) would be decisive in ensuring that NATO and SAC follow on forces attacks would be successful in achieving the destruction of Soviet and Warsaw Pact targets. This “one-two-punch” by the UK’s RAF Bomber Command first; and then, NATO/SAC second; was the heart of the nuclear retaliatory attack strategy for the West in the early to mid Cold War period.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The immediate destruction of these targets, at the outset of a military campaign in western Europe would have had a two-fold benefit to NATO and the West in the defense of Western Europe. First, no Soviet/Warsaw Pact tactical follow on land-force reserves at Corps or Army-Group strength would have survived the RAF V Force tactical nuclear strikes in European Russia and the Warsaw Pact border states. Therefore, a Soviet “rush to the Channel” the perceived military advance from Western Poland & East German staging areas would have been denied the follow on forces which would have made the success of such an armored thrust possible. V Force Tactical Air elements would have destroyed both the forces in being, along with the communications infrastructure including bridges, roads, railways, air bases which would be necessary to support such a tactical movement. As such, the V Force by having the capability of precision tactical air medium bombardment effectively deterred the dominant armored overrun strategy, of the massed and massive Soviet & Warsaw Pact armies, which in theory, could have overwhelmed the vastly outnumbered NATO ground forces of central Europe in a surprise ground attack which did not give away tactical surprise, by use of organic tactical air support. This is why the V Force was extensively dedicated to radar navigation bombing and precision strike operations. In a theoretical nuclear war environment the V Force would attrit itself against the air defenses of high value point target complexes in European Russia. It would expend itself against air defense radar installallations, command & control centers; and air defense missile and aircraft bases. Once these targets had been identified, they would have been subject to what in essence would have been combined tactical nuclear weapons attacks by the V Force until they had all been identified and/or destroyed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A White Paper produced by the Royal Air Force for the British government in 1961 theorized and claimed that the RAF's nuclear force was capable of destroying key Soviet cities such as Moscow and Kiev well before bomber aircraft from the United States' Strategic Air Command had entered Soviet airspace, "taking into account Bomber Command’s ability to be on target in the first wave several hours in advance of the main SAC force operating from bases in the mainland United States." Throughout the early stages of the Cold War, NATO relied on the Royal Air Forceas the primary force to threaten key cities in European Russia. RAF leadership concluded that the V Bomber force was capable of killing eight million Soviet citizens and wounding another eight million before American bombers had even reached their targets. At the time they entered service all three V bombers were capable of altitudes that put them effectively out of reach of the then contemporary cannon armed Soviet interceptors such as the Mikoyan Gurevich designed MiG-15 Fagot, MiG-17 Fresco, and later MiG-19 Famer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In its early years, the British V bomber force relied on the concept of aircraft dispersal to escape the effects of an enemy attack on their main bases. There were 26 such bases in the late 1950s, in addition to the ten main bases: RAF Coningsby, RAF Cottesmore, RAF Finningley, RAF Gaydon, RAF Honington, RAF Marham, RAF Scampton, RAF Waddington, RAF Wittering (HQ RAF Bomber Command) and RAF Wyton; a total of 36 bases available for the V bomber force. In times of heightened international tension the V bomber force, already loaded with their nuclear weapons, would be flown to the dispersal bases where they could be kept at a few minutes readiness to take off, the bases being situated around the United Kingdom in such a way that a nuclear strike by an attacking state could not be guaranteed to completely knock out Britain's ability to retaliate. Apart from deployment to the bases during exercises, the most notably use was during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when at one point Avro Vulcans were lined up on the runways with engines running, at two minutes notice to take-off and proceed to their allocated targets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of the V Bombers would see active service in the RAF at least once albeit with conventional bombs rather than nuclear devices. The Vickers Valiant would see action in the Suez Crisis in 1956, the Handley Page Victor in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation of 1962 through 1966, and the most famous the Avro Vulcan during the publicized Black Buck Raids in the Falklands War long after the strategic nuclear role had been passed over to the Royal Navy. In the deployment of nuclear weapons, only the Vickers Valiant would drop a nuclear device, as part of British tests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upon entering RAF service all three V bombers were initially painted in an overall silver finish, with the prominent under-nose H2S radomes on the Valiant and Vulcan left in black, however, this silver finish was later changed to one of anti-flash white, the RAF roundels being adjusted in shade, and made paler, to minimize the absorption of energy from the flash of a detonating nuclear device.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The development of effective anti-aircraft missiles capable of reaching extremely high altitudes by the Soviet Union for bringing down enemy aircraft made the deterrent threat delivered from bombers flying at high altitudes increasingly ineffective. In 1963 the British government decided to redevelop the use of the V bombers from high altitude strike platforms to performing low altitude operations instead. With the cancellation of the Blue Streak missile program and the cancellation of the American Skybolt system and with the Blue Steel missile already in service, six squadrons of Vulcan B2s were re-assigned to the low-level penetration role where they would operate at altitudes of 200 feet and lower and were re-equipped with the WE.177B strategic laydown bomb from 1966 until it was decided that deploying nuclear weapons by missile was more feasible and the Vulcans were replaced in the strategic nuclear strike role in 1969 by the Polaris missile to be launched from the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine fleet. The WE.177 equipped Vulcans were supplemented by the two Victor squadrons equipped with Blue Steel weapons since modified for low-level launch that continued to serve on in the strategic delivery role until 1968 ended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the low-level role, which had originally been intended to be performed by the cancelled BAC TSR-2, the V Force were considered by Air Staff planners to be largely immune from interception, with Soviet air defenses being assessed as having no significant interception capability below about 1,500 feet. Any remaining threats were deemed to be coming from the Soviet SA-3 low level surface to air missile, which resulted in flight planners taking great care to route low flying aircraft around known SA-3 missile sites. As a result of this maneuver, individual aircraft were calculated by operational planners to have a 90-95% chance of successfully delivering their weapon on the assigned targets. Although subsequently relieved of their role as the deliverer of the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent, the Vulcan squadrons continued to serve with the same WE.177B weapon in a low-level penetration role assigned to SACEUR for use in a tactical role in Western Europe. Six squadrons of Vulcans were still assigned this role with the WE.177 weapon in 1981. The last four remaining squadrons were about to disband in 1982 when called upon to assist in conflict in the South Atlantic: the Falklands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the change to low level operations the anti flash white scheme was altered to a disruptive pattern of grey and green upper surfaces, with light grey under surfaces. After reports from the Red Flag exercises in Nevada in the late 1970s that the light grey under surfaces became highly visible against the ground when the aircraft banked steeply at the low altitudes it was assigned to, the disruptive pattern was later continued to include the under surfaces as well on all Vulcans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Valiant was the first of the V Bombers to be removed from service as a nuclear bomber; taking on the role of an aerial refueling tanker and performing low level attack and photographic reconnaissance. Structural fatigue problems due to the transfer to low-level operations meant the Valiants were removed from service completely by 1965. The Victors were then converted to replace the Valiants as aerial refueling tankers. Only the Vulcan alone of the threesome, retained a nuclear delivery role until the end of their planned service life scheduled for 1982. The short extension as tankers until 1984 was an unexpected extension to meet operational emergencies. In addition to the roles they were designed for, all three V Bombers served as air to air refueling platforms at one time or another; the Valiant was the RAF's first large scale tanker. As a means of replacing the loss of the Valiant, Victor B.1s were converted into the AAR role. When the Victor was withdrawn from service as a bomber, a number of B.2s were then converted into tankers. Finally, due to delays in the entry into service of the TriStar, six Vulcan B.2s were converted into tankers, and served from 1982 to 1984.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-49582457868096369482014-01-03T14:01:00.000-08:002014-01-03T14:01:57.076-08:00Myasishchev Mischief: The Bison and the Bomber Gap<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Barely a few years since the end of the Second World War, tensions are mounting between former allies as the United States and Soviet Union became increasingly distrustful of one another. The showdown between democracy and communism is beginning all across the globe as the Soviets expand their sphere of influence across eastern Europe and into Asia. With the Soviet detonation of an atomic bomb in 1949, the United States was on a higher state of alert in dealing with the Soviet Union. As the United States conducted the first test flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber in 1952, the Soviet Union responded by developing their own jet powered bomber designed to carry a destructive payload from the Soviet Union deep into the heart of North America. At the time, the only heavy bomber available to the Soviet Air Force was the Tupelov Tu-4 Bull which was a reverse engineered copy of the American B-29 Superfortress but the piston powered bomber was too slow for Soviet leaders who wanted a bomber propelled by jet engines to carry bombs into the United States. The task of designing and fielding such a bomber fell upon the Myasishchev Design Bureau. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Soviet design first took to the air in 1953 before being revealed to the public on May Day 1954, when the Myasishchev M-4 Molot or 'Hammer' flew over Moscow's Red Square. The existence of such an aircraft in the Soviet arsenal took the United States by surprise, completely unaware that the Soviets had been developing a jet bomber. The jet bomber was given the NATO reporting code of 'Bison' following the alliance's practice of issuing names to Soviet aircraft corresponding with the type of aircraft being identified. In July 1955, American observers saw 28 Bison bombers flying in two groups during a Soviet airshow at Tushino near northwestern Moscow. The United States government came to believe that the bomber had been placed in mass production for the Soviet Air Force, and the Central Intelligence Agency estimated that 800 Bisons would be on ready alert by the beginning of 1960. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On 15 February 1954, aviation publication Aviation Week printed an article describing a new Soviet jet bomber capable of carrying a nuclear bomb to the United States mainland from their bases in deep in Soviet Russia. The aircraft they referred to was the Myasishchev M-4 Bison. Over the next year and a half these rumors were debated publicly in the press, and soon after in the United States Congress. Adding to the concerns was an infamous event in July 1955. At the Soviet Aviation Day demonstrations at the Tushino Airfield, ten Bison bombers were flown past the reviewing stand, then flew out of sight, quickly turned around, and flew past the stands again with eight more, presenting the illusion that there were 28 aircraft in the flyby. An elaborate deception formulated by Soviet military planners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Western analysts calculated from the illusionary force of 28 aircraft, judged that by 1960 the Soviets would have 800. The classified estimates however, led American politicians to warn of a "bomber gap". The "bomber gap" was a term to define a belief that the Soviet Union had gained a strategic advantage in deploying jet-powered strategic bombers that were capable of attacking the United States. The concept was widely accepted for several years, and was used as a political talking point in order to justify a great increase in American defense spending. At the time, the USAF had just introduced its own strategic jet bomber, the B-52 Stratofortress, and the shorter ranged B-47 Stratojet which was still suffering from a variety of technical problems that limited its combat availability. USAF staff started pressing for accelerated production of the larger B-52 Stratofortress, but it also grudgingly accepted calls for expanded air defense.The Air Force was generally critical of spending effort on defense, having studied the results of the World War II bombing campaigns and concluding that Stanley Baldwin's pre-war thinking on the fruitlessness of air defense was correct: the bomber almost always did get through. Like the British, they concluded that money would better be spent on making the offensive arm larger, deterring an attack. The result was a production series consisting of thousands of aircraft. Over 2,000 B-47s and almost 750 B-52s were built to match the imagined fleet of Soviet aircraft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was skeptical of the perceived bomber gap idea from its inception. With no evidence to prove or disprove the logic, he agreed to the development of the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady high altitude reconnaissance aircraft to provide an answer to the lingering question . The first U-2 flights started in 1956. On one early mission known as Mission 2020 flown by Martin Knutson on 4 July 1956, a U-2 flew over Engels airfield near Saratov and photographed 20 M-4 Bison bombers on the ramp. Multiplying by the number of Soviet bomber bases known to exist, the intelligence suggested the Soviets were already well on their way to deploying hundreds of aircraft. Ironically, the U-2 had actually photographed the entire Bison fleet; there wasn't a single bomber at any of the other bases. Similar missions over the next year finally demonstrated this beyond a doubt, and at least in official circles that the gap had been disproven. It was later learned that the Soviet Bison was unable to meet its original range goals and was limited to a range of roughly about 8,000 km. Unlike the United States, at that time the Soviets lacked overseas bases in the Western Hemisphere and therefore the M-4 would not be able to attack the US mainland and return to land at a friendly airbase. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end it was not the Soviet Air Force (VVS) that wanted the Bison, but rather Naval Aviation (AV-MF). Though it could still not bomb Washington, D.C., the Bison had a sufficient range to fulfill the need for a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. In 1959, the 3M variant broke numerous world records; however, it was thought by the West (and would continue to be thought so until 1961) that the 3M variant was the original M-4, meaning that the capability of the M-4 was vastly overestimated by Western intelligence agencies.Interest in the Myasishchev Bison waned, and a total of only 93 were produced before production of the bomber ceased in 1963. The vast majority of these were modified for used as tankers or maritime reconnaissance aircraft; only the original 10 shown at the air show and nine newer 3MD13 models served on nuclear alert with the Soviet bomber force.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neither the M-4 nor the 3M ever saw combat service, and none were ever modified for low altitude penetration attack, as the American B-52 Stratofortresses were. No Bisons were ever exported to the Soviet Union's allies. The last aircraft, an M-4-2 fuel tanker, was withdrawn from service in 1994.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the legacy of the Bison was largely preserved in the aftermath of the bomber gap controversy which through American miscalculations resulted in a massive buildup of the United States Air Force's strategic bomber fleet, which peaked at over 2,500 strategic bombers to counter the perceived Soviet threat. Realizing that the mere belief in the gap was an extremely effective funding source, a series of similarly nonexistent Soviet military advances were constructed in the following years of the Cold War in a tactic now known as "policy by press release." Other deceptions included claims of a nuclear-powered bomber, supersonic VTOL flying saucers, and ultimately only a few years after the "bomber gap" came a "missile gap."</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-80338152709775773082014-01-02T12:06:00.000-08:002014-01-02T12:06:42.581-08:00Commandant's Corner Update: 2 January 2014<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy New Year Everyone, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for bearing with me as I've been working and adjusting to this new post. It's taken me a little longer than I had projected to begin getting squared away but I think I'm in a position now to begin the process of continuing my research and maintaining this blog again. No worries. As of this posting, 2014 is looking promising in the collecting world I am following up on leads and looking into several new pieces from both NATO and Warsaw Pact allied nations some from France and some from Communist Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Also 2014 may see a semi branch out beyond the scope of Europe as proxy wars based off of contingencies in Europe flared up in the Middle East and Asia during the Cold War period but as always my primary focus has been and always will be the Cold War and preserving that period of history for the future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I wish you all the best in 2014. As always, Horrido!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- The Commandant</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-66548586288735207662013-10-03T15:50:00.000-07:002013-10-03T15:50:47.999-07:00Commandant's Corner Update: 3 October 2013<span style="font-size: small;">Message from the Author:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Thank you to all who have and continue to visit my blog focused on cataloging, preserving and sharing the history of the intense period of World history known as the Cold War. It has and continues to be a great pleasure to bring you all new articles and topics of interest concerning this period of political and military uncertainty. I would like to begin by issuing a public apology for the lack of site updates recently. I have been going through the process of relocating from one location to another so this has warranted my absence as of late and has not allowed me much time to begin preparing new articles and information to prepare for this site. The website is however NOT closed nor will it be to the best of my ability. It will remain open and active, once I get settled in and get a feel for the rhythm of my new work tempo then research, posting and so forth will continue. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />I would also like to thank all who have contributed information and source wise for helping to prepare new articles and areas of interest and I look forward to your continued input and involvement here in the future. To all those who have shared our posts on pages and helped to spread the site around and garner further interest in the Cold War you are also appreciated. To all who have left encouraging comments and compliments as well as those who have shared information for making corrections regarding past posts thank you for your contributions. I am striving to provide a comprehensive and thorough reference to this period of world history and being from one participant nation sometimes it is rather difficult to find plausible information and sources from various other nations involved particularly in other nations whose primary languages are not English. As can be expected many things can become lost in translation or misinterpreted when attempting to convert information or data from one language to another.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />As previously stated, the posts will continue in the future I am hoping to have the blog fully functional again and readily turning out new updates fairly regularly beginning around the end of October or early November. Your patience, support and involvement has helped make this an enjoyable venture and I look forward to providing more quality posts in the coming months and years ahead. Thanks again for your continued patronage and I look forward to helping further preserve the history of the Cold War for future generations to come! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Horrido!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Redd Catcher</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-44697926651674183242013-08-25T08:49:00.002-07:002013-08-25T08:53:18.846-07:00On the Frontlines of the Cold War: Voices of the Veterans Vol. II<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>SrA D. Fair, United States Air Force</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Air Force Security Police</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Memmingen, West Germany /Barksdale Air Force Base, United
States</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My interest in serving the United States as a member of
its armed forces began when I forged a bond with a childhood friend whose
family had moved to the United States from England. His parents were older than
most parents in our community who had children my age. One of the things that
stood out the most to me was that his parents had grown up through the German
Blitz and the Battle of Britain during the Second World War and hearing their
stories of their wartime experiences and descriptions of the German Luftwaffe
aircraft they saw soon inspired me to one day join the United States Air Force
with hopes of one day being assigned to Germany. With German ancestry in my
family background it would be an interesting experience to witness my cultural
heritage first hand and soon I became determined to make my dream a reality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing could prepare me for the experiences that I had
while serving in the United States Air Force. My enlistment took me not only to
Germany but also warranted me inclusion into a small unit independent of the
larger Army or Air Force organizations which allowed for greater immersion into
the German culture. The unit had a manpower strength of roughly 120 personnel,
dependents included and placed us in a Bavarian community away from the areas
with greater American presence.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time I came of enlistment age I was more than
ready to go. I had grown up in a small town in Ohio which was mostly rural and
afforded not much else beyond the scope of agricultural work. I had about a
year’s worth of college under my belt, but coming from a relatively low income
family I saw military service as a way of improving my education while learning
an occupational skill. My dream to join the United States Air Force officially
became a reality when I formally enlisted in July of 1983. Due to the amount of
people wanting to join the Air Force at this time, my shipping off to basic
training was postponed until 1984 when I was sent from Cincinnati, Ohio to
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Following the completion of
basic training, I was awarded my first stripe and the rank of Airman partially
because of my previous college. After basic training, I progressed on to Tech
School where I went to the Air Force Security Police Academy also located at
Lackland. As the Air Force is not a primarily land focused combat organization,
the Security Police in the Air Force fulfill multiple duties. One of the best
ways to describe the Security Police is as a combination of Military Police,
Security and Infantry forces. Some of the training involved included guarding
sensitive areas such as silos housing Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and
undertaking the appropriate measures necessary to ensure their safeguarding.
One of the primary missions of the Air Force Security Police is defending
airbases in the event of attack as well as guarding aircraft, components and
munitions. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon I came under orders to report to West Germany. With
the risks associated with performing security assignments in Germany, all
Security Forces had to participate in the Air Base Ground Defense or ABGD course. The Air Base Ground Defense course was
essentially a training course in infantry tactics which provided familiarity
with a wide variety of weaponry ranging from individual small arms such as the
M-16 rifle to crew served weaponry such as the M-60 machine gun. This portion
of my training took my fellow Security Policemen and myself from Lackland Air
Force Base, to Camp Bullis part of the Army’s Fort Sam Houston installation
also in San Antonio. Going from an Air
Force facility such as Lackland to an Army facility such as Camp Bullis
provided a bit of a culture shock. Almost overnight we went from having nice
dormitories to plywood huts on slabs in the middle of Texas. We went from
running a mile and a half in basic, to two miles in the Police Academy to
having to run in combat boots during the ABGD course. Running was always the
most difficult part of physical training for me and I disliked it. Being from
Ohio, I was not prepared for blistering Texas heat of summer. Another part of
our training included Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Warfare Training often
abbreviated as NBC. This trained us in how to
prepare and respond to a potential situation if the Soviets or the
Warsaw Pact employed chemical or nuclear weapons against us. This training
continued yearly throughout the duration of my enlistment and we I can’t recall
exactly how many times we were gassed. As part of this training we became
familiar with not only our individual gas masks but also the individual ChemSuit
along with rubber gloves and boots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After completion of the ABGD Course, I briefly returned
home to Ohio before shipping out to West Germany. My destination was Memmingen,
a small town in the Swabia region of Bavaria. I would arrive here in December
of 1984 where I was assigned to the 7261
MUNSS Munitions Support Squadron. This was a small unit comprised of security,
munitions maintainers and support personnel who were assigned to support the
West German Luftwaffe’s Jagdbombergeschwader 34 or ‘34<sup>th</sup> Fighter
Bomber Wing’. The JaBoG 34, was a unit of the West German Air Force assigned
under the 4<sup>th</sup> Allied Tactical Air Force or 4 ATAF responsible for
the defense of the southern approaches into West Germany against Soviet or
Warsaw Pact offensive operations. Our unit and the Germans forged a close bond
and many of those friendships remain intact even up to this day. The 7261’s
commanding officer was a Lieutenant Colonel named Worthen and my Chief of
Security Police was a Captain named Rivera. Daily, we carried M-16 rifles
complete with a two day supply of ammunition, a canteen, gas mask, ballistic
resistant flak jacket and a steel helmet for personal protection. Due to the JaBoG’s status as being a quick
reaction force and front line fighter unit, the upmost measures for facility
security were in place and German K-9 units were on hand to further augment the
already strict security measures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By September of
1985, I was training to become an entry controller for our facility, but on the
final day of training I broke my leg when I deployed from a Mercedes Benz two
ton truck we used for transportation around the base. The tailgate on these
vehicles are very high and with my rifle in one hand and kit bag in the other I
leapt from the vehicle and landed on the cement curb causing great damage to my
ankle and left leg. By this time I had received a promotion to the rank of
Airman First Class, and now with my injury I was temporarily assigned to assist
the NCOIC Law Enforcement. Intended to be a temporary assignment while I
recovered from my injury, it became permanent and I became accustomed to
filling out police reports, vehicle registration, as well as processing and
issuing ID cards along with other administrative duties. When I finally
recovered from my injury, I returned to pulling sentry duties across the
installation. These duties would often prove uneventful with long hours spent
with no personal contact however occasionally the monotony was broken by the
sound of alert sirens and the sight of pilots rushing for their aircraft. This
would be such a thrill with a rush of adrenaline because it was always unknown
whether or not it was just another drill or the pilots were actually launching
on a real time mission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The facilities
at Memmingen had been constructed in 1937 and were utilized by the Luftwaffe
during the Second World War. One of the buildings in which I worked was one of
the original structures used by the Germans during World War II and many times
I often found myself wondering who had been here and used my office during the
years of the Third Reich. What happened
to them? Had they survived the war? I never received these answers but it still
proved interesting to think about none the less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our West German
unit’s insignia consisted primarily of blue and white, the colors of Bavaria
and incorporated two planes against a blue background over the Alps and the
NATO symbol in the upper left corner of the insignia. Two of the subordinate
squadrons utilized World War II era insignia with the first squadron utilizing
the ‘Grunherz’ emblem reflecting their title ‘Green Hearts’ and the second
squadron utilizing the Edelweiss insignia as their emblem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training
exercises were a regular occurrence during the duration of my assignment in
Germany. These exercises varied in scope and scenario ranging from small scale
exercises to the larger NATO exercises which included the REFORGER exercises.
West German and Canadian armed forces fought mock battles on the airfield and
on several occasions friendly aircraft from other NATO nations would fly low level
mock air attacks on the base facilities. I was confident in our Luftwaffe
partner’s ability to fight a coordinated effort alongside us. At the time,
Germany was a warzone without being exposed to an exchange of gunfire. Battle
tanks and artillery moved freely through towns and villages and combat aircraft
were constantly flying in training scenarios to prepare for conducting live
combat operations in the event of war in all weather scenarios to maintain the
upmost state of combat readiness. One of the things I’ll never forget is the
sounds of working at Memmingen, between the roar of the F-104G Starfighters
taking off and landing day and night and on occasions ground crews test firing
the Starfighter’s 20mm Vulcan cannon you tend to get used to the noise of daily
operations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was always
a looming threat for potential terrorist encounters particularly during that
time. The Baader-Meinhof Gang and Red Army Faction amongst other groups were a
threat we took very seriously in the mid 1980s. We were always receiving or
conducting detailed briefings on terrorist activities in the region and we were
constantly on the lookout for them within the vicinity of our facilities. The
local German Polizei and the Air Force OSI services worked hand in hand to ensure
we had the latest detailed reports on the groups and any potential threat.
Sometimes I would work as a liaison between our unit and our Luftwaffe
counterparts. I was on duty the night of 15 April 1986, when President Ronald
Reagan authorized Operation El Dorado Canyon which was a series of strikes
against targets in Libya. The event came
as surprise when our shifts that usually were eight hours were extended to
twelve hours. The heightened state of alert caused much excitement and we were
never quite sure of what was exactly going on or the cause behind some of the
things we were doing but we were ready none the less. The going joke was that
even though we were ready to go to war at a moment’s notice we would go to
neutral Switzerland which was only some forty miles away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On one occasion
before we were to start our normal shifts, we learned from an outgoing flight
coming off guard duty that one of the German tower sentries had attempted to
commit suicide. In the United States, a flight is organized roughly into 100
men but due to the small size of our unit in Germany, a flight for us was
roughly about ten men. An investigation was launched into the incident and it
became aware that the suspect had suffered a particularly bad breakup with his
girlfriend and became fixated on the idea of taking his own life. Standing
guard in what was known as a mini-tower, a small two man observation post
roughly six feet above the ground the sentry had taken his issued G3 rifle and
placed the barrel to his stomach and pulled the trigger. By the time that I had
come up for duty, the sentry had already been removed however things got worse
when during my shift, several VIPs came to visit and viewed the mess left in
the tower. The sentry survived his wounds but his fate following the incident
is uncertain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In April of 1986, the nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl facility in
Ukraine went into meltdown and spewed radioactive clouds across Europe. We were
issued strict orders not to go outside and no one was certain what would happen
in the wake of such a disaster. Memmingen is located about 1,000 miles from
Chernobyl but even at this distance, roughly 40 to 50% of Europe would be
contaminated by fallout from the Chernobyl disaster. Although, I have had
follow up checkups and appear to be healthy and unaffected, several members of
the 7261 MUNSS
have developed signs of exposure to radioactive materials which include loss of
enamel in teeth and degenerative disk development in the spine, as well as
having children with birth defects and in others sterility. Thyroid cancer is another potential
concern. Because it is impossible to
prove that Chernobyl is the cause, it is not considered a harmful source of
radiation by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Due to the amount of
radioactive fallout absorbed into the water and soil, were told not to eat
foods grown locally such as vegetables or meats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life in
Memmingen became routine but at times there were groups that posed problems for
us. One of these groups was of course members of the United States Army. During
REFORGER, several of them became intoxicated and caused some problems but never
anything too serious that we could not handle. The second group, were usually
Jaguar pilots from the British Royal Air Force. They would cause random
mischief and in one instance even stole a restricted area warning sign from one
of the perimeter fences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My time in
Germany came to an end in December 1986 when I was reassigned to Barksdale Air
Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. This would be my final duty station where
I would end my enlistment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I
arrived at Barksdale, I was assigned under the US Air Force’s Strategic Air
Command where I performed essentially the same duties I had in Germany at the
airbase in Louisiana. I went from the real feel of Germany, to the simulated atmosphere
of stateside duty assignments. The massive force of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
strategic bombers was kept on a constant state of readiness, capable of being
deployed 24-7, 365. The assignment to Barksdale did not share the same appeal
as the assignment to Memmingen and I do not share the same strength of bond
with service members from the SAC assignment that I do with members from the
Germany assignment. Like Germany however, there were often readiness exercises
conducted and sirens would sound often to the response of crews rushing to
their aircraft and preparing to deploy in response to attack anywhere in the
world. I would finish my Air Force enlistment at the rank of Senior Airman, and
even though I was urged to attend the Air Force Non Commissioned Officer’s
Academy I chose not to reenlist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On 17
September 1987, tragedy struck when SGT. Joseph M. Burgio Sr. was killed when
his Boeing KC-10 Stratotanker exploded on the ground at Barksdale. Three dozen others
were injured in the disaster and following an investigation it was learned that
a fuel leak caused the fatal explosion. While offloading fuel from the tanker,
a generator unit ignited the fumes of the fuel and caused the explosion. I
became aware of the disaster when one of my fellow service members SGT. Gray;
stated that something was on fire. I turned to see a large black cloud of smoke
billowing into the sky. I turned in time to see one of the largest explosions
I’d ever witnessed echo through the area in a series of three blasts. The first
explosion blew apart the center section of the plane, the second blew apart the
nose and the final blast occurred when the wings ruptured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since
Barksdale is the home of the Eighth Air Force headquarters, we took up
defensive positions and only after it became apparent that this was an accident
and not an attack did we stand down. While the investigation was carried out on
the accident, I pulled security over the wreck many times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time
my Air Force enlistment concluded, I was a Senior Airman and I had been awarded
the Air Force Training Ribbon, Overseas Long Tour Ribbon, Air Force Good
Conduct Medal, as well as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Of particular
significance to me were letters of service and a plaque presented to me for my
service in the 7261 MUNSS at Memmingen. I will never forget the many American,
German, and other European allies and friends I served with throughout the
duration of my enlistment and I definitely have no regrets about my service
during the Cold War. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-31524662570708172722013-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:002013-08-22T18:43:38.303-07:00On the Frontlines of the Cold War: Voices of the Veterans Vol. I<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: red;">“From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remember'd;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: red;">We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: red;">Shall be my brother” – Henry V, William Shakespeare 1598</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Cold War was an intense moment in world history where at the strike of a match the fragile peace could be engulfed in a sea of flames. Although the Cold War is referred to as a relative period of uneasy peace, there were numerous occasions of incidents where blood was shed by military forces of varying nations. In Europe, the British while maintaining numerous overseas deployments battled against the insurgency in Northern Ireland as well as dealing with troublesome skirmishes by terrorist groups on mainland Europe. The United States Army in Europe was also plagued by a number of attacks from radical terrorist elements like the Red Army Faction held bent on undermining the legitimacy of the Allied cause. Most often these groups were funded by the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact groups to carry out strikes against NATO installations and forces. The sacrifices of military personnel throughout this tense period have often proven undocumented if not under documented and the stories of the conflicts gone unseen and or unheard by those outside of the entities that were there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Operation Banner, the British military's operation in </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Northern Ireland for example is not as well known in the United States as it is in the United Kingdom, nonetheless they are stories that should be known and shared with the world. Men and women sacrificed so much to maintain the balance of peace that was the Cold War period and their exploits have largely gone unrecognized. While there were a vast number of conflicts that should be documented for historical purposes, this particular look is aimed at Europe and experiences documented will cover mainly the veteran’s experiences in Northern Ireland and West Germany.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s hard to say just how many lives were lost throughout the duration of the European Cold War period and every life has value. Losses across Europe from Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom to West Germany and across the rest of Continental Europe are hard to exactly pinpoint as well as they typical were inflicted in ones and twos rather than on a large scale as in a conventional scenario. Alerts went up and precautions were taken against terrorist elements accordingly. In an age where terrorism is a common phrase, soldiers in Europe were dealing with terrorism ever since a rogue group believed they could use violence and intimidation to gain a voice.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The purpose of this writing is to document the stories of the veterans to preserve them and archive them for the future. To highlight the importance of the sacrifices bore by these individuals in the name of brotherhood. The unexplainable brotherhood shared uniquely by soldiers exposed to hostile areas. This writing is dedicated to the memory of the fallen who are forever fused into the history that has shaped our world, and to those who experienced it firsthand and live with their memories. These are the stories of those who were there. We salute them and We honor them. For security and privacy reasons I have altered the names of the individuals who have submitted their stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>PTE M. Swift, British Army<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>1st Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Infantry<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Ballykinlar, Northern Ireland<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>1987</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Northern Ireland:</b> I carried out patrols throughout South Armagh (Armagh County) known as Orchard Country to the world but commonly referred to as 'Bandit Country' to those that served there. These patrols took us close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. On one occasion the patrol base of Bessbrook Mill was mortared 3 days after I left. I was part of a protective cordon that was tasked with setting up and providing defense during the rebuilding and strengthening of the watch towers in and around Crossmaglenn. On that task, I heard an explosion while in a covert operations location. Later we were told that the IRA had murdered a Judge as well as his wife. Several years later during another tour they struck again at the exact same location. IRA groups were known as Active Service Units (ASUs) by us operating in Northern Ireland. While on this tour Provisional Irish Republic Army (PIRA) & Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) were feuding and doing tit for tat killings against one another. We were all pretty happy with that as it kept them busy and not attacking our forces. My first tour only lasted 3 months as the regiment then got posted to Catterick in North Yorkshire. Although short and relevantly uneventful, it was none the less an exciting tour and experience for a young 18 year old soldier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>CPL A. Steventon, British Army<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>252 Provost Company (Volunteers)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Royal Military Police<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Hameln, Hannover, Sennelager, Paderborn, West Germany<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Participated in Exercises Keystone & Keyflight in 1987 & 1988.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>BAOR: </b>I performed Provost operations in West Germany and some Police work mainly RTA accidents. I also performed border patrol along Berlin Wall and saw East German NVA troops and Soviet troops regularly. My main job was convoy movements. I used to sign up routes to get ALL the BAOR troops to the battle front or FEBA as we called it and to Brigade HQ's, rendezvous points etc. We set up TP's (traffic posts) IP's (info Posts) BDE HQ (Brigade HQ's) etc. We also secured areas in the infantry role using GPMG, SLR, SMG and Browning 9mm. I got the chance to work alongside US aggressor forces on enemy evade and capture exercises near Nordhausen. We captured them and handed over to intel for interrogation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I dealt with a fatal road traffic accident in Unter Oldershausen in September when I was on guard duty at a Brigade Headquarters. A Regular Dispatch Rider of the Royal Engineers came to my Information Post (IP) looking for his Brigade HQ. He was fatigued and tired and got his grid reference, he then and drove up the road and was killed instantly by decapitation. I was the first to respond to him following the accident and the last to contact him when he passed away. It has haunted me ever since. It has been nearly 25 years and I've only now found out his name this year, Sapper Dougie Hogg 13th Postal Courier Squadron Royal Engineers 25 years old from Lancaster in Lancashire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Another assignment I held was to look for Soviet Mission on the Rhine spies (SOXMIS whom used to drive around taking photos for intelligence purposes mainly of troop numbers, vehicles, strength, equipment, movements, locations etc. If we saw them we detained them under a special card we carried and handed over to Intel Corps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I was nearly killed during an attack by the PIRA in 1988 whilst serving in the Royal Air Force (regular Forces). While in Hereford, the PIRA planted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) outside of my barracks block but one of my mates found it in the trash can before it could be detonated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My reflections on the Cold War period are that it was a very tense time with many occasions we thought we were going to war with the Warsaw Pact. Alerts were issued regularly for war footings. We lost hundreds of troops in accidents on the big exercises which people forgot and we never got any recognition for the sacrifices we made over there, not just in encounters with Warsaw Pact forces but also with PIRA in Northern Ireland. They were very active and as a result many British troops were killed. The days were long but times were fun and enjoyable. The Germans were very good to us unless they held ties to the previous regime the Nazi party. I enjoyed my time spent over there and loved the country. I'll never forget it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>SPC S. Moore, United States Army<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>558th Military Police Company<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Military Police<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Rheinland Pfalz, West Germany<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>2 Years in West Germany</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>USAREUR:</b> I pulled physical security on a NATO Missile site known as Site No. 107. During the duration of my deployment to West Germany, we were plagued by constant bombings and attacks at clubs mainly by the Red Army Faction which peaked in 1987.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My West Germany assignment was similar to dealing with modern day terrorism. Movements were always done on the high alert with the upmost suspicion of everyone. Between the Soviets and Red Army Faction encounters taking out small groups of service members, travel was usually done in packs for security. Whenever there was an incident it was briefed to all of United States Army Europe (USAREUR). Working on a Nuclear Compound, National Security concerning Nuclear Warheads was of utmost priority so the 24/7 security of the facility was monitored very closely. While I was assigned to Site No. 107, there was an incident at different Nuclear Facility where the perimeter had been breached, the guard house was infiltrated and all of the security forces were shot in their sleep. None of the nuclear materials were disturbed in the attack. It was just done to prove that the security of a sensitive NATO site was indeed penetrable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>RFN D. Harding, British Army<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Infantry<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Belfast, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Northern Ireland<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Multiple deployments from 1985-1996</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Northern Ireland:</b> I served as a military dog handler in Northern Ireland performing searches in the Palace Barracks area of operation around Belfast. Our Tactical Area of Responsibility which we covered included Fort Whiterock, North Howard Street Mill, Girdwood and Woodburn which was a Royal Ulster Constabulary station. My first two initial tours in Northern Ireland were fairly quiet. There were two occasions where there were attempts made to engage our patrols by enemy forces which were thwarted by our experience. As a result of the thwarting of their attempts, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) Active Service Units (ASUs) launching an attack and shooting up the Sanger of Clogher, Royal Ulster Constabulary Station. The second year, residential operations were quite hectic but again most incidents of attempts against the battalion were thwarted thanks to good scenario drills and patrolling techniques. Sadly, we lost seven members of the Battalion, due to accidents including a Lynx crash in Gortin Glen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The period of 1993-1996 was hectic as well. There were incidents almost daily with an upsurge in shootings, bombings and sectarian murders. It was during this particular tour in Northern Ireland that I was blown up by a PIRA explosive device which resulted in the loss of the majority of the hearing in my left ear and half in my right ear. Due to the constant rotations into Northern Ireland I was diagnosed with complex combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The worst encounter during this tour was the aftermath of the Shakhill Bombing, when Fizzel’s Fish Shop was targeted for twenty one days. Following that attack I was lucky to get an average of three hours of sleep per day due to tit for tat murders carried out by rival factions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>CPL M.Sandham, British Army<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Parachute Regiment/Royal Military Police<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Infantry/Royal Military Police<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Roberts Barracks, Osnabruck, West Germany, Aldergrove & Clooney Base, Northern Ireland<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>4 Years Regular Forces & 3 Years Reserve</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>BAOR:</b> While assigned to the British Army of the Rhine I primarily performed Garrison policing duties. The experience of serving in West Germany also allowed me the opportunity to train alongside our allied military unit counterparts including American, West German and Dutch military police. I also participated in several large scale military exercises in Germany the primary two being Exercise Lionheart and Exercise Spearpoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Northern Ireland:</b> In Northern Ireland I mainly performed mobile patrols, search and intelligence gathering operations, performed raids on suspected enemy strongholds which often including pubs, bars and clubs as well as escort duties. When performing operations in the Londonderry areas we were often brought close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. City Center security patrols were also another task we were frequently assigned. In Northern Ireland we were frequently exposed to enemy actions committed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) including shootings and bombings in Belfast. Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police stations were regularly targeted for attack by PIRA elements. Some operations yielded results such as search and seizure operations which led to discovering and capturing PIRA weapons caches in East Belfast. Riot control in the Londonderry City Center was also a regular occurrence during my tour in Northern Ireland. One encounter in particular stands out in my mind, one day following a PIRA operation, we were tasked to recovery a victim’s body from the River Lagan in Belfast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My service in both BAOR and in Northern Ireland ultimately was a great training experience. For a young Non Commissioned Officer it was an amazing introduction to life in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. Despite the exposure to conflict zones such as Northern Ireland, I believe young soldiers today would benefit from the experiences we had during the Cold War. We gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in a short period of time and I don’t regret any moment of my service. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-37261189100470730552013-08-20T21:00:00.000-07:002013-08-20T21:00:10.784-07:00British Forces Posted Overseas (BAOR Garrison Codes)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuOwPNkUsFkwDbbu57QsDTWWuDmrQT5sgXxYSZEmr0fmLMaRORdjCpZ3LQRqp12BH0wjs8iVPmLAGYNfixfJjDLP6MYTNZFkBgMdRtIUEAymxk_nelW9Lu5rzqjI-mWJlUrLcvLMMWbCb/s1600/BA.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuOwPNkUsFkwDbbu57QsDTWWuDmrQT5sgXxYSZEmr0fmLMaRORdjCpZ3LQRqp12BH0wjs8iVPmLAGYNfixfJjDLP6MYTNZFkBgMdRtIUEAymxk_nelW9Lu5rzqjI-mWJlUrLcvLMMWbCb/s400/BA.GIF" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The British armed forces maintained their own postal service much like armies around the world, assigning each of its facilities abroad with a postal code corresponding to a garrison. The British Forces Post Office or BFPO had a system of numbered codes for its garrisons across Western Europe primarily those of I British Corps positioned in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia during the Cold War. The vast majority of these codes were assigned to British Army of the Rhine garrisons in the Federal Republic of Germany and a handful of these were assigned to garrisons in Belgium and the Netherlands. Below is a listing of British Forces Post Office Overseas assignment numbers for historical record.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>British Forces Posted Overseas Numbers</u></b></span><br />
<br />
BFPO 15 - Herford<br />
BFPO 16 - Sennelager/Paderborn<br />
BFPO 17 - Münster<br />
BFPO 18 - Maastricht, Netherlands<br />
BFPO 19 - Köln/Bonn<br />
BFPO 20 - Dortmund<br />
BFPO 21 - Emblem, Belgium<br />
BFPO 22 - Lübbecke<br />
BFPO 23 - Celle<br />
BFPO 24 - Iserlohn<br />
BFPO 25 - Brüggen<br />
BFPO 27 - Hannover Isodets<br />
BFPO 28 - Brunssum, Netherlands<br />
BFPO 29 - Minden<br />
BFPO 30 - Hohne<br />
BFPO 31 - Hameln<br />
BFPO 32 - Verden<br />
BFPO 33 - Hannover<br />
BFPO 34 - Düsseldorf<br />
BFPO 35 - Krefeld<br />
BFPO 36 - Osnabrück<br />
BFPO 37 - Soltau / Brannenburg<br />
BFPO 38 - Fallingbostel<br />
BFPO 39 - Bielefeld<br />
BFPO 40 - Rheindahlen<br />
BFPO 41 - Detmold<br />
BFPO 42 - Wildenrath<br />
BFPO 43 - Laarbruch<br />
BFPO 44 - Dulmen<br />
BFPO 45 - Berlin<br />
BFPO 46 - Bünde<br />
BFPO 47 - Gütersloh<br />
BFPO 48 - Nienburg<br />
BFPO 49 - Brussels, Belgium<br />
BFPO 101 - Wolfenbüttel<br />
BFPO 102 - Hildesheim<br />
BFPO 103 - Hamm/Werl<br />
BFPO 104 - Munsterlager<br />
BFPO 105 - Düsseldorf Isodets<br />
BFPO 106 - Soest<br />
BFPO 107 - Lippstadt<br />
BFPO 108 - Kiel<br />
BFPO 109 - Ramstein<br />
BFPO 110 - Willich<br />
BFPO 112 - Menden<br />
BFPO 113 - Mansergh Barracks, RAF Gütersloh<br />
BFPO 114 - Körbecke<br />
BFPO 140 - BAOR HeadquartersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-62542228580153347762013-08-20T05:50:00.000-07:002013-08-20T05:50:24.851-07:00Who was Paul Wieczorek?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1MSS0bR27x_qK2NL4dVn3u4q6vwXBSXPG0BkROaurAkDa0_I2mw8pvjDzbfNFccujjiVTSCSQflo1BiJqPPozYA-NCSy2RR-Dz5fAqHpoShw4i2XEEbJ6h9_G9hWk8FaGotsN1VaO7hX/s1600/MFG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1MSS0bR27x_qK2NL4dVn3u4q6vwXBSXPG0BkROaurAkDa0_I2mw8pvjDzbfNFccujjiVTSCSQflo1BiJqPPozYA-NCSy2RR-Dz5fAqHpoShw4i2XEEbJ6h9_G9hWk8FaGotsN1VaO7hX/s400/MFG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">To many western
observers the names bestowed upon Nationale Volksarmee combat units in the
German Democratic Republic are but enigmas lost to history. East German
military traditions and heritage often centered around figures of cultural
significance and particular interest to the 'people's struggle' towards the
progression of the communist movement. One of the most famous of the East
German military units with a named title is the 40. Fallschirmjägerbatallion
which was granted the title of 'Willi Sänger' after the pro-communist
resistance fighter who was executed by the Nazis in the latter years of the
Second World War. When the Soviet authorities took over administration of the
eastern zone of Germany after the cease of hostilities the use of German communists
and others sympathetic to the struggle of communism was seen as a way to allow
the German people to embrace the struggles of communism and the exploits of
their own people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Paul Wieczorek, was
another famous figure of East German military tradition. Paul Wieczorek was
born in the largely protestant city of Bromberg in Prussia on 15 July 1885. In
1904, he and his family relocated from Bromberg to Berlin. After completing his
schooling, he took up an apprenticeship in metalurgy becoming a metal worker.
By 1903, he enlisted in the Kaiserliche Marine or 'Imperial Navy' of the German
Empire. He would serve in the Imperial Navy until 1906, serving among other
assignments aboard the light cruiser Medusa. Following his brief military
service, Wieczorek found employment as a bus driver for the German company
Allgemeine Berliner Omnibus AG. It was around this time that he became
introduced to the teachings of Karl Marx and communism and become a member of
the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 'Social Democratic Party of
Germany' or SPD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">With the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serb nationalist and the
outbreak of hostilities in 1914, Wieczorek was reinstated into the Kaiserliche
Marine at the rank of Maat or Petty Officer aboard a minesweeper. Now a
committed communist, Wieczorek was reprimanded numerous times by his superiors
for insubordination and military disobedience. With the emergence of a new form
of warfare, and the advances taken in military aviation, Wieczorek volunteered
to become an aircraft mechanic in the fledgling Marineflieger of the Imperial
German Navy. Following receiving flight training, he was assigned to a military
air station located at Tonder near the border with Denmark. Here he was
involved in a plane crash and following a period of recovery, he was reassigned
to the Marine-Landfliegerabteilung 'Naval Land Flying Service' at Johannisthal near Berlin. It would be here
that he and a friend Fritz Radtke would organize workers of the Johannis Thaler
Flugzeugwerke and spread the influence of communist works amongst fellow
members of the naval aviation service and military air service.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By November of 1918,
Germany was facing internal struggles and with the Kiel Mutiny of naval sailors
in the Wilhelmshaven fleet an increasing wave of descent swept over the crews
of several battleships of the High Seas Fleet. The Kiel Mutiny would become one
of the factors leading to the November Revolution in 1918. Aligning himself
with prominent Marxist and anti-militarist Karl Liebknecht, Wieczorek organized
other mutineers and mounted an armed insurrection at the base in Johannisthal.
On 9 November 1918, pro-communist sailors and naval aviators as well as members
of the illegal Spartacus League seized control of the Flugplatz Johannisthal and
arrested the base commander and the officers cadre. Following the completion of
the seizure of the airbase, Wieczorek and his group began heading in the
direction of Berlin to link up with Karl Liebknecht and his fellow group of
communist supporters. Along the way to Berlin, the group encountered armed
resistance from military forces loyal to Kaiser Wilhelm II particularly in the
areas of Lower Schöneweide and Treptow. Many soon sided with the
revolutionaries and large quantities of weapons and ammunition were turned over
to the revolutionaries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Records become scarce
after this point but it was presumed that Wieczorek and his men participated in
a clash and occupation of the Reichsmarineamtes 'Imperial Naval Office' in
Berlin. By the evening of the 9th of November, Wieczorek, Radtke and Liebknecht
linked up and and along with Heinrich Dorrenbach a fellow socialist
revolutionary and an officer in the Imperial German military began drawing up
plans for the organization of armed formations in Berlin. By the time of the
armistice and cease of First World War hostilities on 11 November 1918, some
600 sailors that had aligned themselves with Wieczorek and Liebknecht were
using the Berlin imperial stables as their headquarters and declared the
organization of the Volksmarinerat von Groß-Berlin und Vororten 'People's Naval
Council of Greater Berlin and Suburbs. They organized themselves into a group
they called the Volksmarinedivison 'People's Navy Division' and declared
Wieczorek as their Commander. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">From its inception on
11 November 1918, things would begin to rapidly deteriorate for the
Volksmarinedivison. In a coup of leadership, Paul Wieczorek was shot dead by
Korvettenkapitän Friedrich Brettschneider in the Berlin imperial stables they
declared their headquarters. Susequently two days later, Brettschneider himself
was also found dead. The November
Revolution would ultimately fail when resistance was put down forcefully,
however it would lead to the abdication of the throne of Germany, the
abolishion of the monarchy and the transition to parliamentary democracy.
Liebknecht would not fare any better suffering the same fate that befell many
communist revolutionaries in Germany. On
15 January 1919, Karl Liebknecht was found in his Berlin apartment and arrested
being placed under the custody of the Garde-Kavallerie-Schützen-Division
'Guards Cavalry Rifle Division' of the Freikorps were he was interrogated,
beaten and finally shot to death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">After the end of the
Second World War, Soviet authorities in the eastern sector of Germany installed
the pro-communist regime and began advocating the use of German communists
amongst the new government to unite the people under their exploits. In 1985,
the East German communist party authorized the formation of a naval aviation
wing or Marinefliegergeschwader to be operated by the Volksmarine. Organized
under the strictest orders of secrecy, the new unit was officially established
on 27 November 1987 at Rostock-Laage. The unit was designated
Marinefliegergeschwader 28 (MFG-28) and granted the title 'Paul Wieczorek' on 6
October 1989. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-72756114025635913422013-08-17T08:57:00.002-07:002013-08-17T11:58:46.105-07:00Behind Enemy Lines Part III: Forces françaises à Berlin: Napoleon's Guard of Honor in West Berlin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ9mzmiVi5gjq6fsiSzXEXGjtavGsRvXXsTSqU7BzKOpWe1xbNSEtcNUL8alsol8wZveSjLNEsBXwWd2v2eWAsQZ0otv4p-C_woV4Q7M5tejl2R59Nxr-ewtc1T-hohmcVVhLD8bsDDX3/s1600/FFB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ9mzmiVi5gjq6fsiSzXEXGjtavGsRvXXsTSqU7BzKOpWe1xbNSEtcNUL8alsol8wZveSjLNEsBXwWd2v2eWAsQZ0otv4p-C_woV4Q7M5tejl2R59Nxr-ewtc1T-hohmcVVhLD8bsDDX3/s400/FFB.png" width="302" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The French contingent
of the occupational forces in West Berlin were known as the Forces françaises à
Berlin. The Forces françaises à Berlin were a subordinate detachment of the
greater Forces françaises en Allemagne or French Forces in Germany. Like the
Americans and the British, the Forces françaises à Berlin arrived in Berlin in
July 1945 after the defeat of Nazi Germany. Initially, France was not going to
be allocated a portion of Germany nor Berlin to occupy in the post war years
however after objections to this plan were made by de facto French leader
General Charles De Gaulle, an agreement was made and portions of both the American
and British zones of Occupation were taken and designated as French zones of
Occupation. With the granting of these areas, a section of Berlin was
designated for the French. French military forces would be given the northern
portion of the city comprised of two boroughs to administer. The boroughs of
West Berlin which would be granted to the French were the boroughs of
Reinickendorf and Wedding. The Potsdam Agreement granted the French equal
rights and access to West Berlin and thus the Forces françaises à Berlin would
maintain a status as counterparts to both the American Berlin Brigade and the
British Berlin Infantry Brigade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Soldiers assigned to
West Berlin wore a distinctive shoulder patch much in the manner of their
American and British counterparts. The French patch originated in 1949, and
depicted the French tricolor flag of blue, white and red flying over a gold
circle with an 'N' in the center representing their facilities at the Quartier
Napoléon. This is positioned inside the shape of the French zone of Occupation
in West Germany with a gold border around the zone with light blue interior and
a darker blue exterior with 'BERLIN' in gold over the top of the patch and a
gold border framing the entire shoulder insignia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Initial French troops
to arrive in Berlin were members of the 1re armée française '1st French Army'
which established their headquarters at the Julius Leber Kaserne in the borough
of Wedding. The Julius Leber Kaserne had previously been occupied by elements
of the Nazi Wehrmacht utilized by the Luftwaffe's Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1.
Hermann Göring or 'Hermann Goering Parachute Panzer Division 1.' The 130
building facility was arranged around a central axis and included a sports
field, running track and an outdoor pool. Upon French arrival at the facility
in August 1945, the area was redesignated as the Quartier Napoléon. The
facilities had been heavily damaged during the Battle of Berlin and subsequent
occupation by Soviet Red Army forces and underwent significant reconstruction and
repairs from 1945 to 1955. Immediately south of the area, the French military
constructed the Cite Joffre condominiums to house its troops and their
families. Also initially located at the Quartier Napoléon was a detachment of
the Armée de l'Air, the French Air Force however, they were repositioned to
nearby Tegel Airport, which would become the French's primary point of arrival
and departure for forces entering the city. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On 2 November 1947,
the 46e régiment d'infanterie de ligne or</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">'46th Infantry Regiment' was assigned to the Quartier Napoléon. Prior to
arrival in Berlin, the 46e régiment d'infanterie de ligne had participated in
the occupation of the Rhineland following the initial German surrender on 8 May
1945. They would remain in position as the primary combat ready force until 31
December 1954, when French strength would be bolstered by the arrival of the
11e régiment de chasseurs or '11th Chasseurs Regiment'</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">essentially an armored cavalry regiment which
provided armored capabilities to the Berlin garrison. Like the 46e régiment
d'infanterie de ligne, the 11e régiment de chasseurs had previously conducted
occupational duties in the Palatinate region until 30 April 1947 when it was
intially inactivated. It was reactivated in West Berlin and absorbed elements
of two other French formations. Together the 46e régiment d'infanterie de ligne
and the 11e régiment de chasseurs would comprise France's contribution to the
defense of West Berlin.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Additional units
assigned to the Quartier Napoléon
garrison included engineers, a supply battalion, military police detachment,
and security directorate that was responsible for sector security along the
French zone's border with the German Democratic Republic. Like their allied
counterparts the French maintained their own radio station known as Radio
Forces Françaises de Berlin or French Forces in Berlin Radio commonly
abbreviated as FFB. The FFB began its initial broadcasts on 8 May 1957 and
provided radio broadcasts initially for the French servicemen in West Berlin.
In the 1980's it picked up television and began broadcasting television
programming for French forces assigned to West Berlin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> The Tegel Airbase facilities initially did not
exist and it wasn't until the Americans launched Operation Vittles and the British
launched Operation Plainfare essentially the Berlin Airlift as a response to
the Soviet blockade of the city in 1948 that the French began construction of
the new air facility. The construction of the airport facilities involved the
use of over 19,000 people utilizing 400 trucks and materials taken from the war
torn city of Berlin along with asphalt flown into the city by the United States
Air Force. On 5 November 1948, a detachment of the l´armée de l´air known as DA
04165 was activated at the new facility when a U.S. Air Force Douglas C-54
Skymaster transport arrived at the base carrying among its dignitaries General
William H. Tunner, the chief architect of the Berlin Airlift. The Tegel
Facility was designated as 165 Air Base Berlin-Tegel and officially opened for
operations on 15 November 1948. Regular operations commence by 1 December 1948,
and upon learning of the construction of a facility in the French zone of
Occupation, the Soviets demand the withdrawal of French forces from the village
of Stolpe. All French forces vacate Stolpe by 18 December 1948. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By the time of its
operation, and the height of the Berlin Airlift, the French have become
embroiled in the First Indochina War, however they supply several Junkers Ju-52
transports for the effort in 1949. In 1958, the French estalish SEA 02054 an
electronic warfare squadron which conducts signal intelligence gathering
(SIGNET) operations in West Berlin. The
SEA 02054 unit utilizies antennas at DBLS Foch located in the local vicinity
and also two twin parabolic antennas positioned to monitor the area north of
Berlin, in the limit of Frohnau beside Oranienburger Chaussee and Jäger Stieg
located on the other side of East Germany. SEA 02054 operates in conjunction with the station
Schalke positioned in West Germany and with the SEA 03054 and EE 21054 Goslar,
detachment of the 11 th Company Transmissions, which were transitioned to the
headquarters Berlin from 30 June 1966 to 1 January 1991. The Escadrille
Electronics EE (Electronic Warfare Unit) was designated 21,054 with specialized
Puma helicopters in 1986.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Elements of the
French</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">ALAT 'Light Army Aviation'
arrived at Tegel in 1987 succeeding several previous light aviation entities
operating light aircraft for intelligence gathering operations and support
operations in support of the French Army units of the Quartier Napoléon.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The French staff will
remain in position at Tegel until 31 December 1992, when at the request of the German government
command of the airport is turned over from French control to German control
where it is redesignated as Berlin International Airport - Tegel by the German
civilian personnel. Up until that point since 1974, the French crew at Tegel
had checked more than one million aircraft carrying some 90 million passengers
in conditions of maximum security in and out of Tegel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In 1993, the first
part attributed to the Allied Museum in Berlin began construction and a Cessna
L19 from the Forces françaises à Berlin was retired from service and turned
over to the museum on April 21. The 165 Air Base would be decommissioned along
with the 46th and 11th RI Hunters on 14 September 1994. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">With the removal of
all allied forces from Berlin following the agreement of 1994, the Quartier
Napoléon was also closed and the German government took control of the Julius
Leber Kaserne on 5 January 1995, and positioned Bundeswehr units in its
facilities. The 46e régiment d'infanterie de ligne having successfully
completed it's mission was inactivated on
14 September 1994. The 11e régiment de chasseurs would follow the
previous day being inactivated on 15 September. Both units colors were cased
and returned to France having successfully represented France and providing a
contingent that stood alongside its British and American counterparts in maintaining
the peace and security of West Berlin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b><u>French Units in West
Berlin </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>French Combat Units assigned to </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Quartier Napoléon </b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">in West Berlin:</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">11e régiment de
chasseurs '11th Cavalry Regiment'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">46e régiment
d'infanterie de ligne '46th Infantry Regiment'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">110e compagnie du génie
'110th Engineer Company'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Centre d'entraînement
commando (CEC no 10) 'Commando Training Center'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">French Support Units assigned to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Quartier Napoléon</span></b><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> in West Berlin:</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">11e compagnie de
transmission '11th Signals Company'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Gendarmerie Berlin
'Berlin Police'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hôpital Louis-Pasteur
'Louis-Pasteur Hospital'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Base aérienne 165
Berlin Tegel 'Airbase 165 Berlin Tegel'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Groupement de soutien
'Support Group'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Quartier général
'Headquarters'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Direction des
transport et de la circulation de Berlin 'Directorate of Transport and Traffic
in Berlin'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">État-Major 'Command Staff'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Détachement de
l'Aviation légère de l'armée de terre (DETALAT) 'Detachment of the Light Army
Aviation'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-85555594812117241382013-08-16T18:58:00.000-07:002013-08-17T09:06:28.278-07:00Behind Enemy Lines Part II: The Berlin Infantry Brigade: Britain's Lions in West Berlin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5gopuRI9Fr_GUp-NjMnb3RqjyTnmfm-Th4DzAge5849xxNN6UCGEY3LCz5-2lU05y9JbsdAYuR76RQrqvFhS_MUUbAAUOeRrh2_h1_U2MsTFa67stf7vK1Ep6jiLL_OCJM4zsz1P58AP/s1600/BIB.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5gopuRI9Fr_GUp-NjMnb3RqjyTnmfm-Th4DzAge5849xxNN6UCGEY3LCz5-2lU05y9JbsdAYuR76RQrqvFhS_MUUbAAUOeRrh2_h1_U2MsTFa67stf7vK1Ep6jiLL_OCJM4zsz1P58AP/s400/BIB.gif" width="335" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Initially British
troops stationed in western Berlin were known as the British Troops Berlin from
November of 1946, which administered to the occupational duties in the British
designated zone of occupied Berlin. The first British unit to arrive in Berlin was
the 7th Armoured Division, the notorious 'Desert Rats' which had garnered a
reputation for ferocity in fighting the German Afrika Korps led by Erwin Rommel
in North Africa. The unit would remain known as British Troops Berlin until all
British occupational forces in West Berlin were redesignated as Area Troops
Berlin in February of 1949. This formation would stand until October 1953, when
it was reorganized into a force known as the Berlin Infantry Brigade Group.
Under the reorganization, the force would maintain a strength of 3,100 soldiers
assigned to one of three infantry battalions, an armored squadron and
respective support units. Unlike its American counterpart, the British Berlin
Brigade rotated entire units in and out of West Berlin for a specified period
of time rather than rotating individual personnel in and out of the units
assigned to the British zone of occupation in West Berlin. With the division of
Berlin, the British would receive the central section of West Berlin, a sector
comprised of four boroughs to occupy in the post war era. The four
neighborhoods under British control was comprised of the boroughs of
Charlottenburg, Tiergarten, Wilmersdorf and Spandau.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Being positioned in
the exclave of West Berlin, deep within the heart of the German Democratic
Republic the Berlin Infantry Brigade was organized separate of the British Army
of the Rhine forces positioned in the Federal Republic of Germany. Rotations
into West Berlin varied by unit; the single armored squadron was deployed to
West Berlin after being detached from an armored regiment which was already in
West Germany assigned to I British Corps. Infantry battalions were rotated in
and out of West Berlin every two years. The only permanent units in West Berlin
were comprised of 7 Flight, Army Air
Corps, which was based at RAF Gatow, the Royal Air Force station which had
served as the Third Reich Luftwaffe's staff and technical college known as the
Luftkriegsschule 2 'Air Warfare School 2' under the previous regime. 7 Flight
provided the Berlin Infantry Brigade with aviation support assets. Other units
permanently assigned to West Berlin included the 62 Transport and Movements
Squadron Royal Corps of Transport, 14 Field Workshop Royal Electrical &
Mechanical Engineers, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 504 Commander Royal Army Service Corps (CRASC) (Overseas Deployment Training 'ODT'), 131 DID Royal
Army Service Corps, Det No 2 Independent Petrol Station Platoon Royal Army
Service Corps, 31st Quartering and Barracks Office Royal Army Service Corps,121
& 122 Barracks Stores, 38 (Berlin) Field Squadron Royal Engineers, 229
Signals Squadron and 3 Squadron 13 Signals Regiment Royal Signals, 3
Intelligence and Security Coy Intelligence Corps, 247 Provost Coy Royal Military Police,
248 German Security Unit and the British Military Hospital (BMH) Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The British Forces
Post Office which maintained a branch in West Berlin designated the British
sector with the postal code BFPO 45.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The British
maintained their forces in five barracks across its sector of the city,
primarily in the borough of Spandau. The five British facilities were known as
Alexander Barracks, Smuts Barracks, Brooke Barracks, Wavell Barracks and
Montgomery Barracks. Three of the barracks were positioned in close proximity
to the Spandau Prison where British troops along with elements of the other
western Allies and the Soviets rotated standing guard over Rudolf Hess.
Montgomery Barracks was positioned in close proximity to the border with East
Berlin, and maintained a single infantry battalion. Brooke and Wavell Barracks
both maintained single infantry battalions, while Smuts Barracks maintained the
armored squadron assigned to West Berlin. Alexander Barracks was primarily an
administrative and logistics facility. Units rotated in and out of West Berlin
from across the United Kingdom including units from England, Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland. Many soldiers assigned to West Berlin had combat
experience having come to West Berlin from operational service during Operation
Banner in Northern Ireland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Initially the first
incarnations of the British garrison, the British Troops Berlin and Area Troops
Berlin would maintain its headquarters in a facility at the Fehrbelliner Platz
in the borough of Wilmersdorf. Upon redesignation as the Berlin Infantry
Brigade Group, the headquarters was relocated to a facilitiy located adjacent
to the Olympic Stadium in the district of Charlottenburg. It would remain at
this location until the dissolution of the Berlin Infantry Brigade in 1994. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Soldiers assigned to
the Berlin Infantry Brigade wore a distinctive insignia. The unit's shoulder
sleeve insignia was comprised of a red circle over a black background with the
word 'BERLIN' in red on a black background arched across the top of the
circular insignia. Although initially not assigned to British Army of the
Rhine, by the 1980s it was considered a secondary component of BAOR after the I
British Corps contingent which was positioned in North Rhine-Westphalia and
Lower Saxony, West Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The British
maintained a large training facility in the Grunewald borough of West Berlin,
where they would often train alongside soldiers of the American Berlin Brigade.
The Grunewald complex was comprised of several training facilities including
the American urban warfare training center known as Parks Range or more
affectionately as "Doughboy City" as well as the British urban
warfare training center known as Ruhleben Fighting City or 'RFC'. Further
military training was conducted across the Grunewald borough along the shores
of the Havel River, and along the Schildhorn peninsula. Other training areas
included the Schildhornweg, Am Postfenn, around the Teufelssee or 'Devil's
Lake', Saubuchtweg, Grunewaldturm area, Havelchausee which ran adjacent to the
Havel River, and all the way down to the Avus. For woodland combat exercises,
British forces utilized the wooded areas of Spandau, Gatow, Kladow, Tegel and
Jungfernheide. Their primary range area was also located at Ruhleben however it
was adjacent to the RFC compound. Later on in the Berlin Infantry Brigade's
stay in West Berlin, additional live fire exercises were conducted in Gatow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As a response to the
British maintaining their firing rains in such close proximity to the border
with East Berlin, the Soviets maintained a large armored vehicle training
facility on the East German side of the Berlin Wall opposite of the British
ranges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The armored squadron
assigned to Smuts Barracks was primarily tasked with armored reconnaissance and
conducting mounted security patrols along the length of the Berlin Wall which
spanned the British sector. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For ceremonial
events, the British often utilized the Maifeld 'May Field' as a parade ground
which was located across from the Olympic Stadium known as the Olympiastadion.
The Maifeld was used annually to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday for
reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II every 21 April. Formations of British
troops and military vehicles would conduct a parade and review in honor of the
Queens Birthday and would render honors such as honor salutes fired by tank
mounted cannons and infantry rifles utilizing blank ammunition. Various members
of the royal family would attend the celebrations including Queen Elizabeth II
herself, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Princess Anne and the Queen Mother.
West Berliners were encouraged to attend these events alongside their British
counterparts and partake in the festivities. Another largely popular event was
the yearly 'Grand Tattoo' which was a large military show hosted by the Corps
of Army Music. The Grand Tattoo was usually held at the Deutschlandhalle near
famous Funkturm Berlin radio tower. The Deutschlandhalle is famously known for
the 19 February 1938 indoor flight of
German test pilot Hanna Reitsch in her Focke-Wulf Fw 61 helicopter, the first
such flight of its kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For aviation support,
the British Army stationed elements of the Army Air Corps at RAF Gatow. RAF
Gatow was the primary airfield utilized by Royal Air Force transports bringing
in supplies from West Germany during Operation Plainfare, the British codename
for the Berlin Airlift. Following the Airlift, most offensive aircraft from the
Royal Air Force were withdrawn and mostly transports and light aircraft were
stationed at the facility apart from British Army aviation elements. A military
formation known as the RAF Gatow Station Flight operated two De Havilland Chipmunk T10 light aircraft in
reconnaissance roles in cooperation with the The British Commander-in-Chief's
Mission to the Soviet Forces of Occupation in Germany more commonly known as
BRIXMIS. Intelligence flights were carried out beginning in 1956 under the
codename Operation Shooner and later Operation Nylon, where the RAF aircraft
would fly over the airspace of both West and East Berlin, as well as the air
corridors to and from West Germany into West Berlin. These flights were legally
guaranteed to the British under the Potsdam Agreement and they were often
conducted to carry out covert photographic reconnaissance flights over East
German territory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A Royal Corps of
Signals signals unit designated as 26SU was also assigned to RAF Gatow and on
the Teufelsberg, a 260 foot artificial hill north of the Teufelssee which was
made of the heaped rubble of Berlin following the Battle of Berlin in 1945 in
the Grunewald borough. 26SU would serve as a specialized Signals Intelligence
unit operated by the Royal Air Force on behalf of Government Communications
Headquarters or GCHQ Cheltenham tasked with monitoring Warsaw Pact and Soviet
military communications and activities over and around the German Democratic
Republic and neighboring People's Republic of Poland. RAF Gatow was the site of
a defection on 15 July 1987 when a young East German named Thomas Krüger flew a
Zlin Z-42M light aircraft to RAF Gatow from Schönhagen near Trebbin, East
Berlin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u_mpwhDx2KYwTNgHPX11oHg8H-hDEQ6NB8PC7F7nu5NfQO2ySEeeIjsMUoLbrbfWaZPUzvV_GBwKKLftOmn2BuKtMSMM50BVub30-z1HjwDZI11U7wXcok5Y74JIvzBuwQ7AkU0NWL9Z/s1600/BIB2.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u_mpwhDx2KYwTNgHPX11oHg8H-hDEQ6NB8PC7F7nu5NfQO2ySEeeIjsMUoLbrbfWaZPUzvV_GBwKKLftOmn2BuKtMSMM50BVub30-z1HjwDZI11U7wXcok5Y74JIvzBuwQ7AkU0NWL9Z/s400/BIB2.JPEG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Like the Americans
who operated a branch of the American Forces Network in Berlin, the British
maintained a branch of their British Forces Broadcasting Service 'BFBS' and
they maintained their own facilities similar to the Americans to maintain their
garrisons and the families of soldiers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In December of 1963,
the Berlin Infantry Brigade Group became simply the Berlin Infantry Brigade and
would remain as this designation until April of 1977 when it became the Berlin
Field Force and then from January 1981 it was redesignated as the Berlin
Infantry Brigade. Despite its various incarnations it was always referred to as
the Berlin Infantry Brigade. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Berlin Infantry Brigade was reduced to two
standing infantry battalions in 1992 and it was further reduced to a single
infantry battalion in 1993. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The last British
infantry battalion to be stationed Berlin following reunification would be the
1st Battalion of The Queens Lancashire Regiment being assigned to Wavell
Barracks from 1992 until the Berlin Infantry Brigade was disbanded in September
of 1994. The disbanding of the Berlin Infantry Brigade was marked by a final parade through the former British sector which was attended by Prince Charles. With this, the British Berlin Infantry Brigade like the other members of the western Allies marched into history having stood vigilant watch over West Berlin through some of the most tense points in world history. Peace reigned and the Cold War was over, a victory for democracy worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><u><b>British Army Units
assigned to the Berlin Infantry Brigade</b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Montgomery Barracks - Sakrower</b></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">straße, Kladow (A suburb of Spandau)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Worcestershire
Regiment – February 1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gordon Highlanders
Regiment – May 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Black Watch Regiment
– September 1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">East Yorkshire
Regiment – November 1951<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Scots Fusiliers
Regiment – July 1953<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Grenadier Guards
Regiment – March 1954<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Argyll &
Sutherland Highlanders Regiment – March 1955<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Welsh Fusiliers
– July 1956<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Scots Regiment
– February 1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1/2 East Anglian
Regiment – February 1960<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Durham Light Infantry
Regiment – July 1961<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prince of Wales Own
Regiment of Yorkshire – June 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1/1 Green Jackets
Regiment (Royal Green Jackets) – April 1965<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Own Yorkshire
Light Infantry Regiment (2nd Light Infantry) – April 1967<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Argyll &
Sutherland Highlanders Regiment – April 1969<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Queens Regiment –
July 1970<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Worcestershire &
Sherwood Foresters Regiment – July 1972<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Parachute Regiment –
August 1974<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Green Howards
Regiment – August 1976<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Royal Anglian
Regiment – August 1978<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Own Royal
Border Regiment – January 1981<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3 Royal Regiment of
Fusiliers – March 1983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Highland
Fusiliers – March 1985<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Black Watch Regiment
– March 1987<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Welsh Fusiliers
– July 1989<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Welsh Fusiliers
– July 1992<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Brooks Barracks - </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wilhelmstraße, Spandau</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Royal Scots
Fusiliers – February 1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Queens Royal Regiment
– February 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Fusiliers
Regiment – December 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Liverpool
Regiment – February 1951<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Welsh Guards Regiment
– June 1952<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Irish Fusiliers
– July 1953<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Lincolnshire
Regiment – June 1954<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cheshire Regiment –
May 1955<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">South Lancashire
Regiment – January 1957<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Inniskilling
Fusiliers Regiment – January 1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Own Scottish
Borderers Regiment – February 1959<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Welsh Regiment –
April 1961<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Somerset &
Cornwall Light Infantry Regiment – October 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Inniskilling
Fusiliers Regiment – October 1965<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gloucestershire
Regiment – October 1967<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Royal Regiment of
Fusiliers – October 1969<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Duke of Edinburgh
Royal Regiment – July 1971<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Own Scottish
Borderers Regiment – May 1973<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Regiment of
Wales – May 1975<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Parachute Regiment
– May 1977<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Irish Rangers
Regiment – June 1979<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Royal Regiment of
Fusiliers – April 1981<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prince of Wales Own
Royal Regiment – June 1983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Devon & Dorset
Regiment – April 1985<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Own Scottish
Borderers Regiment – February 1987<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1 Light Infantry
Regiment – January 1989<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gordon Highlanders –
June 1991<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gordon Highlanders –
August 1993<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Wavell Barracks - </b><o:p></o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wilhelmstraße, Spandau</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Norfolk
Regiment – January 1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Welsh Fusiliers
– May 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Manchester Regiment –
September 1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Durham Light Infantry
– April 1951<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Scots Regiment
– May 1952<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Own Yorkshire
Light Infantry Regiment – July 1953<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Manchester Regiment –
September 1954<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Black Watch Regiment
– January 1956<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Border Regiment –
December 1957<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">York & Lancaster
Regiment – July 1959<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Royal Rifle
Corps (2 Green Jackets) – December 1960<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Regiment – July
1962<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">East Anglian Regiment
(3 Royal Anglian) – July 1964<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Queens Own
Highlanders Regiment – August 1966<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Staffordshire
Regiment – September 1968<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cheshire Regiment –
November 1970<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Coldstream Guards
Regiment – December 1972<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3 Royal Green Jackets
– January 1975<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Welsh Guards Regiment
– January 1977<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Grenadier Guards
Regiment – July 1979<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 Royal Irish Rangers
Regiment – December 1981<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Royal Hampshire
Regiment – December 1983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gloucestershire
Regiment – February 1986<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kings Regiment –
February 1988<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Irish Guards Regiment
– January 1990<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Queens Lancashire
Regiment – March 1992<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Queens Lancashire
Regiment – August 1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Smuts Barracks - </b><o:p></o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wilhelmstraße, Spandau</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">11th Hussars Regiment
& 8th Hussars Regiment – July 1945 - October 1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">11th Hussars Regiment
& 1st Royal Tank Regiment – October 1945 - February 1946<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, Life
Guards Regiment – July 1946 – September 1946<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, 13/18th
Hussars Regiment – November 1946 – February 1947<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, Inns of
Court Yeomanry Regiment – February 1947 – May 1947<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, Royal
Horse Guards Regiment – May 1947 – January 1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, 11th
Hussars Regiment – February 1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A Squadron, Royal
Dragoons Regiment – May 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A Squadron, Royal
Horse Guards Regiment – March 1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, 3rd
Hussars Regiment – February 1951<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Independent
Squadron, 1st Royal Tank Regiment – February 1952<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Independent
Squadron, 1st Royal Tank Regiment – July 1953<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">B Squadron, 14/20th
Hussars Regiment – February 1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, 4th
Royal Tank Regiment – November 1960<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Independent
Squadron, 1st Royal Tank Regiment – November 1964<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, Queens
Own Hussars Regiment – February 1965<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, 1st
Royal Tank Regiment – July 1968<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, 9/12th
Lancers Regiment – December 1969<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Squadron, Queens
Dragoon Guards Regiment – December 1970<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A Squadron, 4th Royal
Tank Regiment – December 1972<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">B Squadron, 5th Royal
Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Regiment – December 1974<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">B Squadron, 1st Royal
Scots Dragoon Guards Regiment – December 1976<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">D Squadron, 1st Royal
Hussars Regiment – April 1979<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">D Squadron, 4/7th
Dragoon Guards Regiment – February 1981<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">D Squadron, 1st
Queens Own Hussars Regiment – April 1983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">B Squadron, 14/20th
Hussars Regiment – May 1985<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">D Squadron, 14/20th
Hussars Regiment – December 1987<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">C Squadron, 14/20th
Hussars Regiment – September 1988<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">C Squadron, 14/20th
Hussars Regiment – September 1991<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Alexander Barracks - Hohenzollernring, Spandau</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-78480290085160852522013-08-15T18:38:00.000-07:002013-08-15T18:38:17.764-07:00Behind Enemy Lines Part I: The Berlin Brigade: America's Force in the Heart of East Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcvC6T08PfcCNxoR8xhqCBCnn4i8UzdGOt8glEynwFQuvWmUimjo2vbxy62DBFMr3pn8QwFaDLp0-28tLaMxfuzDk5W_Xc0ASKmqVDJ1BnX9awa_BzWX2oVt8kZkHjBrEJdqNDOHxZaq3/s1600/BB.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcvC6T08PfcCNxoR8xhqCBCnn4i8UzdGOt8glEynwFQuvWmUimjo2vbxy62DBFMr3pn8QwFaDLp0-28tLaMxfuzDk5W_Xc0ASKmqVDJ1BnX9awa_BzWX2oVt8kZkHjBrEJdqNDOHxZaq3/s400/BB.gif" width="258" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With the Allies
declaring a victory in Europe with the surrender of the Nazis in May 1945, the
stage was set for the post war occupation and rebuilding of Germany and Europe.
World War II had proven devastating to the city of Berlin. Between 92,000 to 100,000
German soldiers were killed in the Battle of Berlin with some 125,000 civilian
casualties inflicted on the population. In the initial days and weeks after the
fall of the city and the capitulation of German forces, the Soviet Red Army
enacted a dreadful period of reprisals and revenge against the German
inhabitants of the city as they engaged in mass rapes against the female
populous, pillaging and often murderering countless Germans. Soviet forces also
went door to door arresting and imprisoning any German in uniform including
non-military personnel such as firemen and railway workers. When military
forces of the western Allies reached Berlin, they divided the city in a
reflection of the division of Germany with each of the four victories allied
nations maintaining a section of the city under its own jurisdiction. This was
done in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement with the western nations
occupying the western portion of the city and the Soviets occupying the eastern
portion of the city. Under the Potsdam Agreement, the status of the city could
not be changed without a quadripartite agreement. With the Allied controlled
section lying so deep within the boundaries of Soviet controlled territory, the
western Allies were guaranteed three air corridors for use flying into the
city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By 1948, relations
between the western Allies and the Soviet Union began to rapidly deteriorate
and came to a boiling point when the Soviet Union blockaded the city. The
Soviet attempt to force the western Allies from Berlin was countered when the
western Allies mounted a massive airborne relief effort by supplying the city
from the air. The Berlin Airlift known accordingly as Operation Vittles and
Operation Plainfare would prove largely successful and prove a psychological and
physical defeat to the Soviets. By the end of 1949, the declaration of the
establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in the West and German
Democratic Republic in the East largely ended the occupational status of
Germany. With the establishment of West Germany and East Germany respectively,
Berlin remained occupied as it's status could only be changed with a
quadripartite agreement. West Berlin, which was the Allied controlled section
of Berlin consisted of 12 boroughs. The French would occupy the northern sector
of the city administering the boroughs of Reinickendorf and Wedding. The
British would occupy the central portion of the city with the boroughs of
Charlottenburg, Tiergarten, Wilmersdorf and Spandau falling under their
jurisdiction. The Americans would occupy the southern portion of the city with
the boroughs of Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, Steglitz, Tempelhof and
Zehlendorf falling under their jurisdiction. The Soviets would occupy the
twelve boroughs that made up East Berlin which included Friedrichshain,
Hellersdorf, Hohenschönhausen, Köpenick, Lichtenberg, Marzahn, Mitte, Pankow,
Prenzlauer Berg, Treptow and Weißensee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The first American
units would enter Berlin in July 1945, when elements of the 2nd Armored
Division followed by elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and 78th Infantry
Division entered the city to begin postwar occupational duties. These units
were replaced by the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division
along with the 16th Constabulary Squadron (Separate) which would remain in
place in the American sector of West Berlin from 1946 until 1950. These units
were replaced following the activation of the 6th Infantry Regiment. Following
restructing and reorganization of Army units in 1958, the 6th Infantry Regiment
was replaced with two other units the 2nd Battle Group, 6th Infantry Regiment
and 3rd Battle Group, 6th Infantry Regiment respectively. When Soviet forces
and East German units began tearing up roads and setting up barricades the
Berlin Brigade, the United States Army's permanently assigned military
contingent to West Berlin was placed on high alert in anticipation of a coming
Soviet attack. As tensions rose with the construction of the Berlin Wall
beginning on 13 August 1961, the Brigade reflected President Kennedy and the
United States's resolve to defend West Berlin from aggression and stood firm
during a period of Soviet threats demanding the Allied withdrawal from Berlin.
Tensions came to a headway on 27 October 1961, when American tanks and armored
vehicles took up positions at Checkpoint Charlie and faced down Soviet armored
vehicles. Eventually, the Soviets would relent and the tank standoff would end
with no shots fired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Berlin Brigade
had been established in response to the Crisis in Berlin. Infantry units of the
brigade were organized along the lines of the pentomic structure. One formation
designated as a "battle group" consisted of five line rifle
companies, a combat support company, and a headquarters & headquarters company.
The newly established Berlin Brigade would consist of the 2nd and 3rd
Battalions of the 6th Infantry Regiment and the 4th Battalion of the 18th
Infantry Regiment. The 4th Battalion, 18th Infantry was later redesignated as
the 4th Battalion 6th Infantry Regiment. These battalions would later be
reflagged to 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions of the 502nd Infantry Regiment.
Additional units of the Berlin Brigade consisted of Battery C, 94th Field
Artillery which would be replaced by Echo Battery, 320th Field Artillery. Company
F of the 40th Armor, 42nd Engineer Company, 42nd Military Police Company
(Customs), 287th Military Police Company (Separate), 43rd and 76th Chemical
Detachments, 279th Station Hospital which was redesignated as US Army Hospital
Berlin in 1976, 168th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Service), 592nd Signal
Company, 298th Army Band. The 168th Medical Detachment and 298th Army Band
would go on to share the distinction of being the longest serving United States
Army units in Berlin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The 4th Battalion,
502nd Infantry Regiment; 5th Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment and 6th
Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiments would be positioned in West Berlin until
the end of the Cold War and leave Berlin in 1994. U.S. Army Berlin would
maintain four large military installations known as McNair Barracks, Andrews
Barracks, Roosevelt Barracks and Turner Barracks in the West Berlin boroughs of
Zehlendorf and Steglitz. In the borough of Tempelhof, the Tempelhof Airport
which had been used as a Nazi airport and was later occupied by the Soviets
during the Battle or Berlin before being turned over to the 2nd Armored
Division on 2 July 1945 was expanded and used as a military terminal for
military personnel arriving in West Berlin. United States Air Force operations
were typically transportation and intelligence gathering in nature. The United
States Army also maintained a small contingent of helicopters at Tempelhof to
augment the capabilities of the Berlin Brigade. The Berlin Brigade Headquarters
was located at the Clay Headquarters Compound, named after the American
Military Governor of the American Zone during the Berlin Airlift. The Clay
Headquarters Compound also contained the headquarters of U.S. Army Berlin and
the headquarters of U.S. Command Berlin. Together the three units were
typically referred to as the Berlin Command. This would function as an
independent command separate from United States Army Europe (USAREUR) which
former commanded American forces in West Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">American troops in
West Berlin had standard ammenties authorized to all American units including a
branch of the American Forces Network Europe better known as AFN which provided
radio and television broadcasts for American servicemembers stationed in West
Berlin. AFN Berlin maintained a facility near Saargemünder Straße and became
immensely popular among Americans and Germans alike. During the Berlin Airlift,
American pilots flying their Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-54 Skymasters loaded
with supplies bound for the airfield at Tempelhof, tuned their radios in to AFN
Berlin due to the transmitting towers proximity to the airfield. AFN Berlin
also proved immensely popular with listeners on the other side of the Iron
Curtain as it maintained a way for people in communist nations to maintain
contact with the West and it was not jammed by the Soviets such as was the case
with Radio Free Europe. Soldiers assigned to the Berlin Brigade also had their
own BX/PX facilities operated by the Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)
located at the Truman Plaza along with a Commissary, and several clubs and
theaters. There was also an Army Post Office Facility located there along with
a branch of the American Express bank, Stars & Stripes book store, a barber
shop, florist, a branch of the Deutsche Bundespost along with the the Major
Arthur D. Nicholson Memorial Library. For family members of servicemembers
accommodations were located in the Düppel, Dahlem, and Lichterfelde boroughs
along with educational facilities in the form of the Thomas A. Roberts Berlin
American Elementary School (TAR) and Berlin-American High School (BAHS), were
located in close proximity to the Truman Plaza shopping facilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> A close bond of friendship and appreciation
was quickly forged between the residents of West Berlin and the American forces
stationed in the city. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Soldiers of the
Berlin Brigade had a unique duty of being assigned to pull guard duty in month
long rotations at Spandau Prison located in the British Sector of the city.
Beginning in 1947 through 1987 a period of forty years, elements of the Berlin
Brigade took turns along with elements from the British Berlin Brigade, French
Forces Françaises à Berlin and Soviet Forces in Berlin guarding prisoners at
the prison. This mission would end when the last prisoner, Rudolf Hess the
former</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deputy Führer of the Nazi Third
Reich until his capture 12 May 1941 died in custody at Spandau on 17 August
1987 at the age of 93.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With the unit's position deep within the heart of communist East Germany, the unit often engaged in close cooperation with their Allied counterparts. American forces had a training facility in the West Berlin Grunewald borough which housed a shared training facility which was used by both the Americans and the British forces. The Americans designated their training facility here 'Doughboy City'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If they received authorization, soldiers could also travel into East Berlin often to see the Neue Wache, and the elite East Guard guard unit the Wachregiment Friedrich Engels as they stood guard around the SED communist parties important government facilities. Another common point of interest visited by American forces in East Berlin was the Soviet war memorial in Treptow Park. When visiting East Berlin, soldiers would travel in their Class A uniforms but were restricted from wearing nametags to prevent East German Stasi agents from gathering personal information regarding American personnel in the area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With Berlin's unique
legal status as an occupied territory left over from the days following the
conclusion of the Second World War, members of the Berlin Brigade were
authorized the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp. The soldiers of the
unit wore the standard patch of the United States Army Europe which maintained
heraldic ties to the United States Seventh Army along with a special Berlin
tab. The patch depicts a flaming sword and a arch of three colors
representingthe three basic combat branches that make up a standing field army,
these colors were blue for Infantry, red for Artillery, and yellow for Armor
and Cavalry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">U.S. Army Berlin was
commanded by a major general who was appointed the title of "Commandant;
U.S. Commander Berlin and Commander, U.S. Army Berlin". In addition to
this, a brigadier general would serve as the "Commander, Berlin Brigade (Infantry)
along with receiving the titles "Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Berlin and
Community Commander". There was also a specialized military liaison
mission known as U.S. Military Liaison Mission (USMLM) positioned in West
Berlin to serve as military intelligence services in the city and their support
staff which often conducted their duties in Potsdam, East Germany. This was
agreed to between the western Allies and the Soviets with each nation
maintaining a small number of intelligence personnel in each others territory for
the purposes of monitoring and improving relationships between the Soviet
forces and Western occupation forces. The Mission teams were usually comprised
of one officer accompanied by a non commissioned officer and a driver. The
missions continued their operation throughout the Cold War period and ended in
1990 just prior to German reunification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Following the
collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Berlin Brigade remained in West Berlin
and elements of the Brigade would deploy in support of military operations in
the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm. Elements of
the unit would also participate in Operation Provide Comfort, a relief and
protection mission for Iraqi Kurds following the cease of hostilities. Further
elements of the unit would see service</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">as members of the United Nations Protectionary Forces designated
UNPROFOR to Macedonia in July 1993. This mission was later renamed as Task
Force Able Sentry. Others still would be deployed in July 1994, to Entebbe,
Uganda as part of Joint Task Force Support Hope, to help prevent a humanitarian
crisis resulting from a refugee situation as a result of the civil war in
Rwanda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With Germany
reunified and the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, a
quadripartite agreement was reached and all non-German military forces were
required to leave Berlin. The Berlin Brigade was officially deactivated by
President Bill Clinton on 6 July 1994 having completed their mission of
maintaining peace and freedom for over 49 years. The final review of Berlin
Brigade forces was conducted when a ceremony took place in Berlin's
Lichterfelde borough on the '4th of July Platz' located adjacent to McNair
Barracks. The unit would go down in history as the American unit that existed deep within the heart of East Germany, and survive and maintain completely isolated and cut off from friendly forces for nearly half a century. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><u>United States Army
Units in West Berlin </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Armored Division
1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">82nd Airborne
Division 1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">325th Glider Infantry Regiment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">504th Parachute Infantry Regiment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">505th Parachute Infantry Regiment</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">78th Infantry
Division 1945-1946<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">309th Infantry Regiment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">310th Infantry Regiment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">311th Infantry Regiment</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">11th Traffic
Regulation Group (TRC), Detachment C, 1945-1947<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">483rd Air Service
Group 1945-1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">US Military Liasion
Mission, Potsdam (MLM) 1945-1990<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7771st Document
Center 1946-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Armed Forces Network
Europe-Berlin 1945-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">298th US Army Band
1945-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">822nd MP -Co. 1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">388th MP -Co. 1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">296th MP -Co. 1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">18th MP Service
Detachment 1947 - 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">388th MP Service
Platoon (Hospital) 1947 - 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">62nd MP Highway
patrol unit section 1949 - 1953<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">553rd Quartermaster
Group 1945-1946<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">95th Quartermaster
Battalion 1946<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">279th Field Station
Hospital 1945-1976<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">US Army Hospital
1976-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3110th Signal Service
Battalion 1945-1948<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">168th Medical
Detachment 1947-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Berlin Military
District 1945-1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6th InfantryRegiment
1950-1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">759th Military Police
Battalion 1945-1953<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Horse Platoon 287th
MP Company (Separate) 1945-1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">540th MP Co, Co. B,
2nd Platoon, Railway Guards 1949-1956<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">570th MP Co. Railway
Guards 1957-1979<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">42nd Military Police
Group 1973-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">272nd MP-Co. (since
1947 combined US / West German police duty) 1953-1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">287th MP-Co.
(combined US / West German police duty) 1953-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">MP Helmstedt
Detachment 1946-1961<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Helmstedt Support
Detachment 1961-1990<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">16th Cavalry Group
1945<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">16th Constabulary
Squadron 1946-1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7782nd Special Troops
Battalion 1947-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">39th Special Forces
Det A 1956 - 1958<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7781st Army unit Det
A 1958 - 1984<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Physical Security
Element Berlin (PSSE-B) 1984 - 1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">S2 HQ Berlin District
Command 1945 - 1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Intelligence Office -
COB 1950 - 1961<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">DCSI Berlin Command 1961
- 1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">979th CIC Detachment
1945-1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">66th CIC Detachment,
66th CIC Group 1950-1961<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">66th MI Group -Field
Station- 1961-1969<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">766th MID, 66th MI
Group 1969-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">JAROC-B (from18th MI
Batt. & 66th MI Group) 1950-1992<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7829th Military
Intelligence Platoon 1946-1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7880th Military
Intelligence Detachment 1949-1957<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">513th Int. Collection
Group ( Berlin Station) 1948-1975<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">US Army Evalutation
Unit 1962-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">168th Medical
Detachment (Veterinary Service) 1947-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Field Station Berlin
1949-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">280th ASA
Company 1957-1961<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">9539th Technical
Service Unit (Signal Corps) 1954<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">22nd ASA Detachment
1955-1957<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">260th ASA Detachment
1957<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">78th Special
Operations Unit 1961-1966<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">54th USASA Special
Operations Command 1966-1967<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7350th US Air Base
Group 1948-1993<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">C Battery 94th Field
Artillery 1963-1986<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Company F, 40th Armor
Reg.(Turner Tankers) 1958-1990<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6th Battalion, 40th
Armor Reg 1990-1992<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">503rd ENG Company
1949<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7762th ENG Battalion
1946 - 1952<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">579th ENG Company
1946 - 1952<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">581st ENG Company
1946 - 1952<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">20th ENG, A Company
1958 - 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">42nd Engineer Company
1963-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">592nd Signal Company
(Support) 1959-1979<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Berlin Aviation
Detachment 1962-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">16th Inf./3rd
Battalion (1st Inf. Div.) 1946-1950<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">US Army Europe /
Tech. Intel. Center, Field Team No. 3 1962-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st B.G. (8th Inf
Div) & 4th Battalion / 18th Inf. 1961, 1963-1972<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Battle Group /
47th Inf.(4th Inf. Div.) 1962<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Battle Group /
8th Inf.(4th Inf. Div.) 1962<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Battle Group /
12th Inf.(1st Inf. Div.) 1962-1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Battle Group /
13th Inf.(1st Inf. Div.) 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st B.G., 2nd &
3rd Battalions/19th Inf. (24th Inf. Div.) 1961, 1964-1965<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st & 2nd
Battalions / 34th Inf.(24th Inf. Div.) 1963-65<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st Battle Group /
28th Inf.(-the Black Lions-from 1st Inf. Div.) 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Battle Group /
26th Inf. (1st Inf. Div.) 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1st & 2nd
Battalions / 21st Inf. (24th Inf. Div) 1964, 1966<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Battle Group, 6th
Infantry 1958-1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3rd Battle Group, 6th
Infantry 1958-1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2nd Battalion, 6th
Infantry 1963-1984<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3rd Battalion, 6th
Infantry 1963-1984<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">4th Battalion, 6th
Infantry 1972-1984<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">US-Army
Berlin-Brigade (BBDE) 1961-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">8001st US Army
Reserve 1980-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">43rd Chemical
Detachment 1982-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">E Battery 320th Field
Artillery 1986-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">4th Battalions 502nd
Infantry Regiment (STRIKE) 1984-1990<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">5th / 6th Battalions
502nd Infantry Regiment (STRIKE) 1984-1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><u>United States Air
Force Units in West Berlin</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Transportation Units:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">301st Troop Carrier
Squadron (1945-1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">47th Troop Carrier
Squadron (1946-1947)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">12th Troop Carrier
Squadron (1947-1948)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">53rd Troop Carrier
Squadron (1948-1949)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Military Police Units:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1119th MP Company
AVN, TCA, (1945-1948)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">100th Complement
Squadron, Army Air Force (1945-1947)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7352nd Air Police
Squadron (1949)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7350th Air Police
Squadron (1965-1993)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7350th Security
Police Squadron (1965-1993)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Signal Units:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">788th AAF Base Unit
(1947-1948)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1946th Air Com.
Squadron (1948-1953)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1946th AACS SQ/Com.
Squadron (1954-1993)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Headquarters & Support
& Units:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">473rd Air Service
Group (1945-1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">715th Air Material
Group (1945-1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">891st Air Engineer
Squadron (1945-1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">808th Air Engineer
Squadron (1946-1947)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">632nd Air Material
Squadron (1947)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">HQ & Base Service
Squadron (1947)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tempelhof Base Unit
(1947)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7351st Maintenance
& Support Squadron (1948-1949)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">7350th Air Base Group
(1948-1993)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">-Air Traffic Control
Operations (AT)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">-6912th Electronic
Security Group (ESG)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">-7025th Air Postal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Detachment 2, 435th
Operations Group (1993-1994)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Detachment 1, 435th
Air Wings (1993-1994)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><u>Army Units assigned
to U.S. Army Berlin / U.S. Command Berlin </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Headquarters, Berlin
Brigade<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">4th Battalion, 502nd
Infantry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">5th Battalion, 502nd
Infantry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6th Battalion, 502nd
Infantry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Combat Support
Battalion</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Headquarters &
Service Company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A Company (Provisional)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">C Battery 94th
Artillery (redesignated E Bty, 320th FAR in 1986)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">43rd Chemical
Detachment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">42nd Engineer Company
(3)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">E-320th Field
Artillery Battery</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Company
"F", 40th Armor Regiment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Helmstedt Support
Detachment</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">US Military Community
Activity (USMCA)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">298th Army Band </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Signal Support
Company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">287th Military Police
Company</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Aviation Detachment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6941st Guard
Battalion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">U.S. Army Field
Station Berlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">U.S. Military Liaison
Mission to the Commander-in-Chief, Group of Soviet Forces in Germany<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">United States Army
Europe Technical Intelligence Center, Field Team #3 w/Duty Station Berlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Joint Allied Refugee
Operations Center (J-ROC)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Allied Control
Authority<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Allied Kommandatura<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Berlin MEDDAC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Berlin DENTAC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">168th Medical
Detachment (Veterinary Services) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tempelhof Central
Airport<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">766th MI Det, 66th MI
Grp, Intel & Scrty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Naval Advisor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">U.S. Army Special
Security Det (Berlin)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">U.S. Army EOD
detachment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-58475830677582890402013-08-14T16:32:00.001-07:002013-08-14T16:32:50.186-07:00In Cold Blood along the Wall: The Killing of Peter Fechter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIocpQfifNElNi7i7MDlb7H-sDh4OhbLV71MMyx-i0gUb2T71vlltjDOSwSpMSlZvK8p7uLx5teHXkf4zyMdH4tvtl3XKXbUVoSoyTCpg1rqvzEuX6-Mshrkl8_GnkuIgZ-clkPQus4i6/s1600/PF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIocpQfifNElNi7i7MDlb7H-sDh4OhbLV71MMyx-i0gUb2T71vlltjDOSwSpMSlZvK8p7uLx5teHXkf4zyMdH4tvtl3XKXbUVoSoyTCpg1rqvzEuX6-Mshrkl8_GnkuIgZ-clkPQus4i6/s400/PF.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Soviet Union and
the communist satellite nations it subsequently developed within it's sphere of
influence often went to extensive measures to make it appear that they operated
and functioned to the best interests of its people. Outwardly, they embraced
the ideals of freedom from oppression and equality amongst all collectively
sharing everything and making great advancements in the achievements of
mankind. Large emaculate festivals were frequently held and the ideas of labor
highly regarded as essential to the success of the state. However, behind this
facade of loving united fronts and value for human life was often a sinister
truth. Desent and criticism of the state was an intolerable notion. Those who
criticized the communist government or expressed ideals that were not
compatible with those of the state risked imprisonment or certain death.
Imagine living in a virtual prison state where the government dictated what you
could do, when you could do it, how to do it and while declaring that you have
'rights' as a citizen of that nation, your rights are slim if any. Television,
radio and all other media outlets are closely controlled by the state and to
make matters worst, you can't even feel safe to express your true thoughts or
feelings in your own home for fear you may be overheard and members of the
secret police may show up in the middle of the night to arrest you. Wouldn't
you begin thinking of ways to escape? Many would attempt to flee their prison
nation; some would succeed and others would not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On 13 August 1961,
the East German government deployed soldiers of the Nationale Volksarmee and
teams of construction workers to positions along the border of Allied
controlled West Berlin and construction began on the Berlin Wall. The first
concrete blocks would be put into place on 17 August 1961. With the Wall now
turning West Berlin into an exclave deep in the heart of East Germany, it
became much harder for persons wishing to leave the German Democratic Republic
from doing so. No one could leave the communist nation without expressed
permission from the government and all attempts to do so without authorization
were met with armed resistance ordered to shoot anyone trying to leave without
permission. The Schießbefehl or 'Shooting Order' became official policy on 22
August 1961, and the first person to be gunned down attempting to escape the
repressive regime of East Germany would be twenty four year old Günter Litfin,
a tailor who while attempting to escape by swimming across the Spree Canal was
shot and mortally wounded by officers of the East German Transportpolizei.
Litfin, would be the second confirmed casualty tied to the Berlin Wall, but he
would be the first to die by being shot. Sadly, he would not be the last. After
a tumultuous several months early on, life with the Wall began to normalize
however escape attempts still became common place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By the onset of 1962,
the Wall and the defensive network that were associated with it had been vastly
improved creating new challenges for those that wished to escape. By August of
1962, one young East German named Peter Fechter had like so many others decided
that enough was enough and now he would take on the risks associated with
crossing the Berlin Wall to seek better opportunities in West Germany. Peter Fechtner
was 18 years old when he decided he would defect along with his close friend
Helmut Kulbeik. The two young men developed a daring plan to first hide in a
carpenter's workshop located close to the section of the Wall on Zimmerstrasse.
They would then watch the Grenztruppen guards closely and after it was clear to
do so, they would jump from a window over the initial barricade into the area
known as the "death-strip", a strip of cleared area running between
the main Wall and a parallel fence which was heavily patrolled by border guards
and sentry dogs. Upon entry into the death strip they would attempt to run
across it and climb over the 6.5 foot Wall which was topped with barbed wire
and then fall into the safety of the Kreuzberg district of West Berlin not far
from Checkpoint Charlie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The date of execution
of their plan would come on 17 August 1962. Initially everything went as planned,
they hid in the carpentry workshop and dropped into the death strip sprinting
across and reaching for the Wall itself. As they began to climb the concrete
wall section, they were spotted by members of the East German Grenztruppen who
began firing their weapons at the would be defectors. Fechter's friend Helmut
Kulbeik managed to get over the wall, but Fechter still clinging on to the wall
trying to pull himself up and over was struck in the pelvis by rounds from the
East German rifles. On the West German side of the Wall, a large group of
onlookers had gathered to watch the escape attempt and the wounding of Fechter
was witnessed by hundreds of Western onlookers. Wounded, Fechter could not
maintain his strength and fell back into the death strip on the Eastern side of
the Wall but remained in plain sight of the horrified Westerners. Several
people in the gathering crowd turned out to be western journalists who now had
witnessed first handed how East Germany dealt with people it deemed as
traitors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fechter lay in the
death strip screaming for help, screaming in pain but his cries went unnheeded.
The East German government issued orders not to provide medical assistance for
persons wounded in escape attempts and to add to this, East German border
troops were afraid of being fired at by West German policemen stemming from an
incident several days earlier. Furthermore western citizens did not react to
Fechter's cries for help out of fear of being fired upon by the East German
border troops. All in all Fechter had no real chance of survival, the impact of
the high caliber rifle round into his right hip had caused severe internal
injuries and he was losing blood rapidly. He would lay in the death strip for
one hour before he succumbed to his injury, bleeding to death before a shocked
western audience. When his cries ceased, it was only an hour later still, that
East German border troops and policemen finally entered the death strip and
retrieved his body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The subsequent
stories regarding the shooting of Fechter enraged the West German government
and brought a wave of negative publicity to the East German regime. Hundreds of
people in West Berlin organized demonstrations against the German Democratic
Republic, shouting "Mörder!" or Murderers! at the East German
Grenztruppen border guards. As a direct result of the Fechter murder and the
following backlash, the East German government revised its orders to the border
troops with revised protocol including more direct restrictions on the use of
shooting in public settings particularly in front of a crowd of onlookers.
Furthermore, the government authorized the granting of medical assistance to
any would be escapee who was wounded in an attempt to flee from East Germany.
Although Fechter would not live to see the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, in
the years leading up to the end of the division of Germany he became a martyr
in the struggle for German reunification. Memorials would be erected in his
honor and those of others murdered trying to escape. Numerous tributes would be dedicated in his memory and his death would became the subject of many films,
documentaries and books. Although he would not be the last person to die trying to escape over the Berlin Wall, he was instrumental in reforming policy in dealing with would be escapees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-93246820667330052013-08-13T17:03:00.001-07:002013-08-13T19:40:04.801-07:00Imprisoning a Nation: The Birth and Death of the Berlin Wall <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Following the end of
the Second World War and the division of post war Germany among the victorious
allies, the areas of occupation gradually began to adopt the ideological
policies of their governing authorities. Josef Stalin, premier of the Soviet
Union revealed his intention to communist allies in eastern Germany by 1946
that he planned to undermine western efforts to democratize</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Germany first by
undermining British authority in it's zone and he expected the Americans to
withdraw from its zone of occupation within a span of two years which would
lead the way for Soviet invasion and the domination of Germany under a purely
communist regime. With the war over and a semblance of normalcy beginning to
return to the land, the majority of the populations living in the newly
acquired areas of the Eastern Bloc aspired for national independence and wanted
the Soviets to leave their homelands. This was not to be. The East German
government was closely modeled on it's Soviet overseer complete with an extensive network of often
redundant organizations and security apparatuses installed to suppress the
population to which it claimed to represent. Property and industry were largely
nationalized in the East German zone along the lines of the Soviet
collectivization ideology under communism. In 1950, the number of East Germans
leaving for the West numbered</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 187,000. This number rose to 165,000 in 1951,
182,000 in 1952 and 331,000 in 1953. Fears of further Sovietization of eastern
Germany led to a sharp spike in the number of people fleeing West, this was
reflected by the fact that in the first six months of 1953, some 226,000
Germans packed up and moved West.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The East German
security services and Soviet secret police began clamping down on the daily
activities of those under the Soviet sphere of influence in Germany. If
statements or decisions deviated from the prescribed party line, reprimands
and in the case of persons beyond the scope of public attention, punishment
would ensue, including not only detainment and imprisonment but also the
systematic use of torture and even death could be the end result. The mandatory indoctrination into the Marxist-Leninist philosophy sent many citizens
particularly the educated class of teachers and students in the Soviet Zone of
Occupation fleeing for freedom from persecution in the western zones. Having
largely grown distrustful of the Soviets following the period of brutal
reprisals and vengeance as Soviet forces occupied eastern Germany in the
immediate aftermath of the war, any chance to escape to the West was a welcomed
change. West Germany soon became known for it's new Soziale Marktwirtschaft
'Social Market Economy' which embraced capitalist ideas which soon led to a
much enjoyed twenty year period of prosperity known as the Wirtschaftswunder or
Economic Miracle. As the situation improved in post war West Germany, the
standard of living and economic situation also improved and many East Germans
began seeking ways to reach the western zones to better themselves and further
provide for their families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With the German
people beginning to flock in mass towards the West from the East, the Soviet
authorities in eastern Germany soon installed a system of immigration
restrictions and began closely monitoring the activities and movement of the population
under its jurisdiction. A special pass was required to visit East Berlin from
the West officially to prevent the movement of 'Western Agents' within East
Germany's borders. Stalin advised the East Germans to begin building up their
defensive network along the border area with West Germany. By 1952, this
demarcation line officially known as the Inner German Border which separated
the Federal Republic of Germany in the West, from the German Democratic
Republic in the East was closed and barbed wire fences erected in an effort to
restrict the movement between the two parts of the nation. The Berlin Airlift
only a few years earlier had embarrassed the Soviets to no end and now they
seeked other ways to spite the western Allied. In contrast to the Inner German
Border Zone, in divided Berlin the border zone continued to remain open, in
effect a severe miscalculation by the Soviets and the East Germans. Berlin soon
became a hotbed for defection activities as many East German cities found it to
be the only route of escape into the West. As a result of this, and West
Berlin's status as a free city deep in the heart of East Germany, it became the
epicenter for rising tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In 1955, the Soviets
turned authority over civilian movement in Berlin over to the East German
government. This transfer of power was not recognized by allied powers in the
West who saw East Berlin as an illegitimate entity. With the increased movement
of people westward, the new East German state move to restrict all travel to
the West in 1956. With the Inner German
Border closed, East Germany's government attempted to further restrict movement
into West Berlin by introducing a new passport system in 1957. Those caught
trying to leave were heavily fined, however with no physical barriers and a
subway system running between the two halves of the city these measures were
for the most part ineffective in preventing those persons from leaving the
country. By 1961, nearly 20% of East Germany's population or roughly 3.5
million East Germans had escaped to freedom in the West. The majority of these
immigrants fleeing from the Communist system were young, well educated
individuals who sought the freedoms of democracy embraced in the West. This mass
exodus from the Soviet sphere of influence was quickly referred to by the
communist regime as a 'brain drain'. Most immigrants officially stated their
reasons for leaving were political more than materialistic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By 1960, the 'Brain
Drain' effect had left the German Democratic Republic with only roughly 61% of
its population of working age, a steep drop compared to 70.5% before the Second
World War. The loss of labor force was heaviest among professional services
including engineers, technicians, physicians, teachers, lawyers and skilled
laborers. The direct cost of manpower losses to East Germany (and the
corresponding gain to the West) was estimated to have been anywhere between $7
billion to $9 billion, with East German SED communist leader Walter Ulbricht
demanding that West Germany pay him $17 billion in compensation, including
reparations as well as manpower losses. In addition to this, the draining of
East Germany's youth population potentially cost the East German state over
22.5 billion marks in lost educational investment. The brain drain of
professionals had become so damaging to the political credibility of the SED
and economic viability of the German Democratic Republic that the re-securing
of the German communist frontier was imperative lest the nation collapse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Initially denying his
intentions, East German communist party leader Walter Ulbricht along with
support from the new Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev soon signed the initiative
to close the borders and erect a wall around West Berlin. Khrushchev would
succeed Josef Stalin following his sudden death in 1953. At exactly midnight on
13 August 1961, East German police and military units effectively sealed the
border in Berlin and a force of construction units and laborers began the
tedious task of tearing up the roads adjacent to the border making them
impassable to vehicles and positioning obstacles along the border itself.
Barbed wire fences and entanglements were installed surrounding the entire
length of West Berlin effectively sealing it off from East Germany. These
barriers were precisely positioned within East German territory to ensure it
did not violate West Berlin's territorial sanctity at any time. On 17 August
1961, the first cement bricks were put into place to begin the construction of
the physical barrier, the Berlin Wall itself. Soldiers of the Landstreitkräfte
and members of the Kampfgruppen 'Combat Groups of the Working Class' were
positioned along lengths of the border with orders to shoot anyone attempting
to flee East Germany for West Berlin. In addition to the manpower, an
assortment of chained fences, walls, minefields and other obstacles were
installed along the length of East Germany's western border with West Germany.
A huge no man's land was cleared to provide a clear line of fire for
Grenztruppen and Volkspolizei units attempting to stop defecting refugees from
reaching their intended destination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In an instant almost
overnight, entire families of Germans were separated and Republikflucht or
Desertion of the Republic as it was declared was made a capital offense by the
East German government. Hundreds were shot and killed trying to cross the new
Berlin Wall, and estimates show that nearly 75,000 were caught and imprisoned
for trying to escape into West Berlin between the construction of the Wall in
1961 and 1989. Officially East German government authorities declared the Wall
to be an Antifaschistischer Schutzwall or Anti-Fascist Protective Rampart
intended to dissuade aggressive or non productive influences of the West from
corrupting the progressive ways of the Workers Paradise.The Wall was
essentially a public relations disaster for the SED communist officials
attempting to improve their image with the people of East Germany and the
World, particularly in the West. There were nine authorized crossing points
along the border where Berlin citizens could cross into West Berlin and these
were closely monitored by Grenztruppen forces and agents of the Stasi. Several
subsequent border crossing points were established for West Germany to use for
crossing into East Germany and four autobahns were designated for this purpose,
linking West Berlin to West Germany by road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The East German
government did not allow apartments along the length of the Wall to be occupied
and thus windows and doors of many facilities were bricked up or barricaded. In
many cases the only open windows and non barricaded areas were above the third
or fourth floors in an attempt to guarantee any defection attempt involving
leaping from these heights would ensure serious injury if not death. With the
Wall effectively in place, the SED government issued what was known as the
Schießbefehl or 'shooting orders' to members of the border guards when dealing
with potential defectors. Under this order, the Guards were to first aim there
weapons and order the defector to halt. If the person did not stop, a warning
shot was fired and if this still did not prevent the person from stopping their
activities, the Guard was to open fire with the intent on killing the fleeing person.
The official stance from East German authorities was intended to encourage the
Guards to shoot escapees stating, "Do not hesitate to use your firearm,
not even when the border is breached in the company of women and children,
which is a tactic the traitors have often used".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The most famous of
the land based crossing points that linked West Germany to West Berlin, through
East German territory was the Berlin-Helmstedt autobahn, which entered East
German territory between the towns of Helmstedt and Marienborn. This crossing
point into East Germany was designated as Checkpoint Alpha, and entered West
Berlin at Dreilinden in southwestern Berlin. This entry point into West Berlin
would be designated as Checkpoint Bravo for Allied forces. Access to West Berlin
was also possible by railway in the four of four officially sanctioned routes
and by boat for commercial shipping via canals and rivers. Westerners who were
not German could cross the border at the Friedrichstraße station in East Berlin
and at Checkpoint Charlie. Not even the areas underneath the city escaped
division. Berlin's sewer system was even barricaded to prevent defection, and
with the Wall erected, Berlin's complex public transit networks, the S-Bahn and
U-Bahn, both a system of underground high speed railways were divided along
with the city above it. Some lines were cut in half and as a result many of the
subway stations were shut down. Three western lines traveled through brief
sections of East Berlin. The trains would pass through eastern stations
unrestricted as they were forbidden to stop at these stations which were known
as Geisterbahnhöfe, or ghost stations. Both the eastern and western networks
converged at Friedrichstraße, which became a major crossing point for those who
had been granted permission to cross from East to West.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Escape attempts
dropped drastically with the construction of the Berlin Wall, however
defections did still occur with one of the most famous being the defection of a
young East German soldier named Conrad Schumann during the initial construction
of the Berlin Wall. With merely a low barbed wire entanglement separating
Berlin, West German citizens shouted to him, "Komme über!" or
"Come over!". A West German police car pulled up to wait for him.
With the motivation to defect Schumann jumped over the barbed wire fence and
was promptly driven away from the scene by the West Berlin police. West German
photographer Peter Leibing photographed Schumann's escape, and this picture has
since become an iconic image of the Cold War. See the article on Conrad
Schumann here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Other escapes in the
initial days of the constructing of the Wall simply involved people jumping the
simple barbed wire fortifications or leaping out of apartment windows along the
line, but these ended as the Wall was fortified and reinforced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The first death to
result from an attempt to defect into West Berlin occurred when a young woman
named Ida Siekmann jumped from her third floor apartment window at 48
Bernauerstraße on 22 August 1961. The first shooting death would occur two days
later on 24 August 1961, when a young twenty four year old tailor named Günter
Litfin was shot by members of the Grenztruppen as he attempted to defect by
swimming across the Spree Canal to West Germany. 24 August was also the day
that the Schießbefehl officially went into effect. East German citizens still
managed to best the East German fortifications and successfully defect by a
variety of methods. These measures included not only digging long tunnels under
the wall but also waiting for favorable winds and taking a hot air balloon,
sliding along aerial wires, flying ultralight aircraft across the Wall, and in
one instance, simply driving a sports car at full speed through the basic,
initial fortifications. As a response to the motor vehicle traffic as a
measures of defection, a metal beam was em-placed at checkpoints to further
prevent this kind of defection. The people countered this by having up to four
people, usually with two in the front seats and possibly two in the trunk of
the vehicle drove under the bar in a sports car that had been specially
modified to allow the roof and windscreen to sheer away when it made contact
with the metal obstruction. The escapees would lay flat and keep driving
forward until they were clear of East German territory and reached the safety
of West Germany. The East Germans responded to this by constructing zig-zagging
roads leading up to checkpoints. The sewer system although with it's own
network of barricades served as a means of escape. Some people escaped through
the sewers, and in a number of cases with assistance from a prominent student
group from the western side of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Another highly
successful escape occurred in April 1963 on the eve of the annual May Day
celebrations in East Germany when a nineteen year old civilian employee of the
Nationale Volksarmee named Wolfgang
Engels penetrated the Wall and escaped into the West. Engels having won the
confidence of Soviet soldiers earlier and got them to demonstrate the operation
of their vehicle, stole a Soviet armored personnel carrier from a nearby base
where he was deployed and drove it right into the Wall. The vehicle did not
fully penetrate the Wall and Engels was forced to exit the vehicle and became
entangled in barbed wire. As a result of what was occurring he was shot at and
hit twice, which seriously wounded him. A West German policeman intervened on
Engel's behalf, firing his weapon at the East German border guards and removed
Engels from the vehicle, which too was entangled in the barbed wire. He was
removed from the scene to the safety of a West German bar and he would recover
from his wounds in a West German hospital. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On another occasion,
Thomas Krüger a member of the East German youth organization the Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik, made an
airborne escape attempt and landed a
Zlin Z 42M light aircraft at the British military airfield at RAF Gatow
in West Berlin. His aircraft was returned to East Germany, but not without tongue
in cheek slogans sprawled across it from Royal Air Force servicemen such as
"Wish you were here" and "Come back soon".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Many potential
escapees were wounded attempting to flee into the West and if they were within
the 'death strip' area no matter their proximity to the western side,
Westerners could not intervene to assist the wounded out of fear of provoking
attack from East German military or security forces. East German Grenztruppen
border guards notoriously left wounded would be defectors to bleed to death in
this area such was the most infamous case regarding eighteen year old Peter
Fechter on 17 August 1962. The negative attention garnered by the East German
government as a result of the Fechter incident, prompted East German
authorities to authorize and enforce stricter rules for the discharging of
weapons in public view. Following the Fechtner incident, the policy of leaving
wounded to die was reversed and medical care was to be offered to the wounded
individual. The last shooting death along the Wall occurred in 1989 when twenty
year old Christopher Gueffroy was hit in the chest by ten rounds from AK-47
assault rifles fired by Grenztruppen soldiers and left to die in the border
strip. The widespread violence associated
with the construction of the Wall led many in the East to develop feelings of
desperation and feeling oppressed by the ruling regime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Throughout the
duration of its existence, it is estimated that 5,000 people successfully
escaped through the Berlin Wall into West Germany. Almost 200 were confirmed
killed attempting to escape and another 75,000 were wounded attempting to
defect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The beginning of the
end of the Berlin Wall came on 12
June 1987, when American President Ronald Reagan visited West Berlin to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the city of Berlin. In a speech at the
Brandenburg Gate, he openly challenged Soviet leader and General Secretary of
the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev. In a speech which would become famous,
Reagan demanded that he open the Brandenburg Gate and tear down the Berlin Wall
as a symbol of granting increasing freedom in the Eastern Bloc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On 19 August 1989,
the People's Republic of Hungary began dismantling its border defenses along
its border with the Republic of Austria and in the following month some 13,000
East Germans traveled first to Hungary as tourists to defect to the West
through Austria. With this in effect, the Hungarians began refusing East
Germans access to the border areas and sent them to Budapest to await
repatriation to the German Democratic Republic. Rather than go back to the
oppression of East German, these people stormed the West German embassy seeking
asylum in West Germany. When knowledge of this became widespread, the East
German authorities forbid further travel to Hungary by its citizens and a small
incident broke out in neighboring Czechoslovakia. Protests soon followed all
across East Germany which led to the widespread Peaceful Revolution of 1989. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The longtime leader
of the German Democratic Republic and SED Communist Party, Erich Honecker,
effectively resigned on 18 October 1989 and was replaced by Egon Krenz a few
days later. Honecker had announced in January, that the wall would stand for 50
or 100 more years if the conditions that had caused its construction did not
change. The Peaceful Revolution would peak in November when half a million
people gathered at the Alexanderplatz demonstration, to advocate change in East
Germany. The amount of refugees continued to increase as they fled East Germany
through Czechoslovakia and then into Hungary or through the West German embassy
in Prague. On 9 November 1989, Günter Schabowski, the party boss in East Berlin
and the spokesman for the SED Politburo, had the task of announcing new relaxed
travel restrictions allowing refugees to exit directly through the authorized
border crossing points between East Germany and West Germany, including those
in West Berlin. On the same day, the ministerial administration modified the
proposal to include private travel. The new regulations were to take effect the
next day 10 November 1989. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">He read the note
authorizing the changes out loud at the end of a conference and one of the
reporters, ANSA's Riccardo Ehrman, asked when the regulations would take
effect. After a few seconds' pausing
with hesitation, Schabowski having been given no further instructions on how to
handle the situation assumed it would be the same day based on the wording of
the note and replied, "As far as I know effective immediately, without
delay". After further questions from journalists he confirmed that the
regulations included the border crossings towards West Berlin, which he had not
mentioned until then. With no one wanting to take personal responsibility for
issuing orders to use force to subdue the growing crowds, Grenztruppen
personnel were soon overwhelmed by the mass of East German citizens and at
10:45 pm on 9 November 1989, the border checkpoints were opened and people
flooded in celebration into both parts of the city. Not everyone in East
Germany or other Communist nations were enthused about the collapse of communism
or the impending reunification of Germany. One prominent figure to oppose the
reunification was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom in September
1989 pleaded with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to do what he could to
prevent the fall of the Wall. Another person who opposed the reunification of
Germany was French President François Mitterrand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Wall would begin
to crumble almost immediately as "Mauerspechte" or wall woodpeckers
began using sledgehammers, hammers and chisels to chip off pieces of the Wall
as souvenirs, often destroying lengthy parts of it in the process and creating
several unofficial border crossings. A week following the 9 November
announcements ten new border checkpoints were announced. These new locations
included Potsdamer Platz, Glienicker Brücke and Bernauer Straße with the
historically significant Brandenburg Gate being officially opened on 22
December 1989. After subsequent policies and new restrictions, for a period of
time East Germans could travel more freely than their West German counterparts.
On 13 June 1990, the East German government began the official dismantling of
the Wall at Bernauer Straße. On 1 July, the East German government officially
adopted the West German Deutsche Mark as its standard currency and all border
control checkpoints ceased to be manned and operated. The inter-German border
had however become meaningless for some time before that point. The dismantling
continued to be carried out by Nationale Volksarmee units and later by
Bundeswehr units after the NVA was absorbed into the Bundeswehr.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The removal of the border fortifications and
obstacles lasted until November 1991. Only a few small sections of the Wall and
its watchtowers were left to remain standing as memorials to the division of
Germany.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The fall of the
Berlin Wall was the first step towards complete German reunification, which was
concluded on 3 October 1990 when for the first time since 1949, East and West
ceased to exist and Germany became whole once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Berlin Wall would run the entire length around West Berlin, effectively 96 miles. The length of the border between West Berlin and East Germany was 69.5 miles, with the length of the border between West and East Berlin being 26.8 miles. 23 miles of the border would run through residential areas and the concreted wall segments would reach a height of 12 feet tall. The length of the concrete segments of the Wall were 66 miles with 41.3 miles of the border being made up of wire mesh fencing. There were 65.6 miles of anti-vehicle trenches and 79.2 miles of signal and or contact fences strung along this area. There were 302 watch towers constructed around West Berlin and 20 bunkers placed in positions around the City.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-58971580590483035582013-08-12T19:36:00.003-07:002013-08-12T19:36:54.853-07:00Penetrating the Blockade: How Operation Vittles sustained an encircled City<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The year was 1945,
Berlin much like the rest of Germany lay in a state of ruin. Her streets and
buildings were pockmarked with the graffiti of war. Shell craters, smashed
windows and twisted figures of stone, mortar and steel littered the streets
stretching towards the sky like some grotesque carcass reaching to achieve a
final grasp. Adolf Hitler, the leader of the defeated nation was dead,
committing suicide to escape the western Allies held bent on bringing him and
his legion of cronies to justice for the crimes they had committed over the
span of some twelve years. The nation was in a state of dispair facing an
uncertain future as foreign forces occupied the wartorn land. As per the Yalta
and Potsdam Conferences earlier in the year, Germany was carved up into zones
of occupation administered by military forces of the wartime Allies. These
sectors encompasses areas associated to the current positions of the Allied
armies at the time and in a minature reflection of this, Berlin would reflect
the division of the nation. Berlin, a once great city had suffered catastrophic damage. Once
boasting a population of 4.6 million people before the Second World War, it was
now reduced to nearly 2.8 million people with only the capacity to produce 2%
of the food needed to support the population. The forces of the United States,
United Kingdom and France were not permitted to enter the war ravaged city
until nearly two months after Germany had capitulated, during which time the
local populace suffered brutal reprisals at the hands of the conquering Soviet
Red Army.</span><span id="goog_84587705"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The western portion
of the nation would see the British taking responsibility for most of the
northern part of the country, the Americans taking responsibility for the
southern part of the country and both turning over two small portions of their
zones of occupation that barely contacted each other along the French border
over to the forces of France. The eastern portion of the nation would go to the
Soviets. One area of protest came with the status of Berlin, which put forces
of the United States, United Kingdom and France some 100 miles inside the
Soviet zone of occupation. The areas under Soviet control, produced much of the
food that fed the nation and thus the regions under American and British
control largely relied on food imports from the very beginning. With the United
States, United Kingdom and France largely instilling the principles of
democracy to their post war areas, the Soviet Military Administration forcibly
unified the Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands 'Communist Party of Germany' and
the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 'Social Democratic Party of
Germany' to form the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands 'Socialist
Unity Party of Germany' claiming that it would not occupy a Marxist-Leninist or
Soviet stance on its body politics. Immediately after its formation, the SED
Party called for the establishment of an anti-fascist, democratic regime in the
form of a parliamentary democratic republic. Under this ruse, the Soviets
suppressed all activities of non SED aligned political parties and expatriated
many factories and equipment as well as their technicians, managers and skilled
personnel to regions deep in the Soviet Union.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Soviet leader Josef
Stalin made his true intentions clear before the smoke of the Battle of Berlin
had even fully cleared, telling German communists that he planned to undermine
the authority of the British in their zone of occupation and force the United
States to withdraw within the span of two years and thus he would unify Germany
as a single communist nations under Soviet control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One of the loopholes
in the agreements reached by the western Allies was that there had never been
any formal agreements guaranteeing rail or road access to Berlin through Soviet
occupied territory. The first signs of ensuing tensions began when the Soviets
imposed a limitation on the amount of cargo that could enter its territory. The
Soviets set the limitation at only ten trains per day by only one single rail
line. Believing the Soviet limitations were temporary at most, the Allies
shrugged it off and began proposing addition alternatives to the Soviet Union
which were rejected by the Soviets. In a move to further put a squeeze on the
Allies in Berlin, the Soviet Union enforced the utilization of only three air
corridors into Berlin with access to Berlin being authorized only from Hamburg,
Bückeburg and Frankfurt. As the situation between the former allies began to
deteriorate, the Soviets halted the delivery of agricultural goods from their
zone of occupation into Berlin. This was countered accordingly when the
American Commander, General Lucius Clay halted shipments of dismantled
industrial goods from western Germany to the Soviet Union. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Angered by the
American action, the Soviets began a campaign to undermine the Allies by
slandering the American mission in Germany and hinder the administrative work
of all four zones of occupation inside Berlin. Having surviving harsh
treatment, forced emigrations, severe political repression and a particularly
rough winter of the 1945–1946 period, Germans in the Soviet zone of
administration were growing extremely hostile to the Soviets and their plans.
Local elections in 1946 resulted in a massive anti-communist protest vote
across the city, especially in the Soviet sector of Berlin. Berlin's citizens
overwhelmingly elected non-Communist members to its city council reflecting an
overwhelming 86% majority. The clouds of trouble had begun building on the
horizon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In January 1948, the
Soviets began stopping American and British trains bound for Berlin to confirm
the identities of passengers onboard the trains, With the Marshall Plan being
enforced across, western Europe the Soviets began orchaestrating a plan to
force the Allies to align their interests along with the wishes of the Soviet
Union through further regulating access to Berlin. To test the waters, on 25
March 1948, the Soviets issued an order that hindered the movement of traffic
between the American, French and British zones of occupation and Berlin stating
that no cargo could leave Berlin without the expressed approval of the Soviet
Commander.Each truck or train would be searched by Soviet authorities before it
would be allowed to leave the city. On 2 April 1948, General Clay halted the use
of military trains and ordered that all cargo be flown in and out of the city
by air. This venture would be known affectionately as the 'Little Air Lift'. On
10 April 1948, the Soviets eased their restrictions but continued to harass
Allied traffic in and out of the city. The Soviets then began a campaign of
violations of West Berlin's airspace with their own military aircraft which
resulted in a deadly incident on 5 April 1948 when a Soviet Yakovlev Yak-3
fighter collided with a British European Airways Vickers VC.1 Viking transport
near RAF Gatow resulting in the deaths of all aboard the colliding aircraft. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The final calm before
the store occurred when on 9 April, the Soviets first demanded that American
communication equipment in Soviet territory be withdrawn thus preventing the
use of navigational beacons to designate air routes. This was followed by a
Soviet declaration demanding barges from the west to obtain a special clearance
before entering Soviet occupied areas. With the introduction of the new Deutsche
Mark in the western part of the country, the Soviets stated that the only
currency allowed into Berlin would be one that they issued in a move to keep
Germany weakened and in a state of recession. By the time the Soviets began to
introduce their own currency into Berlin, the western Allies had already
transported 250,000,000 Deutsche Marks into the city and it quickly took over
as the standard currency of all four sectors of the city. The introduction of
the Deutsche Mark and the Marshall Plan which would bring upon an economic
miracle to the nation was seen as a move to undermine Soviet intentions and
Stalin interpreted this a provocation against him. He now wanted the Allies out
of Berlin completely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On 18 June 1948, the
Deutsche Mark was announced as the new currency to be used in the allied zones
of occupation. The Soviets responded by halting all passenger trains and
traffic on the autobahns of Berlin. On 21 June, the Soviets refused entry to an
American military supply train and sent it back to American territory in
western Germany. On 22 June, the Soviets introduced their own new currency that
it called the 'Ostmark' for use in it's zone of occupation as a method to
undermine the integrity of the Deutsche Mark. Also on the 22nd of June a Soviet
official sent a memorandum to the Americans, British and French in the city
stating that both their forces and the population of Berlin would be subjected
to economic and administrative sanctions that would lead to the circulation in
Berlin of only the currency of the Soviet occupation zone. This was followed by
a propaganda campaign in which the Soviets denounced the United Kingdom, United
States and France by radio, newspaper and loudspeaker. With a large Soviet
military exercise on the outskirts of the city, rumors began to circulate of an
impending Soviet invasion and occupation. German communists added to this state
of aggitation when they staged protests, riots and attacks against pro-West
German leaders in Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Berlin Blockade
would begin on 24 June 1948, when the Soviet forces halted all communications
on land and water between the western zones and Berlin. This was quickly
followed by the halting of all rail and water traffic in and out of Berlin. The
next day, the Soviets halted all supplies of food to the civilian population of
western Berlin as well as cut the flow of electricity from power plants in
eastern Berlin to the West. For the time being, road access to the city was
still authorized but only after a fourteen mile detour to a ferry crossing. The
official reasoning was that Soviet forces were conducting repairs to critical
infrastructure. Traffic from the western zones of occupation bound for Berlin
were blockaded and all arguments permitting to the occupation rights in western
Berlin fell on deaf ears. Only Soviet good will towards the western Allies made
access to Berlin possible, but with no formal agreement in place the Soviets
could negotiate the terms of usage of transit routes in and out of its zone of
authority any way that it wished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">West Berlin was now
in a critical state. It had on hand only enough food for 36 days, and enough
coal to last for only 45 days. Military forces in West Berlin numbered only a
force of 8,973 Americans, 7,606 British and 6,100 French in contrast to a force
of one and a half million Soviet troops in East Berlin and the Soviet zone of
occupation which surrounded it. On 13 June 1948, General Clay sent a cable to
Washington D.C. reaffirming his stance in West Berlin and declaring that their
would be no withdrawal from Berlin. While, the Soviets celebrated their
blockade of Berlin and anticipated the withdrawal of western forces from
eastern Germany, General Clay called the Soviets bluff, believing that the
Soviets would not intentionally initiate World War III, especially not having
just barely recovered from World War II. With limited options at his disposal,
Clay heard numerous proposals from Allied leaders including an aggressive
response to the blocakde proposed by General Curtis LeMay, the Commander of
United States Air Forces in Europe in which waves of Boeing B-29 Stratofortress
strategic bombers and fighter escorts would engage Soviet airbases while ground
troops in western Germany would attempt a breakthrough to reach encircled
Berlin. This plan was ultimately rejected by Clay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">With time running,
out Clay authorized the use of Berlin's airways to undermine the Soviet
blockade. This was a move that the Soviets had not counted on. On 30 November
1945, the Allies had recieved in writing the approval for free access to Berlin
via three twenty three mile wide air corridors. Further undermining the Soviet
blockade, the usage of cargo aircraft could not justify the Soviets identifying
them as posing a military threat to its forces in eastern Germany and thus put
them in a very delicate position when the aircraft refused to turn back of
either engaging and shooting them down or backing down. Shooting down unarmed
humanitarian aircraft would put the Soviets in violation of their own
agreements and cause a political uproar and backlash against the Soviet Union
that it would not want. Clay initially approached LeMay with an inquiry
regarding whether or not his aircraft could move amounts of coal to support the
operations of the city. LeMay promptly responded that his planes could carry
anything required. When they approached the British forces, it was confirmed
that the British had already been conducting their own airlift in support of
British forces in Berlin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">During the 'Little
Air Lift' British military planner Air Commodore Reginald Waite made
calculations towards the resources required for supporting the entire populace
of the city. His calculations equated to a requirement of seventeen hundred
calories per person per day, in the form of 646 tons of flour and wheat, 125
tons of cereal, 64 tons of fat, 109 tons of meat and fish, 180 tons of
dehydrated potatoes, 180 tons of sugar, 11 tons of coffee, 19 tons of powdered
milk, 5 tons of whole milk for children, 3 tons of fresh yeast for baking, 144
tons of dehydrated vegetables, 38 tons of salt and 10 tons of cheese to support
the population of Berlin. In conclusion nearly 1,534 tons were needed daily to
keep the over two million inhabitants of the encircled city alive. Additionally
beyond the food needs, West Berlin needed to be kept heated and powered, which
would require another 3,475 tons of coal and gasoline to be flown in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Initially ill
prepared in comparison to the British, the Americans began organizing the
positioning of planes to support the operation. The entire thing would get the
final green light when General Albert Wedemeyer, US Army Chief of Plans and
Operations visited Europe and endorsed the operation. Wedemeyer had overseen
the largest airlift of the Second World War when American aircraft flew from
bases in India, over the Hump in the Himalayas to China in the war against
Japan. The ensuing operation would be dubbed 'Operation Vittles' by the
Americans, 'Operation Plainfare' by the British and 'Operation Pelican' by the
Australians when they committed additional airlift capailities in September
1948. On 24 June 1948 General LeMay appointed Brigadier General Joseph Smith,
then the headquarters commandant for USAFE at Camp Lindsey, to serve as the
Provisional Task Force Commander of the airlift operation. On 25 June 1948 Clay gave the order to launch
Operation Vittles. The next day a force of 32 Douglas C-47 Skytrains lifted off
for Berlin hauling 80 tons of cargo, including milk, flour, and medicine. The
first British Royal Air Force aircraft lifted off headed for Berlin on 28 June.
At that time, the airlift was expected to last for only a duration of three
weeks. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By 1 July, the system
was set into motion with C-47s and Douglas C-54 Skymasters arriving in mass at
Rhein Main Air Base. Rhein Main would serve as a solely C-54 base with
Wiesbaden operating a mixture of C-47s and C-54s. The aircraft would fly
northeast and enter West Berlin through southern air corridor designated the
American corridor and land at Tempelhof Airport, offload their supplies then
exit through the central air corridor designated the British corridor. Upon
reaching the British zone of occupation, the aircraft would then turn south and
return to their respective bases. The British Royal Air Force operated a
similar resupply system, flying southeast from several airports in the Hamburg
area through their assigned corridor into RAF Gatow in the British Sector, and
then also returning out on the central corridor. They would then turn for home
or land at Hanover depending on the circumstance. Unlike the Americans, the
British also ran several round trip operations using their southeastern
corridor. On 6 July, RAF Avro York and Douglas Dakotas (the Dakota was the
British designation for the C-47 Skytrain) were joined by Short Sunderland
flying boats of the Royal Navy. Flying boats operated from Finkenwerder on the
Elbe River near Hamburg, flying to the Havel River adjacent to RAF Gatow. The
corrosion resistant hull of the Sunderlands better suited them to the
particular task of delivering baking powder and other salt products to the
city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A maintenance system
was soon coordinated to accommodate the large number of flights. Crews would
work three eight hour shifts rotating between C-54s and C-47s. Aircraft were
scheduled to take off at an interval of every four minutes, staggered at an altitude
of 1,000 feet higher than the preceding aircraft. The initial aircraft would
operate at a height of 5,000 feet and each aircraft adding an additional 1,000
feet for each of five aircraft before the sixth aircraft would return to a
5,000 foot operational profile. The first week of the airlift saw an average of
only 90 tons of supplies per day reaching West Berlin, this number would
increase to nearly 1,000 tons per day by the end of the second week. Soviet
authorities in the East ridiculed the operation declaring it a futile attempt
to save face against the superior Soviet authority. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On 28 July 1948,
Major General William H, Tunner arrived at Wiesbaden Airbase to take command of
the airlift operation. Having also had experience with the airlift operation in
the China-Burma-India campaign, he set about to reorganize the entire
operation. On 13 August 1948 a C-54 crashed at Tempelhof and burst into flames
at the end of the runway and a second C-54 landing behind it burst the tires of
its landing gear trying to avoid the wreckage. A third Skymaster made a ground
loop maneuver on an auxiliary runway and Tempelhof was closed when the control
tower lost control of the situation, a move that greatly embarrassed Tunner.
Although no one was killed in the crashes, the incident became known as 'Black
Friday'. As a result of the Black Friday crash, Tunner ordered that
Instrumental Flight Rules be in effect at all times regardless of visibility.
In addition to this he instituted a policy that each aircraft would only have
one chance to land at the airport, any aborted landing would result in the
aircraft returning to its base in western Germany. Sighting easier convenience
for loading and unloading of aircraft, Tunner soon made the decision to replace
all C-47s with C-54s or larger aircraft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Pilots were forbidden
to leave their aircraft for any reason while on the ground in Berlin and
military jeeps were converted into mobile snack bars often staffed with German
women to distribute refreshments to the crews while they remained at their
aircraft. Clearance documents and flight information were given to the pilots
while they snacked. As a result of this method, the time on ground from the
shutdown of engines on the ramp, unloading and turn around before heading back
to Wiesbaden or Rhein Main was set at only thirty minutes. Operating profiles
were later also adjusted with flights launching every three minutes instead of
four with 500 foot separation rather than 1000, stacked in altitude from 4,000
to 6,000 feet operating altitude. Maintenance was strictly emphasized and given
the highest priority to maximize turn around time to implement a goal of 1440
landings in West Berlin each day. This figure would mean, an aircraft would be
landing in West Berlin for every minute there was in a day. The Germans
countered the problem of manpower, with Berliners serving as unloaders and
airfield repair crews, a task which was rewarded with additional rations. As
the crews began to improve their execution of duty, unload times dropped dramatically
and a record was set first when an entire 10 ton shipment of coal was offloaded
from a C-54 in a span of ten minutes and then later a twelve man crew unloaded
another 10 ton shipment from a C-54 in five minutes and forty five seconds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">After only a month of
operations, daily flight operations flew more than 1,500 flights each day and
delivered more than 4,500 tons of cargo, enough to keep West Berlin
sufficiently supplied. Supply shipments improved to a rate of 5,000 tons a day.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One of the most memorable
moments of the Berlin Airlift was known as 'Operation Little Vittles' this
occurred when Colonel Gail Halvorsen used his off time to fly into Berlin and
shot a series of home movies with a handheld camera. One day upon encountering
a group of German children he introduced himself and he handed out two sticks
of Wrigley's Doublemint gum and promised that if the children did not fight
over the gum, he would bring more when he returned to Berlin. As he left, the
German children divided up the gum as best they could and inquired as to how
they would know that it was him when he returned. His reply was that he would
wiggle his wings. The following day on his approach to Berlin, he put inputs
into the controls which rocked the aircraft and he dropped chocolate bars
attached to hankerchief parachutes to the children below. Everyday the number
of children would increase and so to did his airdrops. Soon Base Ops at
Tempelhof began receiving stacks of mail addressed to 'Uncle Wiggly Wings',
'The Chocolate Uncle' and the 'Chocolate Flier'. Initially Halvorsen's exploits
were met with dissatisfaction from his commanding officer but ultimately the
gesture was approved of by General Tunner who designated the mission as
'Operation Little Vittles' adding additional airplanes and pilots to
Halvorsen's venture. When news of Operation Little Vittles reached the United
States, children across th country enthusiastically donated candy of their own
to be dropped to the German children. Some children even participated by attaching
parachutes to the candies that would be dropped over Berlin. Soon, major
manufacturers nationwide became involved. In the end, over three tons of candy
were dropped on West Berlin, and the "operation" was designated as a
success. The candy dropping aircraft were christened 'Raisin Bombers" or
"Candy Bombers" by the German children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In response to the
mounting airlift operation, the Soviets first countered by offering free food
to anyone who crossed into East Berlin and registered their ration cards with
the Soviet authorities. The Soviet move was ultimately rejected by West
Berliners. The Soviets then ramped up their propaganda campaign against the
people of West Berlin utilizing psychological warfare and declaring that all of
Berlin fell under Soviet authority. They further declared that it was only a
matter of time before the Western allies abandoned the city and the populous of
West Berlin. As further measures, Soviet and German communist harassed
democratically elected officials from West Berlin that had to conduct its
business in the city hall which was located in the Soviet sector of the city.
In an effort to harass the airlift itself, the Soviets often attempted to
impede on the arrival of inbound aircraft by varying means including buzzing transports
with Soviet fighters, scheduling parachute jumps in the paths of the air
corridors and using searchlights to disorient pilots flying at night. Try as
they may, none of the Soviet measures were effective in hampering the
operation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By the onset of winter,
estimates for amounts needed to sustain the population in winter were adjusted
and the transportation force was enhanced when the Royal Air Force added larger
Handley Page Hasting transports to their available fleet. To accommodate for
winter operations, Tunner hired a force of majorily former Luftwaffe ground
crews to maintain the airfields. Due to weight restrictions imposed on the
airfields at RAF Gatow and Tempelhof Airport, and the stresses put upon them by
the rotations of C-54s, a 6,000 foot asphalt runway was constructed at
Tempelhof to better accommodate the air fleet. The French although entangled in
the Indochina War supplied several aging Junkers Ju-52 transports to supply its
personnel in Berlin. French aircraft flew into Tegel on the shores of Lake
Tegel. There was one problem with this, the approach to Tegel Airfield was
hampered by the placement of a Soviet radio tower in proximity to the airfield.
After the Soviets refused to remove the tower, French General Jean Ganeval
ordered that the tower be demolished and on 16 December 1948, the tower was
blown up much to the delight of the Berliners. The destruction of the radio
tower would spark widespread protest from the Soviets. When General Ganeval's
Soviet counterpart General Alexej Kotikow, asked him angrily by phone how he
could have committed such an act, Ganeval is said to have replied laconically,
"With dynamite, my dear colleague." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">To improve control
over the air traffic entering and exiting Berlin, the newly developed Ground
Controlled Approach radar system was sent to Europe and installed at both
Tempelhof and Fassberg in the British
Zone in West Germany, a measure which guaranteed operations in all weather
conditions. Soon the only hinderance on flight operations would prove to be the
weather itself. The months of November and December 1948 were the worst of the
entire operation. On many occasions aircraft would fly to Berlin only to be met
with a thick layer of fog which prevented landing and they were forced to
return to West Germany. On one occasion on 20 November 1948, forty two aircraft
departed for West Berlin, but only one managed to there. At one point, West
Berlin only had enough coal for one week of operation. The shortage was made up
for ultimately when weather conditions improved and more than 171,000 tons of
supplies were delivered in January 1949, followed by 152,000 tons in February,
and 196,223 tons in March.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By April 1949,
General Tunner declared that he wanted to do something big to boost the morale
of everyone involved in the operation. On Easter Sunday, he set to break all
records and he would do so by only hauling coal thus in preparation for this
coal was stockpiled for the effort. By the time it was completed, 12,941 tons
of coal had been delivered in 1,383 flights to West Berlin, without a single
accident. A welcome side effect of the effort was that operations in general
were boosted, and tonnage increased from 6,729 tons to 8,893 tons per day in
the days following the Easter operation. In total, the airlift delivered
234,476 tons in April of 1949. On 21 April, it was recorded that the tonnage of
supplies flown into the city exceeded amounts that were previously brought into
the city by rail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Airlift operation
proved an embarrassment to the Soviets and the Easter operation was the nail in
the coffin. On 15 April 1949, the Soviets announced that they were willing to
lift the blockade of Berlin. After a series of negotiations on 4 May 1949, the
Allies reached an agreement which would end the Blockade in an eight day
period. The Soviets relented and removed their blockade of Berlin at 12:01 on
the morning of 12 May 1949. The British drove a convoy through Berlin as a
symbol of the victory of the airlift and the first train from West Germany
arrived in West Berlin at 5:32am. Celebrations erupted across West Berlin to
commemorate the lifting of the Blockade. Flights however would continue into
Berlin to build up a surplus of supplies in case the Soviets tried to blockade
the city again in the future. By 24 July 1949, three months worth of supplies
had been stockpiled at facilities in West Berlin, ensuring that there was ample
time to restart the Airlift if it were required. The Berlin Airlift officially
came to an end on 30 September 1949, after fifteen months of continued air
operation. In total the United States delivered 1,783,573 tons and the United
Kingdom 541,937 tons, totaling 2,326,406 tons, nearly two-thirds of which was
coal, on some 278,228 flights to airfields in West Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Royal Australian
Air Force bolsted this number further with the
delivery of 7,968 tonnes of freight and 6,964 passengers while flying
2,062 sorties. The force of C-47s and C-54s together flew over 92 million miles
during the operation, almost the distance from Earth to the Sun. At the height
of the Berlin Airlift, one plane was landing at an airfield in West Berlin
every thirty seconds. The cost of the Airlift was 101 fatalities including 40
Britons and 31 Americans, mostly due to crashes. Seventeen American and eight
British aircraft crashed during the duration of the operation. Financial
responsibility of the Airlift was shared between the United States, United
Kingdom, and West Germany. Some 692 transport aircraft were engaged in the
Berlin Airlift, of which more than 100 were operated by civilian aviation
entities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In 1974 Colonel Gail
Halvorsen, the original 'Candy Bomber' was decorated with the Großes
Bundesverdienstkreuz 'Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic
of Germany', one of Germany's highest medals for his actions during the Berlin
Airlift.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-35659527626627526742013-08-10T13:37:00.002-07:002013-08-10T13:37:55.056-07:00Conrad Schumann: The Man Who Lept Into History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Many of the greatest
events in world history are the result of seemingly insignificant acts that
somehow forever alter the state of human affairs. It can also be proven looking
throughout history that even though Generals and Commanders are given credit for
victories, it is the enlisted man who actually fights to secure that victory.
Their actions are rewarded through varying honors and citations for heroism or
gallantry, but it is the General or Commander to whom the history books will
record the victory in the name of. This same scenario goes for not only
military engagements but also political statements in both war and peacetime.
History knows it was Erich Honecker and Nikita Khrushchev who are responsible
for initiating the order to begin the construction of the Berlin Wall around
the allied occupied sector of Berlin. It is also recognized that Erich Honecker
issued the order to shoot to kill persons trying to flee from the German
Democratic Republic for freedom in West. But occasionally, there are certain
everyday individuals whom in the face of increasing disagreement with policy or
other acts will act on impulse and be forever etched into the face of history.
One such case is that of Conrad Schumann.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Born Hans Conrad
Schumann on 28 March 1942 in Zschochau, Sachsen, Germany, Conrad Schumann was
young when the Second World War ended and Germany was divided up amongst the
victorious allies. He would grow up in the Soviet occupied sector of eastern
Germany which would later become the German Democratic Republic. He would go on
to serve as a soldier in the Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften, the barracked
paramilitary riot control police unit of the East German police. Following
three months of training in Dresden, he was sent to a non commissioned
officer's academy in Potsdam for advanced leadership. Shortly after the
completion of the training academy, Schumann volunteered for service in Berlin. He would be given the rank of Sergeant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">At the time, Berlin
was a hotspot of the Cold War. With allied military forces positioned in West
Berlin deep inside the heart of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin would be
potential ignition source for any future conflict in Europe. Citizens of the
East German state were flooding into East Berlin hoping for the opportunity to
escape to the West via defection into West Berlin. The so called 'Brain Drain'
was severely damaging the East German economy as skilled craftsmen and laborers
all fled to the relative freedom of the West. The decision was soon made by
East German leaders with the approval of their Soviet allies to begin the
construction of a protective barrier, a wall around the western sector of the
city of Berlin to prevent further Republikflucht or 'Flight from the Republic'.
The construction of the Berlin Wall would begin on 13 August 1961, with Soviet
tanks and armored vehicles taking up positions at checkpoints and road
crossings facing West as a deterrent while East German soldiers, policemen and
laborers began stringing barbed wire and later began emplacing bricks for the
Wall around the city. History would soon be made with a simple gesture which would begin in Soviet East Berlin and end in the French sector of West Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On 15 August 1961,
Schumann was ordered to report to the corner of Ruppiner Straße and Bernauer
Straße (Straße is the German word for Street) to stand guard during the third
day of construction of the new Anti Fascist Protective Barrier as it was
designated by the East German government. Schumann shouldered his MPi41
submachine gun, an East German variant of the Soviet PPSh-41 submachine gun and
began his duty of standing guard along the low wire entanglement of barbed wire
which comprised the Wall fortification. On the western side of the wire
emplacement, citizens of West Berlin took notice of the young East German
soldier standing his post. Soon, the West Berliners began shouting "Komm'
rüber!" or "Come Over!" urging him to defect from the East
German sector into the West. To assist in the escape, a West German police car
pulled into position a short distance away and waited in case the young soldier
chose to escape to freedom in the West. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzClBEjaPH21S68rk-9oxpN4FR9DLBOXgOfhWv_JGunvhNttnWOe7V4dSrJp9ZexnDz-SamnKiL88JbQ78cg7l1knEzWkEOHdA3wqYOCSJJKUjswXEk9OgxpYQ0QQQ24sJvEQxw0GMxwr/s1600/CS1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzClBEjaPH21S68rk-9oxpN4FR9DLBOXgOfhWv_JGunvhNttnWOe7V4dSrJp9ZexnDz-SamnKiL88JbQ78cg7l1knEzWkEOHdA3wqYOCSJJKUjswXEk9OgxpYQ0QQQ24sJvEQxw0GMxwr/s400/CS1.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With the large
gathering of Western citizens, Schumann's colleagues were soon distracted by the
commotion. Using this distraction to his advantage, the 19 year old Schumann,
swapped his loaded submachine gun for an empty one and began contemplating his
future. Hesitating momentarily, Schumann then began determined to defect to West
Germany and sprinted, leaping over the barbed wire fence he ran into the back
of the waiting police car and was hastily driven away from the scene by the
West German police. Schumann's defection was captured on film in the form a
series of images taken by photographer Peter Leibing and also his entire escape
including his preparations for the defection attempt which were captured on
16mm film from the same vantage point. As he made his way to the waiting police
car, he was greeted with a barrage of cheering West Germans welcoming him to
the West. The images of the young East German fleeing into the West were
broadcast around the world and became an iconic symbol of the Cold War,
particularly the quest for freedom by the oppressed people of the East. In that
instant he became both a hero of the Free World, and a traitor to his East
German compatriots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The next stop for the
young non commissioned officer was a debriefing station operated by the West
German police in West Berlin. A simple and modest fellow, rather than ask for
some special item, favor or treatment, all Schumann asked the West Germans for
was a sandwich. When inquiries began by the West Germans as to why he chose to
defect to the West rather than to remain in East Germany, he replied that he was
angered by a scene presented to him during his time guarding the new barrier
areas. The scene he described as an East German child who had attempted to flee
into West Berlin being dragged back into East German territory by border
guards. He stated that he did not want to live enclosed like some caged animal.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">He would later be
permitted to leave West Berlin and he relocated to Bavaria in southern Germany.
He would meet his wife Kunigunde in the town of Günzburg. Günzburg is
notoriously known as the birthplace of infamous Nazi medical officer Dr. Josef
Mengele. Conrad and Kunigunde would get married and they would have a son.
Schumann would find work first working briefly as a nurse and at the Grombacher winery before landing a job working on an assembly line for the Audi automobile
company. Although, Schumann had left the German Democratic Republic he had
never truly escaped. It would be a mixture of the unwanted fame and attention
that would drive him into a deep state of depression. For the first decade
after his famed defection, he took to alcohol to comfort him. Not one dollar of
the money made from his defection images would go to Schumann or his family and
even though an iconic figure of western propaganda, government officials only
showed interest in gathering information from him that he did not have.
Schumann described the inquiries from the German government as making him feel
as if he was being Squeezed like a lemon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For a long time, the
only contact he had with his family in East Germany were through letters which
were being influenced by agents of the East German Stasi. As a defector, and
traitor, he was a prime target for the East German secret police. His family
tried to persuade him to return to East Germany promising that nothing would
happen to him, a farce nonetheless dictated by the Stasi who wanted to
apprehend Schumann for their own purposes. He began contemplating returning to
East Germany for a visit, but this idea was only abandoned when a West German
policeman persuaded him not to go back. Lonely, and depressed, Schumann
declared there was only one point that he truly felt free and this was on 9
November 1989, when the Berlin Wall was torn down. It was only after this that
Schumann was able to return to his native Sachsen. His return to his home had
mixed results, as many people welcomed him and yet others shunned him labeling
him as a traitor even though East Germany no longer existed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With the destruction
of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the communist East, Schumann was
again thrust back into the spotlight as a national hero and he feigned
happiness and adulation about his situation as he posed for pictures and signed
posters and pictures. He made appearances at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in
the years after reunification often signing pictures for tourists. His signed
posters and pictures would become a best selling souvenir at the Museum and
tourists regularly formed long queues for a chance to meet the young non
commissioned officer who had defected to freedom during one of the high points
of the Cold War. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Following returning
home from a from a family rowing trip, on 20 June 1998 the weight of his
depression proved to great for the Cold War icon and Schumann committed
suicide. He hung himself in his orchard near the town of Kipfenberg where his
wife Kunigunde would find him hours later. Described by his neighbors as a
quiet man, all he had to show for the impact of his defection years ago was the
portrait of his defection from East Germany hanging on a living room wall and a
photograph of himself standing with American President Ronald Reagan.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/SMV7phB_4nA/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/SMV7phB_4nA&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/SMV7phB_4nA&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-24038382839549242282013-08-05T17:14:00.000-07:002013-08-05T17:14:12.141-07:00Oberstleutnant Landstreitkräfte Gesellschaftsuniform - German Democratic Uniform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHEPqek0ort0ZKpjTYrDvXRaMLIGnMHv5SeFiYb6pLTnWqZWqyYODtbaIbRgKbNK36av2fBFWoCfRedOiDzJ6zmDoLMTkTBh9P0EVOp_vSdenNrKHOak3c01RhW26kxj_6G-4NxfZnMI-/s1600/UN1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHEPqek0ort0ZKpjTYrDvXRaMLIGnMHv5SeFiYb6pLTnWqZWqyYODtbaIbRgKbNK36av2fBFWoCfRedOiDzJ6zmDoLMTkTBh9P0EVOp_vSdenNrKHOak3c01RhW26kxj_6G-4NxfZnMI-/s400/UN1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
The uniform displayed here is the Gesselschaftsuniform the equivalent of a Mess Dress Uniform in western armies for an Oberstleutnant of the East German Landstreitkräfte. It would be worn at special social occasions such as balls, dinners or other occasions where social dress would be required or authorized. The uniform consists of a light greenish gray colored double breasted tunic with a four button configuration with the straight legged trousers issued to Nationale Volksarmee personnel. Officers of the Landstreitkräfte wore the stone grey trousers with a white stripe down the length of the leg. The uniform would also be worn with a white dress shirt, officer's visor cap and grey standard issue tie along with military issue dress shoes.<br />
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Like the General officer's versions, the Gesellschaftsanzug was worn in two configurations: Kleiner Gesellschaft in which only the officer's academy badge and ribbon bars are worn on the jacket or Großer Gesellschaft in which the officer would wear their full medals, shoulder aiguillette and presentation dagger. As with most officer's uniforms in East Germany, each officer's Gesellschaft tunic was often custom tailored for the wearer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinwSIO7XVeQir-N22djrB9pYr2D921pul58P_xO5A_BNBvByVp3LdM7bd_3L3wLyMaRXf9rtEd3VLUpC5FrRAeLjk4JlxFBnwafHLJmIyHa9kB-FMp8w9MD9610mA-5ISIryXmOS73eX5/s1600/UN2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinwSIO7XVeQir-N22djrB9pYr2D921pul58P_xO5A_BNBvByVp3LdM7bd_3L3wLyMaRXf9rtEd3VLUpC5FrRAeLjk4JlxFBnwafHLJmIyHa9kB-FMp8w9MD9610mA-5ISIryXmOS73eX5/s400/UN2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNlRz1ES201nBnU82J9KCaAYZvCgX-xCnnCWHmwOG-S61cDKNhzYRRRTU5fcs1s8A9SBrtWFJMbyLHasY_cbp-DCW9HsTlXdU4L7ONfs6ounFjSBB7JjDz9c0aNhKr72igUMZG-Bxqgbb/s1600/UN3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNlRz1ES201nBnU82J9KCaAYZvCgX-xCnnCWHmwOG-S61cDKNhzYRRRTU5fcs1s8A9SBrtWFJMbyLHasY_cbp-DCW9HsTlXdU4L7ONfs6ounFjSBB7JjDz9c0aNhKr72igUMZG-Bxqgbb/s400/UN3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The picture here shows the Kragenspiegeln of a Landstreitkräfte officer. It is of the silver bar type which is standard to all officer uniforms of East Germany but with distinctive black backing of the East German Landstreitkräfte.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIBrmUXIVeRslRSoSJEIBNnzDNqHXzyYXowXFR3JCInuKFp6eLSSFvYsmxrVCLDguP7d6WAE4bb7a4pZYb1COby3Yeg8brJ-l7MFX9F9pszFI7QLCItCuq-6QqpMoq3ImBQ26a1TspYw0/s1600/UN4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIBrmUXIVeRslRSoSJEIBNnzDNqHXzyYXowXFR3JCInuKFp6eLSSFvYsmxrVCLDguP7d6WAE4bb7a4pZYb1COby3Yeg8brJ-l7MFX9F9pszFI7QLCItCuq-6QqpMoq3ImBQ26a1TspYw0/s400/UN4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is a close up of the shoulderboard insignia of an Oberstleutnant. Again as a senior grade in the East German rank structure it consists of a silver braid with two four pointed gold stars against a black background which signifies the officer's affiliation to the Pioneretruppen which would be the Nationale Volksarmee equivalent of a western army's Engineer Corps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfqepIOhfLKjLPvSvJ9HLud3hdAOwDQDejXHFI__U6YK0ZsxqH6OiKWADpjXGDQ-AeItH0I2RdxWer2PX4xT9HE3k6TCKFcycZd7PSavA102NRynreDr0Bx89Jx_y3ThpraLfeNyTMVBG/s1600/UN5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfqepIOhfLKjLPvSvJ9HLud3hdAOwDQDejXHFI__U6YK0ZsxqH6OiKWADpjXGDQ-AeItH0I2RdxWer2PX4xT9HE3k6TCKFcycZd7PSavA102NRynreDr0Bx89Jx_y3ThpraLfeNyTMVBG/s400/UN5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The four button arrangement of the double breasted pattern of the Gesellschafts uniform tunic. The tunic has four outward buttons with a hidden button on the inside for securing the tunic. On the inside there is also a loop for mounting the hangers for wearing the officer's issued presentation dagger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxBCxnqlwmDLHvzZZgbJDT4XRN3PSfIAX6ndgOP-d0ith3nHa6jD_tqK_Xux6K_AX0K_r3Y1gb5c5npV_tZxNuSTd8NG3oL-cxhGaDMSM6tpptSmBT-eodPeMk-V89BYkNd1upghhQ9hf/s1600/UN6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxBCxnqlwmDLHvzZZgbJDT4XRN3PSfIAX6ndgOP-d0ith3nHa6jD_tqK_Xux6K_AX0K_r3Y1gb5c5npV_tZxNuSTd8NG3oL-cxhGaDMSM6tpptSmBT-eodPeMk-V89BYkNd1upghhQ9hf/s400/UN6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Displayed here is the stone gray issued service trousers worn with the Army Gesselschaft uniform. Usually unpiped, the white striping of the pants signifies wear by the Army and is restricted to staff service known as Stabsdienst use, Ausgangsuniformen 'Walking-out Dress Uniform' wear, and Social Occasions wihen they would be worn with the Gesellschaft tunic as displayed.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-59919359334698475332013-08-04T19:31:00.001-07:002013-08-04T19:31:38.465-07:00Oberstleutnant Landstreitkräfte Paraden/Dienstuniform - German Democratic Uniform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxIhb1DKW1yH6K22m63BX3bZRkfmnflSSvMVWXj7nJ21aq0kI9zlGNPk-AKNxVVL4LoMQaIY9xC1oWYKk0DJI7kHRaHmDo1Cv3HhYBCkVwtAprnDKPJoCDJY60yzmSZBg1pwHNzURw2-T/s1600/EG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxIhb1DKW1yH6K22m63BX3bZRkfmnflSSvMVWXj7nJ21aq0kI9zlGNPk-AKNxVVL4LoMQaIY9xC1oWYKk0DJI7kHRaHmDo1Cv3HhYBCkVwtAprnDKPJoCDJY60yzmSZBg1pwHNzURw2-T/s400/EG1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQxADN3hz9rpOqB33E1v22ZP3jGC0BeLVWNbnkWoic7xSDUaObHVJqE5sGUZ8RMEaG8HtDbC1zg8aOuAWqTle56keVvuI_AW7rCdoK0twz1jdufqUn7far8wkjEJ7kNZrjmUCdw9b2yik/s1600/EG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQxADN3hz9rpOqB33E1v22ZP3jGC0BeLVWNbnkWoic7xSDUaObHVJqE5sGUZ8RMEaG8HtDbC1zg8aOuAWqTle56keVvuI_AW7rCdoK0twz1jdufqUn7far8wkjEJ7kNZrjmUCdw9b2yik/s400/EG2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The uniform displayed
here shows the Paradenuniform or Parade Uniform of a Oberstleutnant in the
Landstreitkräfte's Mot.-Schützen, or Motorisierte-Schützen which translates
into Motorized Infantry known in western armies as Mechanized Infantry. The
uniform is made of the smooth gabardine material in the military stone grey
color common of all East German military uniforms. When wearing the Paradenuniform,
the steel East German M-56 Stahlhelm 'Steel Helmet' was worn instead of the
round visor cap.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlgwCwc21Otl_I-s0D_ih76qQEsi5vDv7m34u-x6I9BkFfuQ-L-Ovn-mTkGMMdGgted0vAKUFH1mJKubbVXmg8P8_ucpXK1QRyFgInxI_sLtiu8CXRmnuGo3hpevWqaRbVhVIlVKJE9cl/s1600/EG3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlgwCwc21Otl_I-s0D_ih76qQEsi5vDv7m34u-x6I9BkFfuQ-L-Ovn-mTkGMMdGgted0vAKUFH1mJKubbVXmg8P8_ucpXK1QRyFgInxI_sLtiu8CXRmnuGo3hpevWqaRbVhVIlVKJE9cl/s400/EG3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5LXcaoo19aOQYl-kG2k4nelCVYtn3sv3vMW3dHLR3IQX3F5dI7xBXA9TObhP9oQx5cDYkin94fDrhDBppqTbFUCyqpig6c-2ESRikJZeYB6-ZZD59aMBsgah177t2LhrqtDGk00ZXiFO/s1600/EG4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5LXcaoo19aOQYl-kG2k4nelCVYtn3sv3vMW3dHLR3IQX3F5dI7xBXA9TObhP9oQx5cDYkin94fDrhDBppqTbFUCyqpig6c-2ESRikJZeYB6-ZZD59aMBsgah177t2LhrqtDGk00ZXiFO/s400/EG4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shown here is the
distinctive Kragenspiegeln 'Collar Insignia' of officers of the East German
Landstreitkräfte. Landstreitkräfte collar insignia were essentially the same
worn by soldiers of the former Wehrmacht with a distinct difference in that
they were sewn to the grey uniform collar and they lacked waffenfarbe branch
colors. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulJNnNKt4BOMQwufoOGhAUkf8eNeJWensU8_4GVOiOMFdsVPG3cNI67PGDUd6UR93Va44NM0A3Q0wJN7T1SjR_8N37LpgLfCiNZn0rLyA9YLBXuxUzzOum49g53-D2BfgSJ_d_8SRsH98/s1600/EG5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulJNnNKt4BOMQwufoOGhAUkf8eNeJWensU8_4GVOiOMFdsVPG3cNI67PGDUd6UR93Va44NM0A3Q0wJN7T1SjR_8N37LpgLfCiNZn0rLyA9YLBXuxUzzOum49g53-D2BfgSJ_d_8SRsH98/s400/EG5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Shown here is a close
up of the shoulderboard epaulette insignia for an Oberstleutnant, the equivalent of a
Lieutenant Colonel in western armies. In the Landstreitkräfte, the rank of
Oberstleutnant was the second highest ranking field grade for officers and
consisted of silver braiding and two gold four pointed stars commonly referred
to as 'pips'</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">against the white
background of the Landstreitkräfte infantry service.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwVNK5OaDUXMhmdYgEIbbYo2Xi4sFG1GBu6NwxFNPpDQXvx_O-QUvHcZ-n99JST7s1e9imJWf38kvxqAjs_3Rh1IvXq0HwPltVK3rxE0772Gaju5mE9y7H3njeg3IgMy4qnivMUoFxIjR/s1600/EG21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwVNK5OaDUXMhmdYgEIbbYo2Xi4sFG1GBu6NwxFNPpDQXvx_O-QUvHcZ-n99JST7s1e9imJWf38kvxqAjs_3Rh1IvXq0HwPltVK3rxE0772Gaju5mE9y7H3njeg3IgMy4qnivMUoFxIjR/s400/EG21.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Worn on the right
side of the Parade Uniform is the silver Achselschnür or Shoulder Cord which
was issued to all East German officers
and worn primarily for ceremonial occasions such as Parades and on the
Gesellschaftanzug uniform jacket. The elaborate braided silver shouldercords
with pointed silver Metallspitzen or Metal tips on the aiguillettes were
originally introduced into Landstreitkräfte service in 1976.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Also on the left side of the uniform, there were certain distinctions that may be worn, but most Nationale Volksarmee issued awards and decorations were worn on the right side of the uniform either in the form of ribbon bars or in the case of special ceremonies a medal bar of the wearer's medals sewn in order of precedence against a felt background which was then pinned to the uniform chest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkzD5klQbWCBgAtP273CtB-qMGF79zZiW_hagYhVA0nW-d93aZQVGDSCvztaH6rnZlXTLAB6YceMTbBos5j38AmomqRR8XpiGwmq7xF37QoyBPloXoG8vYgMXm4y_xsW8QEfSgVz39bLv/s1600/EG23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkzD5klQbWCBgAtP273CtB-qMGF79zZiW_hagYhVA0nW-d93aZQVGDSCvztaH6rnZlXTLAB6YceMTbBos5j38AmomqRR8XpiGwmq7xF37QoyBPloXoG8vYgMXm4y_xsW8QEfSgVz39bLv/s400/EG23.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Underneath the uniform tunic would be worn, the grey service shirt and a dark grey tie which in certain variations could be worn without the tunic. Other uniform variations authorized the wear of the service shirt without the tie, and others still authorized the wear of the tunic alone without shirt or tie underneath. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTEVmJO0ZRPiVeskMhyphenhyphen63swdBlF68QVaWmUbpM_YJiWbGgDg_TUf44affs4ilSybvi-h6KBLVvChZSAPvISJ3S8nkHDb9feLXhX27XHDrQajWlhjKyrzCD_ggFTIwOy-04ox9uQ_XI8uv/s1600/EG17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTEVmJO0ZRPiVeskMhyphenhyphen63swdBlF68QVaWmUbpM_YJiWbGgDg_TUf44affs4ilSybvi-h6KBLVvChZSAPvISJ3S8nkHDb9feLXhX27XHDrQajWlhjKyrzCD_ggFTIwOy-04ox9uQ_XI8uv/s320/EG17.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFibHhZsPUsOBPFa_Mb8x6qCpBK8a1MAWYXL3dYBxohbjU_Lymd3ppZBQHZ6KQ8NCda9eCng3EX5fyXR2GOw4f_gjhJVHV7EgR-r506U4nIcDptAbnbYFBBskeYrkCieXnWsXQ9tuiHDw0/s1600/EG18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFibHhZsPUsOBPFa_Mb8x6qCpBK8a1MAWYXL3dYBxohbjU_Lymd3ppZBQHZ6KQ8NCda9eCng3EX5fyXR2GOw4f_gjhJVHV7EgR-r506U4nIcDptAbnbYFBBskeYrkCieXnWsXQ9tuiHDw0/s320/EG18.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here is the officer's
brocade belt with East German coat of arms on the ceremonial buckle. It was worn with the parade uniform
and Gesellschaftanzug uniform. Attached to the belt was the hangers and
Ehrendolch or Honor Dagger which was presented to each officer in the Nationale
Volksarmee upon graduation from the respective service academy of the East
German armed forces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYsQmfEzueGOpDhfErJpjwvzop5QKvVzCNC6feJ8YZipNXg2ZzV9R0O14o-LiYJBJfw23pLc7bY4RpOMiHTHB0PCgpuc8CT4AWwW_PAMWeXgg0aKaFMyN_YdfFNy1T1jCwCGu_6alRfBm/s1600/EG12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYsQmfEzueGOpDhfErJpjwvzop5QKvVzCNC6feJ8YZipNXg2ZzV9R0O14o-LiYJBJfw23pLc7bY4RpOMiHTHB0PCgpuc8CT4AWwW_PAMWeXgg0aKaFMyN_YdfFNy1T1jCwCGu_6alRfBm/s400/EG12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here's a close up of the ceremonial dagger hangers and the dagger in it's decorative metal sheath.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Wry3m1AVlIz4W8wZDmy02NXdxNqkajhBQaJFlNrEI-mhb4nZbMtC6_ELtHQPfqplV1hf9Nlr4n-j7UCgPZ3Jv8KVMNrZRMQDgLYVFy9knws7jN2Lox8q_qU5rP2phFB8Z_93S2zEiz2r/s1600/EG13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Wry3m1AVlIz4W8wZDmy02NXdxNqkajhBQaJFlNrEI-mhb4nZbMtC6_ELtHQPfqplV1hf9Nlr4n-j7UCgPZ3Jv8KVMNrZRMQDgLYVFy9knws7jN2Lox8q_qU5rP2phFB8Z_93S2zEiz2r/s400/EG13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiny2AJYQr9wkJE7QX8dySYc0Q_LseCmbz3y2nQ8-hVM0Y28hbzYt3OzH6AnzZJ1zo5rG4uY1j4TbJT0U6bK63XoCEo6lNyj7ho4rZQZDu1gGgiMZ23C1Dlo3r_9YlJzrmf6zF6b8Kj7aNI/s1600/EG14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiny2AJYQr9wkJE7QX8dySYc0Q_LseCmbz3y2nQ8-hVM0Y28hbzYt3OzH6AnzZJ1zo5rG4uY1j4TbJT0U6bK63XoCEo6lNyj7ho4rZQZDu1gGgiMZ23C1Dlo3r_9YlJzrmf6zF6b8Kj7aNI/s400/EG14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RDeIl0TJqd0Sz1nc1ti3P4nZP7umNfUQGy9yzPL_PVmy32oRcNogVOi-pg3eP-prs6SpxvgiWvx9-cpUrC-H8gg9QGsmOIsV887W4OcEVEyYyQKBwt4EZGvLRkbwpygQGs0vPM9NGnZU/s1600/EG15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RDeIl0TJqd0Sz1nc1ti3P4nZP7umNfUQGy9yzPL_PVmy32oRcNogVOi-pg3eP-prs6SpxvgiWvx9-cpUrC-H8gg9QGsmOIsV887W4OcEVEyYyQKBwt4EZGvLRkbwpygQGs0vPM9NGnZU/s400/EG15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtkUaTj4gy7sKXJ0BuduqRSlsctYvGSQd-FEepdTh_r4NTqZHH8Q1JCKVKJAx5psdVjUh85mCHdthO1fFXBzoAN30vdI6JeZaHjI1KYTPwZl5gJuuTihuqrbfD04dqgzzBfH7NOAcF2sT/s1600/EG11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtkUaTj4gy7sKXJ0BuduqRSlsctYvGSQd-FEepdTh_r4NTqZHH8Q1JCKVKJAx5psdVjUh85mCHdthO1fFXBzoAN30vdI6JeZaHjI1KYTPwZl5gJuuTihuqrbfD04dqgzzBfH7NOAcF2sT/s400/EG11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The intricate decorative engraving and raised East German coat of arms on the sheath of the Ehrendolch and the dagger itself as presented to each graduating officer. Every officer was responsible for the upkeep of their presented dagger and each one was individually numbered with a serial number engraved into the base of the blade where in mounted to the hilt.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4uaFKwadvLJnYLXt0m49b8DZs8NvSqEMILOOX2luISaZE2DrfK68HHFJ_W6XTi9I0Q8AyKWBd4NWm3dPeDhh8froDVWjdsD_sYA9J4cNEomo8QHUHC1SKw9pgQCzaCkss5yorJTW3mil/s1600/EG26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4uaFKwadvLJnYLXt0m49b8DZs8NvSqEMILOOX2luISaZE2DrfK68HHFJ_W6XTi9I0Q8AyKWBd4NWm3dPeDhh8froDVWjdsD_sYA9J4cNEomo8QHUHC1SKw9pgQCzaCkss5yorJTW3mil/s400/EG26.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfykbdN9N3Fe07VCNFtfaVlHtsyQnIvYvKUZN2fggu8O9SWiYRdah2c5wpSxMWGWLDodtpRy1jypbqHnnEcJN5rDuvNuc4MDhmaB0tOp73GCPh6-yixu0hwkezT-wi1lGs6lBOG568ZF_a/s1600/EG27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfykbdN9N3Fe07VCNFtfaVlHtsyQnIvYvKUZN2fggu8O9SWiYRdah2c5wpSxMWGWLDodtpRy1jypbqHnnEcJN5rDuvNuc4MDhmaB0tOp73GCPh6-yixu0hwkezT-wi1lGs6lBOG568ZF_a/s400/EG27.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzg3XK1PlB3B3zKXcjxa4ZpK-HXWl_EtTZ0V-L4ePzX0q1pqbsfuw7NxuxgV4NqO3ZYCfsCZB7Tsi77Uuesn0PzIrU8MdGOtBXk27I7lWIwgujRQJph6zRKmUarXfW6EhjUro8qlRJndeC/s1600/EG28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzg3XK1PlB3B3zKXcjxa4ZpK-HXWl_EtTZ0V-L4ePzX0q1pqbsfuw7NxuxgV4NqO3ZYCfsCZB7Tsi77Uuesn0PzIrU8MdGOtBXk27I7lWIwgujRQJph6zRKmUarXfW6EhjUro8qlRJndeC/s400/EG28.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx-wRNZZAxL0PpEus2O_Qy33F2rRfIWu7SJGZ_NcDt8KtJoyC4gONp3NgAVrqUBDDXvlsCktyjsY2z05lMKzxHgc-N8lzMlemHiT464vcl0GAJYCiP3PrOb8l3KA9MrRLbvkk9vcJbNum/s1600/EG29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx-wRNZZAxL0PpEus2O_Qy33F2rRfIWu7SJGZ_NcDt8KtJoyC4gONp3NgAVrqUBDDXvlsCktyjsY2z05lMKzxHgc-N8lzMlemHiT464vcl0GAJYCiP3PrOb8l3KA9MrRLbvkk9vcJbNum/s400/EG29.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2C25DPJRqvSxRPjFGp9vptykM-SQhbrt1CzEkiTBhKUNW4K7BCovqhQmx4LpiYHTXzvofemfdR2_stDjk1IA2XxAj7Lq6lxkVMOybu15YI_1Ivnu0YOtVpaxfjTqKzwlYnjXa5UP8GIwN/s1600/EG31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2C25DPJRqvSxRPjFGp9vptykM-SQhbrt1CzEkiTBhKUNW4K7BCovqhQmx4LpiYHTXzvofemfdR2_stDjk1IA2XxAj7Lq6lxkVMOybu15YI_1Ivnu0YOtVpaxfjTqKzwlYnjXa5UP8GIwN/s400/EG31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The East German M-56 helmet was originally designed in 1942 as a replacement for the M1935/M1940 model Stahlhelm combat helmets in service with the Wehrmacht. The design was subsequently rejected for adoption by Adolf Hitler and never progressed remaining unused until the end of the war in 1945. By the 1950s, with the formal establishment of the German Democratic Republic a requirement for a new German helmet for use by the forces of the Volkspolizei and the Nationale Volksarmee soon arose. With the reinstatement of a new East German Army, it soon became realized that the reintroduction of the traditional Stahlhelm which was worn during the Second World War would not have been tolerated by East Germany's Soviet allies. The 1942 design was likely chosen because it was the most similar of all German designs to resemble the helmets in use by the Soviet armed forces, in particular the iconic SSh-40 design. In essence, the new M-56 helmet was so similar in appearance to the SSh-40 that some Western observers failed to realize its German origins altogether and assumed the East Germans had merely adopted a new </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Soviet design.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The helmet was revolutionary for its design with a liner riveted into the steel shell and upon ballistic contact to the helmet, the steel shell was ripped away absorbing the force of the impacting projectile and leaving the wearer to reach some force of cover.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IjHHMNBfHRpbqxX0IrS6r6xw8Ejeir-QCHPgbZCmwAc6JEfG6ZvWZXHQHgTfAo9JzaAlpeKDUlrJm7qjIIb9nLT08VrLHmenjTdx1rL2AeTYjE3TcuH1WsfmGON3u2zsWWj9pdAxbByV/s1600/EG25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IjHHMNBfHRpbqxX0IrS6r6xw8Ejeir-QCHPgbZCmwAc6JEfG6ZvWZXHQHgTfAo9JzaAlpeKDUlrJm7qjIIb9nLT08VrLHmenjTdx1rL2AeTYjE3TcuH1WsfmGON3u2zsWWj9pdAxbByV/s400/EG25.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Parade uniform
would be worn with the unpiped riding breeches and the polished black jackboots
when participating in special events such as the annual Ehrenparade 'Honor
Parade' which celebrated the founding of East Germany and the May Day
celerations which celebrated the triumphs of communism. These parades were
often conducted in East Berlin before an audience of senior communist party
officials including Erich Honecker, leader of the GDR and visiting dignitaries
from other communist nations. These parades were modeled heavily on Soviet
military parades which were conducted through Red Square in Moscow but with a
distinctive Germanic twist. Soldiers maintained the traditional Prussian
'goosestep' straight legged march which was subsequently outlawed in West
Germany for its affiliation to the previous regime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The marching formations of the parades were usually
performed accompanying the sounds of a special military band playing
traditional marsches or marching songs written by famous German composers of the classical age ranging from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Ludwig van Beethoven.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2LjDa7m7LVgsHfP9tn_U2CYvhW6wo2K_vZt7CGsDN8ZHX-Nr4LdRc0fRLMoInorxohmL2gNa9Gy1V4tdouFU0H_i17NQe9DvqVRai27-05wb17-8Q5ZjxfAo42lKpx-JujMq5IYH47Yg/s1600/EG24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2LjDa7m7LVgsHfP9tn_U2CYvhW6wo2K_vZt7CGsDN8ZHX-Nr4LdRc0fRLMoInorxohmL2gNa9Gy1V4tdouFU0H_i17NQe9DvqVRai27-05wb17-8Q5ZjxfAo42lKpx-JujMq5IYH47Yg/s400/EG24.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With the
Dienstuniform or Service Uniform variation, the straight legged pants with
white piping of the Landstreitkräfte were worn in place of the ceremonial
riding breeches and the M-56 steel helmet was replaced with the standard issue
round visor service cap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The visor cap shown
here for a Landstreitkräfte officer in the stone grey color of National
Volksarmee uniforms along with its associated white piping of the East German
Ground Forces. It retains the East German national roundel in the center
surrounded by a metal wreath insignia and officer's silver braiding cap cord
around the base above the visor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Landstreitkräfte of the German Democratic Republic's Nationale Volksarmee was the principle land combat branch designated to protect East Germany's territorial integrity. The Landstreitkräfte itself was officially established in March 1956, from elements of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei which were formed in the post-war years to police the eastern territories under Soviet administration. The majority of the Landstreitkräfte's equipment over the duration of its existence would be of Soviet design and origin and it's field units were organized along the lines of Soviet Motorized Infantry Divisions. In this respect forces of the Landstreitkräfte also operated in close proximity to the Soviet Army's Group of Soviet Forces Germany or 'GSFG' which were positioned in Germany at the cease of hostilities in 1945 . The Kommando Landstreitkräfte or Land Forces Command was established in the city of Geltow in December of 1972 with Landstreitkräfte defensive zones being divided into two distinct military districts. These districts or Wehrbezirken were Military District North with its headquarters being located in Neubrandenburg and Military District South with its headquarters being located in Leipzig.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Throughout its existence Landstreitkräfte was never deployed in active combat however, it was often reported that it's personnel went to numerous socialist and communist nations as military and technical advisors, particularly Cuba and various countries in Africa. In 1968, the forces of the Landstreitkräfte were mobilized to assist Soviet forces in intervening during the Prague Spring uprising in Czechoslovakia. The uprising occurred when reformist Alexander Dubček attempted to grant additional rights to the citizens of Czechoslovakia by acts of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. Soviet forces and their Warsaw Pact neighbors responded by invading the country, sending thousands of soldiers and tanks pouring across the border and seizing control of the country. The Landstreitkräfte was then essentially stood down and their deployment into Czechoslovakia cancelled at the last moment thus ending any East German involvement in the invasion of Czechoslovakia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Landstreitkräfte maintained a force of nearly 120,000 troops of which at any given time about 60% of which were draftees. It maintained two fully strengthed armored divisions, four motorized rifle infantry divisions, two surface-to-surface missile brigades, ten artillery regiments, one anti-aircraft regiment, eight air defense regiments, one airborne regiment, two anti-tank battalions, and various other support units.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The video clip shown here is taken from the German Democratic Republic's state television broadcast of the live coverage of the Ehrenparade celebrating the founding of East Germany in October of 1987. The parade was held in East Berlin, and as shown above you can see officers in Parade uniform performing the goose step march accompanied by the sounds of a military band as they make their way towards the review stand to pass before officials of the SED communist party including Party Secretary Erich Honecker and dignitaries of other communist nations.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-41462471915224923002013-08-04T15:30:00.001-07:002013-08-04T15:30:41.255-07:00Shturmovik Reborn: The Soviet Air Force and the Sukhoi Su-25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYw5qRJjxWS3BmoyU9Cvxja-Bg3VdAUXcvzqPqTDRIAvGXDkTS4Wr2GXpVE0h-a3P8VEcnA3feKIvRWo3sRl0L3d7i6X6GQ8mhgKuP8j1hFw78zizktWCkJ2bh4APLLcWtYcD1dBIf4Sw/s1600/Il2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYw5qRJjxWS3BmoyU9Cvxja-Bg3VdAUXcvzqPqTDRIAvGXDkTS4Wr2GXpVE0h-a3P8VEcnA3feKIvRWo3sRl0L3d7i6X6GQ8mhgKuP8j1hFw78zizktWCkJ2bh4APLLcWtYcD1dBIf4Sw/s400/Il2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">With the success of
the Ilyushin design Il-2 Bark and Il-10 Beast ground attack platforms employed
against Nazi forces during the Great Patriotic War, Soviet commanders realized
the need for capable close air support aviation to assist ground forces early on.
As technological advancements progressed and jet technology began to overtake
the development of propellor driven designs, the problem soon began to arise in
the form of replacement of these earlier designs in the ground attack capacity.
By the 1960's Soviet fighter bombers in active service were unsuitable for
ground attack roles. Their high operational speeds made them unsuited for
delivering precision strikes and their loiter and time on target were minimal.
Another drawback to existing Soviet fighter bombers such as the Sukhoi Su-7/
Su-17 Fitter, Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed and Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23
Flanker was their lack of suitable armored plating to protect the pilot and
vital systems from ground fire. Having researched the influences that made the
Ilyushin designs so successful during the Great Patriotic War and taking into
consideration the drawbacks of existing fighter bomber designs, Pavel Sukhoi
founder of the Sukhoi Design Bureau along with a team of aerospace engineers
began preliminary design work for a new design that would meet the requirements
of both the of the Ministry of the Aviation Industry and the Ministry of
Defense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The official request
for a new battlefield close air support aircraft was issued by the Soviet Air
Force in March of 1969. Four Soviet design bureaus responded to the
announcement of the competition: Sukhoi, Yakovlev, Ilyushin and
Mikoyan-Gurevich. Sukhoi's design officially designated as the T8 had been
finalized in 1968 with the first two prototypes being built in 1972. The first
of the prototypes was unveiled during the Soviet May Day holiday of 9 May 1974,
however it would not take to the air until 22 February 1975. The competition
was soon narrowed down between the Sukhoi T8 design and the Ilyushin designed Il-42.
However following a series of fly offs and trials before the Soviet Defense
Ministry, the Sukhoi design was chosen over the Ilyushin type and awarded a
production contract.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Production of the
Sukhoi design now designated as Su-25 would begin at Factory No.31 located in
Tbilisi in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. With the first production
models being delivered to the Soviet Air Force in 1978. It would be given the
NATO reporting code of 'Frogfoot'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Su-25 has an all
metal trapezoidal wing mounted at the shoulder of the fuselage, and a
conventional tailplane and rudder system. The overall construction of the
aircraft utilizes different metals and materials with nearly 60% of the
airframe being made of aluminum, 19% steel, 13.5% titanium alloy, 2% magnesium
alloy and 5.5% other materials. Initial versions of the Su-25 were equipped
with twin R95Sh non-afterburning turbojets. The aircraft was designed as a
single seat airframe with a single GSh-30-2 30mm cannon mounted in a
compartment beneath the cockpit. The pilot sits in a titanium bathtub similar
to that of the American Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt and entry into the
cockpit is by a hinged canopy. The cockpit is relatively cramped and the pilot
sits rather low in the enclosure a trade off in visibility for protection to
the pilot at the controls. A periscope assembly is attached to the top of the
canopy in an attempt to improve rearward visibility for the attack pilot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Su-25 does not
have a television guidance system but does have a nose mounted laser
rangefinder for target designation capabilities an a DISS-7 doppler radar for
navigation. It could operate in both day and night environments and is equipped
with the SO-69 identification system, which serves as a friend or foe designation
transponder. For defensive measures, the Su-25 has several countermeasures
installed on the airframe, the first is the SPO-15 radar warning receiver and
the second is a system of chaff and flare dispensers capable of punching off
250 flares and chaff to confuse enemy guidance systems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqn5_W6FOiyYX0GdeYnckH9pdNhi_Xpp9M_gXcC4LInqncytKHWooeKjsDxBPuxdyz8T2ElyI5F9BDyFI9GNtJvGQ5i402IejnLsOfv6m4sKveXEgN6TKODQ7l2BMP_aXuqXFxl7bcnF1/s1600/S251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqn5_W6FOiyYX0GdeYnckH9pdNhi_Xpp9M_gXcC4LInqncytKHWooeKjsDxBPuxdyz8T2ElyI5F9BDyFI9GNtJvGQ5i402IejnLsOfv6m4sKveXEgN6TKODQ7l2BMP_aXuqXFxl7bcnF1/s400/S251.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In its role of close
air support, the Su-25 would mount weaponry on eleven hardpoints with the
capability of carrying 8,818lbs of ordnance. Weaponry included an assortment of
UV-32-57 57mm, B8M1 80mm rocket pods, S-24 240mm or S-25 330mm rockets, Kh-23,
AS-9, Kh-25L, Kh-29 air to surface missiles or an assortment of 1,000lb bombs
with 250 rounds of 30mm ammunition for the GSh-30-2 30mm cannon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The first Soviet Air
Force unit to receive the new type was the 200th Independent Attack Squadron,
based at Sitalcay air base in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. The
first eleven aircraft arrived at Sitalchay in May 1981. Soon afterwards this
unit would be deployed to Afghanistan in support of Soviet military operations
in the embattled nation. Throughout the duration of the Soviet
counterinsurgency campaign against the Islamic Mujahedeen in Afghanistan,
Soviet Air Force Su-25s launched nearly 139 guided missiles of varying types
against Mujahideen positions in the wartorn nation. On average, each Su-25 flew
360 combat sorties per year, a total considerably higher than that of any other
combat aircraft type in Afghanistan. By the end of the war, nearly 50 Su-25s
had been deployed to airbases in Afghanistan and carried out a total of 60,000
combat sorties. Between the first deployment in 1981 and the end of the war in
1989, 21 aircraft would be lost in combat operations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Su-25s were also
deployed to airfields in the German Democratic Republic and the Czechoslovak
Socialist Republic to support Soviet interests in the region and to counter
NATO forces in the region. In the event of war with NATO, Su-25s would serve in
similar roles to that of the American A-10 and British Harrier attack platforms
flying close support missions against NATO positions utilizing their slow speed
and design characteristics to get down in the folds of the terrain of the low
altitude structure and provide accurate support for advancing Warsaw Pact
forces. For self defense against intercepting NATO fighters, the Su-25 could
carry the AA-2 or AA-8 air to air missile. The 30mm cannon would be employed
against armored targets although, the Su-25s 30mm cannon did not match the rate
of fire of the American GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon mounted on the A-10. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Like all Soviet
designs, the Su-25 was a rugged machine designed with simplicity in mind and
with the capability to operate in the harshest of conditions from roughly
prepared airfields. It would go on to serve in successor nations after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union and continues as a potent battlefield platform
in the modern age.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-30350839447204180062013-08-03T18:28:00.001-07:002013-08-03T18:28:42.081-07:00Violence in the East: Crushing the Workers Uprising of 1953<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAP9WSfaaXTFUm09y0k0_Kn9lp2mSV6evTi22XZsPLVgmDjzsbrtdIAwGfxNhKvcdgBcukIJkmVzw_KvXKD6nOCIXx6UEBRUG4jYK3rPVHDITQrp09FskXcCl4UAjKjQr7kKq6U6GmVHQ/s1600/EG5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAP9WSfaaXTFUm09y0k0_Kn9lp2mSV6evTi22XZsPLVgmDjzsbrtdIAwGfxNhKvcdgBcukIJkmVzw_KvXKD6nOCIXx6UEBRUG4jYK3rPVHDITQrp09FskXcCl4UAjKjQr7kKq6U6GmVHQ/s400/EG5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Since its inception
as an 'ideology of the people' communism stood as a deception of human rights.
Communist party leaders widely used the propaganda highlights of the
advancement of communism often substituting the Marxist-Leninist ideology's
terminology with the word 'socialism'. Officially everything was done with the
interests of the people of the nation in mind. Everything was to be divided and
shared equally upon the people, more specifically the working class. The
'nations of the people' often were referred to by the inclusion of the terms
'People' or 'Socialist' into the official names of the respective nation such
as the People's Republic of Poland, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic or the
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Outwardly, the republics under the influence
of the greater Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are model entities of
freedom for the people to choose their own destinies for the greater good of
humanity. In reality, they are most often corrupt totalitarian regimes with a
near perverse domination over every aspect of life in the nations they govern.
The governments of these regimes most often persecuted the very people they
claimed to represent. The true face of Soviet style communism would flare up
numerous times during the post war period in Europe with one particular event
taking place in East Germany that would foreshadow events to come in the self
proclaimed 'Worker's Paradise'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The event that would
show just how repressive the communist regime in the German Democratic Republic
could actually be began in June of 1953, when a work party of some 300
construction workers tasked with the constructing the Stalinallee in East
Berlin staged a strike against the ruling Sozialistische Einheitspartei
Deutschlands or SED communist party. The workers strike could not have come at
a more worst time for the government in East Germany. The year before reforms
were enforced under the demands of Soviet premier Joseph Stalin for greater
Sovietization of East Germany which forced farmers, tradesman and business
owners to surrender to communism through raised fees. The economic crisis was
worsening as military expenditures rose, along with reparations payments to
the Soviet Union and with focus placed more on developing industrial
capabilities rather than producing food and goods for the population, East
Germany was soon faced with a severe crisis. By the beginning of 1953, the
further problem of mass defections from East Germany often referred to as the
'brain drain' constituted a major economic and social problem for the new
nation. Amongst these problems were also factors that included a high number of
political prisoners in East German custody, as well as intensifying persecution
of members of religious groups. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Sozialistische
Einheitspartei Deutschlands led by General Secretary Walter Ulbricht decided
that in the face of these problems, norms for all workers would have to be
raised. Work quotas would be increased by 10% with the workers wages generally
remaining the same all while taxes and prices for goods and services would be
increased. These measures were approved by the East German Council of Ministers
on 28 May 1953 with a goal of them being fully implemented by 30 June 1953, the
60th birthday of East German leader Walter Ulbricht. The punishment for workers
not meeting the new quotas would come in the form of a reduction of salaries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In response to the
new directives, 300 construction workers in East Berlin went on strike
protesting the new order and the directive that failure to meet increased
quotas would lead to a reduction in pay. They marched down the Stalinallee
voicing their displeasure with the government soon joined by more and more
dissatisfied citizens. The spark of political dissidence soon spread across
East Germany in the following days thanks partially by western radio broadcasts
and word of mouth in the small communist nation. By 17 June 1953, Soviet troops
assigned to the Group of Soviet Forces Germany began entering East Berlin and
taking up positions to counter the increasing formations of striking workers
assembled in public places heading towards the center of the city. At the
sight of the mass strikers, the Volkspolizei as well as elements of the
Kasernierte Volkspolizei were deployed however lacking instructions on how to
deal with the situation they did not initially intervene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Soon Volkspolizei and
elements of the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the East German youth organization along
with representatives of the SED communist party began making attempts to return
the workers to their places of employment or to their homes. Most often these
attempts proved futile and when these elements tried to restrain the growing
numbers of protests they found themselves on the defensive as the groups often
assaulted or chanted against them. Signs and banners were soon hoisted as more
and more disgruntled workers and farmers arrived into East Berlin joining the
movement towards the city center. The
angry demonstrators demanded a return to the previously established work norms,
as well as labor reform, decreases in the price of goods and services, the
release of fellow protestors who had been arrested by the Volkspolizei the
previous day, and free elections for the people of East Germany without the
influence of the Soviet Union. As the movement grew in East Berlin, protestors
began shouting various slogans voicing displeasure in the SED such as
"Death to Communism!", or "Down with the Government!", and
even slogans voicing approval for the American that had commanded allied forces
in the liberation of Germany from the Nazis during the Second World War such as
"Long live Eisenhower!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By 9:00a.m. some
25,000 people assembled at the House of Ministries followed by tens of
thousands of additional protestors. By 11:00a.m. a large number of protestors
stormed the government building celebrating and boasting that they had
overpowered that they had defeated the force of 500 members of the Volkspolizei
and members of the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit or Stasi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVH7JeY6cA29IomXI1DI_fBFD6YiIKfIhUdpKWkFaHTTQc4wLWgmQYmjgG5jWvNLTk98QFPggmacjorRdK3uuMk8glXHEGTpAM9_1F9SS0-MNy4BhjD8biA7CNWDbEem7-9JdXIOJq_C0/s1600/EG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVH7JeY6cA29IomXI1DI_fBFD6YiIKfIhUdpKWkFaHTTQc4wLWgmQYmjgG5jWvNLTk98QFPggmacjorRdK3uuMk8glXHEGTpAM9_1F9SS0-MNy4BhjD8biA7CNWDbEem7-9JdXIOJq_C0/s400/EG2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Soon the protests
would turn violent as Soviet armored vehicles of the Group of Soviet Forces
Germany pushed towards the government areas to curb a coup detat. By 12:00 the
Soviet forces had cleared the area around the SED headquarters and soon
fighting would erupt between disgruntled citizens and the combined force of
Soviet military and East German Volkspolizei. Initially these were only small
skirmishes but when the demands of the protestors turned to political demands,
and the demonstrators began calling for the overthrow of the East German
government, Ulbricht ordered that the uprising be quelled through the use of
force. A force consisting of 16 Soviet divisions with 20,000 troops alongside
8,000 members of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei were ordered to quell the
uprising.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One of the most
significant clashes in East Berlin occurred along the Unter den Linden, a
street between the Brandenburg Gate and Marx-Engels Platz which housed many
government offices. Here a combined force of Soviet troops and Kasernierte
Volkspolizei opened fire on the advancing protestors. Gunfire would erupt
across East Berlin including along the Potsdamer Platz. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As the dawn of 18
June 1953 rose over East Berlin, a large number of East German citizens lay
dead including not only protestors but also members of the SED communist party.
Several thousand lay wounded with several thousand more in custody having been
arrested by the Volkspolizei. Of these incarcerated a large number were tried
and sentenced to death along with those executed when martial law was declared
and it was even declared that several Soviet soldiers were executed for
dereliction of duty when they refused to open fire on the East German
protestors. No official figures of the number of people killed, wounded or
imprisoned have ever surfaced regarding the 1953 uprising in East Germany
however figures varied depending on who researched the incident. The West
German Ministry of Inter-German Affairs released estimates reflecting a rather
high casualty toll while the East German government remained mute about the
incident. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc2KcK8p8SMFnyM_5iHlS0x6nrh-2BauQ0AvIGFsHqwg7VPIgbjHtoKyCMgRAR-og9pBzoKvuHjM28P-yAKOWPG8BHWlVkK6VgSGouX6NtwkGfDoKLXH1gtfYmqd-Xdd_O7Jr_LLrh3lC/s1600/EG6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc2KcK8p8SMFnyM_5iHlS0x6nrh-2BauQ0AvIGFsHqwg7VPIgbjHtoKyCMgRAR-og9pBzoKvuHjM28P-yAKOWPG8BHWlVkK6VgSGouX6NtwkGfDoKLXH1gtfYmqd-Xdd_O7Jr_LLrh3lC/s400/EG6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The East German
Politburo would meet in the aftermath of the uprisings on 20 June 1953, with
members of the SED expressing first hand encounters of the uprisings thus
justifying the intervention of Soviet forces in East German affairs. The
meeting also reaffirmed East Germany's request for Soviet forces to remain in
position following the lift of martial law in East Berlin. Measures were also
taken to increase the production of goods for the East German people as well as
importing foods and raw materials into the German Democratic Republic to try
and stabilize the economic situation of the nation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As a response to the
uprisings in the East, West Germany would commemorate the rebellion by
declaring 17 June a national holiday, declaring it German Unity Day as a day to
celebrate when the German people rose up and took a stance against communism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-41661212937847451562013-08-02T16:23:00.000-07:002013-08-02T16:23:17.469-07:00Red Berlin? The Plan to Surrender West Berlin to the Soviet Union<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJMzziWoKm7kS-mhnmPqH5UIzvrynxK42QlymcEydjBZ8v2Zb7lc38_rYln937n9tXfnBZDIlbrc2sOIFtWjyNbk5spdldhhKKf1XkBns9hITPhwgnXtWWx7uo-X42NbHS8uwuhQ7bmYT/s1600/KA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJMzziWoKm7kS-mhnmPqH5UIzvrynxK42QlymcEydjBZ8v2Zb7lc38_rYln937n9tXfnBZDIlbrc2sOIFtWjyNbk5spdldhhKKf1XkBns9hITPhwgnXtWWx7uo-X42NbHS8uwuhQ7bmYT/s400/KA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">From the onset of the
Cold War, Berlin would become a major focal point for any potential conflict in
Germany. With allied troops from the United States, United Kingdom and France
maintaining strategically significant positions deep inside the borders of the
communist East Germany this would serve as a constant thorn in the side of the
Soviet Union. Tensions in Europe would reach a fever pitch when on 13 August
1961, military and paramilitary forces of East Germany following years of
dealing with unrestricted defections to the West via West Berlin walled in the
city with a barrier consisting of miles of concrete, watch towers, and anti
vehicle ditches amongst other defensive installations. There were also forces
at work at the time which could have completely rewritten the story of the Cold
War in one of the most underhanded and deceptive events in the volatile history
of the Cold War. West Berlin, a bastion of hope for millions desperate to
escape the authoritarian pressure of the East German communist system could
have potentially been handed over to the Soviet Union in exchange for more land
in what was East German territory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The potential
transfer of West Berlin to the Soviets was discussed secretly between
government representatives of West Germany and the United States, a move that
completely deceived the other members of the western Allies the United Kingdom
and France. The prize for the surrender of West Berlin to the Soviet Union? The
Federal Republic of Germany would expand its borders eastwards into parts of
the East German states of Thuringia as well as parts of Saxony and
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The cities of Schwerin and Leipzig would become
incorporated into West Germany as well as West Germany receiving territories
rich in natural resources such as brown coal and industrially significant
centers of manufacture and production. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The plan for the
relinquishing of West Berlin was initially devised in the hours of the
construction of the Berlin Wall by the Chancellor of West Germany Konrad Adenauer.
Adenauer a strong statesman deeply opposed to the idea of East Germany, was
responsible for the resurgence of West Germany's economy in the aftermath of
the Second World War and was a guiding force to West Germany's entry into NATO
in 1955. After the establishment of the German Democratic Republic in 1949 and
in the aftermath of a failed attempt to strangle West Germany into submission,
leaders of the Soviet Union began to repeatedly call for the surrender of West
Berlin to East Germany and the removal of western military forces from the
city. One of the primary proponents for the withdrawal of western military
forces was Nikita Khrushchev, whom over the course of his tenure as premier of
the Soviet Union demanded the withdrawal in the form of ultimatums on numerous
occasions. He was also a guiding factor in the decision to erect the Berlin
Wall to seal West Berlin in away from the outside world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">With Soviet armored
columns set up at various checkpoints facing west while construction forces
hastily erected the fortifications, Adenauer approached the United States with
the proposed betrayal. Bypassing both the United Kingdom and France, he
proposed the idea to both American Secretary of State Dean Rusk and President
John F. Kennedy suggesting that the United States would be able to negotiate a
deal with the Soviet Union, thus gaining West Germany more territory and
allowing the Soviets to achieve a major goal in its policies towards Germany.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As far fetched as the
idea was, Adenauer viewed West Berlin as a pawn in a larger chess game which
could be traded at any moment just so long as the United States agreed to the
move. It was however, highly unlikely that the proposal would be accepted by
the Kremlin in Moscow. As tempting a prize as West Berlin would be for the
Soviets in forcing the West beyond East Germany's borders it would require East
Germany to relinquish part of its industrial base over to West Germany. The
move was viewed by Adenauer to be a political gamble that he could profit from
as well as causing some tribulation between East Germany and their Soviet
overlords in the event that the Soviets showed signs of being interested in the
proposal. The benefit that the West would get from the transfer of West Berlin,
would come in the form of extinguishing long standing tensions with the Soviet
Union over control of Berlin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The plan however
tempting to Adenauer, was ultimately shot down by President Kennedy who
declared West Berlin as a fist made of brick and mortar that the United States would defend from the
Soviet Union at all costs. It would be his decision that defined the Berlin
commitment as well as the commitment to West Germany as territories that would
be protected from communism to any extent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kennedy refused to
bow to the Soviets and deliver the city of millions to communist control at a
time of extreme tension with the Soviets. in 1960, American pilot Francis Gary
Powers and his Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady reconnnaissance aircraft were shot down
over Sverdlovsk deep in the heart of the Soviet Union and on October 1962, the
Soviets began positioning nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island nation of
Cuba which would result in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Having trumped the
Americans twice so far the next move would be Kennedy's and on 26 June 1963,
during a visit to West Berlin, Kennedy reaffirmed that stance of the United
States to defend West Germany and West Berlin when he made famous speech ending
it with the phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Adenauer would remain
the Chancellor of West Germany until October 1963, when he was austed from the
position turning it over to Ludwig Erhard following a political scandal
regarding inept findings about the Bundeswehr. President Kennedy would be
assassinated a month later in Dallas in November of 1963. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Adenauer would remain
chairman of the West German Christian Democratic Union or CDU political party
until his resignation in December of 1966 before passing away himself on 19
April 1967. With his death, went the secret plan for the betrayal of West Berlin
to the Soviets and East Germans. The United Kingdom and France would remain
oblivious to the secret proposal and the Cold War would continue on for another
twenty years with many citizens of West Berlin also oblivious to just how close
they may have came to being betrayed by the very man who had promised to
support them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-91510170392201439402013-07-31T16:29:00.001-07:002013-07-31T16:29:22.063-07:00Generalmajor Landstreitkräfte Gesellschaftanzug - German Democratic Republic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYIC_P0Y0kk2UfKO78ypJ5d9naABbfRc6TPBJW6py5eRaUK1xv1h6GBxwstWgXGRhd1eLksK0aj1eKoojWN-Lh6LDUJDwwOmi_5VKbdazEqQ3HJ5ZpLMNFmVGH7c1MDHwF3pnZzBvWtg5/s1600/UN14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYIC_P0Y0kk2UfKO78ypJ5d9naABbfRc6TPBJW6py5eRaUK1xv1h6GBxwstWgXGRhd1eLksK0aj1eKoojWN-Lh6LDUJDwwOmi_5VKbdazEqQ3HJ5ZpLMNFmVGH7c1MDHwF3pnZzBvWtg5/s400/UN14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The uniform shown
here is comprised of the Gesellschaft jacket and trousers. The
Gesellschaftanzug or Social Dress was authorized for wear during formal or
social occasions. The Gesellschaft uniform was worn by both officers &
generals and was worn with white shirt, gray Nationale Volksarmee tie, the
stone gray trousers with the red stripe or colored waffenfarben of the
respective service branch, dress shoes and visor cap. The wear of the visor cap
varied depending on the occasion or event attended by the General.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">There were two basic
ways of wearing the Gesellschaft uniform: the Kleiner Gesellschaftsanzug
'Lesser Social Dress Uniform' was a variant of the Gesellschaft uniform which
was worn with ribbon bars and the officer's academy badge. The second variation
of the Gesellschaft uniform was known as Grosser Gesellschaftsanzug or 'Greater
Social Dress Uniform' which was worn with the four highest ranking medals, gold
General's aguillette and General's parade dagger. The jacket itself was the
same for both the Kleiner & Grosser Gesellschaftsanzug, only the
accoutrements worn differed. The
Landstreitkräfte Generalmajor Gesellschaft jacket pictured here is outfitted
for the Kleiner Gesellschaftsanzug. The tunic has a four button double breasted arrangement made with a very light gray colored material which was almost white in appearance. As in the case of many Generals and Admirals in the
Nationale Volksarmee, each General's Gesellschaft uniform was completely custom
tailored and made. It has the shoulder board insignia of a Generalmajor of the
Landstreitkräfte similar to the insignia depicted on the previous Generalmajor
Dienstuniform. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwQe8H1aDYcXRaLdIi_em2ZQ6sF1jU-aALxYsN3tq1sqDX65CsQC3uiHRCPIX8pqE5sv-u1cRs0KImC4BEhLmNL_8yPyjU-PYEegovaAn_hFp808Cyr5MNobBkvR4-o0sDHwA4IliYS1o/s1600/UN18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwQe8H1aDYcXRaLdIi_em2ZQ6sF1jU-aALxYsN3tq1sqDX65CsQC3uiHRCPIX8pqE5sv-u1cRs0KImC4BEhLmNL_8yPyjU-PYEegovaAn_hFp808Cyr5MNobBkvR4-o0sDHwA4IliYS1o/s400/UN18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMwI-uXz-8H07bsNqbxOJBQTkwqGIABLEI4H7dnjGcRzrz9XooxWlZ2b3lyzcC1NmplkdpzkJs_BwocjvEIEXEabXauZA6Jf4oR0uZcrb_zNxsKHNMTpWUQodlzaxJ550mju4PUaSZ0ZQ/s1600/UN20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMwI-uXz-8H07bsNqbxOJBQTkwqGIABLEI4H7dnjGcRzrz9XooxWlZ2b3lyzcC1NmplkdpzkJs_BwocjvEIEXEabXauZA6Jf4oR0uZcrb_zNxsKHNMTpWUQodlzaxJ550mju4PUaSZ0ZQ/s400/UN20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Generalmajor rank
is denoted by a single five pointed silver star mounted on a gold and silver
braided shoulder cord set against a bright red base. On the left of the jacket,
a ribbon bar or medal bar would be worn each individually suited to the General
officer wearing the uniform, with the cloth ribbons being assembled in the
proper order of precedence and then stitched onto a cloth backing that matches
the overall material of the jacket. The whole thing is then stitched down onto
the surface of the jacket.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIET7_ll7iHU_qBG1c_aaYfrv6FWXG1JKu70PiQV2h3RMyzRFdFOYOXK45Cx9WV7zgyQA52qJbGhMXE7pS-tpdRCuO_tgnTr5qzX3zCmFpLFYQ-kGhpt7YShfs0yKCVRoh3b-Gev2t2Xha/s1600/UN21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIET7_ll7iHU_qBG1c_aaYfrv6FWXG1JKu70PiQV2h3RMyzRFdFOYOXK45Cx9WV7zgyQA52qJbGhMXE7pS-tpdRCuO_tgnTr5qzX3zCmFpLFYQ-kGhpt7YShfs0yKCVRoh3b-Gev2t2Xha/s400/UN21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The triangular shaped
academy badge designates that the wearer was a graduate of one of East Germany's many service academies. The Nationale Volksarmee had a vast assortment of military academies with the Friedrich Engels Academy serving as East Germany's premier military academy. Although some graduates of the Friedrich Engels Academy
did rise through</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the ranks to attain the
rank of the General officers, it was way more common to see East German general
officers wearing Soviet academy badges as many were sent to the Soviet uniform
for higher education.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xuYXkWATApkZm1n4uah1ps4vtkNEuhaSANPm5c92PBugG0jntF8Rx2di-t6lA-9wRkYql0qIhKZhFMC19pKxO7St6iJp_yW1vx1l1z4QuR6y7Cvbf-g0GLoBVSOt_Bcn_c3IzEacBQzQ/s1600/UN13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xuYXkWATApkZm1n4uah1ps4vtkNEuhaSANPm5c92PBugG0jntF8Rx2di-t6lA-9wRkYql0qIhKZhFMC19pKxO7St6iJp_yW1vx1l1z4QuR6y7Cvbf-g0GLoBVSOt_Bcn_c3IzEacBQzQ/s400/UN13.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The pants of the
Gesellschaftanzug, which are generally the same stone gray trousers worn by
National Volksarmee personnel with the red striping running along the length of
the leg signifying the wearers status as a General officer. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-76002093127327106592013-07-30T18:57:00.000-07:002013-07-30T19:09:23.425-07:00Generalmajor Landstreitkräfte Dienstuniform - German Democratic Republic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv8h85uvO9vq5AyiqWMWrrrOqBn2Jkl-PkH3ZVgyrDXZOEUFpCPdNpnC3_SPgxK7FeAjHR4vcGOzDtzy3o9UBWs1O5YQcd617oACUCFKtoUrhdrtTmzJdvxrLhxkz8-VG32k2HP8_mAqM/s1600/UN1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv8h85uvO9vq5AyiqWMWrrrOqBn2Jkl-PkH3ZVgyrDXZOEUFpCPdNpnC3_SPgxK7FeAjHR4vcGOzDtzy3o9UBWs1O5YQcd617oACUCFKtoUrhdrtTmzJdvxrLhxkz8-VG32k2HP8_mAqM/s400/UN1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The uniform displayed
here is the Dienstuniform or Service Uniform of a Generalmajor or
‘Major General’ of the East German Landstreitkräfte, the land forces of the
East German armed forces. The rank of Generalmajor in eastern militaries is equivalent
to that of an American one star Brigadier General or in British rank
equivalents a Brigadier. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The uniform
jacket is the standard stone grey color of all Nationale Volksarmee uniforms
with the red colored piping of the shoulder insignia and collar bars known as
kragenspielen denoting the wearer's affiliation as a General Officer of the
East German armed forces. Generals in the East German armed forces were
signified by the wearing of the color gold in their uniform insignias. Gold
denoted a General, and silver a commissioned officer. The pants are also the
standard stone gray color as well with the reflecting red striping running
along the length of the pant leg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As members of the 'Parteiarmee" or Army of the Party
tasked with defending the people and the Party, all officers were required to
be members of the ruling SED communist party in East Germany. Political officers
charged with indoctrination of the troops on subjects reflecting ideological,
military, and global affairs formed an essential part of Nationale Volksarmee
daily routine. These courses were known as Politische Hauptverwaltung or
'Political Main Administration'. Like the Communist parties of other allied
socialist states, the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands known in English as the 'Socialist Unity
Party of Germany', or SED, assured complete control over the ranks by
appointing loyal party members to top positions and organizing intensive political
education for all ranks. The proportion of SED members in the officer corps
rose steadily after the early 1960s, eventually reaching almost 95 percent of
the total officer corps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The tunic would be
worn with a white dress shirt or standard grey issue service shirt along with a dark gray tie. During periods of
warm weather, officers were presented the option of omitting the tunic, or in authorized adaptation omitting dress shirt and tie with only the jacket being worn over service trousers with the Dienstuniform. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The winter service uniform featured a tunic
with four large buttoned-down patch pockets, a gold brockade belt, the service
cap, riding breeches, shirt, tie, and pants belt along with high boots. A long, heavy, belted greatcoat was also part of the winter
uniform.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The jacket also has a hidden loop on the interior lining for mounting the hangers for the General officer's parade dagger for certain events.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here is a picture of the stone grey pants with the red General officer's striping along the leg.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULi6D5Vxw7Up_Qhb3kQ4v_e1C2ukguXMs_TVcVYst-018QDt0SJs4xc8Fsxm5abN_vm2SupW7si1zCh20WdICgweHJ7RJgmzRxJebMn-RVtE0ee8m_fhuf_Dpded0BrBrPB-LlZgltupp/s1600/UN15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULi6D5Vxw7Up_Qhb3kQ4v_e1C2ukguXMs_TVcVYst-018QDt0SJs4xc8Fsxm5abN_vm2SupW7si1zCh20WdICgweHJ7RJgmzRxJebMn-RVtE0ee8m_fhuf_Dpded0BrBrPB-LlZgltupp/s400/UN15.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojirRm5QxPeAS_bryLWB1_EtaSBBf-NQLxXre-Z0yUHYO5PSdGaUJrBDT8qJektKSNKoHKPt1XwJ6V0yKrYXzNreu7a_SRD9a_yy3ZLdFO10HYBWRU5g_6EBwKiCf30fBtTWh-6XFATWD/s1600/UN17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojirRm5QxPeAS_bryLWB1_EtaSBBf-NQLxXre-Z0yUHYO5PSdGaUJrBDT8qJektKSNKoHKPt1XwJ6V0yKrYXzNreu7a_SRD9a_yy3ZLdFO10HYBWRU5g_6EBwKiCf30fBtTWh-6XFATWD/s400/UN17.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The visor cap is made
of the same gabardine material of all East German uniforms. Unlike West German
uniforms denoting branch as the central insignia and then flanked by the
national roundel, East German visor caps used the East German national insignia
as the centerpiece with the national insignia of a hammer and compass
surrounded by wreaths of wheat and German flags. Surrounding the roundel on
this example are laurel wreaths and applied with a felt background against the
face of the hat. This is unique to all General officer hats as other officers
junior in rank wore silver metal insignia. Rather than wear wreaths on the
visor like the West German's, East German officer's wore braided cords around
the cap reminiscent of styles of previous German armies. The gold coloring of
the braid and national insignia specify the wearers status as a General officer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVteLeufuA5Xsgcsi1ffp-Yb__hpePByXK8fjaeP9rgfkYQZhsPQNtdv6qeMN_JmgEtu75taU2f5R276uINstW_HsfVGNzLDAQ7ixAVt0LPJycRr_DCebUKHjoxr-vvggyg1UBojZCyjFe/s1600/UN2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVteLeufuA5Xsgcsi1ffp-Yb__hpePByXK8fjaeP9rgfkYQZhsPQNtdv6qeMN_JmgEtu75taU2f5R276uINstW_HsfVGNzLDAQ7ixAVt0LPJycRr_DCebUKHjoxr-vvggyg1UBojZCyjFe/s400/UN2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EkxcuH_kPs0GVtwLKz0Hm4dwJ9GCQJi1mG3m1CarTQGmUaKiXNwc8vXI8PGl7fYAm0eldUoiqBXZpRm5gW6MnxjNd24BuvojTDkS01wlFwEtJeMu6Q3GQMuzzrgmjeqcm-evp1ggHGIR/s1600/UN3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EkxcuH_kPs0GVtwLKz0Hm4dwJ9GCQJi1mG3m1CarTQGmUaKiXNwc8vXI8PGl7fYAm0eldUoiqBXZpRm5gW6MnxjNd24BuvojTDkS01wlFwEtJeMu6Q3GQMuzzrgmjeqcm-evp1ggHGIR/s400/UN3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Shown here is the
gold metal Kragenspiegeln or collar insignia of the General Officer Corps. They
are nearly identical to the types of Kragenspiegeln worn by General officers of the earlier Nazi Wehrmacht of 1935 - 1945. The East German armed forces borrowed
heavily from the previous regime in terms of uniform style and influence all
while maintaining a sense of embracing Germanic tradition in the heavy usage
of</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">the Prussian influence.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-vLRIZ3GvcjsIbHW8tcCiDlEuu6a6jEroOIQDJ0SlYTnW3JRWe4fZ5PKnXa3Z-Zhsei8VWaqR1UmXKbIezGzzrjfdCv6Bl4zXjoEL1e4Rykoyij0Ninmw2mwmv6Crg24QCmVTofwH3JJ/s1600/UN4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-vLRIZ3GvcjsIbHW8tcCiDlEuu6a6jEroOIQDJ0SlYTnW3JRWe4fZ5PKnXa3Z-Zhsei8VWaqR1UmXKbIezGzzrjfdCv6Bl4zXjoEL1e4Rykoyij0Ninmw2mwmv6Crg24QCmVTofwH3JJ/s400/UN4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This picture depicts
the shoulder board insignia of a Generalmajor of the Landstreitkräfte. The
Generalmajor rank is denoted by a single five pointed silver star mounted on a
gold and silver braided shoulder cord set against a bright red base. East
German officer ranks were modelled heavily on the existing Soviet rank structure.
In German military doctrine, the rank of Generalmajor was generally that
awarded to a junior divisional commander.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECb8wT7tzpFyFlT4KbhKqqPz81qVHz_d2vXdRSGhIq-7QhLt1_vGBzwFhyhir4-1MgZi2UmP9i15OgmTPZs6utQCClQ8PwN007bCtpH4csVsZ-ysEAnzke6IfkCOhUHzT_jUYUK1KvPPR/s1600/UN11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECb8wT7tzpFyFlT4KbhKqqPz81qVHz_d2vXdRSGhIq-7QhLt1_vGBzwFhyhir4-1MgZi2UmP9i15OgmTPZs6utQCClQ8PwN007bCtpH4csVsZ-ysEAnzke6IfkCOhUHzT_jUYUK1KvPPR/s400/UN11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The picture shown
here displays the intricate design of the</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">gold buttons of a General officer in the Nationale Volksarmee, bearing
the national hammer and compass insignia of the Deutsche Demokratische
Republik.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Dienstuniform consisted
primarily of a single breasted tunic with four buttons along the centerline and
corresponding buttons mounted on the pockets.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYArnmXjD4bsPP18MqSBf2L6ZADH4ktXWZwy3-7JQonaLM4-oGKaj9xlRH8_Z4-NEX-duIYYvp7pkV7uX6h6dhm7ZK5kMU9gmi6XDlN9X2jbM3_6y5u6mLTsDvFlDRj1IzC3tlKTxnr1UF/s1600/UN12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYArnmXjD4bsPP18MqSBf2L6ZADH4ktXWZwy3-7JQonaLM4-oGKaj9xlRH8_Z4-NEX-duIYYvp7pkV7uX6h6dhm7ZK5kMU9gmi6XDlN9X2jbM3_6y5u6mLTsDvFlDRj1IzC3tlKTxnr1UF/s400/UN12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A picture of the
General Officer Corps red waffenfarbe stripe embroidered around the cuff of the
uniform sleeve.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMVU_yEU8MV_aZiRyLd4w2b0M4AhyOzFY85Ix0HzD68Pg_2XQZpsp7gYMx9oZeYGUzur4WzjNAyXTTpntDv955hpxa37XogVNEJSJyWs8yc_KyeZh5qznlLPm1NzAAtwtPhMHNRf5lLoG/s1600/UN5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMVU_yEU8MV_aZiRyLd4w2b0M4AhyOzFY85Ix0HzD68Pg_2XQZpsp7gYMx9oZeYGUzur4WzjNAyXTTpntDv955hpxa37XogVNEJSJyWs8yc_KyeZh5qznlLPm1NzAAtwtPhMHNRf5lLoG/s400/UN5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On the right side of
the chest is an Academy badge denoting the officer school that the General
attended. The Nationale Volksarmee maintained an extensive network of schools
and academies focused on improving the technical expertise of its commissioned
officers. One of the main areas of focus with increasing responsibility was
increased focus on political reliability and the teachings of Karl Marx. Officers
becoming Generals in the East German rank structure were often sent to
educational institutions in the Soviet Union for enhanced training and language
training to become fluent in the Soviet Cyrillic language. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13079152227632470196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3643532826947591141.post-73981659459475594142013-07-29T18:43:00.000-07:002013-07-30T04:03:15.728-07:00A Tarnished Legacy: The F-104 and the Starfighter Crisis <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVjC0AKKtQcM73ZzjQ4vyH-LuK4F_veHvZ8FibdMcy7yQQaA9lB5BpcxLzO-ZX4ER2FB3ZdmJY_uOLVy7zgg-HxoLplbh19uoIur3uGhhdhB1nKsICWBA5UwMWS8mVITqoFyhuUE7RYEP/s1600/F1045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVjC0AKKtQcM73ZzjQ4vyH-LuK4F_veHvZ8FibdMcy7yQQaA9lB5BpcxLzO-ZX4ER2FB3ZdmJY_uOLVy7zgg-HxoLplbh19uoIur3uGhhdhB1nKsICWBA5UwMWS8mVITqoFyhuUE7RYEP/s400/F1045.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">When the Lockheed
F-104 Starfighter first flew in 1954, it was a state of the art interceptor
capable of achieving speeds in access of Mach 1 or the speed of sound. The
single seat, single engined fighter and its sleek slender silhouette would go
on to serve with a number of Air Forces worldwide including not only the United
States Air Force, Italian Aeronautica Militare, Royal Canadian Air Force and
Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. Nowhere would the reputation and service of
the F-104 be more diverse and defined than in the service of the West German
Luftwaffe. In West Germany, the Starfighter would be developed into a fighter
bomber with nearly 35% of all F-104s produced by Lockheed being manufactured
for Luftwaffe service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The aircraft was designed
as a high altitude interceptor by legendary Lockheed aeronautical engineer
Kelly Johnson. Part of the appeal of the aircraft was its radical wing design
utilizing a small trapezoidal shaped wing positioned midbody of the fuselage
versus the standard swept wing design of most fighter aircraft. The stabilator
was mounted atop the vertical tail fin to reduce the effects of inertia coupling
in high speed flight and the type utilized the power of the General Electric
J79 turbojet engine to propel it to supersonic speeds. As a result of its design,
the Starfighter had excellent acceleration capabilities, rate of climb and top
speeds however the aircraft had poor turn performance at sustained speeds and
was sensitive to control inputs which could prove unforgiving in the event of
pilot error. Under license from Lockheed, F-104s would be manufactured by some
of Europe’s finest aeronautical firms including Dornier, Fokker and Messerschmitt
of West Germany, Fiat of Italy and SABCA of Belgium. A total of 915 F-104s
would be delivered to the Luftwaffe with 30 of these airframes being F-104F
standard, 444 being F-104G models operated as multirole fighter bombers, 136
TF-104G trainers and 355 RF-104 reconnaissance variants <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The first F-104s to
be operated by the West German Luftwaffe were F-104F models, two seat versions
of the Starfighter used in the United States to train Luftwaffe instructors on
the aircraft type. These initial airframes carried United States Air Force livery
and serial numbers and were operated out of Holloman Air Force Base in New
Mexico. After the initial pilots graduated from flight training, the airframes
were turned over to Waffenschule 10 based out of Nörvenich in North
Rhine-Westphalia. Upon arrival in West Germany, the airframes received a new
Luftwaffe paint scheme and serial numbers and thus began the conversion of
Luftwaffe pilots from the earlier F-84 Thunderstreak and F-86 Sabre airframes
to the new F-104G Starfighter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBe4lwoRp2ZA4Sj-cgMjHttb3yuNEXavMr0jIEmEIqaW7-dwYmiWq-rF6o-dznZzH-AKlzSYyg1Lljk7kBzZa_DjgIKOvmwY3_JybnBbwg7z9MwWVVtiNHMZmmjE8elPPXK6aLJHeKJ1Eb/s1600/F1044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBe4lwoRp2ZA4Sj-cgMjHttb3yuNEXavMr0jIEmEIqaW7-dwYmiWq-rF6o-dznZzH-AKlzSYyg1Lljk7kBzZa_DjgIKOvmwY3_JybnBbwg7z9MwWVVtiNHMZmmjE8elPPXK6aLJHeKJ1Eb/s400/F1044.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQ8Gf4O1IFGwAkgAyossJlvuTXXEd4mzxH9szRfE6l6B-9lyms0hTPUTco2NbjCT7dovWbyRQI3S-ZZyPsef0ez_ZPbwZTRsyRiHY3BwxhxhKtXtBYOKsb7cFL1qvQvks2B65Dr-tsd0Y/s1600/F1042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQ8Gf4O1IFGwAkgAyossJlvuTXXEd4mzxH9szRfE6l6B-9lyms0hTPUTco2NbjCT7dovWbyRQI3S-ZZyPsef0ez_ZPbwZTRsyRiHY3BwxhxhKtXtBYOKsb7cFL1qvQvks2B65Dr-tsd0Y/s400/F1042.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The first unit to
begin operational conversion to the type was Jagdbombergeschwader 31 ‘Bölcke’ of
Fighter Bomber Wing 31 ‘Bölcke’ also based at Nörvenich. Type conversion began
in July 1960 with the Wing being declared fully operational in 1963. Following
the fielding of JBG-31 with F-104Gs, additional units equipped with the type
were Jagdbombergeschwader 32 based in Lechfeld, Jagdbombergeschwader 33 based
at Buchel, Jagdbombergeschwader 34 based at Memmingen and Jagdbombergeschwader
36 located at Rheine-Hopsten. These units operated the type as multirole
fighter bombers with two fighter wings being designated to use the type as
solely interceptors. These units were Jagdgeschwader 71 located at Wittmundhafen
and Jagdgeschwader 74 located at Neuberg. The RF-104G reconnaissance variant
was operated by two Aufklärungsgeschwadern or Reconnaissance Wings. These units
were Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 located at Manching and Aufklärungsgeschwader 52
located at Leck. The West German Marineflieger operated two naval air wings of
F-104Gs these were Marinefliegergeschwader 1 at Schleswig and
Marinefliegergeschwader 2 at Eggebeck. Marineflieger F-104G’s were operated in
the reconnaissance and anti-surface warfare roles. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The F-104G would also
be a main weapon in the Luftwaffe’s nuclear delivery component. The nuclear
weapons under the control of the United States, would be leased to the West
German military for use. In the event of a nuclear strike, an F-104 would mount
a single B43 one kiloton nuclear weapon along the centerline of the fuselage.
Nearly 250 Luftwaffe Starfighters were committed to the NATO nuclear deterrent
force with each wing maintaining six nuclear armed F-104s on twenty four hour
alert status as part of NATOs Quick Response Force. As part of the QRF, Luftwaffe
aircraft would be fueled and ready for launch within seventeen minutes of
receiving the order to strike Warsaw Pact or Soviet targets. In this mission,
Luftwaffe pilots utilized the Starfighter’s high speeds reaching operating
speeds of Mach 1.4 to penetrate hostile airspace and deliver its deadly
payload. After delivering their weapons, pilots would return to airfields in
West Germany and be rearmed with additional nuclear weapons and redirected to
secondary targets for further nuclear deployment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In the conventional
strike role, the F-104G would typically carry the Lepus flare bomb, CBU-33
cluster munitions, 500lb iron bombs and LAU-3A unguided rocket pods.
Marineflieger Starfighters would mount the Kormoran anti-ship missile on
underwing pylons. The Kormoran had a range of nearly 23 miles and utilized
delayed fuses for penetration of a ship’s hull structure before subsequently
detonating deep within the vessel. The weapon was intended to detonate just
above the ship’s waterline in an effort to inflict the maximum damage possible.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkfX1F5JTirwQUhi2ER8mky45gqpBDEnvgcK0CSkrK9KbNJcMTtbkVh8dbj9gkywI0F_asfw66nfwLiz-UgxXcAappHD1awHse5EZ0dDNTf3ctutCJ0Hwa7QvDT_zsjpYm_B_kPBF3vs4/s1600/F1046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkfX1F5JTirwQUhi2ER8mky45gqpBDEnvgcK0CSkrK9KbNJcMTtbkVh8dbj9gkywI0F_asfw66nfwLiz-UgxXcAappHD1awHse5EZ0dDNTf3ctutCJ0Hwa7QvDT_zsjpYm_B_kPBF3vs4/s400/F1046.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Problems began to
arise almost from the beginning of the introduction of the aircraft into
Luftwaffe service. At the time of the introduction of the Starfighter in 1961,
there were two crashes. An intensification of flying regimens saw an increased
accident rate with the type. As the years progressed, so did the number of
crashes in the type. The year 1962 saw seven crashes, 1964 saw 12 F-104s lost,
and in 1965 nearly 28 aircraft were lost in accidents. The lost rate calculated
to nearly two aircraft lost each month. In 1966, sixty one F-104Gs would crash
claiming the lives of thirty five Luftwaffe pilots. The alarming rate of loss
of the aircraft soon became known as the ‘Starfighter Crisis’ with alarming
records surfacing. The Crisis would peak with a loss rate of 139 aircraft for
every 100,000 flying hours. The unsafe nature of the aircraft in Luftwaffe
service sent the German media into a feeding frenzy giving the type derogatory
nicknames such as Witwenmacher ‘Widowmaker’, Fliegender Sarg ‘Flying Coffin’,
Fallfighter ‘falling fighter’ or Erdnagel ‘Ground Nail’. The surrounding
controversy over the accident rate of Luftwaffe Starfighters also led to the
rather unflattering joke of How does one own a Starfighter? Just buy property
anywhere in West Germany and wait and sooner or later one would crash into the
property.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The problem of the
Starfighter Crisis, lie in the fact that the aircraft was extremely unforgiving
in cases of pilot error and was extremely sensitive to control inputs. At the
time of the types introduction, the F-104G was one of the most technologically
sophisticated designs to enter service with the fledgling Luftwaffe and many of
the pilots and ground crews of the Luftwaffe were accustomed to civilian jobs
at the end of the Second World War. The lapse in aviation operations threw many
pilots beyond the learning curve and they failed to keep up with the
technological advances of jet powered aviation. As a response to this Luftwaffe
pilots were sent to relatively short refresher courses in first generation jet
aircraft which were underpowered in terms of the supersonic plus Starfighter.
Luftwaffe ground crews were also introduced to the type with minimal to no
maintenance experience on turbine engines, a reflection of the problem of
national conscription into military service. As crews would come up to speed in
learning to maintain the type, their service obligations would be completed and
they returned to civilian life requiring a new technician to learn the
maintainers course from the beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Terrain and weather
differences were also a factor. Luftwaffe pilots flying out of Holloman Air
Force Base in New Mexico and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona grew accustomed to
operating the aircraft in the relatively favorable weather of the southwestern
United States. When they returned to West Germany, many pilots found the north
western European weather to be relatively poor. Flights in inclement weather
coupled with flying at relatively high speeds, at low level through the hilly
terrain of West Germany attributed to a great number of accidents designated as
controlled flight into terrain or water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">On the airframe side,
the F-104G was an improved version of the standard Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
with a strengthened fuselage and wing structure. Other modifications included
larger fuel tanks for increased fuel capacity, an enlarged vertical tail fin,
strengthened landing gear complete with larger tires, revised flaps for
improved control in combat maneuvering, as well as improved avionics suites
like the Autonetics NASARR F15A-41B radar which was capable of both air to air
and air to surface mapping capabilities, Litton LN-3 Inertial Guidance System and
an infrared targeting sight. With the improvements to the airframe, it did not
change the fact that the intended purpose of the aircraft was to be a high
supersonic high altitude interceptor. In Luftwaffe service, the type was operated
as a fighter bomber which often took the aircraft out of its intended element
placing it in the unusual confines of low altitude operations. For operations
in the low altitude environment the aircraft relied on the inertial navigation
system which added additional weight to the airframe thus hampering its
performance. The inertial navigation system was widely criticized as being a
cause of distraction for the pilot as he would be monitoring the status of the
system in low level rather than paying attention to the terrain around him in
the low altitude structure. German media outlets often referred to the
Starfighters as overburdened by technology and labeled F-104 pilots as
overstrained and overburden aircrewmen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Further damage to the
Luftwaffe Starfighter fleet would come when the German media accused officials
in the West German government of accepting bribes in the acquiring of the F-104
in West German service. The fallout and frequent scandals revolving around the crisis would lead to the passing of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 1977 by the United States government which restricted any American businesses, trading securities, citizens, nationals or residents from engaging in any corrupt practices regardless of whether or not they are present on United States soil and it governed payments of anything of value involving foreign officials, candidates, dignitaries or parties that could effectively involve national interests. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Not to say that all
loses of the type were induced solely by the pilot many accidents were also
attributed to many causes which burden all methods of aerial
transportation. Many accidents were attributed
to bird strikes where a bird ingested into the engine could cause problems,
lightning strikes, pilot spatial disorientation, hypoxia and mid air
collisions. Other causes included technical issues involving the J79 engine
itself with its variable afterburner nozzle, contamination of the pilot’s
liquid oxygen system for high altitude operation which led to loss of
consciousness and malfunctions of the aircraft’s automatic pick up limiter
system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Compared to the NATO
average of Starfighter pilots flying twenty hours per month, West German
Luftwaffe pilots received roughly only thirteen to fifteen hours per month. The
F-104 required thirty eight to forty five hours of maintenance for every hour
flown and with hastily often poorly trained maintenance crews, the aircraft
typically did not receive the required level of maintenance and the results
were catastrophic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">One of the most
notable accidents involving the Starfighter in Luftwaffe service occurred on 19
June 1962 at Knapsack, North Rhine-Westphalia when a formation of four F-104F
two seat variants of the Starfighter were practicing formation flying to
celebrate the types introduction into active service. The aircraft crashed
together following a descent through a cloud formation killing three Luftwaffe
pilots and one United States Air Force pilot. The cause of the crash was
determined to be spatial disorientation of one of the inexperienced Luftwaffe
pilots causing his aircraft to fly into his wingman. All four aircraft were
destroyed and this incident resulted in the Luftwaffe instituting a policy of
forbidding an aerobatic formation flying display team. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In 1966, Johannes
Steinhoff, a veteran Luftwaffe pilot of the Second World War accredited with
176 aerial victories took over command of the Luftwaffe as the Inspekteur der
Luftwaffe ‘Chief Inspector of the Air Force’. One of Steinhoff’s first moves
following his instatement as the head of the Luftwaffe was to ground the entire
F-104 fleet. He was determined not to release the aircraft back into active
service until he felt the underlying causes to the high loss rate of F-104
Starfighters was resolved if not eradicated. During his investigation, Steinhoff
noted that F-104s of the United States Air Force and other non-German Air
Forces had significantly lower accident rates in the aircraft. With further
investigations, Steinhoff and his Deputy Inspector Günther Rall also a fellow
World War II veteran would journey to the United States to learn to pilot the
F-104 Starfighter under instruction and supervision by the type’s designers at
the Lockheed facility in Burbank, California. During their period in the United
States, Steinhoff and Rall annotated the lack of inclement weather and mountain
flight training combined with the handling characteristics such as sharp high G
turns could lead to accidents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Upon return to West
Germany, Steinhoff and Rall introduced a redesigned training regimen for
Luftwaffe Starfighter pilots and as a response loss rates dropped to being
comparable to those of other Starfighter operators. With an improved safety record, a new problem
soon emerged in the form of structural failure in the wing structure. The F-104
design calculations had not taken into consideration the high number of G force
loading cycles that would be exerted on the airframes operated by the
Luftwaffe. Another issue that Steinhoff and Rall noted lie in the ejection seat
operated in Luftwaffe Starfighters. Lockheed had initially supplied the
Luftwaffe F-104Gs with the C-2 ejection seat which used a powerful 10100
booster rocket manufactured by the Talley Corporation. The use of the Talley
rocket was said to give the ejection seat a zero-zero capability however they
caused a destabilizing effect following ejection from the aircraft. On 8 March
1967, the F-104 fleet was grounded again and all C-2 series ejection seats were
replaced with improved Martin Baker Mk-GQ7A zero-zero ejection seats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Initial successes in
the improvement of the Starfighter’s safety record were soon overshadowed with
F-104 crashes climbing to between fifteen to twenty aircraft each year between
1968 and 1972. The attrition rate would continue at a 9:11 ratio each year
until the type was phased out and replaced by the Panavia Tornado. The
subsequent jump in the loss rate of the aircraft led to the West German government
in Bonn to approve the order of 50 additional F-104Gs to replace aircraft lost
in accidents. Finally in 1971, the decision was made to begin the retirement of
the F-104 from Luftwaffe service. The first units to withdraw the F-104G were
the Reconnaissance Wings AKG 51 and AKG 52 which adopted the McDonnell Douglas RF-4E
Phantom II in its Wild Wiesel configuration for tactical reconnaissance. These
were followed by JG71 and JG74 in 1972 and 1973 when they received F-4E Phantom
IIs as air superiority fighters and JBG36 received Phantoms in 1976. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The first
Marineflieger unit to phase out the F-104G was MFG1 which phased out its F-104s
in favor of the Panavia Tornado in July 1982. The F-104G training school at
Luke Air Force Base in Arizona was closed down and by the middle of the 1980s,
the Luftwaffe had relegated the F-104G Starfighter to secondary roles. The last
Luftwaffe unit to operate the F-104G Starfighter was JBG34 which finally
retired its Starfighters upon receiving the Panavia Tornado in 1987. Only a
handful of F-104Gs and TF-104Gs remained in Luftwaffe service operated out of
Manching for various test, development and research programs. The last flight
of the F-104G in Luftwaffe service would occur on 22 May 1991 when the F-104G a
formidable airframe flew into history as part of the resurgence of Germany’s
defensive capability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By the time of its
retirement, the Luftwaffe would lose some 270 F-104s to accidents, equaling roughly 30 percent of West Germany's entire Starfighter fleet. Even more costly is the irreplaceable human toll of the deaths of nearly 110 German pilots at the controls of the Starfighter. The Starfighter's legacy in German military service is one of admiration, intrigue and in certain circles discontent. Many pilots had a love-hate relationship with the type, but in the end it would be the lack of proper training, maintenance, unforeseen technical issues and operating the type in environments it was not designed to operate in that would tarnish the image of the supersonic interceptor. While certain circles champion the F-104, others still hold the aircraft in negative light unable to move past the derogatory titles such as 'lawn dart' or 'tent peg'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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