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East Germany’s Volksmarine (People’s Navy) is small but modem and is a potent force in the Baltic—probably the best-trained and most combat-ready non-Soviet Warsaw Pact navy. Although the Volksmarine does not have submarines as does the Polish Navy, it is a more balanced small coastal-warfare force than any other East European navy. Its main strength lies in its relatively large force of missile-armed craft and torpedo craft. It also has a strong coastal ASW capability, a sizeable but short-range amphibious lift capacity, and a relatively large number of mine countermeasures (MCM) ships. But probably its most important assets are its highly trained and professional officer corps and sailors. As the upheaval in the country continues, the role and missions, as well as the size and structure, of the Volksmarine are bound to change radically.
The development of East Germany’s naval force spans four decades, from a paramilitary sea police force to a modem coastal warfare fleet. In January 1950 the Soviets directed East Germany’s Main Administration for Training to organize a police force to patrol the coast and the three-nautical-mile-wide zone of coastal water off Soviet- occupied Germany. Thus the Sea Police Administration came into being.1 It changed its name in July 1950 to the Main Administration of Sea Police with its headquarters in Berlin-Niederschonwerde. Initially this administration controlled about a dozen old former Nazi German patrol and minesweeping craft (acquired from the Soviets in 1945 and then turned over to East Germany) and horse-mounted coastal guards.
The Main Administration for Training changed its name to the Barracked People’s Police in July 1952. At the same time, the Main Administration of Sea Police was transformed into the People’s Police—Sea, whose main task was to sweep mines from coastal waters and protect the shipping lanes and fisheries.
For purely police duties, the Border Police—Sea was organized in July 1952.2 It changed its name to Border Brigade in 1957, and to the Coastal Border Brigade in February 1962.3
East Germany’s People’s Chamber (or Parliament) passed a law on 18 January 1956 that led a month later to the establishment of the National People’s Army. Two months later, on 1 March, the People’s Police—Sea was transformed into the Naval Forces of the National People’s Army with the headquarters in Rostock-Wamemunde. The new organization, however, did not come into effect until 1 July 1956.
It was not until 5 November 1960 that the East German naval forces changed their name to National People’s Navy or the Volksmarine for short. The link to the Soviet Union remained and, in May 1962, the Soviet Baltic Fleet, the Polish Navy, and the Volksmarine came under the operational control of the newly formed command of the Socialist Fleets in the Baltic.4 This command, led by a three-star Soviet admiral, was based in Leningrad.
Naval aviation began in the Volksmarine in May 1963, when the first independent helicopter squadron was formed.5 This unit was redesignated as an ASW detachment in 1971. By 1 December 1976 the detachment was restructured into a helicopter squadron that later was named in honor of Kurt Barthel.6
Since 1981 the Volksmarine has attempted to modernize its increasingly old force of combat craft and coastal ASW component and improve its endurance on the high seas.
Force Organization: Despite the recent political changes in the country, the Volksmarine remains firmly under Soviet operational control. A Soviet admiral with a number of staff officers is permanently assigned at its headquarters
in Rostock-Gehlsdorf to ensure liaison with the Leningrad command of the Socialist Fleets in the Baltic. The commander-in-chief of the Volksmarine is essentially only an administrative post, in control of subordinate forces and the shore establishment.7
For administrative purposes, the Volksmarine comprises the Fourth Military District of the National People’s Army. The Volksmarine consists of troop parts, units, formations, and education establishments. The two basic naval combat arms are surface forces, which include attack forces, defense forces, and support forces, and naval aviation forces. In addition, there are also special troops (for communications and intelligence) and services (for rear service and sea hydrographic service).8
The total strength of the Volksmarine is currently 16,300 personnel, 2,300 of whom are officers.9 Five thousand of the personnel are afloat, 4,200 are shore support, and 2,000 are in training at any time.10 An estimated 25,000 are in the trained reserves.11
in 1985, consists of 3 border ship divisions with groups of patrol craft, 12 coastal surveillance bat-
'"GDR Border Troops May Rejoin Interior Ministry,” Daily Report Eastern Europe F815-EEU-89- 150, 2 August 1989, p. 7.
2Marineforum, November 1989, p. 20.
lJ. L. Couhat, B. Prezelin. A. D. Baker III, eds..
Soviet- and Chinese-built ships are either being scrapped or put out of service because of their age and lack of spare parts. The navy’s combat effectiveness is very low.
Albania: Albania’s navy reportedly has not changed in size or composition during the past year. The country still does not cooperate militarily with any of lts former patrons. Some of its former
irectly subordinate to the Volksmarine command are: l The First Flotilla at Peenemunde, which consists of one anding ship division, an ASW ship division (or squad- r°n), a minelaying and minesweeping division, a support ship division each, antiaircraft batteries, a music corps,
?nd a watch company
The Fourth Flotilla, at Rostock-Warnemunde, which is °rganized in one coastal protection ship division, an ASW 01P division, a minelaying and minesweeping division, a suPport division, antiaircraft batteries, a music corps, and a Watch company
The Sixth Flotilla, consisting of one missile boat and (’nc large torpedo boat brigade, two brigades of small torPedo boats (the “Fritz Globig” and the “Kurt Baier”),
°ne support ship division, and antiaircraft batteries and a ^Usic corps12
s ^aval Aviation: The 1,000-person naval helicopter /jUadron “Kurt Barthel” currently is composed of eight '-14PL Haze-A ASW helicopters and 13 Mi-8 Hip-F and JWen Hip-C combat helicopters. Besides ASW, the Mi-8s used for transport and search-and-rescue duties.13 The air arm was strenglhened in 1988 by its f l11 a*r squadron, composed of about 20 Su-22 Fitter-K a- ter-bombers. The squadron is collocated with the 29th 'r s9uadron of the air force at Laage, about 12 miles utheast of Rostock.14 It is likely that the naval helicopter 4Uadron was recentiy transformed into a naval aviation fe§'nient.
p Tk
ne 4,100-person coastal defense force, located at Tar- th ltZ’ reportedly consists of one missile regiment with ki[6e missde batteries, each with six launchers for the 80- Co°meter range SS-C-3 missiles. In addition, it has five that^b1 gUn divisions with at least 30 152-mm. D-20 guns y ,.,,1avc an effective range of about 18,000 meters.15 Sc,hf Coastal Border Brigade, named the “Fiete
o Ulze in rnnQlQtc nf ^ hnrrlf'r chin
East Germany’s potent and balanced coastal warfare force relies on platforms such as Parchim-dass ASW corvettes (the Giistrow, facing page), and Kondor-II- class mine warfare ships (the Gubeti, left).
talions, and several technical observation companies.16 The Coastal Border Brigade is responsible for uninterrupted surveillance of the country’s sea borders, patrolling the 90-kilometer stretch of the Elbe River bordering the Federal Republic of Germany and the waters around Berlin.17 Other units under command of the Volksmarine are:
- Naval Infantry Battalion (at Prora/Riigen Island)
- Sea Hydrographic Service of the German Democratic Republic (at Rostock)
- The naval engineers battalion (at Stralsund)
- The company of combat swimmers (at Kuhlungsbom)
- The naval educational establishment
- Naval Manning Division (at Rostock, Stralsund, and Rostick)
- Central Hospital (at Rostock)
- Testing Center (at Wolgast)18
Naval Education: The Volksmarine operates several schools for basic and advanced training of officers and sailors. The Higher Officer School Karl Liebknecht in Stralsund consists of four sections: unrestricted-line naval officers, ship engineers, social science, and general education. The total number of graduates for all sections of the school averages 150 per year.19
To be admitted to the High Naval School, one must be a graduate of an expanded high school or be in the tenth class of polytechnical high school able to acquire a college diploma in a one-year course as officer candidate. After a four-year curriculum at the High Naval School, the graduates are commissioned as lieutenants, and since 1987 have been awarded with diplomas.20 A career officer must sign for a minimum of 25 years of active service. The first female officers were graduated from the school in late 1988, but are assigned only to political or staff duties.21
Normally naval officers selected for high command and staff duties are sent to the Military Academy Friedrich Engels (Naval Forces Section) in Dresden or the Military- Political Academy Wilhelm Pieck in Berlin-Grunau. Future flag officers of the Volksmarine must complete their professional education at the Soviet Naval Academy Marshal A. A. Grechko in Leningrad or the General Staff Academy K. Voroshilov in Moscow. The Volksmarine's career officers of the rear service, medical corps, and military justice corps train at civilian universities.
Prospective petty officers are trained for five to ten months, depending on their specialties. Those pursuing a deck specialty study at the Fleet School I Walter Steffens in Parow, future radiomen and signalmen attend the Fleet School II in Kuhlungsbom, and engineers go to the ship’s technology school Ernst Thaelmann in Rostock-Wustrow.
All must sign up for at least four years of active service. After one year, they are promoted to petty officer rank.22
After two to three years in active service the petty officers are sent to complete another three to six months of advanced training in their specialty if selected for a higher rank.
Warrant officer ranks were introduced into the Volksmarine in 1973. Warrant officers must sign up for a minimum of 15 years in active service. After two to three years of service, some petty officers are selected to attend a one-year course and are then promoted to the lowest of four warrant officer ranks. They obtain a technical-school ^ certificate from their two-year practical training in the fleet.'
About 45% of the total Volksmarine’s personnel are draftees who currently serve 18 months in active service. Until the end of 1989 all would-be draftees were obliged to complete two-year paramilitary training in the clubs and centers of the Society for Sport and Technology. The latter operates about a dozen former Volksmarine ships and craft, including the training ship Wilhelm Pieck and the converted Kondor-I minesweeper Ernst Thaelmann. The draftees undergo four weeks of the basic training at the Sailor’s School in Danholm. Upon finishing their basic term of service, the sailors have the option either to serve for an additional three years or to be admitted to one of three petty officer schools and then serve for 12 years on active duty.
Combat Training: The Volksmarine’s ships consistently receive awards for the best ship or ship combat departments among the ships of the Warsaw Pact navies in the Baltic.
Until the events of late 1989, the Volksmarine put extraordinary stress on political education and indoctrination. The political work was directed by the Political Administration, which was, in turn, subordinate to the Main Political Administration of the National People’s Army. The Communist Party organization, the political organs, and the Free German Youth organization were the main vehicles for political education and indoctrination. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany maintained at every level a party cell or party organization. Almost all officers, 35%^ of petty officers, and 10% of sailors belonged to the party.25
Each larger ship or shore establishment had several organized party groups; on board a craft only one such party group existed. The basic party organizations were led by party secretaries. Regular party work was directed by the party directorates, which included ship commanders and unit commanders. In flotillas and brigades were large political sections, consisting of as many as 15 people. At least one deputy of the ship commander for political work was assigned on board larger ships.
The political work was intensive throughout the Volksmarine. In addition to regular political work, political officers were obliged constantly to hold various political discussions with all crew members. These political sessions were not popular. Their objective was to instill in the rank and file of the Volksmarine hatred for the “enemies of the working class,” and love for the Soviet Union. The Soviet Baltic Fleet was hailed as an example. The Federal Republic of Germany especially, and the United States and NATO, generally, were consistently portrayed as being aggressive and bent on unleashing the new world war. At the same time, consistent efforts were exerted to protect East German sailors from Western influences. Despite all these efforts, the political reliability of the Volksmarine proved to be much lower than the East German propagandists hoped, as the recent political upheaval in the country clearly demonstrated.
The National People’s Army, including the Volksmarine, appears to be changing (at least for now) much faster than anyone had thought possible. Depolitization—the separation of the party from the professional functioning of the armed forces—is gaining momentum. Although the political officers will be retained (at least for now) in all services of the National People’s Army, they will be political science instructors rather than party watchdogs.'6
Combat Missions: East Germany has played the most important role in the Soviet strategy toward Western Europe. This has probably changed, partly because of the adoption of defensive military doctrine by the Soviets and the Warsaw Pact, and partly because of the political transformation of East Germany. Nevertheless, East Germany remains the westernmost outpost of Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. The 310-mile East German coast offers the most favorable staging area for a possible Soviet-led overland drive to seize Schleswig-Holstein, the Jutland Peninsula, and the Danish Straits in a general European conflict. The sea distance from the Island of Riigen to the Danish-held island of Bornholm is only 46 miles, while 230 miles separate Rostock and Copenhagen.
Initially, the principal peacetime mission of the Volksmarine was to protect shipping and enforce the law in the country’s coastal waters. Its wartime tasks, as described in the early 1960s, were to cooperate with the other Warsaw Pact navies to attack and destroy intruding enemy strike groupings in the southwestern Baltic; to support to the ground forces operating in the coastal area in cooperation with the air force and air defense; to maintain a favorable regime in its own operational zone; and to organize and protect its own sea lines of communications. The Volksmarine was also to prepare to launch offensive actions in cooperation with its allies.27
By the end of the 1960s the East Germans stressed the cooperation of the Volksmarine with the ground troops in carrying both offensive and defensive actions along the coast.28 The principal peacetime tasks of the Volksmarine included patrolling beyond the country’s territorial waters against provocative NATO activities, preventing hostile intrusions into its own territorial waters, and organizing and maintaining protection of its own sea communications- In case of armed conflict, the Volksmarine was to interfere or interrupt the enemy’s sea communications and to cover
Interview with Admiral Vasil Yanakiev, Narodna Armiya (Sofia), 28 November 1988, pp. 1-2. Marineforum, July-August 1989, p. 278. Siegfried Breyer, “Schiffsmaterial und Schiffs- Waffensysteme der Jugoslawische Marine Heute,” Marine Rundschau, May 1988, p. 287.
l2Jane’s Fighting Ships 1989-90, p. 801. 13Marine Rundschau, May 1988, p. 289. 14Jane’s Fighting Ships 1989-90, p. 799. l5Marine Rundschau, May 1988, p. 289. 16Ibid.
llTruppendienst, January 1989, p. 4.
Dr. Vego is Adjunct Professor of East European Studies at the Defense Intelligence College, Defense Intelligence Agency. He teaches a new course there on Soviet naval operational art.
and support, in close cooperation with the air force and air defense forces, the actions of own ground troops in the coastal area.29
By the late 1970s the Volksmarine was to work with the Soviet Baltic Fleet and the Polish Navy to protect the
The current tasks of the Volksmarine have not been publicized, but likely the shift has been made toward a more defensive posture in accordance with the stated changes of the Soviet and Warsaw Pact military doctrine.
western maritime border and territorial waters of the socialist states from provocations and overt aggression.30
Conclusions: The Volksmarine most likely faces years of austerity and retrenchment because of the country’s acute economic difficulties. The political control exercised over the National People’s Army has loosened substantially. Thus, the role of all East German armed services within the Warsaw Pact, including the Volksmarine, is almost certain to be changed, possibly radically. Most likely, the role of the Volksmhrine in the overall Soviet Baltic strategy will greatly diminish.
Force Structure
Attack Forces ___________________________________
- Tartantul-1-class small missile ships
- Bal-Com-10-class missile boat
12 Osa-l-class missile boats, being withdrawn from service
- Shershen-class large torpedo boats, gradually being withdrawn from service
14 Libelle-class small torpedo boats
Defense Forces__________________________________
3 Koni-class “coast defense ships, second class” (frigates), used mostly for ASW and A AW, but also jointly with missile and torpedo craft to direct strikes against enemy surface ships and merchant vessels 16 Parchim-class “coast defense ships, third class,” primarily intended for ASW 12 Frosch-class medium landing ships 28th naval infantry regiment deployed at Prora (Rugen Island) since spring 1987
26 Kondor-II-class minesweepers that can also lay mines
Support Forces___________________________________
- Frosch-II combat supply ships used to carry cargo and ammunition, to lay mines, and to beach
6 Darss-class high seas combat supply ships, which carry 650 tons of dry cargo and 200 tons of fuel
- Riems-class Type-600 oilers
- Baskunchak-class oiler
- Gustav Koenigs-class harbor tankers
- Ohre-class barracks and supply ships 3 intelligence-collection ships
- survey ships 2 salvage ships
- 1,750-ton training ship (the Wilhelm Pieck)
Coastal Border Brigade____________________________
18 Kondor-1-class inshore minesweepers as patrol boats •0 Bremse-class coastal patrol craft 6 SAS-class fishing cutter-type coastal patrol craft 30 miscellaneous harbor patrol craft
Sea Hydrographic Service (all civilian crewed)__________
- survey ships
- 320-ton SK-64 buoy tenders
- Arkona-class, (Type-601) navigational aid vessels miscellaneous craft
'Zeittafel :ur MiUtargeschichte der Deulschen Demokratischen Republik 1949 bis 1984 (East Berlin: Militacrverlag der DDR. 1985) p. 14; Adm.
W. Ehm, "Die Entwieklung der Volksmarine, der NVA” Militaer- geschichte (East Berlin), April 1979, p. 406.
2Ehm, p. 407.
3Ibid., p. 160.
T. Barth, “Uber den Beitrag der Volksmarine der Nationalen Volksarmee als Teil der verbundeten sozialistische Ostseeilotte zum Schiitz der Sozialis- mus und Frieden” in B. Barth et al (eds). Flier den zuverlassige Schiitz der Deutsclien Demokratischen Republik (East Berlin: Militacrverlag dcr DDR, 1969), p. 207.
5Ibid., p. 190.
6Ibid., pp. 188-190.
7Truppenpraxis, Fcbruary-March 1989, p. 226.
“Lapp, "Die Volksmarine Mitte der DDR der 80er Jahrc." p. 556.
9Ibid_, p. 558.
’’’"Unclassified Naval Order of Battle—Soviet Union and Communist Eastern Europe, (Washington DC: Defense Intelligence Agency, DDB-1200- 124-89, June 1989)," p. 12.
"Truppenpraxis, March-April 1989, p. 226. l2Lapp, p. 560.
”Truppenpraxis, March-April 1989, pp. 226-227.
14M. Vego, "East European Navies” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings March 1988, p. 50; Ibid., March 1989, p. 142.
15Steven Zaloga, “Soviet Coastal Defence Missiles” Jane's Soviet Intelligence Review. April 1989, p. 172.
16Lapp, p. 560.
17Truppenpraxis, March-April 1989, p. 227.
"‘Lapp, pp. 480-482; Truppenpraxis, March-April. 1989, pp. 226-231:
M. Vego, "The Non-Soviet Warsaw Pact Navies” in J. L. George, editor, The Soviet and Other Communist Navies. The View from the Mid-1980s (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1986), p. 300.
KWehrtechnik, May 1984, p. 63.
•“’Lapp, p. 558.
21Wehrteclinik, February 1989, p. 46.
22Lapp, p. 557.
23Ibid., p. 557.
2JIbid., p. 557.
25Ibid., p. 559.
26“East Germany Revamping and Taking the Politics Out of Its Army"
The New York Times, 7 December 1989, p. A 20.
27Barth. p. 200.
-sIbid., p. 193.
29Ibid., p. 180.
3075 Answers on the National People’s Army of the GDR. Translated by the Intertext (East Berlin: Militaervcrlag der DDR, 1979), pp. 12, 69; The National People's Army of the GDR (East Berlin: Panorama, 1980), p. 31.
Milan Vego