Bundesheer
At reunification the Bundesheer was a very powerful and highly mechanised force. The 12 frontline West German divisions were joined by 6 more East German divisions, and on mobilisation the numerous brigades of the West German Territorial Army and the 5 reserve divisions of the NVA expanded the size of the army to 1.5 million troops excluding border guards and security troops. Despite some obvious operational and integration problems, former East German troops were among the most competent among the Warsaw Pact forces and integrating them into the new Bundesheer proved an easier task than many outside observers assumed at the time. The East Germans also had to hastily defend their own territory against their former masters which proved to be highly motivational for many of them. Many NVA units had the same numbers as their West German counterparts, and as they were absorbed into the German Army former NVA divisions had a "2" prefixed to their original number. Although the Luftwaffe and the Deutsche Marine were heavily committed to the defence of Germany, the size and power of the Bundesheer was critically important in holding off the dozens of divisions that the Warsaw Pact through against Germany in the months after reunification until relieved by the full force of mobilised NATO power. In the period up to the nuclear exchanges of November 1997 the army was heavily involved in all NATO operations in Central Europe and in operations to contain Pact offensives against NATO through German territory. Additionally the Bundesheer was a key component of NATO operations to resist the Soviet invasion of neutral Austria and the Czech and Italian invasion of Southern Germany. Despite the devastation caused by the nuclear attack on Germany and the French occupation of territory west of the Rhine, the army has been a leading and essential part of every NATO offensive against the Soviets since that period. With the entire eastern half of Austria under Soviet occupation, the remnants of the Austrian Army were also absorbed into the Bundesheer in late 1997. Former Austrian divisions have a “3” prefixed to their original unit number, although most of the newly raised Jaeger divisions were also given this number in 2000. Confidence in the capabilities of the Bundesheer to contain any future Warsaw Pact offensive in Central Europe was a major consideration for US Military government defence analysts when plans were drafted for Operation Omega.
Although most East German troops were absorbed into the Bundesheer at German reunification the Bundesheer was initially reluctant to recruit former East German security troops due to concerns about their ideological loyalties, although East German Grenztruppen where admitted into the Federal Border Guards. High quality Para-military trained Readiness Police from the German Landerpolizei (state police) were freely admitted to the Bundesheer in early 1997, with many transferring to the Feldjaeger (military police) or specialised units in the Bundesheer. Members of the Landerpolizei Sondereinsatzkommando; the German equivalent to American SWAT teams, were especially recruited by Bundesheer airborne and special forces units. However with all army reserve units fully mobilised by the middle of 1997 the army became less fussy about whom they admitted. In the aftermath of the nuclear attacks on Germany redundant police, Luftwaffe and Navy personnel were increasingly drafted to sustain manpower levels in combat and support formations. Following the declaration of martial law the Border Guards were placed under military control with personnel increasingly drafted into the Army. By 2000 the Border Guards were a small force of about a dozen small battalions, including an Austrian battalion that remained under army control. However they still perform many police and security tasks such as guarding towns and POW and refugee camps. The army’s success in pushing most hostile foreign and unlawful elements outside of German territory, with the notable exception of the French west of the Rhine and the East German contingent on Rugen Island, has also led to an influx of new recruits and the reorganisation of existing forces, and the creation of several new light ‘Jaeger’ divisions. Since the withdrawal of most American forces from Europe in November 2000 the Bundesheer has been bolstered by equipment left behind by the American’s. Although a central government was reformed in Kiel in 2001, the ultimate authority in Germany remains the Bundesheer who are the only lawful authority in many areas still under martial law.
Weapons
The standard issue German infantry weapon at the start of the war was the Heckler & Koch G3 7.62mm battle rifle, although former East German troops used German built versions of the Soviet Kalashnikov AKM and AK-47 7.62mm and AK-74 5.45mm assault rifles throughout the war. From 1996 the new Heckler & Koch G36 5.56mm assault rifle began to enter service but it was never built in large enough numbers to fully replace the G3. The experimental Heckler & Koch G11 4.73mm assault rifle which used caseless ammunition was also issued to special-forces but producing ammunition for the weapons became difficult later in the war. Austrian troops continued to use Steyr AUG 5.56mm assault rifles while other NATO weapons such as the Belgian FN FAL 7.62mm battle rifle and versions of the US M16 5.56mm assault rifle also made it into the hands of German troops with many US weapons left behind after the evacuation of American forces. German support and special-forces units used 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5, Israeli Uzi and Soviet PP-91 KEDR, OTs-02 and 7.62mm AKMS sub-machine guns while Austrians troops used the Steyr TMP. The standard German sidearm was the 9mm Heckler & Koch P7 and USP pistols, while East German units continued to use the Makarov PM and the Austrians used the Glock 17. Various other sub-machine guns and pistols also found their way into German service such as the Heckler & Koch UMP, the Walther MP and the Belgian FN P90. German forces also used a number of different types of sniper and anti-material rifles. The G3A3ZF marksmanship variant of the G3 was widely used as were Soviet Dragunov SVD and the Austrian Steyr SSG 69 7.62mm sniper rifles. German special-forces also used the British built Accuracy International AWM .300 sniper rifle, and anti-material rifles such as the 12.7mm British AW50 and US Barrett M82 and M95. Military police were also issued with shotguns such as the Remington 870. War shortages also led to older weapons such as the Soviet SKS 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle and World War Two era Soviet Mosin-Nagant 7.62mm and former Wehrmacht Mauser Kar98k 7.92mm bolt-action rifles being issued to reserve and militia forces later in the war.
German support weapons included machine guns such as the Rheinmetall MG3 7.62mm general purpose machine gun and lighter Heckler & Koch G8 7.62mm light machine gun. Former East German units continued to use the Soviet 7.62mm PKM medium machine gun and RPD and RPK light machine guns while the Austrian used the Belgian FN MAG. The US Browning M3M (M2) 12.7mm heavy machine gun was also fitted to German armoured vehicles and transport helicopters, while other machine guns such as the US M60 7.62mm and the Belgian FN Minimi 5.56mm were also acquired. Infantry also used various types of infantry support weapons such as the French designed RT-61 and US M120 120mm mortars, and older US M30 107mm and the lighter M125 81mm mortar. Light anti-tank weapons included the Panzerfaust 3 rocket launcher and Swedish 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifles, with East German units using Soviet RPG-7 and RPG-29 light anti-tank weapons with some older Panzerfaust 2 rocket launchers issued to reserve forces. Quantities of US weapons such as M72 LAW anti-tank rocket launchers also came unto German use after the American evacuation from Europe. Infantrymen were also equipped with Heckler & Koch HK69A1 40mm grenade launchers and new Heckler & Koch GMG 40mm automatic grenade launcher issued in limited numbers from 1996. Large numbers of heavy anti-tank weapons such as Milan, HOT, TOW and the Soviet AT-3 and AT-4 missiles were also used by the German Army.
Vehicles
The German Army uses a wide range of military vehicles, but from the beginning of 1998 most vehicles from tanks to motorcycles were converted to run on alcohol fuels as supplies of diesel and petrol began to dwindle. The standard light vehicle of German forces was the Volkswagen Iltis and the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, known as the Wolf in German service. Both vehicles were produced in large numbers and some were fitted with MG3 and M2 machine guns and more rarely a Milan and TOW missile launcher. Soviet UAZ-469 jeeps used by East German units but were quickly discarded after German Reunification for more reliable western models and civilian vehicles. The Army used various models of the Unimog four wheel drive light truck and the MAN KAT 1 family of high mobility 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 wheeled off-road trucks for a wide variety of tasks. Various Soviet trucks used by the East Germans were also put into service along with Austrian OAF and Steyr vehicles from 1997. As the war progressed other trucks of NATO and Warsaw Pact origin and various commercial vehicles were also requisitioned into service, as were many former US Army vehicles after the evacuation of American forces from Europe.
Frontline German mechanised forces were equipped with the German built Leopard 2 tank. Most were Leopard 2A4 models but some newer Leopard 2A5 versions were also brought into service. Second line units used later models of the Leopard 1 tank, but as the war progressed all Leopard 1’s held in reserve and older M48A2G2 tanks were put back into service. Former East German units continued to use T-72 and T-55 tanks for the duration of the war while the Austrians used the M60A3. A wide variety of light armoured and armoured personnel vehicles of German, American and Soviet origin were used by German forces. Reconnaissance units used older tracked Jagdpanzer Kanone, Jaguar 2/TOW vehicles and Austrian SK105 Kurassier, or wheeled Spahpanzer Luchs, BRDM-2 and BRDM-3 scout vehicles. German airborne forces also used variants of the tracked Wiesel armoured fighting vehicles with anti-tank missiles, auto cannons or machine guns. Armoured personnel carriers included tracked Marder, M113, BMP-1, BMP-2 and Austrian Steyr 4K7FA, and wheeled Fuchs, SW-1, SW-8, UR-416, BTR-50, BTR-60 and BTR-70 vehicles. Withdrawing US forces also left behind considerable quantities of armoured vehicles including M1 and M60 tanks, M3 cavalry vehicle and the M2 and M113 personnel carriers. Engineer vehicles based on the chassis of the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tank included the Dachs engineering vehicle, Bergepanzer BPz2 and Bergepanzer BPz3 Buffel recovery vehicles, and Panzerschnellbrucke 2 and Biber armoured vehicle-launched bridge. American and Soviet engineering vehicles were also used, as were specialized vehicles such as the M3 self-propelled amphibious bridging vehicle and the M548G Skorpion mine laying vehicle.
German artillery forces use multiple types of self-propelled systems. Heavy artillery units are equipped with the American M270 227mm MLRS rocket launcher and the M110A2 203mm self-propelled howitzer. Field artillery use the M109A2/3 155mm and Soviet built SO-152 and SO-122 self-propelled howitzers, and 110mm LARS truck mounted rocket launchers. The German built PzH 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzer was scheduled to replace the M109 before the war but was only produced in small numbers after 1996. East German forces also use Soviet built BM-21 122mm and BM-24 240mm self-propelled rocket launchers and the Czechoslovak wheeled RM-70 122mm rocket launcher. The Panzermorser based on the chassis of an M113 with a 120mm mortar system is used as an infantry support vehicle. Light and second line forces were equipped with towed FH-70 155mm guns and US M102 and Italian OTO Melara Mod 56 105mm light howitzers, with former East German units continuing to use various towed 152mm and 122mm Soviet guns and howitzers and 100mm anti-tank guns. German air defence units were equipped with various types of short ranged missiles and anti-aircraft guns including the self-propelled Roland 2 and SA-4, SA-8 and SA-9 SAM system, the self-propelled Gepard and ZSU-23-4 and various towed anti-aircraft guns of NATO and Warsaw Pact origin in the 57mm, 40mm, 37mm, 35mm and 20mm calibre. A large number of man portable anti-aircraft missiles such as the US built FIM-43 Redeye and FIM-92 Stinger and Soviet SA-7 SAM missiles were also issued to German infantry during the war, with captured Warsaw Pact and French systems and some British Blowpipe and Javelin missiles also finding their way into German service. German artillery also controlled a force of mobile MGM-52 Lance surface-to-surface missile launchers, and former East German FROG-7 and SCUD-B launchers with conventional high explosive warheads. Most of the missile launchers were expended or destroyed during the course of the war but a few launchers are held in reserve.
Helicopters
The German Army Aviation Corps (Heeresfliegertruppe) operated a number of different types of helicopters at the start of the war including the MBB Bo-105P (PAH-1) attack helicopter fitted with six HOT anti-tank missiles, the Sikorsky CH-53G heavy lift transport helicopter and Bell UH-1D utility helicopter, and the MBB Bo-105M reconnaissance helicopter. The Franco-German Eurocopter Tiger (PAH-2) attack helicopter armed with a 30mm auto-cannon in a chin turret and two inner and two outer hard points for a variety of ordinance was beginning to enter service at the start of the Twilight War as a replacement for the PAH-1, but it was never built in large numbers and only equipped a few squadrons at most. East German Fliegerkrafte der Landstreitkrafte Mi-24 assault and Mi-8 utility transport helicopters were also transferred to German Army control, but despite the size of the Heeresfliegertruppe which numbered over 600 helicopters on reunification, the lethality of the war in Central Europe to low level helicopter operations led to huge losses. From the beginning of 1997 Border Guard Puma transport and police and commercial helicopters were requisitioned to replace losses. From the summer of 1997 Austrian S-70 Blackhawk and UH-1N utility transport and OH-58B light helicopters were also absorbed into the German helicopter fleet. In 2001 the Army operates a force of about three dozen or more helicopters although with fuel shortages they rarely fly. Withdrawing US forces also left behind helicopters, including some AH-64 attack helicopters. A few CH-53 and UH-1 helicopters were pressed into Germany service, but most former US helicopters are stored or are used for spare parts to keep the existing fleet flying.