Thread: Berlin in 1996
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Old 08-22-2016, 12:19 PM
James Langham2 James Langham2 is offline
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Originally Posted by RN7 View Post
The four Border Troop commands included Grenzkommando Nord that guarded the northern sector of the West German border. It had six frontier regiments, two training regiments, a helicopter flight and a boat section on the Elbe River. Grenzkommando Sud guarded the southern sector of the West German border with six frontier regiments, two training regiments and a helicopter flight. Grenzkommando Kuste guarded the coast and was organised as a coastal brigade with twelve marine battalions, eight boat companies and a helicopter flight. The patrol craft and helicopters were operated by the East German Navy. Grenzkommando Mitte was stationed in East Berlin, and it manned the crossing points into West Berlin and the perimeter surrounding it. It had six frontier regiments, one artillery regiment, two training regiments, one border crossing point regiment of eight companies, and one boat company to patrol the waterways in and around West Berlin. There were also two independent frontier regiments on the border with Czechoslovakia and Poland. As the Border Troops of Grenzkommando Nord and Sud were based on the inter-German border it is likely that their commanders were pro-German Reunification, as they were responsible for opening the border and allowing the Bundeswehr to cross into East Germany. The other Border Troop units especially from Grenzkommando Mitte and the regiments on the Czech and Polish border would likely have remained loyal to the East German regime. The East German regime no doubt planned to use the forces of Grenzkommando Mitte against West Berlin.
Usefully, yesterday at the Other Partizan wargames show I picked up Gordon L Rottman's Osprey book Fortress 69: The Berlin Wall and Intra-German Border. He gives a few details of the Grenztruppen.

Armament - 9mm Pistole M (Makarov), MPiK and MPiKM K47 and AKM), IMGK and IMGD (RPK and RPD), RP46 and sMGK (RP-46 and PK), sMG38 in AA role (DShKM38/46) and RPG7. Late issue were MPiK74N (AKS74) and RPG18.

Vehicles - Ural375D, KraZ214 and Tatra148 trucks. Trabant 601 Kubal (so low powered that on even gentle slopes passangers had to get out and walk) patrol cars. Motorradwerk Zschopau (MZ) ETZ250 and TS250/1/A motorcyles. Small numbers of helicopters (Mi2, 8 and 24). All can be identified by the bright green backing on the national badges. Tanks had been long withdrawn.

Troops in Grenztruppen Kommando Mitte (Frontier Troops Command Centre) are listed as on this picture:

Last edited by James Langham2; 08-22-2016 at 12:33 PM. Reason: added info
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