How tough would Germany have been to invade?

[RN7]

Looking at the relative strength of the East and West German armed forces at unification in T2K brings one thought to mind. The size of the combined German armed forces must have scared the pants out of the rest of Europe.

The West German Army numbered 12 NATO sized divisions on mobilisation with many more brigades in the Territorial Army, and another 6 East German divisions with 5 more divisions in reserve excluding police and security troops such as the border guards etc. The combined German forces are huge; 340,000 West German and 120,000 East German regular troops plus 700,000 West German and 300,000 East German reserves, with a mobilised strength of 1,460,000 troops.

The combined equipment levels of the German Army are actually staggering; 9,000 tanks (1,950x Leopard 2, 2,400x Leopard 1, 580x T-72, 650x M48A2G2, 250x M48, 3,000x T-55/54), 1,400 light tanks & anti-tank vehicles (170x PT-76, 770x JPz-90, 162x Jaguar 2, 316x Jaguar 1), 2,000 armoured reconnaissance vehicles (400x Luchs, 300x BRDM-2, 1,360x FUG), 3,300 infantry fighting vehicles (2,100x Marder, 1,200x BMP-1/2), 8,200 armoured personnel carriers (4,000x M113, 1,000 TPZ-1, 3,100x BTR-60/70) excluding hundreds of older vehicles such as the BTR-50. Artillery included 68 Surface-to-Surface Missile launchers (26x Lance, 18x SCUD-B, 24x FROG-7), 830 rocket launchers (250x MLRS, 265x RM-70, 209x LARS, 110x BM-21), 940 self-propelled artillery (226x M110, 30x M107, 585x M109, 85x 2S3) excluding PzH-2000, 1,200 towed field artillery guns & howitzers, 1,340 120mm mortars , 120x 120mm anti-tank guns, 300 light artillery guns and thousands of anti-tank missiles. The Army also had 143 Roland-2 SAM vehicles, 432x Gepard SPAAG, 130x ZSU-23-4 SPAAG and over 1,600 towed AA guns. The Army Aviation had 210x PAH-1 attack helicopters excluding the PAH-2 Tiger which was nearing delivery, 108x CH-53 heavy transport helicopters, 185x UH-1D transport helicopters and over 200 scout and liaison helicopters, while the Luftwaffe could add over 100 UH-1D transport helicopters and the East German air forces could add 50 Mi-24 attack helicopters, 80x Mi-8 transport helicopters and 30 light helicopters.

Although East German Army equipment was overwhelmingly of Soviet origin and its structure and training followed Soviet lines, the East German armed forces were considered to be one of the best elements of the Warsaw Pact's forces and were equipped with some of the Warsaw Pact's finest weapons as well as enormous stockpiles of ammunition. Overall German land forces are comparable in size and inventory levels to both the United States and Chinese Armies, but more concentrated

The German airforce and navy where maybe less impressive compared with contemporary European powers like Britain and France, but where still powerful and large organisations in their own right.

The Luftwaffe had just over 100,000 personnel, with its combat squadrons equipped with about 250 Tornado’s and over 130 older F-4F Phantoms. Over 150 Alpha Jet trainers were also certified to be used in the light attack role and the new Euro-fighter was under development. The Luftwaffe also had a large fleet of C-160 transport aircraft and helicopters. The East German Luftstreitkräfte had 39,000 personnel and nearly the same number of combat aircraft as the Luftwaffe (Mig-21s, Mig-23s, Mig-29s and Su-22s) and a dozen An-26 transports. Many of these aircraft were older types, but air defence squadrons were upgrading to the highly capable Mig-29 in the 1990’s. The Luftwaffe also held the responsibility for the land based tactical air defence of Germany, and controlled over 500 Patriot and I-Hawk SAM missile launchers, in addition to nearly 100 Roland-2 launchers. The Luftstreitkräfte’s large air defence command added another 200 SAM launchers including the highly capable S-300PMU, and many shorter ranged SAM’s. The Luftwaffe also controlled 72 Pershing 1A surface to surface missile launchers which were officially retired from 1991 after the US Army deployed the more advanced Pershing II missile in Europe. However these launchers may still be held in storage.

The navy lacked large surface units but still had a modern fleet of 25 submarines, 7 destroyers, 12 frigates, 40 fast attack craft and 45 mine warfare vessels and a few dozen auxiliaries with some ships held in reserve. The navy also had a large and powerful naval air arm of nearly 200 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, including about 100 Tornado’s. East German naval units added another 7 frigates, 21 corvettes, 30 fast attack craft, 24 mine warfare vessels, 12 landing ships and nearly 100 aircraft and helicopters. Although many East German naval units were older and short ranged warships, some of the corvettes, fast attack craft and mine warfare vessels were capable ships. Neither the West nor East German navies had marine or naval infantry, but the East German navy possessed 12 landing ships, and two infantry regiments of the East German Army where trained as amphibious landing troops and equipped with BTR-60P amphibious armoured personnel carriers. The East German Navy also controlled the patrol boats of the East German Border Troop’s 6th Border Brigade whose most notable role was to stop emigration to the West. The West German Navy also had a Special Forces unit of commando frogman; Verwendungsgruppe 3402 or Group 3402. Trained extensively in swimming, scuba diving, navigation, close combat, weapons, demolition, mine clearance and parachuting, it had an excellent reputation with strength of about 100 personnel. The East German equivalent was KSK-18. The Navy also controlled 20 Roland-2 SAM systems and 140 towed AA guns.

Prior to unification the West German Border Guard numbered about 20,000 personnel with 16 battalions and the counter-terrorist unit GSG-9. The Border Guards were armed with all sorts of military weapons and about 150 armoured vehicles and their own fleet of 100 helicopters, including 50 UH-1D and Puma/Super Puma transport helicopters, and there was also the Federal Coast Guard with two dozen patrol ships and boat. Excluding the regular police and federal intelligence agencies such as the BKA, BfV and BND the individual German states also had their own readiness police (Bereitschaftspolizei) who were available for riot control. In most states the Bereitschaftspolizei had just one battalion, but some of the larger states had forces organized into regiments equipped with transports, tents, rations, water cannons, armoured vehicles and small arms. Each state police force also has a Sondereinsatzkommando which are German equivalents to police SWAT teams, and some of the larger states have multiple Sondereinsatzkommando units. Equipment varies but all Sondereinsatzkommando units are well trained and armed with a variety of military and Para-military weapons and equipment.

Germany also inherited a large number of armed Para-military police units from its East German cousins, which were independent of East German military control. The East German Border Troops numbered about 50,000 personnel. Until they where reorganised in the late 1980’s they consisted of 19 active regiments and an artillery regiment with many independent companies, armed as light infantry with armoured cars, mortars, machine guns, tear gas, antitank weapons, and fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. East Germany also had a number of large paramilitary police forces that were independent from the Border Troops. The Ministry of the Interior had an armed force of 12,000 personnel who were organised into 21 battalions and equipped with armoured personnel carriers and mortars. The Transport Police also had a force of 8,500 personnel organised into 16 companies and armed with small arms and grenade launchers. The Ministry of the Interior was also responsible for the Working-Class Combat Groups, a militia of 500,000 members equipped with armoured vehicles, mortars, antitank and antiaircraft guns.

Of most note however was the Ministry for State Security, known as the Stasi who also had its own armed force; the 7,000 member Felix Dzierzynski Guard Regiment, which was responsible for protecting government buildings and personnel. The regiment had six motorized rifle battalions, an artillery battalion and a training battalion, armed with FUG armored vehicles, 120mm mortars, antitank and antiaircraft guns and helicopters. The regiment also had its own commando unit similar to the Soviet Army Spetsnaz forces. The Stasi was known to have operated at least eight intelligence departments. The Main Administration for Reconnaissance controlled East German intelligence in West Germany and in all other foreign countries. The Main Coordinating Administration worked with the Soviet and other Warsaw Pact intelligence agencies. The Main Department for Communications Security and Personnel Protection provided personal security for the national leadership and operated a secure internal communications system for the government. The Administration for Security of Heavy Industry and Research and the Main Administration for Security of the Economy protected against sabotage or espionage. The Main Administration for Struggle Against Suspicious Persons controlled the surveillance of foreigners in the country, including the diplomatic community, tourists and official guests. Administration 12 was responsible for the surveillance of mail and telephones, and Administration 2000 scrutinized the reliability of the armed forces personnel and operated a secret network of informants within the East German armed forces. The Ministry of State Security also operated its own penal system that was distinct from that of the Ministry of the Interior.