The Navies of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic
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Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1983 The navies of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic: a comparison and analysis of structures, alliance relations, doctrine, and capabilities. Tindall, John M. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/19914 Dudley Knox Library. MPS Monterey, CA 93943 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS THE NAVIES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY AND THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC: A COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURES, ALLIANCE RELATIONS, DOCTRINE, AND CAPABILITIES by John M. Tindall June 1983 Th esis Advisor: David S. Yost Approved for public release; distribution unlimited, T208 . UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (TWian Dmtm Bnfrmd) READ INSTRUCTIONS REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE BEFORE COMPLETING FORM I. REPORT NUMBER 2. GOVT ACCESSION NO 3. RECIPIENT'S CATALOG NUMBER 4. T.TLEr-ndSubm/.; The Navies of the Federal 5. TYPE OF REPORT 4 PERIOD COVERED Republic of Germany and the German Demo- Master's Thesis; cratic Republic: A Comparison and Analy- June 1983 sis of Structures, Alliance Relations, S. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER Doctrine, and Capabilities 7. AUTHORf*) 8 CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBERS,! John M. Tindall » PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME ANO AOORESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT, PROJECT, TASK AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 93940 I I. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME ANO AOORESS 12. REPORT DATE Naval Postgraduate School June 1983 Monterey, California 93940 13. NUMBER OF PAGES 99 14. MONITORING AGENCY NAME » ADORESSfif df/farant from Controlling Office) 15. SECURITY CLASS, (at thla report) Unclassified 15a. DECLASSIFICATION/ DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE IS. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT foi ihit Report) Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 17. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of the ebetimct mtered in Slock 20, It dlHerent irom Rmport) IS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 1S. KEY WOROS ( Continue on reveree eldm It neceeemry ono* Identity by block number) The Navy of the Federal Republic of Germany The Navy of the German Democratic Republic Warsaw Pact; North Atlantic Treaty Organization Naval capabilities; Naval structures 20. ABSTRACT (Continue on ravoraa tide II noeaaaair *"<* Identity by block number) Since 196 7, when NATO adopted "flexible response" as the alliance strategy, reliance upon the conventional leg of the NATO triad has increased, including reliance upon the West German Navy. The West German Navy's principal mission is to implement the alliance's strategy of "forward defense" in the Baltic. During the same period of time, the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact naval forces in the Baltic, including the East German Navy, have also been strengthened. ! FORM ]473 EDITION OF 1 NOV SS IS OBSOLETE DD I JAN 79 UNCLASSIFIED S/N 0105. LF- 01 A. A401 UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE fWhan Dmtm Enlmrud) Thus, two well-equipped German navies of differing ideological and social systems face one another. This thesis which is not meant to be comprehensive, surveys the following topics in rela- tion to both navies: German maritime traditions; origins of the present German navies; organizational structure and relationships to alliances; doctrine, strategy and missions; and capabilities. S N 0102- LF- 014- 6601 UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAOE(T*h»n D*lm Enfr»a) Approved for public release; distribution unlimited The Navies of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic: A Comparison and Analysis of Structures, Alliance Relations, Doctrine, and Capabilities by John M. Tindall Lieutenant, United States Navy B.A. , University of Wisconsin-Parkside , 1973 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 1983 Dudley Knox Library, NPS Monterey, CA 93943 ABSTRACT Since 1967 , when NATO adopted "flexible response" as the alliance strategy, reliance upon the conventional leg of the NATO triad has increased, including reliance upon the West German Navy. The West German Navy's principal mission is to implement the alliance's strategy of "forward defense" in the Baltic. During the same period of time, the non- Soviet Warsaw Pact naval forces in the Baltic, in- cluding the East German Navy, have also been strengthened. Thus, two well-equipped German navies of differing ideo- logical and social systems face one another. This thesis which is not meant to be comprehensive, surveys the follow- ing topics in relation to both navies: German maritime traditions; origins of the present German navies; organiza- tional structure and relationships to alliances; doctrine, strategy and missions; and capabilities. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ------------------- g II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND- -------------- 13 III. ORIGINS- --------------_______ 19 A. THE WEST GERMAN NAVY'S ESTABLISHMENT ----- 19 B. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S NAVY OF NVA- ---------------------24 IV. STRUCTURES AND ALLIANCE RELATIONS- --------29 A. THE WEST GERMAN NAVY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO NATO- -------------------29 B. THE PEOPLE'S NAVY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE WARSAW PACT- --------------- 35 V. DOCTRINE AND MISSIONS- --------------45 A. THE DOCTRINE, STRATEGY AND MISSIONS OF THE WEST GERMAN NAVY --- __________ 45 B. EAST GERMAN NAVAL DOCTRINE, STRATEGY AND MISSIONS ------------------- 53 VI. CAPABILITIES ------------------- 60 A. CAPABILITIES OF THE WEST GERMAN NAVY ----- 60 B. THE CAPABILITIES OF THE EAST GERMAN NAVY - - - 6 8 VII. COMPARISON AND CONCLUSION- ------------ 73 APPENDIX A. STRUCTURE OF THE WEST GERMAN NAVY ----- 78 APPENDIX B. NATO'S NAVAL COMMAND STRUCTURE- ------ 79 APPENDIX C. GERMAN/DANISH AREAS OF PRIMARY AND MUTUAL INTEREST- ----------------- 80 APPENDIX D. EAST GERMAN MINISTRY FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE - 81 APPENDIX E. STRUCTURE OF THE EAST GERMAN NAVY ----- 82 APPENDIX F. THE DISPOSITION OF THE WEST GERMAN FLEET - 8 3 APPENDIX G. EAST GERMAN AND WEST GERMAN NAVAL BATTLE ORDER- ------------------ 36 FOOTNOTES ----------------------- 89 BIBLIOGRAPHY- --------------------- 95 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST --------------- 99 ABBREVIATIONS NAC —North Atlantic Counsel DPC — Defense Planning Committee ACE —Allied Command Europe ACLANT—Allied Command Atlantic ACCHAN—Allied Command Channel AFNORTH—Allied Forces Northern Europe AFCENT— Allied Forces Central Europe GERNORSEA— German North Sea Command FOG— Fleet Officer Germany FOD— Fleet Officer Denmark BALTAP — Baltic Approached NAVBALTAP — Naval Baltic Approaches STANAVCHAN — Standing Naval Forces Channel STANAVFORLANT— Standing Naval Forces Atlantic ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study has benefitted greatly from the counseling and assistance provided by Dr. David Yost, Coordinator, West European Studies, National Security Affairs Department of the Naval Postgraduate School. He greatly aided my research by providing source material and often needed encouragement. Also, I would like to thank Dr. Robert Bathurst, Professor of Soviet Studies, National Security Affairs Department of the Naval Postgraduate School for particular insight into the Soviet-East German relationship. Thanks is also incumb- ent upon Rear Admiral Willi Krauss of the "Bundesmarine" who expanded my knowledge of the situation in the Baltic from a West German viewpoint and displayed a candid overview of the West German alliance relationship. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Hoover Institution, its Library staff and particularly retired Captain Ryan, U.S.N. , who greatly facilitated the research for this study. I. INTRODUCTION The bay of Liibeck in the Western Baltic represents the maritime demarcation of East and West. There lies a nation divided into two separate states — the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. These states, established after World War II, have since recovered from that war's devastation and now maintain positions of in- creasing prominence within their respective alliance systems Their maritime capabilities have decidedly improved since the war and now provide for the possibility of these two fleets engaging one another within the context of a Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation. Only relatively recently, since both alliances began to place more emphasis on a possible conventional combat scenario with an unreinforced forces-in-being surprise attack, have the smaller navies of each alliance received increased attention. In the recent past the supposition of a probable nuclear conflict between the super-powers pre- cluded the necessity to assign much responsibility to the smaller navies. The possibility of a surprise, forces-in-being, non- nuclear attack in order to rapidly achieve a limited objec- tive places particular pressure on the two German navies. Each is situated on the foremost front of its alliance system and, most assuredly, would encounter the other in any naval action in the area. Their close proximity to the strategically important Baltic Approaches also underlines the importance of understanding more about the two German navies. This thesis attempts to provide greater insight into the navies of the two Germanies so that we might work more effectively in cooperation with the naval potential of our NATO partners in the West German Navy, and so that we might better understand some of our possible naval opponents, the East German Navy and others in the Warsaw Pact's United Baltic Fleet. To do so, this thesis is divided into chap- ters on German naval history, the