Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) was a Principal Subordinate Command (PSC) of the

NATO Military Command Structure The Structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is complex and multi-faceted. The decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Planning Committee (NATO), Defence Pol ...

, with responsibility for the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002 and consisted of the

Danish Armed Forces Danish Defence ( da, Forsvaret, fo, Danska verjan, kl, Illersuisut) is the unified armed forces of the Kingdom of Denmark charged with the defence of Denmark and its constituent, self-governing nations Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The De ...

, units of the West German

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

and allied wartime reinforcements. The NATO command Baltic Approaches was created on 8 January 1962, with headquarters in

Karup Karup is a town in Viborg Municipality, Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , su ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. It was created at Germany's urging, in order to end the previous separation of the German naval forces between the NATO commands

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

and

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

. After the changes in the international security situation in 1990, the command was restructured in 1993 and deactivated in 2002. The area of responsibility of BALTAP comprised the territory of

(without

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

and the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

), the German states

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

and

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

and the eastern

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

, the Baltic approaches with

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. The ...

Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...

, the

Danish straits The Danish straits are the straits connecting the Baltic Sea to the North Sea through the Kattegat and Skagerrak. Historically, the Danish straits were internal waterways of Denmark; however, following territorial losses, Øresund and Fehmarn Be ...

, and the

. One peculiarity was the responsibility for air defence over the German part of the BALTAP area. Until 1990, the western

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

were responsible for air defence over the whole

Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

on the basis of the

occupation statute The Occupation Statute of Germany (german: Besatzungsstatut) of April 10, 1949 specified the roles and responsibilities of the newly created government of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the Allied High Commission. It was draw ...

. After

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

had withdrawn from the integrated military structure of the alliance, this task was undertaken by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The

Second Allied Tactical Air Force Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). 2 ATAF commanded all flying units based within its sector and ...

(2 ATAF) was responsible for the area of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, and was led by a British officer from RAF Germany, with headquarters in

Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach (, li, Jlabbach ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border. Geography Municipal subdivisions Since 2009, the territory of Mönchengladbac ...

. BALTAP was led by a Danish officer with the rank of a

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

or a Vice Admiral, who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP). His deputy was a German officer of the same rank. From 1962 to 1993, COMBALTAP was under the NATO command

Allied Forces Northern Europe Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) was the northern Major Subordinate Command of NATO's Allied Command Europe (ACE), located at Kolsås outside Oslo. In the case of war with the Soviet Union, AFNORTH would assume supreme command of all Allie ...

(AFNORTH) in Kolsås outside Oslo in Norway. After a change in the NATO structure, it was placed under

Allied Forces Central Europe Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) is a NATO command with its headquarters at Brunssum, the Netherlands. It was established in 2004 from previous commands as part of NATO's continuing command structure reductions in the face of a then-dim ...

(AFCENT) on 1 October 1993. For the operational command of the air and sea forces, a partial assignment of these forces to Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST) with its component commands AIRNORTHWEST and NAVNORTHWEST was made. In case of war, COMBALTAP would have had to lead the NATO forces assigned to it. According to plans, all Danish forces with the exception of some units in the outer regions were to be placed under COMBALTAP. Germany had provided for its land and air forces stationed in the BALTAP area, and its entire naval and naval air forces, to be subordinated to COMBALTAP. In addition, external reinforcements from the United States and Britain (UK Mobile Force, primarily 1st Infantry Brigade) were planned.

1962 to 1993

The structure that was brought into being with the creation of BALTAP remained with few changes from 1962 to 1994. During this time, BALTAP comprised 4 subordinate commands: * Headquarters Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland

Headquarters Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland

Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (COMLANDJUT) in Rendsburg * Headquarters Allied Land Forces Zealand

Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (COMLANDZEALAND) in Ringsted * Insigne incognitum

Commander, Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (COMAIRBALTAP) in Karup * Insigne incognitum

Commander, Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (COMNAVBALTAP) in Karup

Structure in 1989

Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland

LANDJUT was tasked with defending the

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

peninsula. Holding Jutland was crucial for the mission of NAVBALTAP to keep the

Danish Straits The Danish straits are the straits connecting the Baltic Sea to the North Sea through the Kattegat and Skagerrak. Historically, the Danish straits were internal waterways of Denmark; however, following territorial losses, Øresund and Fehmarn Be ...

blocked and thus prevent the Soviet

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

from breaking out into the

. In case the Jutland peninsula would fall into Soviet hands, the LANDZEALAND units defending the

Danish Isles This is a list of islands of Denmark. Overview There are about 406 islands in Denmark, not including the Faroe Islands or Greenland. Some 70 of them are populated while the rest are uninhabited. Some of the uninhabited islands have only become u ...

would have been dangerously flanked. Therefore, LANDJUT was to be reinforced at the earliest with British and American troops to ensure that advancing Soviet forces would be prevented from crossing the

Kiel Canal The Kiel Canal (german: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, literally "North- oEast alticSea canal", formerly known as the ) is a long freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The canal was finished in 1895, but later widened, and links the N ...

and

Eider Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quilt ...

river. British and American formations earmarked to reinforce LANDJUT included the British 1st Infantry Brigade and the American 9th Infantry Division. British infantry battalions and armoured regiments rotated every two years or so; thus locations are shown, but no unit identities. * Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland,

Rendsburg Rendsburg ( da, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'', nds, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Ecke ...

, commanded by a Danish or German

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

: ** 610th Signal Battalion, Rendsburg ** 2nd Signal Battalion, Tønder ** Corps Artillery *** HQ-Staff Battery, Flensburg *** 33rd Artillery Battalion, Skive, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment (24x M59 155 mm gun) *** 650th Rocket Artillery Battalion,

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish, Low Saxon: ''Flensborg''; North Frisian: ''Flansborj''; South Jutlandic: ''Flensborre'') is an independent town (''kreisfreie Stadt'') in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the ...

, (4x

Lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike si ...

missile launcher) *** 610th Security Battalion (Reserve), Flensburg *** 611th Nuclear Weapons Supply Company, Flensburg ** 600th Air Defence Regiment,

*** Staff Company, 600th Air Defence Regiment, Rendsburg *** 610th Air Defence Battalion, Rendsburg, (18x

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

missile systems mounted Marder 1, 108

FIM-43 Redeye The General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye is a man-portable surface-to-air missile system. It uses passive infrared homing to track its target. Production began in 1962 andin anticipation of the Redeye II, which later became the FIM-92 Stingerended in ...

launchers) *** 620th Air Defence Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg, (18x Gepard, 108

launchers) *** 630th Air Defence Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg, (24x Bofors 40L70) ** Jutland Battle Group (Reserve),

Holstebro Holstebro is the main town in Holstebro Municipality, Denmark. The town, bisected by ''Storåen'' ("The Large Creek") and has a population of 36,489 (1 January 2022).Centurion Mk V The Centurion was the primary British Army main battle tank of the post-World War II period. Introduced in 1945, it is widely considered to be one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and seeing ...

(84mm gun)) *** 7th Engineer Company *** 8th Artillery Btn, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment, (18x M101 105 mm howitzer) *** 8th Logistic Battalion *** 7th Military Police Detachment ** 1st Infantry Brigade,

Tidworth Tidworth is a garrison town and civil parish in south-east Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. Lying on both sides of the A338 about north of the A303 primary route, the town is approximately west of Andover, south o ...

, UK, United Kingdom Mobile Force *** HQ 1st Infantry Brigade & 215th Signal Squadron, Royal Signals, Tidworth *** 13th/18th Royal Hussars, Tidworth, (24x

FV101 Scorpion The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle, and also a light tank. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), CVR(T), family of seven armoured vehicles. Manufactured by ...

, 24x

FV107 Scimitar The FV107 Scimitar is an armoured tracked military reconnaissance vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) used by the British Army. It was manufactured by Alvis in Coventry. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion, but mounts a high-veloci ...

, 16x

FV102 Striker The FV102 Striker was the anti-tank guided missile carrier in the CVR(T) family and served in the British Army. Overview FV102 Striker was the Swingfire wire-guided anti-tank missile carrying member of the CVR(T) family. The FV102 Striker was e ...

, 19x

FV103 Spartan FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family. The vehicle can carry up to seven personnel, including three crew members. Armed ...

) *** 1st Btn,

Queen's Regiment The Queen's Regiment (QUEENS) was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Brigade. Then, until 1971 the regiment remained one of the largest regiments in the arm ...

, Tidworth, (43x

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

, 8x FV721 Fox, 8x 81mm Mortars) *** 1st Btn,

Devonshire and Dorset Regiment The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (11th, 39th and 54th), usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments, the Devonshire Regiment and the Dorset ...

Bulford Bulford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, close to Salisbury Plain. The village is close to Durrington and about north of the town of Amesbury. The Bulford Camp army base is separate from the village but within the parish. ...

, (43x Saxon, 8x FV721 Fox, 8x 81mm Mortars) *** 1st Btn,

Royal Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The reg ...

, Tidworth, (43x Saxon, 8x FV721 Fox, 8x 81mm Mortars) *** 1st Btn,

Wessex Regiment The Wessex Regiment was a Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, in existence from 1967 to 1995. Initially consisting of a singular battalion, the regiment was later expanded to also have a second. Formation The regiment was fo ...

(V),

Devizes Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...

*** C Squadron, Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales Own), Tidworth, (14x

Chieftain A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categori ...

tanks) *** 47th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Thorney Island, (24x

FH-70 The FH70 (field howitzer for the 1970s) is a towed howitzer in use with several nations. History In 1963, NATO agreed a NATO Basic Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently, Germany and UK sta ...

howitzers) *** 22nd Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers,

Perham Down Perham Down is a village in Wiltshire, England, in Tidworth parish on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. It lies on a minor road about east of the town of Tidworth and southwest of the town of Ludgershall. The county border with Hampshire is ...

*** No. 656 (Anti-Tank Helicopter) Squadron, Army Air Corps, (3x Gazelle AH.1, 9x Lynx AH.1), from 7 Regiment, Army Air Corps

Jutland Division

Jutland Division The Jutland Division (''Jyske Divisionskommando'') was a mechanized infantry formation of the Danish Army during the Cold War. It was formed during 1951-1952 as 3rd Division from assets of the III Military Region and the division headquarters was ...

Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vejle. It was founded in 16 ...

** 3rd Signal Battalion (Division HQ) ** 3rd Engineer Battalion ** 4th Battalion, Fynske Livregiment, (Motorised infantry Battalion: 10x

Centurion Mk V The Centurion was the primary British Army main battle tank of the post-World War II period. Introduced in 1945, it is widely considered to be one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and seeing ...

(84mm gun)) ** 6th Battalion, Jydske Dragonregiment, (Tank destroyer Battalion: 50x

(84mm gun)) ** 5th Battalion, Jydske Dragonregiment, (Reconnaissance: 18x M41 DK-1, 9x M113, 9x M125) ** Long Range Reconnaissance Company, Dronningens Livregiment ** Electronic Warfare Company ** 1st Jutland Brigade, Fredericia *** 1st Brigade Staff Company (including 5x M113, 8x

TOW Towing is coupling two or more objects together so that they may be pulled by a designated power source or sources. The towing source may be a motorized land vehicle, vessel, animal, or human, and the load being anything that can be pulled. Th ...

Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...

) *** 1st Battalion,

Jydske Dragonregiment ( Fortune Favours the Brave) , colours = , colours_label = , march = ''Danmarks Blå Dragoner'' (Denmark's Blue Dragoons) , mascot = , anniversaries = Formation (1 November 1679) The Rytterfægtning by Rosengarten (12 Oktober 1813) Battle of ...

, (20x Leopard 1A3, 21x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125 mortar carriers, 2x TOW on Land Rover) *** 1st Battalion, Fynske Livregiment, (10x Leopard 1A3, 32x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125, 4x TOW on Land Rover) *** 2nd Battalion, Prinsens Livregiment, (10x Leopard 1A3, 32x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125, 4x TOW on Land Rover) *** 6th Artillery Battalion, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment, (12x M109A3 howitzer, 8x M114/39 155mm howitzer, 15x M113) *** 1st Armoured Engineer Company (6 x M113) *** 4th Logistic Battalion *** 1st Military Police Detachment ** 2nd Jutland Brigade, Skive *** 2nd Brigade Staff Company (including 5x M113, 8x TOW on Land Rover) *** 2nd Battalion, Jydske Dragonregiment, (20x Leopard 1A3, 21x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 2x M125) *** 1st Battalion, Dronningens Livregiment, (10x Leopard 1A3, 32x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125, 4x TOW on Land Rover) *** 2nd Battalion, Dronningens Livregiment, (10x Leopard 1A3, 32x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125, 4x TOW on Land Rover) *** 3rd Artillery Battalion, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment, (12x M109A3 howitzer, 8x M114/39 155mm howitzer, 15x M113) *** 2nd Armoured Engineer Company *** 5th Logistic Battalion *** 2nd Military Police Detachment ** 3rd Jutland Brigade,

Haderslev Haderslev (; german: Hadersleben ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,011 (1 January 2022).Prinsens Livregiment The Prince's Life Regiment ( da, Prinsens Livregiment) was a Royal Danish Army infantry regiment. The motto of the regiment was "Gloria Finis" (Honor above all). History Because one of the regiment's antecedents was the life regiment of Queen Ingr ...

, (10x Leopard 1A3, 32x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125, 4x TOW on Land Rover) *** 1st Battalion, Kongens Jyske Fodregiment, (10x Leopard 1A3, 32x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 4x M125, 4x TOW on Land Rover) *** 7th Artillery Battalion, Sønderjyske Artilleriregiment, (12x M109A3 howitzer, 8x M114/39 howitzer, 15x M113) *** 3rd Armoured Engineer Company *** 7th Logistic Battalion *** 3rd Military Police Detachment ** Divisional Artillery Regiment Skive *** Staff and Target Acquisition Battery *** 23rd Artillery Battalion, (18x M114/39 155mm howitzer) *** 24th Artillery Battalion, (18x M114/39 155mm howitzer) *** 18th Heavy Battery, (4x M115 203mm howitzer) *** 19th Heavy Battery, (4x M115 203mm howitzer) ** 14th Air Defence Battalion, (Stinger, Bofors 40 mm L/70) ** Divisional Logistic Ålborg *** 3rd Logistic Battalion *** 10th Supply Battalion *** Heavy Transport Company *** 2nd Military Police Company

6th Panzergrenadier Division

* 6th Panzergrenadier Division,

Neumünster Neumünster () is a city in the middle of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. With more than 79,000 registered inhabitants, it is the fourth-largest municipality in Schleswig-Holstein (behind Kiel, Lübeck and Flensburg). History The city was fi ...

** Staff Company, 6th Panzergrenadier Division, Neumünster ** 16th Panzergrenadier Brigade, Wentorf *** Staff Company, 16th Panzergrenadier Brigade, Wentorf, (8x M577, 8x Luchs) *** 161st Panzergrenadier Battalion, Wentorf, (13x Leopard 1A1A1, 24x

Marder Marder may refer to: German military vehicles * A series of World War II tank destroyers: ** Marder I ** Marder II ** Marder III * Marder (IFV), a modern infantry fighting vehicle * Marder (submarine), a World War II midget submarine People with ...

, 12x M113) *** 162nd Panzergrenadier Battalion, Wentorf, (24x Marder, 6x Panzermörser, 23x M113) *** 163rd Panzergrenadier Battalion, Wentorf, (24x Marder, 6x Panzermörser, 23x M113) *** 164th Panzer Battalion,

Schwarzenbek Schwarzenbek is a town in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km northeast of Geesthacht, and 35 km east of Hamburg. Schwarzenbeks' coat of arms shows a black wolf on a yellow fiel ...

, (41x Leopard 1A1A1, 12x M113) *** 165th Panzer Artillery Battalion, Wentorf, (18x M109A3G) *** 160th Anti-Tank Company, Schwarzenbek, (12x

Jaguar 2 The Raketenjagdpanzer 4 Jaguar 2 was a West German tank destroyer equipped with anti-tank guided missiles. It was only operated by the Bundeswehr. History From 1983 to 1985, 162 Kanonenjagdpanzers were converted to ''Raketenjagdpanzer 4'' Jaguar ...

) *** 160th Armored Engineer Company, Schwarzenbek *** 160th Supply Company, Wentorf *** 160th Maintenance Company, Schwarzenbek ** 17th Panzergrenadier Brigade,

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

*** Staff Company, 17th Panzergrenadier Brigade, Hamburg, (8x M577, 8x Luchs) *** 171st Panzergrenadier Battalion, Hamburg, (13x Leopard 1A1A2, 24x Marder, 12x M113) *** 172nd Panzergrenadier Battalion,

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

, (24x Marder, 6x Panzermörser, 23x M113) *** 173rd Panzergrenadier Battalion, Hamburg, (24x Marder, 6x Panzermörser, 23x M113) *** 174th Panzer Battalion, Hamburg, (41x Leopard 1A1A2, 12x M113) *** 177th Panzer Artillery Battalion, Hamburg, (18x M109A3G) *** 170th Anti-Tank Company, Lübeck, (12x Jaguar 1) *** 170th Armored Engineer Company, Lübeck *** 170th Supply Company, Hamburg *** 170th Maintenance Company, Hamburg ** 18th Panzer Brigade,

*** Staff Company, 18th Panzer Brigade, Neumünster, (8x M577, 8x Luchs) *** 181st Panzer Battalion, Neumünster, (28x Leopard 1A2, 6x Marder, 12x M113) *** 182nd Panzergrenadier Battalion,

Bad Segeberg Bad Segeberg (; Low German: Sebarg) is a German town of 16,000 inhabitants, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, capital of the district (Kreis) Segeberg. It is situated approximately northeast of Hamburg, and west of Lübeck. It is famo ...

, (35x Marder, 6x Panzermörser, 12x M113) *** 183rd Panzer Battalion,

Boostedt Boostedt is a municipality in the district of Segeberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 50 km north of Hamburg, and 7 km south of Neumünster. Geography Boostedt lies in the southern part of the state of S ...

, (41x Leopard 1A2, 12x M113) *** 184th Panzer Battalion, Boostedt, (41x Leopard 1A2, 12x M113) *** 185th Panzer Artillery Battalion, Boostedt, (18x M109A3G) *** 180th Anti-Tank Company, Bad Segeberg, (12x

Jaguar 1 The Raketenjagdpanzer (RakJPz 3) Jaguar 1 was a West German tank destroyer equipped with anti-tank guided missiles. From 1978 to 1982, 316 obsolete Raketenjagdpanzer 2 units were converted into Jaguar 1s by replacing the SS.11 missile system ...

) *** 180th Armored Engineer Company, Lübeck *** 180th Supply Company, Boostedt *** 180th Maintenance Company, Boostedt ** 51st Home Defence Brigade,

Eutin Eutin () is the district capital of Ostholstein, Eastern Holstein county located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of 2020, the town had some 17,000 inhabitants. History The name Eutin (originally Utin) is of Slavic origin. I ...

(originally a brigade of the Territorial Army; it was partially activated and staffed in 1982 and subordinated to the 6th Division as reinforcement in 1985) *** Staff Company, 51st Home Defence Brigade, Eutin, (8x M577, 8x Luchs) *** 511th Jäger Battalion,

, (7x Leopard 1A1A2, 6x Panzermörser) *** 512th Jäger Battalion, Putlos, (7x Leopard 1A1A2, 30x M113, 6x Panzermörser) *** 513th Panzer Battalion, Flensburg, (41x Leopard 1A1A2, 12x M113) *** 514th Panzer Battalion (Reserve), Putlos, (41x Leopard 1A1A2, 12x M113) *** 515th Field Artillery Battalion, Kellinghusen, (18x M101) *** 517th Field Replacement Battalion,

Süderbrarup Süderbrarup ( da, Sønder Brarup) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the north side of the Schlei, approx. 20 km northeast of Schleswig, and 30 km southeast of Fl ...

*** 510th Armored Engineer Company,

Plön Plön (; Holsatian: ''Plöön'') is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 8,700 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on ...

*** 510th Medical Company,

Idstedt Idstedt ( ) is a village in Schleswig-Flensburg district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is c. 10 km. NNW of the city of Schleswig and east of the Bundesautobahn 7. On 24–25 July 1850, the Battle of Isted ended the First War of Schlesw ...

*** 510th Supply Company, Schleswig *** 510th Maintenance Company, Schleswig ** 6th Artillery Regiment,

Kellinghusen Kellinghusen () is a town in the district of Steinburg in the ''Bundesland'' of Schleswig-Holstein. Geography Kellinghusen is located northeast of Itzehoe on both sides of the Stör River. The federal highway Bundesstraße 206 passes Kellingh ...

*** Staff Battery, 6th Artillery Regiment, Kellinghusen *** 61st Field Artillery Battalion,

Albersdorf Albersdorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the Kiel Canal, approx. 14 km southeast of Heide. The place was first mentioned in 1281 under the name ''Aluerdesdorpe'', mean ...

, (18x M110A2, 18x

) *** 62nd Rocket Artillery Battalion, Kellinghusen, (16x

LARS Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries. Origin ''Lars'' means "from the city of Laurentum". Lars is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel". A homonymous Etruscan name was bo ...

, 16x

MLRS A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a voll ...

) *** 63rd Surveillance Battalion,

Itzehoe Itzehoe (; nds, Itzhoe) is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As the capital of the district Steinburg, Itzehoe is located on the Stör, a navigable tributary of the Elbe, 51 km (31.7 mi) northwest of Hamburg and 24 ...

, (12x CL-89 drones) *** 6th Custodial Battery, Kellinghusen ** 6th Army Aviation Regiment, Hohenlockstedt, (15x BO-105M, 24x

UH-1D The Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, first introduced in 1959, is the first production member of the prolific Huey family of helicopters, and was itself developed in over twenty variants, which are listed below. XH-40 and YH-40 The firs ...

, 21x PAH-1) ** 6th Air Defence Regiment,

Lütjenburg Lütjenburg ( Low German: ''Lüttenborg'') is a town of the district of Plön, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located approximately northeast of Plön, and east of Kiel. History left, Lütjenburg in 1895 Lütjenburg was founded in the 12t ...

, (36x Gepard, 216x

launchers) ** 6th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,

, (34x Leopard 1A1A1, 10x Luchs, 18x Fuchs - 9 of which carry a

RASIT RASIT (''RAdar de Surveillance des InTervalles'') is a ground-surveillance pulse Doppler radar developed by Thomson-CSF (now Thales), and fielded by several militaries. The original version of RASIT had a range of 20 kilometers and allowed a skille ...

radar) ** 6th Engineer Battalion,

, (8x Biber AVLB, 8x Pionierpanzer 1, 4x Skorpion Mine Layers, 12x Floating Bridge Modules) ** 61st Engineer Battalion, Lübeck, (8x Biber AVLB, 8x Pionierpanzer 1, 4x Skorpion Mine Layers, 12x Floating Bridge Modules) ** 6th Signal Battalion, Neumünster ** 6th Medical Battalion,

** 6th Supply Battalion, Neumünster ** 6th Maintenance Battalion, Hamburg ** 5x Field Replacement Battalions: 61st and 65th in Neumünster, 62nd in Itzehoe, 63rd and 64th in Hamburg ** 66th Jäger Battalion (aktiv), Wentorf, (30x M113, 6x Panzermörser) ** 67th Jäger Battalion (aktiv),

Breitenburg Breitenburg is a municipality in the district of Steinburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Stör, approx. 4 km southeast of Itzehoe Itzehoe (; nds, Itzhoe) is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. ...

, (30x M113, 6x Panzermörser) ** 68th Security Battalion (Reserve), Breitenburg

Territorial Command Schleswig-Holstein

* Territorial Command

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...

** Staff Company, Territorial Command Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel ** 600th Front Intelligence Company (Reserve), Neumünster ** 61st Home Defence Brigade,

*** Staff Company (Reserve), 61st Home Defence Brigade, Idstedt *** 611th Infantry Battalion (Reserve),

Klein Wittensee Klein Wittensee is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Klein Wittensee is south of the municipality of Groß Wittensee, and north of Bünsdorf Bünsdorf is a municipality in the district o ...

, (7x Leopard 1A1A1) *** 612th Infantry Battalion (Reserve), Flensburg, (7x Leopard 1A1A1) *** 613th Panzer Battalion (Reserve), Hamburg, (41x Leopard 1A1A1, 12x M113) *** 615th Artillery Battalion (Reserve), Hamburg, (18x M101) *** 610th Engineer Company (Reserve), Idstedt ** 71st Home Defence Regiment,

*** Staff Company (Reserve), 71st Home Defence Regiment, Neumünster *** 711th Infantry Battalion (Reserve), Neumünster *** 712th Infantry Battalion (Reserve),

Seeth Seeth ( da, Sæd, North Frisian: ''Seet'') is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. References Nordfriesland {{Nordfriesland-geo-stub ...

*** 713th Infantry Battalion (Reserve),

*** 710th Mortar Company (Reserve), Neumünster, (18x 120mm mortars) *** 710th Supply Company (Reserve), Neumünster ** 81st Home Defence Regiment, Süderlügum *** Staff Company (Reserve), 81st Home Defence Regiment, Süderlügum *** 811th Infantry Battalion (Reserve),

*** 812th Infantry Battalion (Reserve), Idstedt *** 813th Infantry Battalion (Reserve), Eutin *** 810th Mortar Company (Reserve), Süderlügum, (18x 120mm mortars) *** 810th Supply Company (Reserve), Süderlügum ** 60th Engineer Regiment,

*** Staff Company (Reserve), 60th Engineer Regiment, Klein Wittensee *** 620th Engineer Battalion,

Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...

*** 630th Engineer Battalion (Reserve),

*** 640th Engineer Battalion (Reserve),

*** 650th Engineer Battalion, Rendsburg, (8x Biber AVLB, 8x Pionierpanzer 1, 4x Skorpion Mine Layers, 12x Floating Bridge Modules) *** 660th Floating Bridging Battalion, Schleswig *** 670th Floating Bridging Battalion (Reserve), Albersdorf *** 600th Pipeline Engineer Battalion (Reserve), Idstedt *** 600th Amphibious Engineer Company,

*** 600th Signal Company (Reserve), Klein Wittensee ** 600th Signal Command, Kiel *** Staff Company, 600th Signal Command, Kiel *** 620th Signal Battalion, Flensburg ** 600th Medical Command, Neumünster *** Staff Company, 600th Medical Command, Neumünster *** 610th Medical Battalion, Itzehoe *** 6x Medical Transport Companies, 6x Field Clinics, 55x Field Hospitals ** 600th Supply Command, Flensburg *** Staff Company, 600th Supply Command, Flensburg *** 610th Transport Battalion, Heide *** 610th Supply Battalion, Seeth *** 620th Supply Battalion (Reserve), Süderlügum *** 610th Maintenance Battalion, Flensburg ** 60th Field Replacement Regiment, Rendsburg *** Staff Company (Reserve), 60th Field Replacement Regiment, Rendsburg *** 602nd Field Replacement Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg *** 603rd Field Replacement Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg *** 604th Field Replacement Battalion (Reserve), Rendsburg ** 610th Military Police Battalion,

Heide Heide (; Holsatian: ''Heid'') is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) Dithmarschen. Population: 21,000. The German word ''Heide'' means "heath". In the 15th century four adjoining villages decided ...

** 600th Army Aviation Squadron (Reserve), Hohenlockstedt ** 610th NBC Defence Battalion,

** 610th Field Replacement Battalion (Reserve), Husum ** 620th Field Replacement Battalion (Reserve), Idelstedt ** 6x Training Battalions ** 10x Home Defence Companies

Territorial Command Jutland and Funen

All territorial army units were part of the reserve. * Territorial Command Jutland and Funen (VLK) in

** 5th Signal Battalion ** 5th Engineer Battalion **

LRRP A long-range reconnaissance patrol, or LRRP (pronounced "lurp"), is a small, well-armed reconnaissance team that patrols deep in enemy-held territory.Ankony, Robert C., ''Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri,'' revised ...

Company (SEP/VLK (Homeguard)) ** Host and Support Battalion (Supporting arrival of NATO reinforcements in Jutland and northern Germany) ** Rear and Sustainment Battalion ** Logistics Support Group West (LSG-W) *** Supply Battalion *** Transport Battalion *** Medical Battalion (incl. Medical Train) *** Maintenance Battalion *** Field Replacement Commando ** 1st Territorial Region (Northern Jutland) in

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

*** 3rd Btn, Dronningens Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 15th Light Battery, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment (8x M101 105mm howitzer) *** Engineer Company *** 6x Homeguard Districts **** 6x Homeguard Staff Companies **** 31x Area Companies **** 6x Homeguard Military Police Companies ** 2nd Territorial Region (Middle Jutland) in Viborg *** 3rd Btn, Prinsens Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 9th Light Battery, Nørrejyske Artilleriregiment (8x M101 105mm howitzer) *** Engineer Company *** 10x Homeguard Districts **** 10x Homeguard Staff Companies **** 56x Area Companies **** 10x Homeguard Military Police Companies ** 3rd Territorial Region (Southern Jutland) in

Haderslev Haderslev (; german: Hadersleben ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,011 (1 January 2022).Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...

*** 2nd Btn, Fynske Livregiment, (Motorized Infantry) incl Two Tank destroyer Squadron, (2x12 Centurion Mk V (84 mm gun)) *** 3rd Btn, Fynske Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 11th Artillery Battalion (Reserve), Varde, Sønderjyske Artilleriregiment (16x M101 105mm howitzer) *** Engineer Company *** 5x Homeguard Districts **** 5x Homeguard staff companies **** 32x Area Companies **** 5x Homeguard Military Police Companies

Commander, Allied Land Forces Zealand

LANDZEALAND was tasked with defending the Danish Isles incl. Bornholm and preventing Warsaw Pact troops from amphibious landings. Order of battle in 1988. * Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (ELK),

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busiest ...

, commanded by a Danish lieutenant general: ** 1st Signal Battalion ** 1st Engineer Battalion ** 3rd Btn, Gardehusarregimentet, (Reconnaissance: 18x M41 DK-1, 12x M113, 9x M125) ** Electronic Warfare Company **

Company (SEP/ELK (Homeguard)) ** 9th Logistic Battalion ** 1st Zealand Brigade *** 4th Brigade Staff Company (5x M113, 8x TOW on Land Rover) *** 1st Btn, Gardehusarregimentet, (30x Centurion Mk5/2.DK(105mm L7 gun), 25xM113(incl 4 with TOW), 2xM125) *** 2nd Btn,

Danske Livregiment The Danish Life Regiment ( da, Danske Livregiment) was an infantry regiment of the Royal Danish Army. On 1 January 2001 it was merged with Sjællandske Livregiment, into Gardehusarregimentet. History The Danish Life Regiment trace its history bac ...

, (Mechanised Infantry - 10x Centurion (105mm L7 gun), 46x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 6x M106, 4 TOW on Land Rover) *** 1st Btn, Sjællandske Livregiment, (Mechanised Infantry - 10x Centurion (105mm L7 gun), 46x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 6x M106, 4 TOW on Land Rover) *** 4th Btn, Den Kongelige Livgarde, (Light Infantry) *** 1st Btn,

Kongens Artilleriregiment The King's Artillery Regiment ( da, Kongens Artilleriregiment, KAR) was an artillery regiment of the Royal Danish Army. History The ''Kongens Artilleriregiment'' was formed on 1 August 1982 by merging Kronens Artilleriregiment from Sjælsmark bar ...

, (12x M109A3, 8x M114/39, 14xM113 (1 x Kommando(BAO) 6 x Artilleryobserver 4 x SKC and 1xGreenarcher))) *** 4th Armoured Engineer Company *** 1st Logistic Battalion *** 4th Military Police Detachment ** 2nd Zealand Brigade *** 5th Brigade Staff Company (5x M113, 8x TOW on Land Rover) *** 2nd Btn, Sjællandske Livregiment, (30x Centurion Mk5/2.DK(105mm L7 gun), 25xM113(incl 4 with TOW), 2xM125) *** 1st Btn,

, (Mechanised Infantry - 10x Centurion (105mm L7 gun), 46x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 6x M106, 4 TOW on Land Rover) *** 1st Btn,

Den Kongelige Livgarde The Royal Life Guards ( da, Den Kongelige Livgarde) is a mechanized infantry regiment of the Danish Army, founded in 1658 by King Frederik III. The primary task is to provide a number of soldiers from the Guard Company to serve as a guard/cere ...

, (Mechanised Infantry - 10x Centurion (105mm L7 gun), 46x M113 (including 4 with TOW), 6x M106, 4 TOW on Land Rover) *** 5th Btn, Sjællandske Livregiment, (Light Infantry) *** 5th Btn, Kongens Artilleriregiment, (12x M109A3, 8x M114/39, 14xM113 (1 x Kommando(BAO) 6 x Artillery observer 4 x SKC and 1xGreenarcher))) *** 5th Armoured Engineer Company *** 2nd Logistic Battalion *** 5th Military Police Detachment ** 1st Zealand Battle Group (Reserve) *** Staff Company, (Den Kongelige Livgarde) *** 1st Antitank Squadron Gardehusarregimentet, (8x Centurion MkV (84 mm gun)) *** 2nd Btn, Den Kongelige Livgarde, (Infantry) *** 3rd Btn, Den Kongelige Livgarde, (Infantry) *** 16th Artillery Battalion, (16x M101) (Forkert antal alle 4 105mm afdelinger havde enten 18 eller 24 rør 3 x 6 /3 x 8) *** Logistic Company ** 2nd Zealand Battle Group (Reserve) *** Staff Company, (Gardehusarregimentet) *** 2nd Antitank Squadron, Gardehusarregimentet, (8x Centurion MkV (84 mm gun)) *** 2nd Btn, Gardehusarregimentet, (Infantry) *** 4th Btn, Gardehusarregimentet, (Infantry) *** 22nd Artillery Battalion, (16x M101) ** 3rd Zealand Battle Group (Reserve) *** Staff Company, (Danske Livregiment) *** 3rd Antitank Squadron Gardehusarregimentet, (8x Centurion MkV (84 mm gun)) *** 3rd Btn, Danske Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 4th Btn, Danske Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 21st Artillery Battalion, (16x M101) *** Logistic Company ** 4th Zealand Battle Group (Reserve) *** 4th Antitank Squadron, Gardehusarregimentet, (8x Centurion MkV (84 mm gun)) *** Staff Company, (Sjællandske Livregiment) *** 3rd Btn, Sjællandske Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 4th Btn, Sjællandske Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 4th Artillery Battalion, (16x M101) *** Logistic Company ** Corps Artillery *** Staff and Target Acquisition Battery *** 2nd Artillery Battalion, (18x M114/39 155 mm howitzer) *** 32nd Artillery Battalion, (18x M114/39 155 mm howitzer) *** 17th Heavy Battery, (4x M115 203mm howitzer) ** 13th Air Defence Battalion, (

Stinger A stinger (or sting) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods) capable of injecting venom, usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal. An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of v ...

) ** Corps Logistic *** 6th Logistic Battalion *** 6th Military Police Company

Bornholms Værn

The island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

was in wartime independent, due to the long distance from Zealand and agreements after World War II said that no foreign units could reinforce Bornholm. Therefore, Bornholm had only the Battlegroup and homeguard units of the 7th Territorial Region. * Bornholms Værn's Battle Group ** Staff and Signal Company ** 1st Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (4x TOW on Land Rover) ** 2nd Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (reserve) (4x TOW on Land Rover) ** 3rd Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (reserve) (12 x 106 mm RR on Jeep M38) ** Light Tank Squadron,"Bornholm Dragoons" (10x M41 DK-1) ** Light Reconnaissance Squadron (6x M41 DK-1) ** 12th Artillery Battalion (18x M101) ** Air Defence Battery (

) ** Bornholm Engineer Company ** Logistic Company

Territorial Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand

Except for the Royal Guard Company and the Mounted Hussar Squadron, which were made up of conscripts, all territorial units were part of the reserve: * Territorial Command, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (ELK) in

** Host and Support Battalion (Supporting arrival of NATO reinforcements on Zealand) ** Logistics Support Group East (LSG-E) *** Supply Battalion *** Transport Company *** Medical Battalion *** Maintenance Battalion *** Field Replacement Commando ** 5th Territorial Region (Zealand) in

*** 5th Btn Den Sjællandske Livregiment, (Infantry) *** 5th Region Engineer Company *** 9x Homeguard Districts **** 9x Homeguard Staff Companies **** 50x Area Companies **** 9x Homeguard Military Police Companies ** 6th Territorial Region (Northern Zealand/Copenhagen) in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

*** 4th Btn Den Kongelige Livgarde, (Infantry, 6 compagnies) (Northern Zealand/Copenhagen) *** Guard Company (Vagtkompagniet), Den Kongelige Livgarde, (Infantry) (Copenhagen, city) *** Mounted Hussar Squadron (Hesteeskadronen), Gardehusarregimentet, (Infantry) (Copenhagen, city) *** 6th Region Engineer Company *** 4x Homeguard Districts (Northern Zealand) **** 4x Homeguard Staff Companies **** 29x Area Companies **** 4x Homeguard Military Police Companies *** ? x Homeguard Districts (Copenhagen) **** ? x Homeguard Staff Company **** ? x Area Company **** ? x Homeguard Military Police Company ** 7th Territorial Region (Bornholm) *** 1x Homeguard District **** Homeguard Staff Company **** 5x Homeguard Area Companies **** Homeguard Military Police Company

Commander, Air Forces, Baltic Approaches

Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (AIRBALTAP) was a NATO

military formation Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation ...

under Allied Forces Baltic Approaches tasked with providing air support in the BALTAP area of operations. AIRBALTAP commanded all flying units based within its sector and all reinforcements flying into its sector, as well as ground-based radar systems and stations, air defence units and the airfields in its sector. The commander of AIRBALTAP was the commander in chief of the Royal Danish Air Force. AIRBALTAP was formed in 1962 with its area of responsibility covering Germany north of the river

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

and Denmark with the surrounding seas; however air defence for the German

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

was the responsibility of

The peacetime headquarters of AIRBALTAP were at

. AIRBALTAP commanded the

Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...

and flying units of the German

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

and Marine, as well as extensive air defence and radar installations manned by German and Danish personnel. If needed AIRBALTAP would have been reinforced with units from the US

Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

(UK based), Eighth (reconnaissance and bombing),

Ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

(immediate reinforcements) and

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...

(follow on reinforcements), and with

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

units. At the start of hostilities AIRBALTAP would have had immediately almost 300 combat planes at its disposal. The following units would have come under AIRBALTAP in wartime in 1989: AIRBALTAP was disbanded in 1993.

War Time Structure c.1989

* AIRBALTAP in Karup, commanded by a Danish lieutenant general: **

***

Aalborg Air Base Aalborg Air Base ( da, Flyvestation Aalborg) also Air Transport Wing Aalborg is a military air base for the Royal Danish Air Force . It is located at Vadum, near Aalborg, Denmark. Aalborg Air Base shares its runway system as well as some servic ...

**** Eskadrille 723, 16× F-16A **** Eskadrille 726, 16× F-16A ***

Karup Air Base Air Base Karup is the main air base of the Royal Danish Air Force. It is situated within Midtjyllands Airport, 3 km west of Karup in mid-Jutland. The air base covers 3000 hectares of land of which only a third is inside the operational area ...

**** Eskadrille 725, 20× F-35 Draken strike fighter, 5× TF-35 Draken **** Eskadrille 729, 20× RF-35 Draken reconnaissance fighter, 5× TF-35 Draken *** Tirstrup Air Base **** Co-located Operating Base to be reinforced by

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

squadrons *** Vandel Air Base **** Co-located Operating Base to be reinforced by USAF/RAF squadrons ****

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

(only in peacetime) *** Skrydstrup Air Base **** Eskadrille 727, 16× F-16A **** Eskadrille 730, 16× F-16A *** Værløse Air Base ****

Eskadrille 721 Eskadrille 721 of the Royal Danish Air Force is the sole squadron in 'Air Transport Wing Aalborg' of the Danish Defence. It provides tactical transport for all parts of the Danish state. History Eskadrille 721 (721 Squadron) was formed on 1 Octob ...

, transport aircraft (3×

C-130H Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

) **** Eskadrille 722,

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

helicopters (8× S-61A) *** Air Defence Command East, Skalstrup Air Station **** Eskadrille 541, Stevns Fort, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **** Eskadrille 542, Kongelund Fort near Aflangshagen Air Station, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **** Eskadrille 543, Sigerslev Air Station, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **** Eskadrille 544, Tune near Skalstrup Air Station, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) *** Air Defence Command West,

**** Eskadrille 531,

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...

, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **** Eskadrille 532, Odense, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **** Eskadrille 533, Skrydstrup Air Base, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **** Eskadrille 534, Karup Air Base, with 1× I-Hawk battery (6× launchers) **

*** Husum Air Base **** Jagdbombergeschwader 41, 2x squadrons with 18x Alpha Jets each, and 8x Alpha Jets in reserve ***

Leck Air Base Leck Air Base is located in Leck, Germany. It was closed as a military airport but a small portion remains open to public use. It was an important base during the Cold War because it served as an overflow to nearby bases. At Leck, ground and ...

**** Aufklärungsgeschwader 52, 2x squadrons with 15x RF-4E (Reconnaissance) **** 144th Air Defence Missile Squadron (Reserve),

Alt Duvenstedt Alt Duvenstedt is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country ...

, with 4x Roland systems ** Marine *** Marinefliegerdivision, Kiel Air Base ****

Schleswig Air Base Schleswig Air Base is an airbase of the German Air Force, home to Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (Tactical Air Force Wing 51) ''"Immelmann"'' (AKG 51) flying reconnaissance variants of the Panavia Tornado. It was formerly known from c.194 ...

***** Marinefliegergeschwader 1, 2x squadrons with 24x Tornado IDS each ***** Air Defence Squadron 1, Kropp, with 6x Roland systems **** Eggebek Air Base ***** Marinefliegergeschwader 2, 2x squadrons with 24x Tornado IDS each ***** Air Defence Squadron 2, Tarp, with 6x Roland systems **** Nordholz Airbase, tasked with submarine hunting in the

***** Marinefliegergeschwader 3, 2x squadrons with a total of 20x

Breguet Atlantic Breguet or Bréguet may refer to: * Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer **Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker **Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work * Bréguet ...

(15x

maritime patrol {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008 Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to ac ...

and 5x BR 1150M

signals intelligence Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...

variant), 1x squadron with 19x Sea Lynx Mk88 helicopters for Navy's destroyers and frigates ***** Air Defence Squadron 3,

Nordholz Nordholz is a village and a former municipality in the Cuxhaven (district), district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2015 it is part of the municipality Wurster Nordseeküste. It is situated approximately 25 km north of ...

, with 6x Roland systems

Commander, Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches

Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP) was located until 1976 in Kiel-Holtenau, and thereafter at Karup. Its commander was a Danish or German vice admiral and had the following deputy commanders: * Flag Officer Denmark (FOD) in

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

, simultaneously the national commander of the Danish fleet. Task Force designation 420. * Flag Officer Germany (FOG) in

Glücksburg Glücksburg (; da, Lyksborg) is a small town northeast of Flensburg in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and is the northernmost town in Germany. It is situated on the south side of the Flensborg Fjord, an inlet ...

, simultaneously the national commander of the German fleet. Task Force designation 500. * Commander German North Sea Subarea (COMGERNORSEA) in

Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...

- Sengwarden, simultaneously the German national Commander Naval Forces

(''Befehlshaber der Seestreitkräfte der Nordsee'' (BSN)). The task of NAVBALTAP was to keep the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...

's United Baltic Sea Fleets, consisting of the Soviet

, Polish Navy and

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

Volksmarine The ''Volksmarine'' (VM, ; en, People's Navy) was the naval force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The ''Volksmarine'' was one of the service branches of the National People's Army and primarily performed a coastal d ...

bottled up in the

by blocking the

and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the

. To fulfill its mission NAVBALTAP commanded the entire German as well as the ships of the

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the Naval warfare, sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Denmark, Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Isla ...

based in Denmark. The ships based in

and the

Faroe islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

were under the command of

Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at ...

Flag Officer Denmark

The Flag Officer Denmark (FOD) commanded the entire Danish home fleet. As the fleet's main tasks were to prevent Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits and to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the Danish navy fielded a large number of

minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing controll ...

s and

fast attack craft A fast attack craft (FAC) is a small, fast, agile, offensive, often affordable warship armed with anti-ship missiles, gun or torpedoes. FACs are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the seakeeping and all-round defensive ...

s. The first would have been used to

mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...

all sealanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks. Additionally the Danish navy fielded

RGM-84 Harpoon The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and later AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Mi ...

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...

s mounted on

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...

trucks as mobile

coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...

. The navy's main bases were *

Holmen Naval Base Naval Station Holmen ( da, Flådestation Holmen) is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør. Founded in the late 17th century, it is also a visitor attracti ...

* Naval Station Frederikshavn * Naval Station Korsør. Minor naval bases were * Torpedo Station Kongsøre (base of the

Frogman Corps A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, comb ...

and ) * Marine Station Aarhus (base of the Danish Fleet Admiral) * Lyngsbæk Pier (naval mine depot and part of NEPS) * Marine Station Esbjerg (NATO Reinforce Port and part of NEPS) The coastal fortification * Stevnsfortet should control the southern entrance to

Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; da, Øresund ; sv, Öresund ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width v ...

* Langelandsfortet should control the southern entrance to the

Great Belt The Great Belt ( da, Storebælt, ) is a strait between the major islands of Zealand (''Sjælland'') and Funen (''Fyn'') in Denmark. It is one of the three Danish Straits. Effectively dividing Denmark in two, the Belt was served by the Great Be ...

. Minor naval stations, as part of sea surveillance. * Marine Station Møn * Marine Station Gedser * Marine Station Bornholm Aerial support was provided by the

Danish Naval Air Squadron The Danish Navy Air Squadron ( da, Søværnets Helikoptertjeneste), was the aerial component of the Danish navy, from 1977 to December 31, 2010. Operationally it was directly under command of the Danish Naval Command, but maintenance of the eig ...

(''Søværnets Flyvetjeneste'') based at

Værløse Air Base Værløse Air Base ( Danish: Flyvestation Værløse) is a former Royal Danish Air Force air base located just south of Værløse, Furesø Municipality, 20 kilometres northwest of central Copenhagen, Denmark. Its ICAO code is EKVL. History Fou ...

with 8x Lynx Mk.80 helicopters. The torpedo boats had a mobile base (MOBA) with approximately 40 trucks. MOBA LOG supplied fuel, ordnance, freshwater and provided repair facilities outside the naval bases. MOBA OPS had mobile radars for tactical surveillance and target acquisition. At the beginning of 1989 the Danish navy consisted of the following ships.

= ''Fregateskadren'' FGE (Danish Frigate Squadron) 2nd Squadron from April 1992

= * Peder Skram-class frigate ** F352 Peder Skram ** F353 Herluf Trolle * Niels Juel-class corvette ** F354 Niels Juel ** F355 Olfert Fischer ** F356 Peter Tordenskiold * Daphne-class (based on the British Ford-class seaward defence craft) ** P530 Daphne ** P531 Dryaden ** P533 Havfruen ** P534 Najaden ** P535 Nymfen ** P536 Neptun decommissioned October 30, 1989 ** P537 Ran ** P538 Rota decommissioned October 31, 1989

= ''Torpedobådseskadren'' TBE (Danish Torpedo Boat Squadron) 4th Squadron from April 1992

= * Søløven-class fast torpedo boat ** P510 Søløven ** P511 Søridderen ** P512 Søbjørnen ** P513 Søhesten ** P514 Søhunden ** P515 Søulven * Willemoes-class fast missile-torpedo boats ** P540 Bille ** P541 Bredal ** P542 Hammer ** P543 Huitfeldt ** P544 Krieger ** P545 Norby ** P546 Rodsteen ** P547 Sehested ** P548 Suenson ** P549 Willemoes * Faxe-klassen oiler ** A568 Rimfaxe ** A569 Skinfaxe * Mobile base for the torpedo boats (MOBA)

= ''Ubådseskadren'' UBE (Danish Submarine Squadron) 5th Squadron from April 1992

= * Narwhal-class submarine ** S320 Narhvalen ** S321 Nordkaperen *

Kobben-class submarine The ''Kobben'' class (also known as Type 207) is a customized version of the German Type 205 submarine. Fifteen vessels of this class were built for use by the Royal Norwegian Navy in the 1960s. The class later saw service with Denmark and Pola ...

** S322 Tumleren, bought from Norway, commissioned on October 20, 1989 * Delfin-class submarine ** S327 Spækhuggeren, decommissioned July 31, 1989 ** S329 Springeren

= ''Mineskibseskadren'' MSE (Danish Mine Ship Squadron) 3rd Squadron from April 1992

= * Lindormen-class cable minelayer ** N43 Lindormen ** N44 Lossen * Falster-class minelayer ** N80 Falster ** N81 Fyen ** N82 Møen ** N83 Sjælland * Sund-class minesweepers ** M572 Alssund decommissioned November 30, 1989 ** M573 Egernsund decommissioned December 31, 1989 ** M574 Grønsund ** M575 Guldborgsund ** M577 Ulvsund refitted as a minehunter, decommissioned December 31, 1989 ** M578 Vilsund

= ''Inspektionsskibseskadren'' ISE (Danish Fishery Protection Squadron) 1st Squadron from April 1992

= * Hvidbjørnen-class offshore patrol frigate ** F348 Hvidbjørnen ** F349 Vædderen ** F350 Ingolf ** F351 Fylla * Beskytteren-class (an improved Hvidbjørnen-class) offshore patrol frigate ** F340 Beskytteren * Agdlek-class arctic patrol cutter ** Y386 Agdlek ** Y387 Agpa ** Y388 Tulugaq

= Others

= *

Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel The ''Flyvefisken''-class patrol vessels ("Flying fish" in Danish) are warships of the Royal Danish Navy. The class is also known as the Standard Flex 300 or SF300 class. The five vessels sold to the Portuguese Navy are locally referred as ''Tej ...

- 2 more fitting out, replacing the Søløven, Daphne and Sund classes ** P550 Flyvefisken * Barsø-class naval patrol cutter ** Y300 Barsø ** Y301 Drejø ** Y302 Romsø ** Y303 Samsø ** Y304 Thurø ** Y305 Vejrø ** Y306 Farø ** Y307 Læsø ** Y308 Rømø Support ships: * A559 Sleipner, transport ship

''Marinehjemmeværnet'' MHV Naval Home Guard

* MH-90-class

home guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

cutters ** MHV 90 Bopa ** MHV 91 Brigaden ** MHV 92 Holger Danske ** MHV 93 Hvidsten ** MHV 94 Ringen ** MHV 95 Speditøren

Flag Officer Germany

German destroyer Lütjens (D185) underway in 1988

The Flag Officer Germany (FOG) was the commanding vice admiral of the West-

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...

's Fleet Command. In peacetime he commanded all German naval units in the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

. In case of war the command of German units in the North Sea would pass to the Commander German North Sea Subarea. Fleet Command was based during peacetime in

, but would have moved to an underground command center in Glücksburg-Meierwik in case of war. The German naval forces in the Baltic Sea had the task to prevent Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits and to prevent amphibious landings on the German coast. To fulfill its mission the German navy fielded like the Danish navy a large number of

s and

s. All German submarines were based in the Baltic Sea and tasked with mining enemy harbors and sinking enemy supply ships far from German waters. The main bases in the Baltic Sea were Naval Base Kiel, Naval Base Kiel-Holtenau, Naval Base Flensburg, Naval Base Flensburg-Mürwik, Naval Base Olpenitz, Neustadt Naval Base and Naval Base Eckernförde. At the beginning of 1989 the Flag Officer Germany would have commanded the following ships. The peacetime administrative flotilla commands in Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven would have been removed from the chain of command in times of war. * Fleet Command in Glücksburg **

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

Flotilla in

*** 1st Destroyer Squadron in Kiel with

Lütjens-class destroyer The Type 103 ''Lütjens'' class was the last class of destroyers in service with the German Navy. The ships were US guided missile destroyers but with some modifications to meet German requirements. They were replaced by the new ''Sachsen''- ...

s **** D185 Lütjens **** D186 Mölders **** D187 Rommel *** Fleet Service Squadron in Flensburg-Mürwik with Thetis-class submarine chasers and Oste-class SIGINT/ELINT ships **** A1449 Hans Bürkner, command and control ship for the Thetis-class submarine chasers **** P6052 Thetis **** P6053 Hermes **** P6054 Najade **** P6055 Triton **** P6056 Theseus **** A50 Alster, commissioned October 1989 **** A52 Oste **** A53 Oker **

Fast attack craft A fast attack craft (FAC) is a small, fast, agile, offensive, often affordable warship armed with anti-ship missiles, gun or torpedoes. FACs are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the seakeeping and all-round defensive ...

Flotilla in Flensburg-Mürwik *** 2nd Fast Attack Craft Squadron in Olpenitz with

Albatros-class fast attack craft The Type 143 ''Albatros'' class was a German class of missile bearing fast attack craft. Each vessel is named after a bird of prey including the albatross, condor and cormorant. Constructed by German shipbuilders Lürssen and Kröger, the vessels ...

**** P6111 Albatros **** P6112 Falke **** P6113 Geier **** P6114 Bussard **** P6115 Sperber **** P6116 Greif **** P6117 Kondor **** P6118 Seeadler **** P6119 Habicht **** P6120 Kormoran **** A69 Donau, 401C-class supply and support tender *** 3rd Fast Attack Craft Squadron in Flensburg-Mürwik with Tiger-class fast attack craft **** P6141 Tiger **** P6142 Iltis **** P6143 Luchs **** P6144 Marder **** P6145 Leopard **** P6146 Fuchs **** P6147 Jaguar **** P6148 Löwe **** P6149 Wolf **** P6150 Panther **** A58 Rhein, 401C-class supply and support tender *** 5th Fast Attack Craft Squadron in Olpenitz with Tiger-class fast attack craft **** P6151 Häher **** P6152 Storch **** P6153 Pelikan **** P6154 Elster **** P6155 Alk **** P6156 Dommel **** P6157 Weihe **** P6158 Pinguin **** P6159 Reiher **** P6160 Kranich **** A63 Main, 401C-class supply and support tender *** 7th Fast Attack Craft Squadron in Kiel with

Gepard-class fast attack craft The Type 143A ''Gepard'' class was a class of missile bearing fast attack craft (german: Schnellboot) and the last one in service with the German Navy before the remaining four operational ships were decommissioned on 16 November 2016. The Ghan ...

**** P6121 Gepard **** P6122 Puma **** P6123 Hermelin **** P6124 Nerz **** P6125 Zobel **** P6126 Frettchen **** P6127 Dachs **** P6128 Ozelot **** P6129 Wiesel **** P6130 Hyäne **** A61 Elbe, 401D-class supply and support tender **** A66 Neckar, 401B-class supply and support tender, decommissioned November 1989 ** Mine Countermeasures Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven *** Mine Diver Company in Eckernförde *** 1st

Minesweeping Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...

Squadron in Flensburg with Schütze-class fast minesweepers **** M1051 Castor **** M1054 Pollux **** M1055 Sirius **** M1056 Rigel **** M1057 Regulus **** M1058 Mars **** M1059 Spica **** M1060 Skorpion **** M1062 Schütze **** M1063 Waage **** A1437 Sachsenwald, 762-class

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...

transport ship **** A1438 Steigerwald, 762-class

transport ship *** 3rd Minesweeping Squadron in Kiel with Ariadne-class coastal minesweepers **** M2650 Ariadne **** M2651 Freya **** M2652 Vineta **** M2653 Hertha **** M2654 Nymphe **** M2655 Nixe **** M2656 Amazone **** M2657 Gazelle *** 5th Minesweeping Squadron in Olpenitz, between 1988 and 1991 the squadron's Schütze-class fast minesweepers were replaced with Hameln-class fast minesweepers **** M1064 Deneb, decommissioned September 1989 **** M1065 Jupiter, decommissioned September 1989 **** M1093 Neptun **** M1094 Widder, decommissioned July 1989 **** M1096 Fische, decommissioned April 1989 **** M1092 Hameln, commissioned June 1989 **** M1095 Überherrn, commissioned September 1989 **** M1097 Laboe, commissioned December 1989 **** A67 Mosel, 402A-class supply and support tender *** 7th Minesweeping Squadron in Neustadt with Frauenlob-class minesweepers **** M2658 Frauenlob **** M2659 Nautilus **** M2660 Gefion **** M2661 Medusa **** M2662 Undine **** M2663 Minerva **** M2664 Diana **** M2665 Loreley **** M2666 Atlantis **** M2667 Acheron ** Submarine Flotilla in Kiel *** 1st Submarine Squadron in Kiel with Type 205 and Type 206 submarines **** S170 / U21 **** S176 / U27 **** S180 / U1 (Type 205) **** S181 / U2 (Type 205) **** S188 / U9 (Type 205) **** S189 / U10 (Type 205) **** S190 / U11 (Type 205A) **** S191 / U12 (Type 205B) **** S192 / U13 **** S193 / U14 **** S198 / U19 **** S199 / U20 **** A55 Lahn, 403B-class supply and support tender *** 3rd Submarine Squadron in Eckernförde with Type 206 submarines **** S171 / U22 **** S172 / U23 **** S173 / U24 **** S174 / U25 **** S175 / U26 **** S177 / U28 **** S178 / U29 **** S179 / U30 **** S194 / U15 **** S195 / U16 **** S196 / U17 **** S197 / U18 **** A56 Lech, 403B-class supply and support tender, decommissioned June 1989 ** Supply Flotilla in Cuxhaven *** 1st Supply Squadron in Kiel, in wartime six additional transport ships and a fuel ship would be activated from the Navy's reserve. **** Naval Base Kiel ***** A1407 Wittensee, 763-class fuel transport ship ***** A1412 Coburg, 701-class supply ship ***** A1417 Offenburg, 701A-class supply ship ***** A1442 Spessart, 704A-class fuel transport ship ***** A1452 Spiekeroog, 722B-class ocean going tug **** Naval Base Flensburg-Mürwik ***** A1424 Walchensee, 703-class fuel transport ship ***** A1428 Harz, 766-class fuel transport ship ***** A1435 Westerwald, 760-class ammunition transport ship **** Naval Base Olpenitz ***** A1411 Lüneburg, 701A-class supply ship ***** A1415 Saarburg, 701C-class supply ship ***** A1418 Meersburg, 701C-class supply ship ***** A1425 Ammersee, 703-class fuel transport ship ***** A1455 Norderney, 722B-class ocean going tug ***** Y847 Odin, maintenance ship **** Neustadt Naval Base ***** A1458 Fehmarn, 720B-class salvage tug ** Amphibious Group in Kiel *** Combat Swimmers Company in Eckernförde *** Beachmaster Company in Eckernförde with 521-class LCMs **** L780 Hummer **** L782 Krabbe **** L783 Auster **** L784 Muschel **** L785 Koralle **** L788 Butt (

Barbe-class utility landing craft The Type 520 ''Barbe''-class utility landing craft are small units of the German Navy used for landing or transporting troops, supply, equipment and also for coastal mine laying. The remaining boat in service is currently part of the SEK-M the ...

) **** L789 Brasse (Barbe-class utility landing craft) *** Landing Craft Group in Kiel with

s **** L760 Flunder **** L761 Karpfen **** L762 Lachs **** L763 Plötze **** L764 Rochen **** L765 Schlei **** L766 Stör **** L767 Tümmler **** L768 Wels **** L769 Zander **** L790 Barbe **** L791 Delphin **** L792 Dorsch **** L793 Felchen **** L794 Forelle **** L796 Makrele **** L797 Muräne

Commander German North Sea Subarea

The Commander German North Sea Subarea (GERNORSEA) was the commanding

Flottillenadmiral Flotilla admiral is the lowest flag rank, a rank above captain, in the modern navies of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden. It corresponds to the ranks of commodore or rear admiral (lower half) in the navies of the United ...

(equivalent to a

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

Rear admiral (Lower Half) A rear admiral in the uniformed services of the United States is either of two different ranks of commissioned officers: one-star flag officers and two-star flag officers. By contrast, in most other countries, the term "rear admiral" refers only t ...

) of the West-

's fleet in the

. In peacetime he was subordinate to the vice admiral commanding West-

's Fleet Command, but in case of war he command a parallel command under NAVBALTAP. In peacetime the command was based in

, but would have moved to an underground command center in Wilhelmshaven-Sengwarden in case of war. While German naval forces in Baltic Sea were tasked with preventing Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits, the North Sea fleet was to patrol the

German Bight The German Bight (german: Deutsche Bucht; da, tyske bugt; nl, Duitse bocht; fry, Dútske bocht; ; sometimes also the German Bay) is the southeastern bight of the North Sea bounded by the Netherlands and Germany to the south, and Denmark and ...

and protect allied reinforcements and shipping heading for German ports. To GERNORSEA's East

Allied Command Channel Allied Command Channel (ACCHAN) was one of three major North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commands from 1952 to 1994. Commander-in-Chief Channel was a Major NATO Commander (MNC). The Command was established in 1952 to defend the sea areas a ...

's BENECHAN command was tasked with patrolling the Western half of the Southern North Sea, while to North

's SONOR command was patrolling the Southern Norwegian coast. Unlike in the Baltic Sea most vessels of GERNORSEA were destroyers and frigates. The main bases in the North Sea were Naval Base Wilhelmshaven and Naval Base Cuxhaven. At the beginning of 1989 the Commander German North Sea Subarea would have commanded the following ships in wartime: * Commander German North Sea Subarea in Sengwarden **

Flotilla in

*** 2nd Destroyer Squadron in Wilhelmshaven with Hamburg-class destroyers **** D181 Hamburg **** D182 Schleswig-Holstein **** D183 Bayern **** D184 Hessen *** 2nd Frigate Squadron in Wilhelmshaven, between 1988 and 1990 the squadron replaced its

Köln-class frigate The ships of the F120 ''Köln'' class of frigates were the first major warships built in Germany after World War II. They were the world's first ships to feature a combined diesel and gas propulsion system. The ships received numerous refits dur ...

s with Bremen-class frigates **** F211 Köln **** F212 Karlsruhe **** F213 Augsburg, commissioned October 1989 **** F214 Lübeck, fitting out, commissioned March 1990 **** F225 Braunschweig, last Köln-class frigate in service, decommissioned July 1989 *** 4th Frigate Squadron in Wilhelmshaven with Bremen-class frigates **** F207 Bremen **** F208 Niedersachsen **** F209 Rheinland-Pfalz **** F210 Emden ** Mine Countermeasures Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven *** 4th

Squadron in Wilhelmshaven with Lindau-class minehunters **** M1070 Göttingen **** M1071 Koblenz **** M1072 Lindau **** M1074 Tübingen **** M1075 Wetzlar **** M1077 Weilheim **** M1078 Cuxhaven **** M1080 Marburg **** M1084 Flensburg **** M1085 Minden **** M1086 Fulda **** M1087 Völklingen *** 6th Minesweeping Squadron in Wilhelmshaven with 351-class minesweepers (improved Lindau-class minesweepers) **** M1073 Schleswig **** M1076 Paderborn **** M1079 Düren **** M1081 Konstanz **** M1082 Wolfsburg **** M1083 Ulm **** A68 Werra, 401A-class supply and support tender **** A1410 Walther Von Ledebur, mine diver support vessel ** Supply Flotilla in Cuxhaven *** 2nd Supply Squadron in Wilhelmshaven, in wartime two additional two fuel transport ships and nine hospital ships would be activated from the Navy's reserve. **** A1413 Freiburg, 701E-class supply ship **** A1414 Glücksburg, 701C-class supply ship **** A1416 Nienburg, 701A-class supply ship **** A1426 Tegernsee, 703-class fuel transport ship **** A1427 Westensee, 703-class fuel transport ship **** A1429 Eifel, 766-class fuel transport ship **** A1436 Odenwald, 760-class ammunition transport ship **** A1443 Rhön, 704A-class fuel transport ship **** A1451 Wangerooge, 722C-class ocean going tug **** A1457 Helgoland, 720A-class salvage tug **** Y848 Wotan, maintenance ship

1993 to 2002

On 1 October 1993, a restructuring took effect, which took into account the changed military situation in the Baltic Sea. Whilst the two land forces commands remained in place, the two headquarters of the naval and air forces were deactivated. The Interim Combined Air Operations Centre 1 (ICAOC 1) in Karup took the place of COMAIRBALTAP. The two national naval commanders were placed directly under COMBALTAP as

Admiral Danish Fleet The Admiral Danish Fleet (ADMDANFLT) ( da, Søværnets Operative Kommando ) was the operationally supreme organisation of the Royal Danish Navy between 1 January 1991 and 30 September 2014. History In 1961, following major restructuring of the Dan ...

(AdmDanFleet) and Commander German Fleet (COMGERFLEET).

Commanders

References

Sources

*Peter Monte, Die Rolle der Marine der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in der Verteidigungsplanung für Mittel- und Nordeuropa von den 50er Jahren bis zur Wende 1989/90; in: Werner Rahn (Hrsg.), Deutsche Marinen im Wandel, S. 565 ff.. München 2005. *Norbert Rath; Headquarter Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (HQ BALTAP); in Marineforum 4–1997, S. 3ff.

Literature

*Thomas-Durell Young, Command in NATO After the Cold War: Alliance, National and Multinational Considerations

External links

BALTAP
{{coord missing, Denmark Formations of the NATO Military Command Structure 1952–1994 Formations of the NATO Military Command Structure 1994–present Military units and formations established in 1962 Military history of Europe