Which Cold War Conflict Could East German Soldiers Fight In?

[TheRomanSlayer]

We don't know how the East German Army had performed if they were sent into combat during the Cold War, and the stigma of German soldiers on both sides of the Cold War being sent to fight remained strong, but according to a YouTube video, the East German Army was one of the best trained Warsaw Pact armies after the Soviet Army.

Which conflict during the Cold War could we see actual East German NVA soldiers engage in actual combat, and how would they perform if they fought?

[James G]

Jan 12, 2019 20:08:26 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

We don't know how the East German Army had performed if they were sent into combat during the Cold War, and the stigma of German soldiers on both sides of the Cold War being sent to fight remained strong, but according to a YouTube video, the East German Army was one of the best trained Warsaw Pact armies after the Soviet Army.

Which conflict during the Cold War could we see actual East German NVA soldiers engage in actual combat, and how would they perform if they fought?

Angola would be my first thought for a real fight.
East German military personnel fought all over the world in conflicts too. They had pilots flying for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War and doing very well there. They showed up in several conflicts though always as volunteers.
But a real fight, I would think it would be in Africa and fighting for Cuba's imperialist aims... erm... internationalist duty!

[lordroel]

Jan 12, 2019 20:08:26 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

We don't know how the East German Army had performed if they were sent into combat during the Cold War, and the stigma of German soldiers on both sides of the Cold War being sent to fight remained strong, but according to a YouTube video, the East German Army was one of the best trained Warsaw Pact armies after the Soviet Army.

Which conflict during the Cold War could we see actual East German NVA soldiers engage in actual combat, and how would they perform if they fought?

Not sure if this is related but did published on the Alternate Timelines Twitter account this.

[James G]

We will never know what East German troops would have done in a NATO-WarPac fight but you can be pretty sure it wouldn't be fighting as a four-division army all by themselves and doing that as shown above.
lordroel while that is a great image it is highly-unlikely. They would be split up everywhere, some going north too, and not formed into a field army.

[lordroel]

Jan 12, 2019 20:24:57 GMT James G said:

We will never know what East German troops would have done in a NATO-WarPac fight but you can be pretty sure it wouldn't be fighting as a four-division army all by themselves and doing that as shown above.
lordroel while that is a great image it is highly-unlikely. They would be split up everywhere, some going north too, and not formed into a field army.

I think you are right, i have seen more of Poland plann to invade West Germany (see this link: Soviet/NATO invasion and nuclear targets across the world thread) then i have found about East Germany part of it.

I did find a better map and info of it which is this one.



In the event of World War 3, the 5. Armee was tasked with smashing through the Dutch Sector and then pushing up on the Dutch border by day 6 of the war.

It would stay below Hamburg and above Hannover except for the 19. Mot. Schutzen Division which again was tasked with supporting the Soviet 3rd Shock Army, it would go south near Hannover but the rest of the 5. Armee would stay north of it.

5. Armee contained:

9. Panzerdivision
8. Mot. Schutzen Division
19. Mot. Schutzen Division
20. Mot. Schutzen Division

Now, 5. Armee also had Soviet units with it unlike 3. Armee, they were:

94. Guards Motor Rifle Division
138. independent tank regiment
221. independent tank regiment

5. Armee was only to be a thing if war occurred, it comprised of all the East German units from the Military District V in the north. It would be under Soviet control. 3. Armee would include all units from Military District III to the south. The 3. Armee would be tasked with plowing through the Fulda Gap and taking Frankfurt as a main objective. By day 10 they should have been at the French border if not past it. 17. Mot. Schutzen Division would be tasked with supporting the Soviet 3rd Shock Army in the attack on the British, North of Kassel, but all other NVA forces in 3. Armee would stay below Kassel and above Stuttgart.

3. Armee contained:

Active:

4. Mot. Schutzen Division
10. Mot. Schutzen Division
11. Mot. Schutzen Division
7. Panzerdivision

Reserve:

6. Mot. Schutzen Division
17. Mot. Schutzen Division

Now one last important note, if you paid close attention, you would have noticed that one division is missing from 5. Armee that is part of Military District V: 1. Mot Schutzen Division.

The 1. Mot. Schutzen Division was tasked with the job of taking West Berlin with help from the Grenztruppen(Border Guards), MdI(Police), MfS(Stasi), and KdA(Militia). West Berlin was to be divided into 2 Sectors, Sektor I and Sektor II. Taking West Berlin was the 1. Mot. Schutzen Divisions only task. See 2nd map for details of the taking of West Berlin.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Angola would have been a good place for the NVA to fight in, though I'm not sure if the Bush Wars would also be good as well.

[lordroel]

Jan 12, 2019 21:30:33 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

Angola would have been a good place for the NVA to fight in, though I'm not sure if the Bush Wars would also be good as well.

The National People's Army and the Third World

[stevep]

Jan 12, 2019 20:08:26 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

We don't know how the East German Army had performed if they were sent into combat during the Cold War, and the stigma of German soldiers on both sides of the Cold War being sent to fight remained strong, but according to a YouTube video, the East German Army was one of the best trained Warsaw Pact armies after the Soviet Army.

Which conflict during the Cold War could we see actual East German NVA soldiers engage in actual combat, and how would they perform if they fought?

  Could they have been deployed in Afghanistan?

[James G]

As lordroel shows, East Germany was active all over the Third World. A real fight though would likely be in Africa, IMO, especially southern Africa so Angola is the most likely but maybe also Rhodesia or Mozambique if the conditions were right. There is a difference between operating in the shadows and real East German soldiers in uniform fighting for all to see.
As to Afghanistan, that is possible too but it would mean a serious change of geo-political circumstances in the region for the USSR to have 'fraternal assistance' coming from other countries too. Maybe if the war there expanded to Pakistan or Iran?

[Deleted]

The East German and Cuban 'advisors' were busy in Angola and Mozambique during their post-colonial struggles.

The Angolan Air Force was mostly trained by LSK pilots.

[lordroel]

Jan 13, 2019 22:49:27 GMT @vonhitchofen said:

The East German and Cuban 'advisors' were busy in Angola and Mozambique during their post-colonial struggles.

The Angolan Air Force was mostly trained by LSK pilots.

A old New York Times article from 1978 called: EAST GERMANS

[EwellHolmes]

The NVA was indeed rated as perhaps the best Communist formations available, besides Soviet A-class divisions. They were well trained, equipped, led and decently motivated by most accounts. They also did technically participate in Cold War conflicts; hell, the Americans found some in Grenada IIRC and "advisers" were repeatedly found in Angola during the Border War with South Africa. I also seem to recall some in Korea and Vietnam too.

[James G]

Jan 22, 2019 18:21:54 GMT EwellHolmes said:

The NVA was indeed rated as perhaps the best Communist formations available, besides Soviet A-class divisions. They were well trained, equipped, led and decently motivated by most accounts. They also did technically participate in Cold War conflicts; hell, the Americans found some in Grenada IIRC and "advisers" were repeatedly found in Angola during the Border War with South Africa. I also seem to recall some in Korea and Vietnam too.

They certainly were well-travelled and did some interesting things.
In the Iran-Iraq War, East German aircrews flew Tu-22 Blinder bombers for Iraq and did 'lob-tossing of 20'000lb bombs at Iranian targets. The East Germans didn't even have any Tu-22s of their own but provided the three-man crews to do something like this.

[lordroel]

Jan 22, 2019 18:25:23 GMT James G said:

Jan 22, 2019 18:21:54 GMT EwellHolmes said:

The NVA was indeed rated as perhaps the best Communist formations available, besides Soviet A-class divisions. They were well trained, equipped, led and decently motivated by most accounts. They also did technically participate in Cold War conflicts; hell, the Americans found some in Grenada IIRC and "advisers" were repeatedly found in Angola during the Border War with South Africa. I also seem to recall some in Korea and Vietnam too.

They certainly were well-travelled and did some interesting things.
In the Iran-Iraq War, East German aircrews flew Tu-22 Blinder bombers for Iraq and did 'lob-tossing of 20'000lb bombs at Iranian targets. The East Germans didn't even have any Tu-22s of their own but provided the three-man crews to do something like this.

Wait, that must means East Germans had crews trained for flying Soviet Tu-22s as east Germany had none of them in service. 

[James G]

Jan 22, 2019 19:01:02 GMT lordroel said:

Jan 22, 2019 18:25:23 GMT James G said:

They certainly were well-travelled and did some interesting things.
In the Iran-Iraq War, East German aircrews flew Tu-22 Blinder bombers for Iraq and did 'lob-tossing of 20'000lb bombs at Iranian targets. The East Germans didn't even have any Tu-22s of their own but provided the three-man crews to do something like this.

Wait, that must means East Germans had crews trained for flying Soviet Tu-22s as east Germany had none of them in service. 

Yep, other flew Tu-22s for the Libyans over Chad during the 80s too.