9th Panzer Division (NVA)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

9th Armored Division (9th PD)
- XXX -

active September 15, 1956 to October 2, 1990
Country Germany Democratic Republic 1949GDR German Democratic Republic
Armed forces National Peoples Army
Armed forces Land forces of the NVA
Branch of service Armored force
Type Armored Division
structure structure
Strength 12,369 (war) ; 8,750 (peace)
Insinuation Military District V (Peace)

5th Army (war)

headquarters Eggesin ( location )
equipment equipment
Commanders
list of Commanders

The 9th Panzer Division "Heinz Hoffmann" was a large unit of the National People's Army of the GDR .

history

T-72 of the 9th PD 1988 in Berlin

Already when the barracked people's police were set up, plans were made to set up armored divisions. The decisive demand for this finally came from the Soviet Union .

The 9th Panzer Division was created in September 1956 from the Mechanized People's Police Readiness Eggesin in the V military district . Their structure largely corresponded to that of the armored divisions of the Soviet Army , which meant a workforce of 8,750 men in peacetime. In contrast to the Soviet Army, the NVA tank divisions had no combat helicopters and reduced motorized rifle units . The land forces of the GDR were divided into the two military districts V North and III South, each of which had to provide an army in the event of war. From 1972 the Land Forces Command was formed, which replaced the military districts as a training command , including the 9th Panzer Division.

When the situation in Poland worsened in 1980 due to strikes and supply shortages and the Warsaw Pact was preparing a military intervention in the country, the GDR leadership designated the 9th Panzer Division to be ready for an invasion of Poland. For this purpose, she was transferred to the combat readiness level in the event of war danger ; detailed planning for the invasion began. This order was not lifted until 1982 after martial law had been imposed in Poland in the meantime .

In honor of the deceased Minister for National Defense , the division was given the honorary name " Heinz Hoffmann " on February 24, 1986 . On October 2, 1990, the NVA was dissolved and the individual units of the 9th Division placed under the command of the Bundeswehr Command East .

organization

1987

equipment

T-55 tanks of the NVA
SS-21 Scarab (9P129 Totschka)

The division was equipped with brand-new T-54 tanks when it was set up , but also with T-34 tanks, and it was not until 1964 that it was fully equipped. In the spring of 1978 35 T-72 tanks were procured, most of which were of the T-72M and T-72M1 types (two of them). A 4th tank battalion (superstructure) was formed with 31 tanks in the 23rd tank regiment "Julian Marchlewski" in Stallberg; One tank went to Grossenhain and three tanks were used by the Karpin NCO School for training commanders and drivers.

When they were set up, the division's Mot rifle associations were equipped with BTR-40 (SPW-40) and BTR-152 (SPW-152) armored personnel carriers. In the mid-1960s, BTR-60 (SPW-60) and from 1978 BTR-70 (SPW-70) and BMP-1 were delivered. The BMP 2 was only introduced in the 9th motorized rifle regiment “Rudolf Renner”. Here the 3rd and 6th motorized rifle companies were each equipped with ten BMP 2, these were the only BMP 2 in the entire NVA that came into the force. Two more BMP 2 belonged to the specialty 2 motor riflemen at training center 20.

The actual stock in 1990 included:

  • 4 launch pads SS-21 Scarab
  • 322 T-72
  • 146 BMP
  • 42 BTR
  • 349 artillery pieces and projectiles
  • 15 MT-55 bridge-laying tanks based on the T-55

Commanders

Rank at that time Surname Period
Colonel Reinhold Tappert September 15, 1956-15. October 1959
Colonel Erich Peter October 15, 1959-14. May 1960
Lieutenant colonel Kurt Lange July 14, 1960–31. July 1964
Lieutenant colonel Rolf Kappis August 1, 1964-31. August 1968
Colonel Walter Krysmann September 1, 1968-31. August 1973
Colonel Manfred Gehmert September 1, 1973-20. October 1977
Colonel Horst Sylla October 1977–31. August 1982
Major general Franz Erdmann September 1, 1982-31. October 1987
Major general Hans-Christian Reiche November 1, 1987-31. October 1989
Colonel Karl-Heinz Marschner November 1, 1989–2. October 1990 (dissolution)

References

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilfried Copenhagen: The land forces of the NVA. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-613-02297-4 , p. 40.
  2. ↑ Wilfried Copenhagen, p. 41
  3. ^ Henry Koehler: Panzer against Poland. Honecker's secret plan against Solidarnosc. MDR , Germany 2010
  4. ↑ Wilfried Copenhagen, p. 33
  5. ↑ Wilfried Copenhagen, p. 179
Land Forces Divisions of the National People's Army (LaSK)
Military District III

7th Armored Division - 11th Motorized Rifle Division - 4th Motorized Rifle Division

Military District V

9th Panzer Division - 6th Motorized Rifle Division (until 1958) - 8th Motorized Rifle Division - 1st Motorized Rifle Division (grouping Berlin)