Barking Pack 83

Main phases of NATO exercise BELLENDE MEUTE 83

Attack ROT over the Weser during the NATO exercise BELLENDE MEUTE 83

Counterattack BLUE during NATO exercise BELLEN MEUTE 83

Bellende Meute 83 was a German FTX field maneuver at division level in autumn 1983 in Lower Saxony .

Division of troops

The BLUE exercise force was composed as follows:

2nd Panzer Brigade , Braunschweig
- Panzerbataillon 21 (squad with a PzGrenKp)
- Panzer Grenadier Battalion 22nd
- Tank battalion 23
- Tank Battalion 24

The RED forces consisted of:

3rd Panzer Brigade , Langendamm / Nienburg
- Panzer Battalion 33, Luttmersen
- Panzer Battalion 34, Langendamm / Nienburg

The management and referee service provided the Panzergrenadierbrigade 1 , Hildesheim .

scope

Bellende Meute 83 took place from September 3rd to 10th 1983 under the leadership of the 1st Panzer Division from September 3rd to 10th 1983 in the area of Wolfsburg , Königslutter , Goslar , Osterode , Northeim , Beverungen , Blomberg , Rinteln , Pattensen , Lehrte and Gifhorn . 8,000 soldiers, 1,900 wheeled vehicles and 620 tracked vehicles were involved.

procedure

The exercise began on the night of Monday, September 3, 1983, when the units were alerted. The agglomeration for the Bellende Meute 83 exercise was the area around Northeim , Holzminden , Hameln , Ottensteiner plateau , Grohnde , Elze , Bodenwerder , Einbeck , Dassel and Coppenbrügge with the maneuver center in the Yorck barracks in Stadtoldendorf . As enemy situation RED attacked several places on the 04:00 from southeast Weser on. Three bridges were built at Grave , Brevörde and Holzminden across the Weser, although the Weser could be forded in places due to the low water level. Air support made 30 combat aircraft and 30 helicopter missions every day.

The focus of the exercise was on the Einbeck basin , the Weser section between Bodenwerder and Hameln and the Otternstein plateau. The exercise planning planned that ROT, represented by PzBrig 3 , undertook a north-westerly advance from the Harz foreland with the aim of crossing the Weser. PzBrig 2 BLAU set up defense lines, including mine barriers , in the Einbeck basin and on the eastern edge of Solling . PzBtl 23 took up defensive positions in the villages on both sides of the river Ilme . They were supported by field artillery and air defense .

Pz AufklBtl 1 carried out the first combat reconnaissance by Luchs reconnaissance vehicles on Sunday . ROT was able to cross the line unhindered at Salzderhelden and Northeim because it was not secured or monitored in this area.

Only the mine belt in the Einbeck basin stopped the advance of RED. The first contact with the enemy occurred in the villages of Kohnsen , Holtensen and Dassensen . Parts of the tank reconnaissance bypassed the mine barriers and advanced through a forest in the direction of Hoppensen . The bridge over the Dieße near Wellersen had already been blown up, so that beavers had to build temporary bridges.

At the same time, PzGrenBtl 22 set up for defense at Markoldendorf and Amelsen. There the joint attack by ROT by PzGrenBtl 32 and PzBtl 33 took place.

Innovations

Barking Pack 83 was the first free-range exercise in which the new Leopard 2A4 was used.

Web links

media

The great exercises of the Bundeswehr 2nd DVD. Breucom-Medien, 2011, ISBN 978-3-940433-33-6 .

Notes and individual references

↑ Field Training Exercise, free-running exercise full force
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Barking pack 83 on M136
↑ Short story of the PzGrenBrig 1
^ Comrades circle York barracks

[1] Field Training Exercise, free-running exercise full force

[M136-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Barking pack 83 on M136

[3] Short story of the PzGrenBrig 1

[4] Comrades circle York barracks