Naval Helicopter Squadron 18th

Marine helicopter squadron 18 ; "Kurt Barthel" ; (MHG-18)
active	December 1, 1976 to March 31, 1991
Country	German Democratic Republic
Armed forces	National Peoples Army
Armed forces	People's Navy
Type	squadron
Strength	800 men (1990)
Insinuation	Chief of the People's Navy
Location	Parow naval helicopter base
Web presence	Squadron Chronicle
Last commander
commander	Frigate Captain Gerd Wilhelm
insignia
squadron	III
Aircraft
Fighter aircraft / ; helicopter	Mi-4A , Mi-4MÄ , Mi-8T , Mi-8TB , Mi-14PL , Mi-14BT

The Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 Kurt Barthel (MHG-18) was a flying unit of the People's Navy of the NVA and stationed in Parow near Stralsund . On February 26, 1981, he was given the traditional name Kurt Barthel .

history

In September 1959 a sea chain consisting of two Mi-4A was formed at the Brandenburg-Briest airfield within the helicopter squadron 31 . The planned base in Parow had been built as a land and sea air base for the Air Force as early as 1935 . After the end of the Second World War , the existing facilities were blown up and the area was no longer used for flying purposes. With a view to future use, the first work to restore the site began in the spring of 1959. The first Mi-4 landed in Parow on September 30, 1959, but permanent stationing of the two helicopters was only possible after the crew quarters had been completed on April 8, 1960. Then further expansions took place in order to create more capacity for additional aircraft. On September 15, 1962, the sea chain was spun off from the air force and operationally subordinated to the People's Navy as an independent unit. With the transfer of two more Mi-4s on May 1, 1963, the sea chain was expanded to become a helicopter squadron (HSVM) and officially taken over by the Volksmarine. For use at sea, the Mi-4A were equipped with throwable inflatable boats, net buoys and additional radio equipment. From 1964, the use of the 12.7 mm on-board cannon against sea targets was practiced. In March and September 1965, the HSVM received two Mi-4s of the MÄ submarine hunting version. They were equipped with a magnetic location device (MOG) located at the stern, the all-round vision radio measuring device RBP-4G under the bow, twelve active and passive hydroacoustic radio buoys (HAFB) and a bow searchlight and were able to carry depth charges up to 1000 kg. From December 1965, the squadron for the combat system of the People's Navy kept a helicopter in constant readiness.

The Mi-14PL (clock number 618 , W.No. B4002 ) was in service with the MHG-18 from 1979 to 1990

From 1970 to 1972 the location was further expanded. During this time, the name was changed to U-Jagd-Helicopter Squadron 18 (UJHS-18) on December 1, 1971.

In August 1974 the UJHS-18 received the first copies of the Mi-8T ; the associated staff had previously completed a retraining course in the Soviet Union from April to July. The unit enlarged in this way was named Helicopter Squadron 18 (HG-18) on December 1, 1976 . From February 1977 the equipment with combat helicopters followed Mi-8TB, at the same time all Mi-4 were taken out of service by April. In the disaster winter of 1978/79 , the squadron flew aid and rescue missions for the civilian population, for example to supply the cut off island of Hiddensee with food.

With the elimination of the Mi-4MÄ, the squadron was no longer able to carry out UAW missions for almost three years . This only changed with the introduction of the amphibious helicopter Mi-14PL from October / November 1979 and the previous retraining of squadron members in the Soviet Union, which was carried out from April. The Mi-14PL was equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector, diving sonar and hydroacoustic sensors and radio buoys, and it was also able to carry up to 2000 kg depth charges. The first water landing of a Mi-14PL of the NVA was carried out on September 22, 1984 in the Prohner Wiek . The HG-18 procured a total of nine Mi-14PLs, of which one (tactical number 638 ) crashed into the Strelasund on July 30, 1984 , killing one crew member. Another accident occurred on January 10, 1980 when two Mi-8TB (tactical numbers 820 and 824 ) collided in the air near Prohn and both crews, a total of six men, were killed in the crash.

On April 20, 1981, the HG-18 was integrated into the duty system of the air defense ; for this purpose a Mi-8TB in Parow was on constant alert. On December 1, 1981, the last, now definitive, renaming was Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 (MHG-18). In December 1985, the squadron received three Mi-14BT mine clearance helicopters, which together with three others, which were taken over in the following month, formed the 3rd squadron of the MHG-18. From December 1986 this squadron practiced the interaction with anti-mine ships (MAW) of the People's Navy. Since the painting of the Mi-14, which was delivered from the factory dark blue, proved to be very effective as camouflage, the Mi-8 were also given this color during their periodic overhauls in Szigethalom, Hungary .

Demilitarized Mi-8TB of the MHG-18 after takeover by the Bundeswehr in the late, dark blue camouflage

After the political change, all Mi-14BT were converted to SAR helicopters and kept in readiness from April 1, 1990 until reunification at the Warnemünde (SAR 80), Parow (SAR 81) and Peenemünde (SAR 82) locations. By the time the NVA was disbanded, the Mi-14 of the MHG-18 had completed 14,782 flight hours, the Mi-8 of the squadron flew a total of 32,601 hours from 1975 to 1990. The two remaining Mi-8T were used as rescue helicopters for a while . The last flight service was on September 27, 1990 with two large association flights in squadron strength. a. the command of the Volksmarine in Rostock-Gehlsdorf and the home base of the MFG-28 in Laage were flown over.

Use within the Bundeswehr

The MHG-18 became part of the Bundeswehr on October 3, 1990. It retained its squadron status until March 31 of the following year. From April 1, 1991, the reduction to group size began. All Mi-14 and the two Mi-8T were then taken out of service. The Mi-8TB combat helicopters were demilitarized and, converted to the Mi-8B transport variant, were operated by the Bundeswehr as the Parow naval helicopter group until 1994 . The group made its last flight on September 29, 1994 and was disbanded on April 30, 1995. The number of flying hours of the Mi-8 was 7277 until then, the Mi-14 had completed 1264 hours in 1991.

Commanders

Mi-8T of the MHG-18 when dropping combat swimmers (1979)

Rank	Surname	period of service	comment
Lieutenant captain	Dieter Bortfeldt	1960-1964
Lieutenant captain	Lothar Braunroth	1964-1970
Corvette Captain	Hans Vogel	1970-1974
Frigate captain	Siegfried Finke	1974-1976
Sea captain	Günter Leithold	1976-1989	1979 Honored military pilot of the GDR
Frigate captain	Gerd Wilhelm	1989-1990

Helicopter inventory as of September 30, 1990

number	Type
2	Mil Mi-8T
10	Mil Mi-8TB
1	Mil Mi-8S
8th	Mil Mi-14PL
6th	Mil Mi-14BT

literature

Wilfried Copenhagen : The Air Force of the NVA . Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-613-02235-4 .

Individual evidence

^ Klaus-Jürgen Baarß : Fliegergeschichten. From takeoff to landing . Facts and experiences - written down by members of the NVA aviation forces. Ed .: Fliegerstammtisch Strausberg. MediaScript, Berlin 2013, ISBN 978-3-9814822-3-2 , pp. 238 .
↑ Thomas Bussmann: Reinforced concrete, grass and railway lighting . The military airfields of the GDR. Mediascript, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-9814822-0-1 , pp. 140 .
^ Detlef Billig, Manfred Meyer: Airplanes of the GDR . Type book military and civil aviation. Volume I until 1962. TOM Modellbau, Friedland 2002, ISBN 3-613-02198-6 , p. 153 .
^ Michael Normann: Transporter and helicopter of the NVA 1956-1990 . Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03336-8 , pp. 65-67 .
^ Detlef Billig, Manfred Meyer: Airplanes of the GDR . Type book military and civil aviation. III. Volume until 1990. TOM Modellbau, Friedland 2003, ISBN 3-613-02285-0 , p. 182 .
^ Detlef Billig, Manfred Meyer: Airplanes of the GDR . Type book military and civil aviation. Volume II: until 1972. TOM Modellbau, Friedland 2002, ISBN 3-613-02241-9 , p. 186 .
↑ Thomas Girke, Georg Bader, Thomas Bussmann: The aircraft of the National People's Army - Mi-8T / TB . In: DHS series . Bucholz Medien, 2001, ISSN 1430-0117 , p. 155 .

[1] Klaus-Jürgen Baarß : Fliegergeschichten. From takeoff to landing . Facts and experiences - written down by members of the NVA aviation forces. Ed .: Fliegerstammtisch Strausberg. MediaScript, Berlin 2013, ISBN 978-3-9814822-3-2 , pp. 238 .

[2] Thomas Bussmann: Reinforced concrete, grass and railway lighting . The military airfields of the GDR. Mediascript, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-9814822-0-1 , pp. 140 .

[3] Detlef Billig, Manfred Meyer: Airplanes of the GDR . Type book military and civil aviation. Volume I until 1962. TOM Modellbau, Friedland 2002, ISBN 3-613-02198-6 , p. 153 .

[4] Michael Normann: Transporter and helicopter of the NVA 1956-1990 . Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03336-8 , pp. 65-67 .

[5] Detlef Billig, Manfred Meyer: Airplanes of the GDR . Type book military and civil aviation. III. Volume until 1990. TOM Modellbau, Friedland 2003, ISBN 3-613-02285-0 , p. 182 .

[6] Detlef Billig, Manfred Meyer: Airplanes of the GDR . Type book military and civil aviation. Volume II: until 1972. TOM Modellbau, Friedland 2002, ISBN 3-613-02241-9 , p. 186 .

[7] Thomas Girke, Georg Bader, Thomas Bussmann: The aircraft of the National People's Army - Mi-8T / TB . In: DHS series . Bucholz Medien, 2001, ISSN 1430-0117 , p. 155 .