Operation south flank
The operation's southern flank was a military operation the German Navy in the period from 16 August 1990 to 13 September 1991. The operation took place in two phases, first in the Mediterranean and later in the northern Persian Gulf . It served to demonstrate German alliance solidarity during the Second Gulf War in the first phase and then to eliminate the threat to shipping from sea mines in the Persian Gulf.
Background and history of the operation
After Iraq occupied Kuwait on August 2, 1990 , a US-led military alliance was formed with the aim of liberating Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation. The United Nations passed several resolutions against Iraq, with which it legitimized military intervention by this alliance.
In this phase, just before German reunification, the German federal government did not see itself in a position to join this alliance. At that time, participation in a military operation outside the NATO area was not considered constitutional by large parts of the population. It was not until 1994 that the Federal Constitutional Court clarified the legal requirements for such out-of-area operations . Therefore, on August 10, 1990, the government decided to initially only make a military security contribution within NATO territory and to send anti-mine forces of the German Navy to the Mediterranean. It was considered a solidarity contribution to the efforts of the allies to stabilize the situation in the Gulf. The first phase of the use was by a discussion on Bundeswehr missions abroad accompanied, during which was never sure if the use would be limited to the Mediterranean, or whether and when the association was deployed to the Gulf region.
Leadership, organization and forces
The operation was led by the fleet command in Glücksburg . The forces deployed were combined in the anti-mine association south flank (Task Group 501.7 / TG 501.7), which was subordinate to an association leader with the rank of sea captain and frigate captain .
| Rank | Surname | from ... to | Service position | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigate captain | Wolfgang E. Nolting | 16. Aug. – 29. Nov 1990 | Commander 5th Minesweeping Squadron (Kdr 5th MSG) | later Vice Admiral , 2006–2010 Inspector of the Navy |
| Frigate captain | Hans-Joachim Unbehau | Nov 29, 1990-21. Feb 1991 | Kdr 4th MSG | |
| Sea captain | Friedrich Jacobi | Feb. 21 - December 12 Jun. 1991 | Kdr Amphibious Group | |
| Sea captain | Dieter Leder | June 21-25 Jul. | Deputy Kdr Flotilla of the Mine Forces | at the same time WEU operations coordinator, later rear admiral |
| Frigate captain | Klaus-Peter Hirtz | July 25th-13th Sept 1991 | Kdr 1st MSG | initially from May 1991 as head of staff at the association; later Rear Admiral, from 2007 to 2012 Chairman of the Navy Officers Association |
The association consisted of five anti-mine vehicles of various types and two support ships, including a tender as the lead ship. In the second phase, helicopters and airplanes were also used.
| Type and class | Surname | Travel time | Association | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mine hunting boat class 331, Lindau class | Koblenz | Aug 16, 1990-13. Sep 1991 | 4th Mine Sweeping Squadron (4th MSG) | |
| Mine hunting boat class 331, Lindau class | Marburg | Aug 16, 1990-13. Sep 1991 | 4. MSG | |
| Mine hunting boat class 331, Lindau class | Wetzlar | 16 Aug – Nov 1990 | 4. MSG | Deduced for technical reasons |
| Fast minesweeper class 343, Hameln class | Laboe | Aug 16, 1990-Feb. 1991 | 5. MSG | Released before golf operation |
| Fast minesweeper class 343, Hameln class | Overriding | Aug 16, 1990-Feb. 1991 | 5. MSG | Released before golf operation |
| Ammunition transporter class 760, Westerwald class | Westerwald | Aug 16, 1990-Apr. 1991 | 1. Supply Squadron (1. VersG) | |
| Tender class 401, Rhine class | Werra | 16. Aug. – 19. Dec 1990 | 6. MSG | At the start of the operation already in preparation for decommissioning, after return a. D. |
| Mine hunting boat class 331, Lindau class | Goettingen | Oct. 29, 1990-7. Aug 1991 | 4. MSG | Replacement for Wetzlar , return transport from July 10th on Condock |
| Tender class 401, Rhine class | Danube | Nov 14, 1990-13. Sep 1991 | 2nd Schnellbootgeschwader (2nd SG) | Replacement for Werra |
| Minesweeper class 351 (hollow rod steering boat), Lindau class | Schleswig | Jan. 22-13 Sep 1991 | 6. MSG | Transport of the associated seal- type hollow rods on a condock |
| Minesweeper class 351 (hollow rod steering boat), Lindau class | Paderborn | Jan. 22-13 Sep 1991 | 6. MSG | Transport of the associated seal- type hollow rods on a condock |
| Utility class 701, Lüneburg class | Freiburg | 14 Mar – 13 Mar Sep 1991 | 2. VersG | Replacement for Westerwald |
| Mine hunting boat class 331, Lindau class | Cuxhaven | June 14th-13th Sep 1991 | 4. MSG | Replacement for Göttingen , outward transport on Condock , arrival July 8, 1991 |
During the mission, several of the units were exchanged. First of all, Wetzlar was replaced by Göttingen for technical reasons . In preparation for the mine clearance operation in the Persian Gulf, the fast minesweepers of the Hameln class were replaced by hollow rod steering boats with the Troika mine defense system. The Hameln class was very modern and better equipped for surveillance tasks in the Mediterranean than the other anti-mine vehicles, but given its original main task of laying mines, it was only equipped with a simple clearing system. In addition, the Westerwald ammunition transporter used to transport materials was replaced by the more efficient supplier Freiburg . Towards the end of the operation, the Cuxhaven replaced the Göttingen for technical reasons .
The units were set in motion with the personnel on board. About 25% of the 385–560 crew members were conscripts . Neither she nor the other soldiers on board were asked whether they would volunteer to participate. During the mission, the staff was replaced every three months. For the first time, the Navy tried out changing entire boat crews.
First phase - readiness in the Mediterranean
Just two weeks after the occupation of Kuwait and six days after the government's decision, the association consisting of the Werra tender , the mine-hunting boats Koblenz , Marburg and Wetzlar and the fast mine- sweeping boats Laboe and Überherrn left Wilhelmshaven on August 16, 1990 . Company name: AAG 328/90.
The Westerwald left Kiel on August 16, 1990 with passage through the Kiel Canal . Due to an engine failure was on Aug. 18, 1990 Den Helder started and leave the same day. On August 20, 1990, the Westerwald reached the association at position 47 ° 47.0'N 005 ° 22.3'W.
Preparation and approach
The short preparation time of only six days for setting up such an association, including the selection of the units involved, required considerable efforts to equip the boats and supply ships. The ports of Den Helder (only Westerwald ), Brest (without Westerwald ), A Coruña , Gibraltar , Cagliari and Augusta ( Westerwald was in the roadstead) were called on the march into the operational area . On September 3, the association reached its assigned base in Souda Bay on Crete .
Mission and activities
According to the order of August 10th, the association had to show its presence in the eastern Mediterranean, establish the highest possible level of operational readiness and clear mines on special orders. In order to achieve the required operational readiness with the association consisting of ships and boats from different squadrons, an extensive training program took place at sea, during which units of the association called at the ports of Heraklion , Rhodes , Sitia and Piraeus .
The Allied air offensive against Iraq began on January 16, 1991, and the ground offensive on February 7. With the start of these fighting in the Gulf region, the readiness of the association was increased because the association's leadership, in agreement with the Greek authorities, assumed an increasing threat of terrorism. At times the guard was increased to 70% of the crew. Submission from January 23, 1991: COMNAVSOUTH.
Other activities of the German Navy in the Mediterranean
To strengthen the presence of NATO forces in the Mediterranean, the navy sent on January 21 in 1991 from two destroyers ( Schleswig-Holstein , Molders ), frigates ( Cologne , Augsburg ) and supply vessels ( Glücksburg , Eifel existing) Association under the leadership of the commander of the destroyer flotilla , Flotilla Admiral Klaus-Dieter Laudien into the Mediterranean, who returned to Germany in mid-March after the fighting ended. The association had a training and awareness-raising mandate that also included sending a signal from NATO to the North African states during the Gulf conflict.
Together with the mine defense association southern flank and the German ships and boats in the permanent operational units of NATO, 17 ships and boats, three Breguet Atlantic maritime patrols , several helicopters and around 2,200 soldiers of the German Navy were in the Mediterranean. In addition, there were a few boats at times during the mutual replacement.
Second phase - mine clearance in the Persian Gulf
Relocation to the operational area
After the end of the fighting in Iraq on February 28, 1991, the USA asked Germany for assistance in clearing the extensive Iraqi minefields in the Persian Gulf. On March 6, 1991, the federal government decided to use the mine defense association southern flank for this task. The operation was declared under the national name "Reinschiff" as humanitarian aid for Kuwait, which has just been liberated from Iraqi occupation . As a supporting been Manama in Bahrain selected. According to the operational order of the fleet command of March 9, the transfer of the boats began on March 11 in two groups from Crete to Manama, where they arrived on April 4 and 19. The six mine countermeasures drones type seals were a civilian dock ship of the type Condock transported and arrived in Manama on 21 April. Three Mk 41 SeaKing helicopters of Marinefliegergeschwader 5 (MFG 5) also arrived in Manama on April 24th. Two oil monitoring aircraft Do-28 D2 OU Skyservant of MFG 5 flew from Kiel-Holtenau with several stopovers to Bahrain and landed there on April 27th.
Threat in the clearance area
About 40–50 nm off the coast of Kuwait, the Iraqi naval forces laid an 80 nm long and 5–6 nm wide strip of mines, with another, narrower strip behind it. For that were mainly naval mines used, but also underground mines were used, including modern Manta mines of Italian design of which were cleared 52nd Floating mines were also found. The size of the clearing area was about 1000 sm² (approx. 3500 km²), in which according to Iraqi information 1157 mines were laid. The total number of mines identified was 1275 according to US data.
When the unit arrived in the Persian Gulf, the fighting was over. The danger from sea mines persisted, although the anti-mine forces present at the end of the fighting had already cleared around two-thirds of the mines on the basis of the documents handed over by Iraq when the German forces arrived. Overall, there were two mine hits during the Second Gulf War on February 18, 1991, which significantly damaged the helicopter carrier USS Tripoli (LPH-10) and the cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59) .
Course of the broaching operation
The mine clearance work of various European navies was initially coordinated on behalf of the WEU by a representative of the French naval commander in the Indian Ocean , with the units always remaining under national leadership. When Germany took over the WEU presidency from France on July 1, 1991, this task was transferred to the German union leader. The coordination task also included the consultation with the clearance forces of the USA , Japan and Saudi Arabia .
About 40 anti-mine vehicles were used by the allies, most of them mine hunting boats . After ten to twelve days in use, the vehicles should lie in the port for five to seven days for rest and maintenance.
| Belgium | Netherlands | Italy | Germany | Great Britain | France |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACM Zinnia, MHC Dianthus, MHC Iris, MHC Myosotis | MHC Harlingen, MHC Haarlem, MHC Zierikzee | FFG Maestrale, AF Tremiti, MHC Sapri, MHC Milazzo, MHC Vieste | ACM Danube, AFS Freiburg, MSCD Paderborn, MSCD Schleswig, MHC Göttingen, MHC Koblenz, MHC Marburg, MHC Cuxhaven, 3 SeaKing Mk 41 | ACM Herald, ACM Hecla, LST Sir Galahad, MSHC Brecon, MSHC Brocklesby, MSHC Bicester, MSHC Hurworth, MSHC Atherstone, MSHC Cattistock, MSHC Ledbury, MSHC Dulverton, 2 SeaKing 5 | ACM Loire, MHC Sagittaire, MHC Orion, MHC L'Aigle, MHC Pegase, MCP Pluton, MHSH Cassiopee |
| United States | Japan | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| LPH Tripoli, MSO Adroit, MSO Leader, MSO Impervious, MCM Avenger, MCM Guardian, various anti-mine helicopters | MST Hayase, MHSC Yurishima, MHSC Hikoshima, MHSC Awashima, MHSC Sakushima, AOE Tokiwa | MSC Addriyah, MSC Al Quysuha, MSC Al Wadeea, MSC Safua |
(Abbreviations: ACM / MST: anti-mine guidance vehicle, AF / AFS: supply or workshop ship, FFG: frigate, LST: landing ship, LPH: helicopter carrier, MCM / MCP / MHC / MHSC / MHSH / MSCD / MSC / MSO: various types of anti-mine vehicles )
The German clearance activity began with the departure of the Göttingen for the first use on April 10th. Already on April 14th, two days after arriving in the clearing area, she was able to report the first clearing success. On April 25th, the German clearing group could be used for the first time closed. In total, by July 20, 1991, the allies had rendered more than 1200 mines harmless, a higher number than Iraq had reported after the end of the war. The German association cleared over 100 mines.
Use of naval aviators
The aircraft and helicopters of Marinefliegergeschwader 5 from Kiel were stationed at Manama International Airport and operated by a detached command of the squadron.
The two Do-28 oil monitoring aircraft were tasked with detecting oil spills resulting from the destruction of production facilities during the Gulf War. The federal government had sent the multi-purpose ship Mellum to combat them , which was to be used in accordance with the results of the aerial reconnaissance. After it became clear that the oil slick had dissolved faster than expected, the Mellum and the aircraft were ordered back to Germany at the beginning of May.
The SeaKing helicopters were used to search for floating mines and for transports between Manama and the units at sea.
Conditions of use
The great distance of 260 nm between Manama and the clearing area off Kuwait proved to be unfavorable. The boats designed for use in Northern Europe also had technical difficulties with the high temperatures of over 45 ° C and the high humidity of 85 to 90% in summer. In addition, there was pollution of the air as a result of burning oil fields and from desert dust and sandstorms , which particularly troubled the helicopters.
Termination of the operation
The march back of the unit began on July 25th. On the 7300 nm long way home, Muscat , Salala , Djibouti , Jeddah , Suez , Port Said , Souda, Palma de Mallorca , Lisbon and Brest were called. On September 13, the association entered Wilhelmshaven, thus ending the "Operation South Flank".
Balance sheet
Even though it has been declared as humanitarian aid, Operation South Flank is to be seen as the Bundeswehr's first foreign deployment under threat.
With this mission, the Navy was able to gain experience at an early stage, which should prove itself in the next missions such as Operation Maritime Monitor and Operation Southern Cross . It turned out that successes could also be achieved with relatively old but modernized boats. The Troika remote clearance system proved itself, for example, against the modern mantamines, which mine-hunting boats could hardly clear.
The costs for additional material maintenance, operating materials, transport, port fees and other operational services in the amount of around DM 27 million were incurred. This does not include costs for air transport with Air Force aircraft.
For the 'Marburg' and the 'Koblenz' a total of 392 days at sea and approx. 27,000 nautical miles came together. A total of 2,670 soldiers were deployed in the mine defense association, 730 of them conscripts. Q: MarineForum 7 / 8-2020
See also
literature
- Friedrich Jacobi: 10 years after that. Mine Defense Association "South Flank" in the Persian Gulf - a very personal experience report . In: Hartmut Klüver (Ed.): Foreign missions of German warships in peace . Winkler, Bochum 2003, ISBN 3-89911-007-2 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ BVerfG, judgment of July 12, 1994, Az. 2 BvE 3/92, 5/93, 7/93, 8/93 (out-of-area operations), BVerfGE 90, 286 .
- ↑ a b Holger Schlüter, Mine Defense Association South Flank: German naval units in the Mediterranean - examples of special situations in leadership . In: Troop Practice . No. 2/1991 . Open Words, ISSN 0041-3666 , p. 154 ff .
- ↑ a b c d special supplement of the Wilhelmshavener Zeitung of September 13, 1991
- ↑ chart southern flank: Peter Hack, Wilhelmshaven / Bonn 1990/12
- ↑ a b c d e Friedrich Jacobi: 10 years later. Mine Defense Association "South Flank" in the Persian Gulf - a very personal experience report . In: Hartmut Klüver (Ed.): Foreign missions of German warships in peace . Winkler, Bochum 2003, ISBN 3-89911-007-2 .
- ^ Report of the Wilhelmshavener Zeitung of March 12, 1991.
- ^ Report of the Wilhelmshavener Zeitung from March 18, 1991.
- ↑ German presence in the Mediterranean grows up. In: Marineforum. 3-1991, p. 77.
- ^ Report of the Wilhelmshavener Zeitung of March 6, 1991 p. 1
- ^ A b c d Klaus-Peter Hirtz : "Operation Südflanke" - About the deployment of the anti-mine association in the North Arabian Gulf in 1991 . In: Troop Practice . No. 6/1991 . Open Words, ISSN 0041-3666 , p. 154 ff .
- ^ Walter E. Boomer: Inside the Storm. In: US Naval Institute Proceedings. February 2011. p. 56 ff.
- ↑ USS PRINCETON. July 16, 2016, accessed on July 21, 2016 .
- ↑ USS TRIPOLI (LPH 10), mine explosion, 18 February 1991. In: Damage Control museum. Shipboard Damage Control, Personnel Protection, Firefighting and CBR-D Museum Website, accessed July 21, 2016 .
- ^ Report of the Wilhelmshavener Zeitung of March 2, 1991, p. 1