1st Panzer Regiment "Friedrich Wolf"

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The tank regiment 1 "Friedrich Wolf" was an armored regiment of the National People's Army of the former GDR with location Beelitz , near Potsdam . It was (according to Order No. 22/56 of the Minister for National Defense) in April 1956 as part of the 1st Mechanized Division (later 1st Motorized Rifle Division) from former units of the Barracked People's Police (heavy C and SFL command) set up in Burg and existed until October 1989.

history

When it was set up on April 30, 1956, the tank regiment was initially equipped with only a few Soviet T-34 /76 tanks and Soviet BTR 152 armored personnel carriers. The first location of the PR-1 was from 1956 to 1983 the Waldfrieden barracks in Burg with the location-location-shooting range Körbelitz.

Until the 1960s, the regiment was gradually increased to full combat strength with T-34/76, T-34/85, IS-2 and SFL SU-76M and SFL SU-85 tanks, with the older T34 tanks / 76 were completely returned by the end of 1964. From April 1968, the entire tank technology was gradually replaced by T-54AM tanks that had been removed from the NVA tank divisions (they were converted to the more modern T-55A ). In 1972/73, all battle tanks in the PR-1 were gradually replaced by new T-55A tanks. In addition, some light floating tanks of the type PT-76 were in the inventory of the reconnaissance company until the end of the 1970s . On October 7, 1969, Panzer Regiment-1 was given the traditional name "Friedrich Wolf".

From November 1981, the first parts of the regiment, beginning with the 1st Panzer Battalion, the reconnaissance and pioneer companies, moved into the new troop location, a newly built large barracks between Beelitz and Beelitz-Heilstätten. The relocation took place in battalions and was completed by December 1, 1983. In this new NVA barracks (at that time Friedrich Wolf barracks, today Hans-Joachim-von-Zieten barracks of the Bundeswehr ) were, in addition to the PR-1, the artillery department 1 "Willy Sägebrecht", the projectile department 1 "Hermann Rentzsch", the reconnaissance battalion 1 “Dr. Richard Sorge ” and until June 1986 also the Chemical Defense 1 Battalion“ Herbert Kittelmann ”, all units of the 1st MSD, were stationed.

The practical training of the various units of the regiment, such as tank driving exercises, tank and infantry shooting exercises , practical tactical training, use of explosives, etc., usually took place at the nearby Lehnin military training area , while larger battalion, regimental or division exercises with combat shooting also took place at the Klietz and military training areas Gardelegen or other military training areas . Forcing and crossing of waters with tanks as well as the practical underwater driver training (UF) of the tank crews took place annually, often in the summer months, in the Elbe near Kehnert .

Organizationally, the Panzer Regiment-1 was subordinate to the Military District V (Neubrandenburg) as part of the 1st Mot.-Rifle Division in peacetime , but strategically in the case of war as part of the "Special Grouping Berlin" to carry out the so-called "Operation Center". "Operation Center" was the name for the planned capture of West Berlin , which was to take place together with some other units of the NVA as well as forces of the GSSD , the combat groups , the border troops and VP readiness .

The code name of the regiment within the NVA was "Sundial", the post box number 10882.

In the spring of 1989 the PR-1 last consisted of three tank battalions (9 PK's ) with 94 now technically obsolete, since not retrofitted or modernized Soviet battle tanks of the type T-55A, as well as the associated 3 bridge -layer BLG-60, 5 tugs T-55TK , 3 Armored personnel carriers BMP-1 , 26 SPW of the type BTR 60 , BTR 70 , SPW-40P2 and others, as well as from extensive automotive, pioneer and supply technology. Part of the PR-1, was also what was unusual for a NVA tank regiment, in addition to the tank battalions as of May 1986, an artillery division, the last of 18 122 mm SFL - howitzers type 2S1 ( "Gwosdika") equipped.

As a result of a change in the NVA's military strategy in 1987, along with the planned conversion from an attacking army to a future defense army, as well as due to economic and economic constraints, the chairman of the National Defense Council of the GDR , Erich Honecker , announced on January 21, 1989 a resolution to reduce the NVA by 10,000 soldiers, including the dissolution of six tank regiments and one fighter squadron, as well as the scrapping of 600 tanks and 50 fighter planes.

The 1st Panzer Regiment "Friedrich Wolf" was also affected by this decision.

Panzer Regiment-1 was disbanded on October 24, 1989 without replacement. The 2nd Panzer Battalion had already been disbanded, beginning in April 1989, and its 31 tanks were transferred by rail loading to the MOB complex camp 25 near Grimme (Zerbst), where they were stored there (ammunitioned and preserved), older T-54 tanks of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division (MOB) . The staff of the former tank regiment (approx. 1,100 men at the beginning of 1989) was either released from active military service as planned, transferred to the newly formed training base-4 (ABAS-4) or transferred to other NVA units.

Composition of the regiment

T-55 tanks of the NVA
  • Regimental command
  • I. Panzer Battalion (31 T-55A battle tanks)
  • II Panzer Battalion (31 T-55A main battle tanks)
  • III. Panzerbataillon (31 T-55A main battle tanks)
  • Artillery department (18 SPG howitzers 2S1 "Gwosdika" )
  • Headquarters company (1 main battle tank T-55A (K))
  • Reconnaissance company (3 armored personnel carriers BMP-1 , SPW-40P2 )
  • Fla-SFL battery (4 Flak tanks ZSU-23-4 "Schilka" )
  • Pioneer company
  • News company
  • Company f. material security (KMS)
  • Repair company
  • RMP (medical point)

Commanders of the PR-1

  • 1956–1958 Colonel Otto Schliwinski
  • 1958–1961 Major Günter Bandt
  • 1961–1962 Major Heinz Schmidt
  • 1962–1963 Lieutenant Colonel Johannes Schuster
  • 1964–1967 Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Biermann
  • 1967–1968 Lieutenant Colonel Helmut Jenke m. d. F. b.
  • 1968–1970 Lieutenant Colonel Werner Käseberg
  • 1970–1974 Lieutenant Colonel Rolf Kampf
  • 1974–1975 Major Manfred Preer
  • 1975–1975 Lieutenant Colonel Günter Gorzel
  • 1975–1980 Major / Lieutenant Colonel Manfred Preer
  • 1980–1982 Lieutenant Colonel Winfried Barich
  • 1982–1986 Major / Lieutenant Colonel Rolf Zander
  • 1986–1989 Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Bernd Niering

literature

  • Bernd Tuchel, Rolf Zander: The Panzer Regiment-1 of the NVA. , Steffen-Verlag, 2014, ISBN 978-3-942477-98-7 .
  • Ralf-Peter Michelke, Bernd Tuchel, Rolf Zander: Panzer March - The Panzer Regiment 1 in pictures , Steffen-Verlag, 2016, ISBN 978-3-941681-85-9 .