Rear services

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Reverse services (abbreviation: RD ) in German military history, most recently with the former National People's Army of the GDR , denoted units that were intended to supply the armed forces with food, weapons and ammunition and ensure the supply of wounded soldiers.

The term rearward services is not used in the Bundeswehr . Similar functions are performed in particular by the supply force and the medical service.

history

Up until the 18th century, the rear services were called Tross .

Frederick II gave the supply of his army a prominent position in his general principles of war .

“... If you want to build an army, you have to start with the stomach; he is the foundation. ... "

Frederick II referred to the provision of food for people and horses. In this work the king writes about the importance of supplying the army with bread, but also with beer and brandy. Friedrich devoted a chapter to supplying the horses with green forage (grass) and dry forage (hay). At that time, the majority of the tasks that are performed by the rear services today were carried out by the "fighting troops". Only the supply of the army with beer and brandy was reserved for the sutlers . Over the centuries, the further development of the army led to a specialization of the tasks. This was expressed in the creation of new units, such as the medical units. These no longer belonged to the fighting force, but were purely supply units. As the army grew in strength, it became necessary to create administrations to organize the army. The German Empire already had its own engineering corps , paramedics and trainee units . This specialization was also continued in the Wehrmacht . Logistic units made up the majority of soldiers in an army in the 20th century.

Reverse services in the NVA

tasks

In the National People's Army of the GDR, the task of the rear services consisted primarily of supplying the armed forces with all material resources that were necessary for the life of members of the army and for possible combat operations.

The rear service troops included:

Rear service facilities were warehouses, workshops, repair shops, hospitals , rest homes, and more.

The rear services within the troop units ( regiment , battalion, etc.) included the catering service, the clothing and equipment service, the fuel and lubricant service, the transport and repair company. The task of the units mentioned was to organize life in the army and the operational capability of the "combat units".

In the event of war, the tasks of the rear services were in

  • Carrying supplies of material with the troops
  • the supply of troops, ships and airmen with ammunition, propellants and lubricants during the fighting
  • the rescue and removal of the wounded from the battlefield and their medical care
  • the maintenance and repair of combat technology and the return of damaged material.

Head of Rear Services

The heads of the rear services were deputies to the Minister for National Defense .

literature

  • Herrman Vogt: The book of the German army . Published by Delhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld and Leipzig, 1891.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gustav Berthold Volz (ed.): The works of Frederick the Great. Sixth volume. Military writings. Published by Reimar Hobbing . Berlin 1913, p. 15.
  2. ↑ Andreas Herbst:  Allenstein, Walter . In: Who was who in the GDR? 5th edition. Volume 1. Ch. Links, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86153-561-4 .