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| Land Forces of the National People's Army Landstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1 March 1956 – 2 October 1990 |
| Country | East Germany |
| Size | 105,000 nominal, peacetime, 1990 394,350 nominal, wartime, 1990[1] |
| Part of | Kommando Landstreitkraefte (since 1972) |
| Headquarters | Geltow, Potsdam-Mittelmark |
| March |
|
The Land Forces of the National People's Army[2] (German: Landstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee – LaSK) was the ground-based military branch of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) National People's Army (NPA). The Land Forces Command, located at Geltow, was established on 1 December 1972 as a management body created for the land forces. The NPA itself was created on March 1, 1956, from the Kasernierte Volkspolizei (Barracked People's Police).
The LaSK had a peacetime organisation since 1972 under the command of the Kommando Landstreitkräfte (Kdo. LaSK). Its largest formations between 1956 and 1990 were the Military Districts III and V, which generally consisted of three active divisions each, plus training, combat support and logistic units. The 1st Motor Rifle Division was additionally attached to the Military District V, but was designated to leave that formation in wartime to play a key role in the assault on West Berlin. The 6th Motor Rifle Division existed only for two years (1956–1958) as an active formation.
While the two districts held the bulk of the GDR's land forces, additional artillery- and support elements, as well as the paratroopers of the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (upgraded to the 40th Air Assault Regiment in 1986) were under direct command of the Kdo. LaSK.
In wartime both military districts would form field armies: the 3rd Army in the south, reinforced by the GDR 6th, 10th, and 17th reserve divisions, and the 5th Army in the north, reinforced by the Soviet 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 138th and 221st Separate Tank Regiments from the GSFG. Both armies would have been commanded by the Soviet high-command, while the Kommando Landstreitkräfte was to focus on the military supply chain, medical services, internal security and assist in the capture of West Berlin.[3]
The headquarters of Military District V in the north was in Neubrandenburg.
1st Motor Rifle Division (Potsdam)
8th Motor Rifle Division (Schwerin)
9th Panzer Division (Eggesin)
The headquarters of the southern district was in Leipzig.
4th Motor Rifle Division (Erfurt)
7th Panzer Division (Dresden)
11th Motor Rifle Division (Halle)
In the event of a full-scale mobilisation, the six regular divisions of the NVA would have been supplemented by three mobilisation divisions and two reserve divisions.[4] All five divisions would be mobilised on M+2. The cadre of each mobilisation/reserve division remained on hand as the regular staff of training centers/non-commissioned officer (NCO) schools. The five second line divisions were the 6th Motor Rifle Division (Königswartha), the 10th Motor Rifle Division (Ronneburg), the 17th Motor Rifle Division (Petersroda), the 19th Motor Rifle Division (Wulkow, which was not based on a training centre), and the 20th Motor Rifle Division (Bredenfelde).
Mobilisation Divisions – command of the Military District III of land forces (Leipzig)
6th Motor Rifle Division (Königswartha)
10th Motor Rifle Division (Ronneburg)
17th Motor Rifle Division (Petersroda)
Reserve divisions – command of the Military District V of land forces (Neubrandenburg)
19th Motor Rifle Division (Wulkow)
20th Motor Rifle Division (Bredenfelde)
The Kommando Landstreitkräfte also contained some specially trained units – like the 40th Paratrooper Battalion (later the 40th Air Assault Regiment "Willi Sänger"). The structure and equipment was mostly of Soviet design, and the NVA operated in close collaboration with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. There were also reports of a special NVA diversionary battalion in south Germany equipped with M-48s and M-113s, to cause confusion amongst NATO forces (emulating and improving on the example of Otto Skorzeny's 150th Panzer Brigade during the Ardennes Offensive). However more recent reports throw doubt on the existence of any such unit.[5]
Divisions
Regiments
Battalions
Detachments
Small Arms:
| Name | Country of origin | Type | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walther PP |  Nazi Germany East Germany
|
Semi-automatic pistol | 
| |
| Makarov PM |  Soviet Union East Germany
|
Semi-automatic pistol | 
| |
| Nagant M1895[6] |  Russian Empire Soviet Union
|
Revolver | Imported in small numbers and saw little use | 
|
| PPSh-41 | Soviet Union
|
Submachine gun | Designated as MPi 41 | 
|
| FB PM-63 |  Poland
|
Submachine gun | 
| |
| Mauser Kar98k | Nazi Germany
|
Bolt action rifle | In use by the Combat Groups of the Working Class and remained in standard use until the 1960s and continued its service in limited circumstances | 
|
| Mosin–Nagant | Soviet Union
|
Bolt action rifle | In use by the Combat Groups of the Working Class and in remained standard use until the 1960s and continued its service in limited circumstances | 
|
| SKS | Soviet Union East Germany
|
Semi-automatic carbine | Manufactured domestically as the Karabiner-S and used for ceremonial occasions | 
|
| STG44 | Nazi Germany
|
Assault rifle | Left over from World War II, used until the early 1960s. Relabeled as MPi 44 | 
|
| AKM | Soviet Union Poland East Germany
|
Assault rifle | Manufactured by the state arsenal as the MPi-KM (fixed stock, later variants were distinctive stippled plastic) and MPi-KMS-72 (AKMS) with a single strut "coathanger" side-folding stock |  
|
| AK-74 | Soviet Union East Germany
|
Assault rifle | MPi-AK-74N, MPi-AKS-74N, MPi-AKS-74NK variants made by the state arsenal for a short period of time starting in 1983 (withdrawn from service after German reunification) |  
|
| RPK | Soviet Union
|
Light machine gun | 
| |
| RPD | Soviet Union Poland
|
Light machine gun | 
| |
| PKM | Soviet Union
|
General-purpose machine gun | 
| |
| Dragunov SVD | Soviet Union
|
Designated marksman rifle | 
| |
| RPG-7D | Soviet Union
|
Light AT weapon | 
| |
| RPG-18 | Soviet Union
|
Light AT weapon | 
|
Armoured Vehicles:
| Name | Country of origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMP-1 | Soviet Union Czechoslovakia
|
Infantry fighting vehicle | 1,133 | The West-German Bundeswehr obtained 851 vehicles after 1990 (mainly BMP-1P). They were brought to NATO standards, known as the BMP-1A1 Ost. 764 were extant (remainder sold) in 1994, and only 450 in 1996. The remainder were scrapped or sold, including 110 previously to Finland unmodified. 501 BMP-1A1 Ost were sold to Greece in 1993–1994, 350 to Sweden also. |
| BMP-2 | Soviet Union Czechoslovakia
|
Infantry fighting vehicle | 24 | Tracked IFVs in first-line Panzergrenadier units |
| BRDM-1 | Soviet Union
|
Amphibious armoured patrol car | 150 | |
| BRDM-2 | Soviet Union
|
Amphibious armoured patrol car | ||
| BTR-40 | Soviet Union
|
Armoured personnel carrier | 300 | |
| BTR-50 | Soviet Union
|
Amphibious armored personnel carrier | 200 | |
| BTR-60 | Soviet Union
|
Armoured personnel carrier | 2,260 | |
| BTR-70 | Soviet Union East Germany
|
Armoured personnel carrier | 1,316 | Wheeled APCs in mechanised and motorised units |
| BTR-80 | Soviet Union
|
Armoured personnel carrier | Wheeled APCs in mechanised and motorised units | |
| BTR-152 | Soviet Union
|
Armoured personnel carrier | 759 | |
| PT-76 | Soviet Union
|
Amphibious Light tank | 170 | |
| T-34 | Soviet Union Poland East Germany
|
Medium tank | 872 | In service as first MBT of the NVA Land Forces from 1952 to 1965. Afterward, used only in modified recovery/engineering versions |
| T-54 | Soviet Union Poland Czechoslovakia
|
Main battle tank | 690 | (reserve) |
| T-55 | Soviet Union Poland Czechoslovakia
|
Main battle tank | 2,099 | Upgraded to T-55AM standard |
| T-72 | Soviet Union Poland Czechoslovakia
|
Main battle tank | 583 | In first-line Panzer units |
