APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070015-2
however, entail an extensive alteration of the existing industrial pattern. Considering the heavy costs involved, this is not likely to occur in the near future. To maintain the development of the armed forces, East Germany imports military equipment, particularly from the USSR, which during the period 1968-71 supplies equipment valued at $2.5 billion.
Production of ground forces material includes transport vehicles, limited amounts of small arms and ammunition, some chemical warfare agents, and enough military explosives to allow for some exports. The country's highly developed telecommunications industry fills all the requirements of the armed forces except for radar and certain types of tactical radios. These and most other imported material are supplied by the Soviet Union.
Although East Germany is almost self-sufficient in the production of component parts for shipbuilding and its shipyards have the facilities and capability to produce large combatants, it has limited its naval production to submarine chasers, minesweepers, landing ships, motor torpedo boats, and auxiliaries, acquiring large combatants from the Soviet Union.
East Germany has no aircraft or missile industry. Aircraft are obtained primarily from the USSR, which also supplies air-to-air, surface-to-air, and surface-to-surface missiles.
6. Uniforms and insignia (U/OU)
The uniforms and insignia of the East German armed force resemble those worn by the German Army in World War II. Excluding naval forces, all services wear brownish-gray uniforms.
a. Uniforms
Ground force uniforms may be divided into four basic categories: dress, semi-dress, field-service, and work. Styling of the uniforms is essentially the same for all ranks; major differences are evidenced only in the quality of materials. The semi-dress uniform, formally entitled the "walking-out" uniform, is most frequently observed. Since January 1965, career senior noncommissioned officers have been permitted to wear officer-type uniforms. A new semi-dress uniform for paratroopers, introduced in December 1969, includes an open collar single-breasted four-button coat, matching trousers, silver-gray shirt, and dark-gray tie. An orange beret can be worn with this uniform.
Uniforms for naval officers and enlisted personnel include dress blue, service blue, and summer white categories. Senior mates and rates wear officer-type uniforms, but without gold braid on the service cap. Enlisted personnel in the lower rates wear regular two-piece suits. White cap covers are generally worn from May to September, and navy-blue covers at other times. Officers also have a full dress uniform, identical to the dress blue, but having a gold leaf emblem on the coat lapels.
Air Force officers and enlisted personnel wear uniforms which are similar in style and color to those of the ground forces.
b. Insignia
Insignia of rank for officers and enlisted personnel of the ground and air forces are displayed on shoulder-boards or shoulder-loops of all uniforms except those intended for field use, coveralls, and other special clothing. General officers wear five-pointed silver stars; other officers wear four-pointed gold stars and/or silver braid, or silver horizontal stripes. Sleeve rank insignia worn on field uniform, coveralls, and other special clothing consist of silver or white horizontal stripes of varying widths and number, according to the rank, sewn on the upper left sleeve of the garment.
Rank insignia for naval officers are similar to those of their counterparts in the ground and air forces. Naval officers also wear sleeve rank stripes on all uniform except the summer white and the winter overcoats. The ranks of enlisted personnel are indicated by four-pointed silver stars and/or gold bread, or gold horizontal stripes. The rates from senior seaman through mate display the gold stripes on the upper left sleeve of the uniform, and on the shoulder-boards of the peacoat.
The branches of service in the ground forces are identified by use of distinctive colors in the piping on caps, shoulder-boards, and on collar and cuff tabs. The air forces' color is light blue, and the service is also identified by silver wing devices worn on light blue collar tabs. The shoulder-boards of general officers of the ground forces have a red background, flag officers of the naval forces a deep blue background, and general officers of the air forces a light blue background. Naval officers wear the corps emblem on the lower sleeve of the coat just above the sleeve rank stripes.
Specialist, or career field, insignia are worn by enlisted personnel of the three services. The ground and air forces use emblems which are basically silver in color and displayed on round or oval brownish-gray patches sewn on the lower left sleeve of the coat above the cuff turn-up. The emblem may also be in the color of the branch of service to which an individual has
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070015-2
