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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070015-2


The headquarters of the four line battalions of the beach patrol troops of the Coastal Border Brigade are at Baroln, Markgrafenheide, Stabbenlammer, and Tarnewitz. The 1,800 beach-patrol troops are spread rather evenly along the entire coastline. (A training battalion at Kuchlungsborn is included in the 1,800 figure rather than under trainees because the personnel could be deployed immediately should the need exist. The other 1,700 trainees of the naval forces, concentrated mainly in the Stralsund area, could be reassigned efficiently prior to the completion of their training. In addition, 500 personnel man coastal observation stations along the entire coastline, the 200-man motorized communications battalion operates out of the Ulmenstrasse Barracks in Rostock, and the 650 combat engineers are usually concentrated at Sassnitz and Kuchlungsborn. There are about 500 personnel in coastal defense missile units on Rurgen island, largely concentrated around Borgen, and another 230 at Schwarzeapfust, near Wassentactule. These units have been employing the SAMLET, but apparently this missile is being phased out and replaced by a new but yet to be identified missile.

Most of the naval ships are relatively small units designed primarily for service in coastal waters. Combat ship strength includes two destroyer escorts, 230 patrol ships, 37 minesweepers, and 28 amphibious ships and craft. The two Riga class destroyer escorts (DE) are the largest ships of the navy. As of April 1973, these ships included the following:

Patrol ships

  • 1 Hai I class large submarine chaser (PC)
  • 12 Hai-III class large submarine chasers
  • 12 SO-I class submarine chasers (PCS)
  • 4 P-6 class motor gunboats (PCM)
  • 6 Kondor I class motor gunboats
  • 6 Schwalbe II class motor gunboats
  • 4 Miscellaneous class patrol boats
  • 59 Miscellaneous port security boats (PSB)
  • 37 Etis class small motor torpedo boats (PT)
  • 12 P-6 class motor torpedo boats
  • 12 Shershen class fast patrol boats (PTF)
  • 12 Osa class large guided missile patrol boats (PTFG)

Minesweepers

  • 10 Krake class fleet minesweepers (MSF)
  • 2 Habicht I and II class fleet minesweepers
  • 20 Schwalbe II class medium minesweepers (MSM)
  • 25 Kondor class medium minesweepers

Amphibious types

  • 5 Robbe class medium landing ships (LSM)
  • 12 Labo-100 class utility landing craft (LCU)
  • 10 Utia-III class personnel landing craft (LCP)

In addition to the combat ships listed above, the navy also operates 34 auxiliaries and 91 service craft. An additional seven auxiliaries and 12 service craft are assigned to pre-naval training units of the Society for Sport and Technology.

The majority of the 1st Flotilla's 57 combat ships (12 large submarine chasers, two fleet minesweepers, 15 medium minesweepers, and all 28 amphibious vessels) are stationed at the flotilla headquarters at Peenemuende. Under normal conditions one-third of the non-amphibious types are under extended refit or in reserve status.

All 4th Flotilla ships are based at Warnemuende and include two destroyer escorts, seven fleet minesweepers, and 23 medium minesweepers; two fleet minesweepers and four or five medium minesweepers are ordinarily under refit or in reserve.

The 6th Flotilla is now based almost exclusively at the new Bug Naval base. All 12 large guided missile patrol boats, 15 fast patrol boats, and 48 of the 49 motor torpedo boats are based at Bug, but the motor torpedo boats are rotated to smaller bases at Roschnell, Dunser Ort, Parow, and Sassnitz on a regular basis. The one remaining small motor torpedo boat is at Wolgast.

The Coastal Border Brigade has eight submarine chasers, for motor gunboats, and three patrol boats at Tarnewitz; 15 motor gunboats and 11 patrol boats at Sassnitz; four submarine chasers at Warnemuende; five patrol boats at Stralsund; and two patrol boats at Rostock.

The auxiliaries and service craft are divided fairly evenly among the three flotillas. One large submarine chaser, used as a training ship, is based at the Fleet School at Parow. Four fleet minesweepers and three medium minesweepers are also attached to the Fleet School.

The navy also has a helicopter squadron which is used for a variety of purposes, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, air-sea rescue, utility, training, and reconnaissance. It consists of eight helicopters and is based at Parow; some units bay be looted at Furkshof.


3. Training

Most institutionalized training is centralized in the Stralsund area. The Fleet School (the enlisted specialist school at Parow) provides various levels of instruction for petty officers, who return there periodically throughout their careers to qualify for advancement. Similarly, the officer candidate school at Schwedermache is called the Karl Liebknecht Naval Officers College, also provides a limited


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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070015-2