Panzerhaubitze M109G (4. Batterie, Artillerielehrbataillon 145)

Source: Author's collection

     Most likely a publicity photograph, one gets a good view of the business end of a Bundeswehr Panzerhaubitze M109G self-propelled gun (SPG). Between 1964 and 1972, the Bundeswehr purchased a mixture of M109A1 and M109A2 SPGs from the United States. In two waves, the SPGs were sent to Rheinmetall AG who performed a myriad of improvements and adaptations to make them suitable for German service. The original 155mm howitzer was replaced with a Rheinmetall version which featured a new barrel, fume extractor, two-chamber muzzle brake, and a flat wedge breech block. The exterior appearance of the new gun still bore a resemblance to the original M109's short M126 155mm howitzer. The panoramic telescope and sighting scope were replaced with German optics while the M109G's commander was provided with a cupola and vision blocks taken directly from the M113 armored personnel carrier which was in use by the Bundeswehr. Other changes included replacing the 12.7mm M2 heavy machine-gun with the German built 7.62mm Maschinengewehr 3 (MG 3) and fitting German smoke grenade dischargers to the turret front.

     The M109G had a crew of six which consisted of the commander, driver, gunner, two loaders, and two ammunition handlers. The M109G was powered by a 450hp Detroit Diesel 8V71T turbo 8-cylinder, water-cooled engine paired with a 6-speed (4 forward, 2 reverse gears) Allison XTG-411-4A hydro-mechanical manual transmission. This was enough to move the M109G along at a top speed of 35mph with an operational range of 216 miles. The German howitzer had a maximum range of a little over 11 miles and a trained gun crew could sustain a rate of fire of one round every minute. The need for four men to feed the gun was due to the ammunition coming in two separate components; the shell and the bagged powder charge. Because of this, the M109G was only able to carry 28 rounds and thus relied on ammunition carriers to resupply it in the field as the onboard ammunition could be easily expended in a short period of time. Thus, having the extra hands allowed the M109G to be quickly replenished from ammunition carriers.

     As the M109G continued in service, it received one major upgrade in the early 1980s and that was to the M109A3GA1 standard. The gun was replaced with a longer barreled howitzer derived from the towed Feldhaubitze FH155-1 (which gave a maximum range of 15 miles), onboard ammunition capacity was increased to 35 rounds, IFAB (Integrierte Feuerleitmittel Artillerie Batterie) fire control system integration was added, and the installation of the AURORA (Autonome Richt- und Orientierungsaustattung Rohrartillerie; Autonomous Straightening and Orientation Equipment, Tube Artillery) targeting system enhanced the strike capability of the M109A3GA1. By the 1990s, the M109G was being phased out and replaced with the Panzerhaubitze 2000 but it was seen that the PzH 2000 would not be available in enough numbers to quickly replace the M109G and so 262 of the M109A3GA1 were given a further upgrade to the M109A3GEA2 standard. This included expanding the IFAB capability, improving the communication equipment, and incorporating the M109 into the ADLER (Artillerie-, Daten-, Lage- und Einsatz-Rechnerverbund; Artillery, Data, Situation and Deployment Computer Network) system. The ADLER system is a radio assisted artillery command, control, and weapon deployment network. To ease the burden of the loaders and ammunition handlers, a lifting aid and automatic loader was fitted but proved unreliable and so they were often disabled by the crew. The M109 was finally retired from German service in mid-2007.

     The content on the left side of the lower hull is the military symbology for the M109G's unit. The rectangle, called the frame in military terms, represents a unit. The squashed oval with the dot in the center represents a self-propelled howitzer or gun. The line to the right of the oval represents “gun system equipped” while the little line on top of the frame designates a battery. The number 4 is the battery the M109G belongs to while the 145 designates the battalion the battery belongs to. Thus, the unit would the 4. Batterie, Artillerielehrbataillon 145. This unit is no longer in existence with the current artillery units being Artillerielehrbataillon 131, Artillerielehrbataillon 295, Artillerielehrbataillon 325, and Artillerielehrbataillon 345. With the exception of Artillerielehrbataillon 295 (which is under the Franco-German Brigade), the other units are division level assets.

Oberleutnant Heinz Halmes (Luftlandebrigade 25)

Source: Author's collection.

     Little is known about the military history of Heinz Halmes. Much of what is known comes from scattered sources including, among others, a 2015 auction in München, Germany of award documents and the soldbuch (pay book) which belonged to Halmes. Halmes was born in Aachen, Germany on April 6, 1923 and his military career, at least what has been found in documentation, started sometime in 1942 when Halmes entered into the Luftwaffe as a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) and held the rank of Gefreiter (equivalent to a U.S. Air Force Airman rank). His initial posting was with Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5. This was a unit first formed in May 1942 and consisted of three battalions. I. Bataillon and III. Bataillon trained for Unternehmen Herkules (Operation Hercules, the invasion of Malta) at Truppenübungsplatz Mourmelon (Military Training Area Mourmelon) which was located near Reims, France while II. Bataillon was shipped to Africa and placed under Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke. However, the Allied landings in Algeria on November 7, 1942 (and the eventual cancellation of the Malta invasion that same month) saw the two battalions in France sent to Tunisia to join up with the II. Bataillon. The regiment saw heavy combat in defensive positions around Medjez El Bab starting on November 20, 1942 and in the face of American armored attacks, gave ground five days later. II. Bataillon suffered severe casualties and further action south of Tunis against British paratroopers saw the III. Bataillon worn down. Enough reinforcements arrived to reconstitute the II. Bataillon but by December 1942, hard, but successful, defensive combat around Tebourba and Fourna stymied the Allied advance towards Tunis. What remained of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 was renamed as Jäger-Regiment "Hermann Göring" in January 1943 and operated under Panzer Division "Hermann Göring". It saw extensive combat from April 1943 to May 6, 1943 and suffered very heavy casualties in the fighting. Many of the survivors went into captivity but others, including a sizable number from the remains of II. Bataillon, managed to be evacuated by ship to Italy. The survivors were assembled into II./ Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 and placed under the 2. Fallschirmjäger Division where the battalion fought briefly in Italy through September 1943 before being transferred along with the 2. Fallschirmjäger Division to the Eastern Front in October 1943. The battalion saw action around Kirovograd but in January 1944, the battalion was withdrawn and sent to France where it would become Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16, 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

     Prior to the unit change to Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16, Halmes had been promoted to Unteroffizier (other sources say Oberjäger) which was equivalent to a Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. In this period of time, Halmes had earned the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class) on December 19, 1942, the Verwundetenabzeichen 3. Klasse (Wound Badge in Black) on May 6, 1943, the Medaille für den Italienisch-Deutschen Feldzug in Afrika (Italo-German Campaign Medal in Africa) on June 30, 1943, the Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge) on July 10, 1943, the Ärmelband Afrika (Africa campaign cufftitle) on July 14, 1943, and the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen der Luftwaffe (Parachutist Badge) on September 23, 1943.

     As 1944 arrived, Halmes was promoted again, this time to a Fähnrich (officer candidate) and he was made Zugführer (platoon leader) of 1. Zug (1st. Platoon), 11. Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16. The 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division saw combat during the Normandy Invasion but Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16 was pulled from the West Front in June 1944 and shifted to Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North) on the Eastern Front. It saw brief combat in Lithuania under Kampfgruppe Oberst Schirmer from July 1944 to September 1944. On September 24, 1944, the unit was renamed to Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 3 "Hermann Göring" while in Radom, Poland. On October 28, 1944, he was made company commander of 11. Kompanie, III. Bataillon, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16. By this time, Halmes had received the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. Class) on April 5, 1944 and the Deutsches Kreuz im Gold (German Cross in Gold) on October 19, 1944. Halmes, for a very brief period of time, had been transferred into Fallschirmjäger-Regiment z.b.V. which was formed on November 25, 1944. By the close of December 1944, Halmes was the company commander for 7. Kompanie, Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 ”Hermann Göring”. In this brief period, Halmes was awarded the Nahkampfspange in Silber (Close Combat Clasp in Silver) and the Panzerkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe 3. Klasse (Luftwaffe Tank Battle Badge 3rd. Class), both dated December 15, 1944. At some point late in 1944, Halmes was promoted to Oberfähnrich (the highest rank of officer candidate) as in 1945, he graduated and was commissioned as a Leutnant. His last award was the Verwundetenabzeichen 2. Klasse (Wound Badge in Silver) which was received on January 24, 1945.

     What happened to Halmer following World War Two isn't known. However, this photograph of him shows that he survived any captivity and entered into the Bundeswehr as, not surprisingly, a paratrooper. On his left shoulder is the patch for Luftlandebrigade 25 ”Schwarzwald“ (Airborne Brigade 25 “Black Forest”) of the 1. Luftlandedivision. His rank, as denoted by the two rank pips on his shoulder boards, is that of a Oberleutnant (1st. Lieutenant). His ribbon bar consists solely of his World War Two decorations as per the 1957 regulations. The top row, from the left, is his German Cross, Iron Cross 1st. Class, Iron Cross 2nd. Class, and the Close Combat Clasp. The second row is his Wound Badge in Silver, Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge, Luftwaffe Tank Battle Badge, and the Africa Campaign Title. The last row is his Parachutist Badge and the Italo-German Campaign Medal in Africa.

     Halmer died on July 14, 2009 in St. Ingbert-Hassel, Germany at the age of 86.

General Klaus Naumann: The Most Highly Decorated Bundeswehr Soldier

     Born on May 25, 1939 in Munich, Germany, Klaus Dieter Naumann would eventually become one of the most highly decorated German soldiers in the post-World War Two Bundeswehr. Naumann's Bundeswehr career began in 1958 when he enlisted and was posted to Feldartilleriebataillon 41 (Field Artillery Battalion 41). Naumann soon entered Heeresoffizierschule III (Army Officer School) located in München and then further trained at the Artillerieschule (Artillery School) in Idar-Oberstein. Upon completion of these schools, Naumann graduated as an artillery officer.

     Between 1970 and 1972, Naumann attended the thirteenth class of the Generalstabslehrgang (General Staff Course) taught at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr (Command Academy of the Bundeswehr) in Hamburg. Excelling in the course work, Naumann was recognized by being awarded the General-Heusinger-Preis (General Heusinger Prize). Instituted on August 4, 1967, this is the highest honor that can be bestowed to a student upon completion of either General Staff or Admiralty Staff training. After graduation, Naumann held numerous positions within the Bundeswehr, including: Panzerartilleriebataillon 51, Panzerartilleriebataillon 135 (as Battery Chief), Panzerbrigade 15 (operations officer), and Panzerartilleriebataillons 55 (commander).

     In 1981, Naumann was promoted to Oberst (Colonel) and he soon became the head of the Department of Military Policy, Nuclear Strategy and Arms Control (Dezernatsleiter für Militärpolitik, Nuklearstrategie und Rüstungskontrolle), a staff position of the German Military Representative in the NATO Military Committee (Deutschen Militärischen Vertreters im Militärausschuss). In 1983, Naumann graduated from the Royal College of Defense Studies (London, England) and from 1984 to 1986, he commanded Panzergrenadierbrigade 30.

     On October 1, 1991, Naumann was appointed in the role he is most remembered for, that of Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr (Inspector General of the German Armed Forces). This came with a promotion to General and at the time, Naumann was the youngest officer to be appointed to the position. During his term, Naumann initiated a reorganization of the Bundeswehr which commenced in July 1994. By December of that year, he was nominated to become the next Chairman of the NATO Militärausschuss. Naumann's nomination was accepted and in February 14, 1996, his tenure as Inspector General ended and his career as chairman began. Naumann held the chairmanship until 1999 when he retired after nearly 41 years of military service.

     The photograph of Naumann was taken sometime in 1993 or 1994. He is wearing the light gray semi-dress uniform jacket, blue button down shirt, and a black tie. As an officer, the upper collar has gold piping along the edge. Given his was an artillery officer, Naumann wore the crossed cannon badge on the red beret and his shoulder-boards had deep red piping. It should be noted, however, that the waffenfarb (corps color) for general ranks and above was the same deep red as artillery. Speaking of shoulder-boards, although not very visible, each shoulder-board had four rank pips and a laurel plus an inner piping, all in a gold color. On his collar are the General rank tabs which were red with gold bullion thread. Interestingly, the Bundeswehr version differed very little from the original World War Two rank tab. On his left sleeve, of which only the braided gold border can be seen, is the tri-color (black/red/yellow) patch upon which a black eagle within a yellow shield is superimposed. Not visible is the crest of the Führungsstab der Streitkräfte (Fü S; Command Staff of the Armed Forces) on the pocket hanger which is fitted through the button of the upper right pocket.

     As for decorations seen in this photograph (which are only a portion of what he was ultimately decorated with), on the upper row of ribbons, starting nearest his lapel: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 1. Klasse (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st. Class), Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr (Honor Cross of the Bundeswehr), and the Deutsches Sportabzeichen (German Sports Badge). The next row consists of: Rettungsschwimmabzeichen (Lifeguard Badge), Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur (Commander's Cross of the Legion of Honor [French award]), Meritorious Service Medal [U.S. award], and the Grand Cruz, Orden del Mérito Militar con Distintivo Blanco (Grand Cross of Military Merit with White Decoration [Spanish award]). The single award on the third row is the Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE; [British award]).

Primary Source:

Klaus Naumann (General). (2021, August 23). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 9, 2022, from https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Naumann_(General)

The 84mm Carl Gustav M2: Swedish Anti-Tank Weapon Success

      In 1946, Hugo Abramson and Harald Jentzen of the Kungliga Arméförvaltningens Tygavdelning (Royal Swedish Arms Administration) developed the Carl Gustaf M1 recoilless rifle to replace the existing Pansarvärnsgevär m/42 20mm recoilless rifle that had entered service in 1942. The M1 was far larger at 84mm and rather than use fins to stabilize the rounds, the barrel was rifled to impart spin on the round for stabilization. Taken into Swedish military service in 1948, the M1 (designated the 8,4 cm Granatgevär m/48 in Swedish service) enjoyed a longer, more accurate range thanks to more propellant in the ammunition. The only drawback was a low flight speed of the round that limited the effective range against moving targets. Despite this, the M1 enjoyed export sales to a number of countries.

     In 1964, the M1 was improved by making the design both lighter and shorter. Designated the Carl Gustaf M2, it rapidly replaced the M1 in Swedish service. It is the M2 that is being utilized in this photograph of two German Bundeswehr gebirgsjäger (mountain troops) training with the weapon sometime in the late 1960s or very early 1970s. Germany was one of the customers of the M2 (under the designation Leuchtbüchse 84mm), purchasing a large number of them to supplement the Panzerfaust 44mm DM2 “Lanze” anti-tank weapon that had entered service in 1963.

     The M2 is 3.8 feet long and has a empty weight of 31.3 pounds. It does have a protective carry case for transportation but this adds a further 33.7 pounds to the carry weight. The rifled tube ends in a rear-mounted, up-rotating venturi, seen behind the firer's head. While the M2 could be operated by a single soldier, the M2 is more often served by a two man crew. The loader is making ready the M2's High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) round which is characterized by the stand-off probe on the front. However, in this case, the ammunition appears to be a inert training round given the wear of the paint on the warhead (from being reused over and over) and that the cartridge case appears to be missing. The firer is provided with a monopod which can be seen just in front of the firer's chin. This monopod can be moved to the front of the tube if desired. For sighting, the M2 uses a simple open sight or, as seen here, a X2 telescopic sight with a 17 degree field of vision. The scope sight does allow for the firer to compensate for environmental temperature which can effect the round. The M2 can be fired from the shoulder, fitted to a vehicle mount, or fired from the prone position which is what we see in the photograph. Once the loader inserts a round into the tube, he must then close and lock the venturi. If the venturi is not locked, the M2 cannot fire. The firer disengages the safety catch and has a two-pressure trigger to fire the round. The mechanical firing mechanism consists of a hand-cocked, percussion-operated detonator. Typically, the loader carries a total of four rounds.

     The standard HEAT round (FFV551) has an effective range of 400 meters (1,312 feet) against moving targets and 500 meters (1,640 feet) against stationary targets. The HEAT round is capable of penetrating up to 400mm of armor plate. The M2 can also fire high-explosive (FFV441) and smoke (FFV469) rounds out to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) in addition to a illumination round (FFV545) out to 2,000 meters (6,561 feet). The average muzzle velocity is 1,148 feet per second. A well trained crew can fire six rounds every minute.

     The rounds consist of the warhead and a cartridge case, the case closed by a plastic disc. When fired, the propellant's detonation creates gas pressure in the cartridge case that starts the warhead out of the tube. The pressure then ruptures the plastic disc which vents the gas out the venturi. The mass and velocity of the exiting round, combined with the rearward ejected mass and velocity of the escaping gas cancels out the recoil forces on the M2. Of course, this makes being behind the M2 highly dangerous out to 30 meters (98 feet) and even out to 75 meters (246 feet), the shock wave caused by the back blast can result in injury to the unwary or unprepared.

     The M2 was later updated to the M2-550 which incorporated the FFV555 telescopic sight which includes a drum-operated coincidence range finder. The sight also includes a selector switch that automatically adjusts the aiming to account for the different rounds the M2-550 can fire. Once the range and round selection is set, light pulses within the sight assist the firer with the correct lead on the target to score a successful hit. The HEAT round for the M2-550 was also improved by fitting it with fins for in-flight stabilization, a rocket motor to boost range, and a Teflon slip-ring to reduce the spin effect of the tube rifling on the round thereby improving the performance of the HEAT warhead. This boosted the effective range of the round out to a maximum of 700 meters (2,296 feet).

     The German Bundeswehr replaced the M2 with the Panzerfaust 3 recoilless anti-tank weapon in 1987 but still maintains a small stock of the M2 for the sole purpose of battlefield illumination. However, the M2 (along with the improved M3 and M4 models) still see front-line use with some 44 countries, a true validation of the success of the Swedish built weapon.

Primary Sources:

Bishop, Chris and Drury, Ian The Encyclopedia of World Military Weapons (New York: Crescent Books, 1988)

Hogg, Ian V. Infantry Support Weapons (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1995)

Owen, J.I.H. Brassey's Infantry Weapons of the World (New York: Bonanza Books, 1975)

The Walther Pistole 1: Stalwart of the Bundeswehr

      A Bundeswehr soldier, laying in the prone firing position on the pistol range, takes aim with a Walther P1 pistol. The P1 was, until 1975, the exact same as the World War Two constructed Pistole '38, or P38 which was accepted into Wehrmacht service in 1939. 

     The P38 replaced the much older and more expensive Luger P08 and featured a locked-breech, short recoil action. The P38 was both a double-action and a single-action pistol. This meant that the user could chamber a round and using the pistol's safety lever, the user could lower the hammer without discharging the weapon. The benefit was that a ready round was loaded and upon pulling the trigger to fire, the hammer was brought back then released to fire the round (double-action). After firing the first round, the pistol reverted to single-action as each subsequent firing ejected the round, cocked the hammer, and chambered a new round. The P38 was chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round with the magazine holding eight bullets. The barrel was 5 inches long with six right-handed grooves. The overall length of the P38 was 8.4 inches long with a unloaded weight of 2.1 pounds. The P38 had a muzzle velocity of 1,150 feet per second and with the rear notch/front blade post sights, the effective range was 50 meters. The P38 was in production from 1939 to 1945 with over one million examples constructed between three manufacturers: Walther, Mauser, and Spreewerk.

     Following World War Two, the German Bundeswehr (formed in 1955) desired to have the P38 as its main pistol sidearm. Walther, eager to provide the German military with the weapon, spent almost two years retooling their production line to build it (and other firearms). Walther basically had to start from scratch, using wartime built P38 pistols as examples, reconstructing the design plans for the pistol, and also recreating the needed machine tools. Deliveries commenced to the Bundeswehr starting in June 1957. At this time, the weapon was still designated as the P38 but only differed from the wartime production models by using aluminum frames and plastic grips. In 1963, the designation was changed to Pistole 1, or P1. The only real change came in 1975 when the frame was reinforced with a hex bolt and the slide was enlarged to improve strength. This bigger slide has been nicknamed the “dicker rutsche”, or “fat slide”.

     The P1 remained in service with the Bundeswehr until 2004 when the last of the P1 pistols was replaced with the Universelle Selbstladepistole 8 (Universal Self-Loading Pistol 8; USP8). Although phased out, both P38 and P1 pistols continue to see service around the world with military, police, or private contractors, the last major combat seeing P1 pistols in use during the Iraqi Civil War from 2014 to 2017.

Primary Source:

Hogg, Ian V., Weeks, John Military Small Arms of the 20th. Century (Northbrook: DBI Books, 1991)

Fallschirmjäger: 1. Luftlandedivision

     The post-World War Two German military, the Bundeswehr, was founded on November 12, 1955. Initially, nearly every trace of German wartime uniform aesthetics was banished and it was the United States which provided the major influence in uniform design. The U.S. also provided much of the armaments for the Bundeswehr such as rifles, tanks, support weapons, heavy weapons, and other equipment, such as steel helmets and field gear. Despite this, some aspects of German uniform items survived, typified by the usage of the Einheitsfeldmütze (field cap) and gamaschen (gaiters), the latter worn with U.S. style leather boots. By 1957, as German industry was more and more able to supply the Bundeswehr, uniform items and equipment that hearkened back to World War Two returned. This included Marschtiefel (marching boots), a revised service dress uniform, and the wide-spread usage of camouflage uniforms in a post-war variant of the wartime Splittermuster (Splinter Pattern).

     The photograph depicts a fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) belonging to one of the units that made up the 1. Luftlandedivision (1st. Airborne Division) which was established on January 1, 1956. He is sporting the Kampfanzug (battle suit) in the Bundeswehr-Splittermuster camouflage pattern but on a uniform unique to the fallschirmjäger forces. It is believed only about 1,000 uniforms were made. It differed from the standard Kampfanzug in having upper pockets with zipper closures (rather than snaps), pockets added to the sleeves, and two pockets on the rear of the blouse. The matching trousers also differed from the regular issue Kampfanzug by having zippers on the pockets. The Bundeswehr camouflage is distinct from the wartime Splittermuster in that during the printing, the screen was purposely allowed to slip which resulted in white borders on some of the edges of the splinter patterns and this can clearly be seen on his uniform. There were also two variants of this camouflage in which the strich (raindrops) differed. The most common had thin, light gray strich printed close together while the other, more rare variant, had sparse black strich. The fallschirmjäger here most likely has the more common strich coloration though it is difficult to make it out. His stalhelm (steel helmet) was a post-war copy of the helmet used by fallschirmjäger during World War Two. For a weapon, he has a G1, which was the German designation for the Belgian FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Léger; Light Automatic Rifle). Germany ordered several thousand for the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS; Federal Border Guard) as the Bundeswehr was already equipped with U.S. supplied weapons. However, in November 1956, Germany ordered 10,000 rifles for the Bundeswehr and these were put into service as the G1 and remained in use for a short period of time before being replaced in 1959 by the Spanish CETME Modelo 58. The reason for this is that the Belgian company FN, refused to grant Germany the production rights to the FAL.

     As a note, the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) was formed on March 16, 1951 and because it operated under the Bundesministerium des Innern (Federal Ministry of the Interior) rather than the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (Federal Ministry of Defence), the BGS was a heavy user of uniforms and equipment which either were wartime surplus or patterned almost exactly like the World War Two types and styles. This included the stalhelm which was virtually unchanged from World War Two (the Bundeswehr wore U.S. style helmets) and their own use of Splittermuster. It is thought that the Splittermuster used by the BGS was made off the same printing equipment as the pattern is almost an exact replica to the wartime pattern. However, it is distinguished from the World War Two pattern by having a very pale grey background and that the reverse side of the camouflage is solid white.

The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard: The Bundeswehr's Potent SPAAG

      A West German crewman of a Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard (Anti-Aircraft Cannon Tank “Cheetah”), more commonly referred to as the Flakpanzer Gepard, shows off a section of linked 35mm ammunition for the Gepard's twin 35mm Oerlikon GDF automatic cannons. The advent of the jet aircraft in the ground attack role meant that existing self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) which relied on visual (optical) sighting (also called “clear weather” systems) and manual fire controls were rapidly on the road to obsolescence. The deployment by the Soviet Union of the ZSU-23-4 “Shilka” (Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka; Anti-Aircraft Self-Propelled System) beginning in 1965 which featured the RPK-2 “Tobol” (NATO codename Gun Dish) radar linked to its four 23mm 2A7 autocannons was something that the West had to fear as no NATO country had anything comparable. The U.S. Army did have the T249 Vigilante, a radar-controlled 37mm six-barrel rotary cannon that was capable of spitting out 3,000 rounds per minute. Mounted on a modified M113 armored personnel carrier chassis, development of the T249 started in 1956, one year prior to the start of the ZSU-23-4 program. However, by 1962, the T249 was canceled in favor of the General Dynamics MIM-46 Mauler self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system. Meanwhile, Germany commenced work on the Flapanzer Gepard in 1963 with the first four prototypes being constructed in 1969. These prototypes tested both 30mm and 35mm automatic cannons and on June 25, 1970, it was decided that the Gepard was to utilize the 35mm Oerlikon GDF guns. A year later, a further twelve prototypes were built. The Gepard was not an inexpensive piece of equipment with one Gepard having three times the price of a single Leopard 1 main battle tank (MBT). On February 5, 1973, the approval of funds for the purchase of 420 examples was given and in September of 1973, Krauss-Maffei was contracted to construct and assemble the new SPAAG. The first Gepards entered Bundeswehr service beginning in December 1976.

     The chassis of the Gepard consists of a Leopard 1 MBT hull with only a minimal of design changes. The key changes included adding more batteries, slightly increasing the distance between the third and fourth road wheel, and adding a Daimler-Benz OM 314 4-cylinder auxiliary diesel engine into a compartment that originally housed ammunition for the Leopard 1's main gun. This auxiliary engine generates 66 kilowatts and provides power to two tandem Metadyn machines linked to a flywheel which controls the turret traverse and gun elevation drives, two 3-phase 380 Hertz generators that operate the ventilation, fire control, and radar systems, and a Model 300-A 28 volt DC generator for the Gepard's electrical system. 260 gallons of diesel fuel feed the engine and provides up to a maximum of 48 hours of continuous usage. The engine is the same as the Leopard 1, being a MTU built Model 838 10-cylinder multi-fuel engine that produces 819 horsepower which gives the Gepard a maximum speed of 40mph with an operational range of 340 miles. The chassis modifications were done by Krauss-Maffei and also Porsche.

     The twin 35mm Oerlikon GDF guns and the turret were designed by Oerlikon-Bührle with the guns having a muzzle velocity of 4,700 feet per second that give an effective range of 5,500 meters. Each gun is supplied with link belted ammunition with a mixture of 320 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition and 20 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition for a total capacity of 680 rounds. The combined rate of fire for the guns is 1,100 rounds per minute. Maximum gun elevation is 85 degrees with the maximum gun depression being 10 degrees. Fitted to the back of the turret on a retractable arm is the search radar developed by Hollandse Signaalapparaten while fitted to the front of the turret is the tracking radar, designed by Siemens. The search radar operates in the S band and has a 9 mile range while the tracking radar operates in the Ku band and also has a 9 mile range. In addition, the Gepard is equipped with a laser rangefinder. This provides the Gepard with all-weather fire-control. For self-defense, eight smoke grenade launchers are fitted to the turret, four per side. For protection, the turret has approximately 40mm of armor while the hull has between 50mm to 70mm of frontal armor, 35mm of side armor, and 25mm of rear armor. The armor type is RHA (rolled homogeneous armor).

     Today, the Gepard has been replaced in Bundeswehr service by the missile-armed Wiesel 2 Ozelot (“Ocelot”) Leichtes Flugabwehrsystem (Light Anti-Aircraft System). Brazil, Jordan, and Romania are the only current operators of the Gepard with Qatar to be the fourth with 15 expected to be in service by 2022 for anti-drone duties.

     As a note, the MIM-46 Mauler mentioned above ended up canceled in 1965. During the time of the Gepard's development, the U.S. came up with the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) which utilized the General Dynamics M61 20mm 6-barrel Vulcan rotary cannon linked to a simple AN/VPS-2 range finder radar and M61 optical lead-calculating sight. Usage of a night vision sight allowed the M163 to have day and night firing capability. It was to work in conjunction with the missile-armed M48 Chaparral and thus between the two, short to long range engagements of enemy aircraft could be conducted. The M163 used the M113 chassis while the M48 utilized the M730 chassis, the latter a heavily modified carrier variant of the M113. In 1977, the U.S. Army started the M247 Sergeant York DIVAD (Division Air Defense) SPAAG project. Built on a M48 Patton tank chassis, the M247 was developed by Ford Aerospace and consisted of twin 40mm Bofors L/70 cannons in turret which also contained the search radar and the Westinghouse AN/APG-66 tracking radar. The entire M247 program was riddled with problems, not the least of which the M247 was built using as much “off the shelf” components as possible. Other problems included an easily jammed electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM suite), the inability of the M247 to keep pace with the M1 Abrams MBT, a turret which turned too slow to engage fast moving targets, a tracking radar which was incapable of detecting targets from ground clutter and had a slow reaction time, and huge cost overruns. After 50 vehicles were built, the entire project was canceled in August 1985. In the meantime, the U.S. Army kept on using the M163 and M48 Chaparral into the 1990s before the introduction of the M6 Linebacker and later, the M1097 Avenger.

Bundeswehr Soldaten: 3. Panzerdivision

     Female soldiers belonging to the 3. Panzerdivision (3. PzDiv) march on parade. The Bundeswehr unit was formed on July 2, 1956 in Hamburg, Germany and was one of the largest formations to have been stood up post-World War Two. The main area of operations for the 3. PzDiv was the Norddeutsches Tiefland (North German Plain) which consisted of a region bounded by the North Sea coast and the Baltic Sea coast. The Norddeutsches Tiefland was considered one of the two major invasion routes (the other being the Fulda-Lücke or Fulda Gap) that Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries would take into Germany as the topography favored the use of armored and mechanized forces. The region was also militarily protected by several NATO nations, to include U.S., Dutch, Belgian, and British forces. The headquarters of the unit, Stab./3. PzDiv, was based at Estetal Kaserne located in Buxtehude, Germany.

     The unit is identified by the sleeve patch that consisted of two crossed horse heads on a red background. Interestingly, the insignia was similar to that used by the 216. Infanterie-Division in World War Two. The division was made up of Panzergrenadierbrigade 7 (headquartered in Hamburg), Panzerbrigade 8 (based in Lüneburg), Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (based in Munster), Artillerieregiment 3 (headquartered in Stade), and sixteen other units housed throughout the region. The women are wearing the beret badge for panzergrenadiertruppen which is a stylized Marder IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) above crossed rifles over the West German flag, all encompassed by a wreath. The green beret was worn by the combat arms of the Bundeswehr (infantry, jägertruppe, panzergrenadiers, armor, etc.). Thus, the women could have belonged to Panzergrenadierbataillon 71, 72, or 73 under Panzergrenadierbrigade 7 or Panzergrenadierbataillon 82 which was under Panzerbrigade 8.

     The typical Panzergrenadierbataillon of the late 1980s was equipped with 24 to 35 Marder (“Marten”; a type of mustelid animal) IFVs, six Panzermörser M113s (M113s converted to carry a 120mm mortar), and 12 to 23 M113 APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers). Panzergrenadierbataillon 71, a reserve unit, was reinforced with thirteen Leopard 1A5 MBTs (Main Battle Tank).

     The weapon the panzergrenadiers are carrying is the Heckler & Koch G36 which was adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1996. Development of the G36 began in 1995 in a hasty attempt to field a 5.56x54mm battle rifle after the cancellation of the radical 4.7x33mm caseless G11 rifle. The G36 is a gas operated, rotating bolt weapon which was a departure by H&K in not using their battle tested roller-lock, delayed blowback system. This was done to reduce the per unit cost of the G36 as well as simplify the operation. The weapon is fed from 30-round translucent plastic magazines which permit the firer to quickly assess remaining ammunition in the weapon. A tubular folding stock was fitted and the G36 has a integral ZF 3×4° telescopic sight graduated out to 800 meters. There is also a reflex sight on top of the telescopic sight but is only calibrated out to 100 meters. A notch sight is provided in case of sight failure and this is incorporated into the sighting bridge which doubles as a carry handle. Unloaded, the G36 weighs 7.6 pounds and this weight savings comes from the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide, steel, and Nylon 66 (which is lightweight but has high mechanical strength, stability, and rigidity). Rate of fire is 750 rounds per minute with an effective range of 800 meters though the 2,788 foot per second muzzle velocity gives the round a maximum range of 2, 860 meters. The firer has two settings (aside from Sicher, or Safe) and that is Einzelfeuer (semi-automatic) and Feuerstoß (full automatic fire).

     Elements of the 3. PzDiv were deployed in 1962, 1976, and 1979 to assist local civil authorities during flooding in the region and in the case of 1979, emergency conditions created by heavy snowfalls. Some elements were also mobilized and sent to Somalia in 1993 as part of the second phase of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). Called UNOSOM II, the major incident was the Battle of Mogadishu...best known in the U.S. as the “Black Hawk Down” incident. On September 30, 1994, the 3. PzDiv was disbanded, its last commander being Generalmajor Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof. Following the disbandment, Panzerlehrbrigade 9 was incorporated into the 1. Panzerdivision.

The PzF 44 Lanze: Germany's Post-War Panzerfaust

(Bundeswehr Photograph; Author's Collection)

     When the German Bundeswehr (Federal Defense) was founded on November 12, 1955, much of the equipment it received was supplied by the United States. In part, this was due to the fact that the German arms industry was not fully recovered from World War Two but also that there was some surplus of German wartime weapons (mainly the Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle) as well as ready availability of U.S. arms, field equipment, and uniform items. In the latter, it was purposely designed that the new Bundeswehr uniforms bore almost no resemblance to the Wehrmacht uniforms of the war and so they had a very U.S. Army influence such as uniform cut, the wearing of U.S. steel helmets, and usage of U.S. Army style boots.

     By the end of the 1950s, the main anti-tank weapon for Bundeswehr infantry panzerjäger (tank hunter) was the U.S. Army M20A1 and M20B1 “Super Bazooka” which fired a 88.9mm HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) rocket out to a maximum range of 1,000 yards. At an effective range of 200-300 yards, the HEAT round could penetrate up to 280mm of armor. The U.S. Army also unloaded many obsolete M9 and M9A1 60mm “Bazooka” weapons on the Bundeswehr, most of which had been built during the war. The HEAT round on the M9 could penetrate 102mm of armor at 120 yards. The M9, however, was typically kept for training rather than utilized as a front-line anti-tank weapon. Despite the decent performance of the M20, the Bundeswehr wanted a German designed and built anti-tank weapon developed that could replace the M20 but more importantly, surpass it in terms of capability.

     In 1960, Dynamit Nobel AG commenced work on just such a weapon and the result was the reloadable Panzerfaust 44mm DM2 Ausführung 1 (Tank Fist 44mm DM2 Version 1). The PzF 44, nicknamed the “Lanze” (“Lance” or “Spear”), utilized a smooth launch tube which was 44mm in diameter. Fitted to the tube was the fire control handle, pistol grip, firing mechanism, and an optical sight. During travel, the optical sight was removable and to protect it, the PzF 44 operator carried it in a case. In an emergency, the PzF 44 had a simple mechanical sight graduated out to 180 meters. The PzF 44, perhaps not to any surprise, encompassed some aspects of the German wartime Panzerfaust. Like the Panzerfaust, the PzF 44 operated on a recoilless principle. The projectile was propelled out of the launch tube by a charge which, at the same time, blew a counterweight of finely grained iron powder out the back of the tube, thereby canceling out the recoil. However, unlike the wartime Panzerfaust which lobbed an unpowered warhead, the PzF 44 launched a rocket. After firing, folding fins deployed (as they did with the Panzerfaust) and several meters away from the firer, the rocket motor ignited, propelling the rocket towards the target at a speed of 210 meters per second. The original rocket, the DM-22, had a oversize 67mm warhead shape that was very similar to the Panzerfaust 150m which had managed to enter troop trails in the final weeks of World War Two. At an effective range of 300 meters, the DM-22 could penetrate 280mm of armor. This, however, was on par with the M20 and so the 90mm DM-32 was introduced that could punch through 375mm of armor but at the cost of a reduced effective range of 200 meters. The actual launch of the rocket was done by an ignition cartridge. A magazine held several cartridges with the magazine fed into the pistol grip and a bolt-action mechanism loaded a new cartridge and expelled the spent cartridge case after each firing. Following trials, the PzF 44 was accepted for service in 1963 and was later supplemented by the Leuchtbüchse 84mm, the German designation for the Swedish 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle. Each infantry platoon was equipped with one PzF 44. By 1992, the PzF 44 was replaced by the disposable Panzerfaust 3 (Pzf 3) anti-tank weapon, the latter of which was also developed by Dynamit Nobel AG.

     The photograph shows a gathering of soldiers and civilians in which a Heer (Army) officer is holding a PzF 44. His rank appears to be that of Oberst (Colonel) as is the rank of the officer across from him. Both of the men, as are a few of the soldiers behind them, are wearing the Bundeswehr-Splittermuster (Splinter Pattern) camouflage feldbluse. This pattern was derived from the World War Two German Heer camouflage but was not an exact copy. Curiously, the camouflage was deliberately printed with slipped printing screens which caused the white border on some of the edges of the camouflage pattern. This Kampfanzug (battle suit) encompassed both the tunic as well as trousers and was issued beginning in 1956 before being phased out in the mid-1960s. Some of the feldbluse did not have epaulets and so the rank which would have been fitted to them was sewn directly onto the shoulders. Interestingly, the Oberst on the left has his rank both on the epaulets as well as the shoulder while the Oberst on the right does not. The soldier directly behind the Oberst does not appear to have epaulets at all. A noticeable uniform feature which the Bundeswehr managed to retain from the outset was the World War Two style M43 Einheitsmütze (field cap) that the PzF 44 holding officer is wearing as are a number of the soldiers behind him.

     The PzF 44 seen here may be a prototype and it is not fitted with a rocket. There is a simple folding bipod seen to good effect but this did not appear to have been kept as production models used a pistol foregrip. There is a basic cheek-pad for the firer but again, on production PzF 44 weapons, it does not appear as it does here. The magazine for the ignition cartridges can be seen at the bottom of the pistol grip while the cocking handle for the bolt can be seen between the officer's fingers. The PzF 44 was also fitted with an adjustable wire shoulder stock, shown here fully collapsed. This, too, changed to an adjustable stock with a single shoulder piece, not the wire type seen here, on the production PzF 44.

 

1971-1972: The Brief Existence of the "German Hair Force"

(Bundeswehr Photograph; Author's Collection)

     On February 8, 1971, German Defense Minister Helmut Schmidt issued a regulation that Bundeswehr male soldiers could have long hair as long as it was well kept and did not interfere with their duties. If their hair did, then a hairnet (similar to those used by food workers) had to be worn. This new regulation was the result of the fallout due to one Albrecht Schmeissner. After being inducted into service by his recruiters in 1967, it was assumed Schmeissner would buzz cut his flowing mane of hair. Except he didn't. Instead, Schmeissner pointed to the existing grooming regulations and stated there was no mention of a maximum length and so he did not have to cut it. Schmeissner stuck to his guns for 45 days during which time he was the frequent target of harassment and scorn. But, he finally caved and got his hair cut after being threatened with insubordination. Still, this act of defiance reached the ears of Bundeswehr leadership who, in light of long hair for men being “in fashion” at the time, pushed for the change in regulation. And so began the period of the “German Hair Force”.

     Veterans within the Bundeswehr, of which there were many who had served in World War Two, were appalled and outraged by the new regulations. To add further insult to the injury, the military forces of the Bundeswehr's NATO allies also railed against the decision to allow long hair and it was those very same allied forces that coined the derogatory term of the “German Hair Force.” This, however, was only the beginning of the problems. Soldiers felt that the hairnets could damage their hair if worn for extended periods and so the Bundeswehr was more or less forced to create a medical task force to investigate the claim. Needless to say, there was nothing to the claim of hairnets damaging hair. However, the task force found that long hair had a host of problems. These included a nice home for lice, skin problems, and parasitic infestations (such as, say, ringworm). It was also pointed out that long hair would be extremely difficult or problematic to care for in the field and thus posed a hygiene risk. Another issue was the allowance of long beards which also posed their own hygienic problems. The military pfennig pinchers weighed in, saying long hair required more water and long hair posed a problem for drains and pipes while all those electric hair dryers would drive up facility energy costs. All of these concerns finally came to a head when, in July 1972, the regulations were changed and now a male soldier's hair could not touch the uniform collar and beards had to be well groomed and short. This regulation remains in place to this day. With this change, the regulation revision ended the brief era of the “German Hair Force.”

     The hair regulation, however, did not (and still doesn't) apply to women in the Bundeswehr. Women were allowed to keep their hair long if they wished and when in uniform, she had to use a hair tie or put her hair into a single braid. In part, this regulation was put in place as a means for the encouragement of women in the Bundeswehr.