The following is a hierarchical outline for the
Danisharmed forces at the end of the
Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations. In wartime all Danish military units would have come under the joint
West German/
DanishNATO command
Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP). BALTAP was a principal subordinate command under the
Allied Forces Northern Europe Command (AFNORTH). The commander-in-chief of (BALTAP) was always a Danish
Lieutenant General or
Vice Admiral, who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP). In peacetime BALTAP had only a few communication units allocated and all other units remained under national command of
West Germany's
Bundeswehr and
Denmark's
Forsvaret.
Forsvaret
Forsvaret (Danish Defence) was the unified
armed forces of the
Kingdom of Denmark, charged with the defence of Denmark and its overseas territories of
Greenland and the
Faroe Islands. Forsvaret had four service branches:
The
Royal Danish Army Command was based in Karup and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the army for war. However operational control in peacetime rested with the Western and the Eastern Regional Command. In wartime the former would have transferred its units to LANDJUT, while the latter would have become the LANDZEALAND command.
The Western Regional Command was based in Aarhus and commanded by a major general. In case of war it would have transferred command of all its units to NATO's Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (LANDJUT). The command was responsible for the
South Jutland,
Ribe,
Vejle,
Ringkjøbing,
Viborg,
North Jutland and
Aarhus counties, which together form the Danish part of the
Jutland peninsula, and also for the island of
Funen, which with the surrounding islands formed the
Funen County.
Eastern Regional Command units in 1989 Brigades Battle Groups (Reserve) Corps Artillery
The Eastern Regional Command was based in
Ringsted and commanded by a major general, who in case of war would have become Commander, Allied Land Forces Zealand (LANDZEALAND). The command was responsible for the
Copenhagen and
Frederiksberg municipalities, and the
Copenhagen,
Frederiksborg,
Roskilde,
West Zealand and
Storstrøm counties.
Host and Support Battalion (Supporting arrival of NATO reinforcements on Zealand)
Rear and Sustainment Battalion
Logistics Support Group East (LSG-E)
Supply Battalion
Transport Company
Medical Battalion
Maintenance Battalion
Field Replacement Commando
Bornholms Værn
In wartime the island of
Bornholm was, due to the long distance from Zealand, an independent command. Furthermore, agreements signed after World War II forbade the stationing on Bornholm or reinforcing of Bornholm, by foreign troops. Therefore, the island was only guarded by one Battle Group with a single active light infantry battalion. However, during the transition to war this Battle Group would have been augmented and reinforced by local reservists.
Bornholms Værn's Battle Group
Staff and Signal Company
1st Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (4 × TOW on Land Rover)
2nd Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (reserve) (4 × TOW on Land Rover)
3rd Battalion, Bornholms Værn (infantry) (reserve) (12 x 106 mm RR on Jeep M38)
Light Tank Squadron, "Bornholm Dragoons" (10 ×
M41 DK-1)
The
Royal Danish Air Force Command was headquartered at
Karup Air Base and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the army for war. However operational control in peacetime rested with the Tactical Air Command. In wartime the air force's commander would have become the commander of Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (AIRBALTAP). AIRBALTAP commanded all flying units, flying reinforcements, all ground-based radar systems and stations, all air defence units and airfields in its sector. In war the entire Royal Danish Air Force would have come under AIRBALTAP.
In 1989 the Royal Danish Air Force consisted of the following units:
Corvette F355 Olfert Fischer underwayMissile boat P547 Sehested in portDanish mobile Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher
The
Royal Danish Navy Command was based in
Aarhus and tasked to train, maintain and prepare the navy for war. However operational command in peacetime rested with the Navy Operational Command. In war, the commander of the Royal Danish Navy would have come as "Flag Officer Denmark (FOD)" under the command of
Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP), which was commanded alternatingly by a Danish or German
vice admiral. However Danish ships and units based in
Greenland and the
Faroe Islands would have come under command of NATO's Command
Eastern Atlantic Area (EASTLANT), who would also have taken command of
Island Command Greenland and
Island Command Faroes.
Together with German Fleet under the Flag Officer Germany (FOG) the Royal Danish Navy would have tried to keep the
Warsaw Pact's
United Baltic Sea Fleets, consisting of the Soviet
Baltic Fleet,
Polish Navy and
East GermanVolksmarine bottled up in the
Baltic Sea by blocking the
Danish straits and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the
North Sea. Additionally, NAVBALTAP was to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the navy fielded a large number of
minelayers and
fast attack crafts. The first would have been used to
mine all sea lanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks.
At the beginning of 1989 the Royal Danish Navy consisted of the following ships.[4]
Royal Danish Navy, in Aarhus, commanded by a
vice admiral
Daphne-class seaward defence vessels (in the process of being replaced by
Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): P530 Daphne, P531 Dryaden, P533 Havfruen, P534 Najaden, P535 Nymfen, P536 Neptun (decommissioned 30 October 30, 1989), P537 Ran, P538 Rota (decommissioned 31 October 1989)
Søløven-class fast torpedo boats (in the process of being replaced by
Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): P510 Søløven, P511 Søridderen, P512 Søbjørnen, P513 Søhesten, P514 Søhunden, P515 Søulven
Land-based Mobile Base (MOBA) with approximately 40 trucks, which supplied fuel, ordnance, and freshwater, and provided repair facilities outside the naval bases to the torpedo boats. MOBA also had mobile radars for tactical surveillance and target acquisition, and [5]
Sund-class minesweepers (in the process of being replaced by
Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels): M572 Alssund (decommissioned 30 November 1989), M573 Egernsund (decommissioned 31 December 1989), M574 Grønsund, M575 Guldborgsund, M577 Ulvsund (had been refitted as a minehunter, decommissioned 31 December 1989), M578 Vilsund
The Danish
Home Guard was a volunteer military organization in a permanent state of readiness. The task of the Home Guard was to support the armed forces. The
Home Guard Command was based in
Copenhagen and administered the home guard during peacetime. In case of war the home guard units would have reinforced the other three armed services.
Army Home Guard
The Army
Home Guard was commanded by a major general. Home guard units were tasked to secure and guard key infrastructure, and report and delay enemy infiltrations by air or sea in their area of operation. The Army Home Guard divided Denmark into seven territorial regions, which were each commanded by a Colonel.
Army Home Guard
Special Support and Reconnaissance,
Haderslev Company (Long Range Reconnaissance Company for LANDZEALAND)
6th Territorial Region (Northern Zealand/Copenhagen) in
Copenhagen, responsible for
Copenhagen and
Frederiksberg municipalities, and
Copenhagen and
Frederiksborg counties. Den Kongelige Livgarde and the Mounted Hussar Squadron were active units.
Den Kongelige Livgarde (Infantry, in case of wartime upgrade to double battalion size and had 2 × Heavy Mortar platoons (4x120 mm MT))
Mounted Hussar Squadron, Gardehusarregimentet, (Infantry, in case of wartime upgrade to battalion size)
Engineer Company
4 × Homeguard Districts (Northern Zealand)
4 × Homeguard Staff Companies
29 × Area Companies
4 × Homeguard Military Police Companies
? x Homeguard Districts (Copenhagen)
? x Homeguard Staff Company
? x Area Company
? x Homeguard Military Police Company
7th Territorial Region (Bornholm), responsible for
Bornholm
1 × Homeguard District
Homeguard Staff Company
5 × Homeguard Area Companies
Homeguard Military Police Company
Air Force Home Guard
The Air Force Home Guard would have provided additional ground and air defence personnel to the Air Force, and would have manned the co-located operating base at which
U.S. Air Force reinforcement would have been based.
Naval Home Guard
The
Naval Home Guard (Marinehjemmeværnet (MHV)) was fielded a small number of ships for coastal surveillance.
Peter Monte, Die Rolle der Marine der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in der Verteidigungsplanung für Mittel- und Nordeuropa von den 50er Jahren bis zur Wende 1989/90; in: Werner Rahn (Hrsg.), Deutsche Marinen im Wandel, S. 565 ff.. München 2005.
ISBN3-486-57674-7
Norbert Rath; Headquarter Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (HQ BALTAP); in Marineforum 4–1997, S. 3ff.
Literature
Thomas-Durell Young, Command in NATO After the Cold War: Alliance, National and Multinational Considerations