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Division Special Operations (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The Special Operations Division (Division Spezielle Operationen) is an airborne division of the German Army
. Its staff is based at Stadtallendorf. The structure and tasks of this division are unique within the modern German military. Division Special Operations was created as 1st Airborne Division (1. Luftlandedivision) in 1956 and reflagged twice in 1994 and 2001 as Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division (Kommando Luftbewegliche Kräfte/4. Division) and eventually as Special Operations Division. The division leads three combat brigades and divisionary troops, all of which are fully air-mobile.
Troops of this division or its respective predecessors have taken part in all overseas deployments of the German Army and were largely involved in their preparation. It is the most combat-proven unit of the German military.
and to respond to hostile breaks through allied front lines. The very first commanders of this unit were illustrious paratrooper generals such as Bern von Baer and Hans Kroh
, both recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. 1st Airborne Division existed throughout the Cold War
and was eventually replaced by Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division, a division-sized formation the duties of which shifted to more complex scenarios of current days.
This happened mainly in view of two incidents in 1994 and 1997 where German citizens had to be rescued from Rwanda
and Albania
, once even by foreign troops as the German military lacked of adequate forces to carry out evacuation operations on their own. One of the three existing brigades (Airborne Brigade 25 "Black Forest
") was drawn on to provide the headquarters for the German Army's new special forces unit, the Special Forces Command
.
The first overseas deployment of this division took place in 1961 when its troops rendered humanitarian assistance to Morocco
after a devastating earthquake. From there on 1st Airborne Division or its successors deployed troops to Somalia
, Croatia
, Albania
, Bosnia, Kosovo
, Afghanistan
and Congo
. The paratroopers saw extensive action in Afghanistan. With four of the nation's highest awards for gallantry
—among others—having been awarded to its members, the division's Paratrooper Battalion 263 is the most decorated unit of the German Army.
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
. Its staff is based at Stadtallendorf. The structure and tasks of this division are unique within the modern German military. Division Special Operations was created as 1st Airborne Division (1. Luftlandedivision) in 1956 and reflagged twice in 1994 and 2001 as Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division (Kommando Luftbewegliche Kräfte/4. Division) and eventually as Special Operations Division. The division leads three combat brigades and divisionary troops, all of which are fully air-mobile.
Troops of this division or its respective predecessors have taken part in all overseas deployments of the German Army and were largely involved in their preparation. It is the most combat-proven unit of the German military.
History
Created in 1956, 1st Airborne Division's main tasks were to act as the backbone of counterattacks behind the enemy lines of the Warsaw PactWarsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
and to respond to hostile breaks through allied front lines. The very first commanders of this unit were illustrious paratrooper generals such as Bern von Baer and Hans Kroh
Hans Kroh
Hans Kroh was a German Fallschirmjäger and general in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, both recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. 1st Airborne Division existed throughout the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and was eventually replaced by Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division, a division-sized formation the duties of which shifted to more complex scenarios of current days.
This happened mainly in view of two incidents in 1994 and 1997 where German citizens had to be rescued from Rwanda
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
and Albania
Operation Libelle
Operation Dragonfly, in German Operation Libelle, was an evacuation operation of the German Armed Forces in the Albanian capital Tirana on March 14, 1997. In the same week, American and Italian military forces evacuated their citizens from Albania...
, once even by foreign troops as the German military lacked of adequate forces to carry out evacuation operations on their own. One of the three existing brigades (Airborne Brigade 25 "Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
") was drawn on to provide the headquarters for the German Army's new special forces unit, the Special Forces Command
Kommando Spezialkräfte
The KSK Kommando Spezialkräfte is an elite military unit composed of Special Operations soldiers from the ranks of Germany’s Bundeswehr and organized as such under the Division Spezielle Operationen . The unit has received many decorations and awards from both NATO and its affiliates...
.
The first overseas deployment of this division took place in 1961 when its troops rendered humanitarian assistance to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
after a devastating earthquake. From there on 1st Airborne Division or its successors deployed troops to Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Bosnia, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The paratroopers saw extensive action in Afghanistan. With four of the nation's highest awards for gallantry
Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr
The Badge of Honour of the German Armed Forces is a series of military decorations of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany...
—among others—having been awarded to its members, the division's Paratrooper Battalion 263 is the most decorated unit of the German Army.
Structure
- Special Operations Division
- Staff Company
- Army Band 300
- Light Air Defence BatteryArtillery batteryIn military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
(Airborne) 100 - Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company 200
- Division Special Operations Signals BattalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
(Airborne) - KSK Special Forces CommandKommando SpezialkräfteThe KSK Kommando Spezialkräfte is an elite military unit composed of Special Operations soldiers from the ranks of Germany’s Bundeswehr and organized as such under the Division Spezielle Operationen . The unit has received many decorations and awards from both NATO and its affiliates...
(Calw)- Headquarters and Headquarters CompanyHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyIn United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...
- 1st Commando Company
- 2nd Commando Company
- 3rd Commando Company
- 4th Commando Company
- Special Commando Company
- Signal Company
- Support Company
- Special Medical Company
- Special Training Company
- Centre for Enhancements and Trials
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- Airborne Brigade 26 "Saarlandbrigade"SaarlandSaarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- Paratrooper Battalion 261Paratrooper Battalion 261 (Germany)The Paratrooper Battalion 261 is one of the three combat battalions of the German Army's Airborne Brigade 26, which is a part of the Special Operations Division...
- Paratrooper Battalion 263Paratrooper Battalion 263 (Germany)The Paratrooper Battalion 263 is one of the three combat battalions of the German Army's Airborne Brigade 26, which is a part of the Special Operations Division...
- Reconnaissance Company (Airborne) 260
- Engineer Company (Airborne) 260
- Support Battalion (Airborne) 262
- Airborne Brigade 31 "OldenburgOldenburgOldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
"- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- Paratrooper Battalion 313
- Paratrooper Battalion 373
- Reconnaissance Company (Airborne) 310
- Engineer Company (Airborne) 270
- Support Battalion (Airborne) 272