The Guard Regiment Hugo Eberlein, officially ''Wachregiment "Hugo Eberlein"'' and also known as ''NVA Wachregiment 2'', was a military unit which provided security to the

East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...

Ministry of National Defence. It was formed in 1956 as the ''Wachregiment der Hauptverwaltung Ausbildung'' ("Guard regiment of the Main Administration for Training"). It had its location at the East German Ministry of National Defence in

Strausberg Strausberg () is a Town#Germany, town in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, located east of Berlin. With a population of about 27,000 it is the largest town in the district of Märkisch-Oderland. History Strausberg was founded ''circa'' 1240, and ...

suburb near

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. The regiment was named after the Communist Hugo Eberlein, a victim of Stalin's purges. Last commander of the Guard Regiment was in September 1990, Colonel Steinkopf.

Mission

Unlike the

Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment The Friedrich Engels Guards Regiment (also known as NVA Guard Regiment 1) was a Honor guard, special guard unit of the Land Forces of the National People's Army. The regiment was named after Friedrich Engels, the German socialist that collaborated ...

, the Hugo Eberlein regiment did not serve in protocol functions such as state visits, but provided for the security of installations and buildings of the Ministry of National Defence in Strausberg-Nord. Until 1962, this included guarding other properties in Berlin. Later there were troops that were part of three so-called honor companies. These were removed in 1962 and used to form Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment, which assumed these protocol duties.

Organization

The guard regiment was organized as follows: * ''Stabszug'' (Staff Platoon) with about 50 men, plus about 60 civilian employees * I. Guard battalion with three companies of 100 men each, plus staff group * II. Guard battalion with three companies of 100 men each, plus staff group * ''Sicherstellungskompanie'' (Security Company) with about 100 men, * ''Flugabwehr Abteilung'' (FlaAbt) (anti-aircraft group) of four batteries, each containing 36 men, * Pionier Platoon with 30 men and * ''Unteroffizierausbildungskompanie'' (NCO training company) (UAK), with about 120 men

Uniforms

Its uniforms were nearly identical to those of those of

National People's Army The National People's Army (, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (DDR) from 1956 until 1990. The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) and the (Bord ...

(NVA) and were distinguished primarily by the honorary cuffband on the left sleeve bearing the regiment's name.

Equipment

Each guard battalion was equipped with 27

BTR-60 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet Union, Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR (vehi ...

armored personnel carriers and an FlaKAbt (Anti-aircraft Detachmant with 27x 23mm ZPU-2 twin barreled 23mm antiaircraft guns.

References

* Hagen Koch, Peter Joachim Lapp: Die Garde des Erich Mielke - Der militärisch-operative Arm des MfS - Das Berliner Wachregiment "Feliks Dzierzynski", Helios-Verlag Aachen 2008, {{ISBN, 978-3-938208-72-4 Guards regiments of the Landstreitkräfte Military units and formations established in 1956 Military units and formations disestablished in 1990

Mission

Organization

Uniforms

Equipment

See also

References