Well the theme was supposed to represent the tenacity and resolve of the Japanese Self Defense Force as Godzilla was the antagonist in the original movie, but it is so iconic it became associated with the monster.
Just a general question. Was the NVA considered by the Soviets first or second echelon units? Can you also expand on how the NVA would be generally deployed for example in the proposed 7 Days to the Rhine offensive. Thank you
Well none of the NVA divisions were considered elite-level "Guards" divisions. (There was a secret police "Guards" regiment). But in contrast to some other Warsaw Pact countries, all their active duty divisions were considered to be first echelon and NATO considered them to be the best non-Soviet Warsaw Pact army.
As for how the NVA would be used, the Soviets made sure never to place them directly across from West German units, instead assigning the NVA to take on other NATO forces in West Germany. In particular the East Germans were tasked with striking across the north German plain and into Denmark (which their Navy also focused on helping the Poles carry out amphibious landings in).
@@IrishCarney As a general statement that the NVA would not opposing Bundeswehr units this will not hold up to the truth. I served in the MSR28 (infantry regiment 28) in Rostock as a tank commander in 1983-1986.. We directly faced the Bundeswehr and Dutch troops on land, besides facing eventually Danish troops too because we had a special amphibious role to play, if ordered. Getting onto ships and hovercrafts and then onto Danish soil. Although the highly complex, dangerous, expensive and material murdering operation would be rather rarely practised, since it was only a strategic option. So far your comment is correct. But here is, what denies your comment: 1.) All NVA T-72 and T-55 crews we were in particular trained to oppose Leopard 1 and 2 (West German BW) as well as M48 (US forces) main battle tanks, another hint that your comment cannot be true. 2.) All the way the very long ex-border between the two Germanys down to the known Fulda gab (the tanker's corridor), it is clear that the NVA was no pin-point confronting little mini army. Because of its size and numbers (more than 2700 T-55 and T-72 tanks alone) it rather was supposed to deploy at the full width as a very first echelon (together with the most West stationed Soviet regiments inside the GDR), the main job being to slow down and stop any NATO attack, until the second and much more powerful echelon from Poland and further East would overtake the first echelon and pushing NATO forces within 14 days into France in order to eliminate in particular tactic nuclear weapons of NATO. I.e. as for tank commanders there was a very general order to destroy any NATO tactical nuclear rocket units if discovered IMMEDIATELY overriding any existing battle orders. At least this is, what we were instructed still in 1983. By just looking onto the map it is clear, we, the NVA (East-German army) were one of the first units to face NATO troops if attacked all along the ex border. 3.) Also, the GDR in its very short East-West geographical length would be defended by its own air force with MIG21, 23 and MiG29, covering this range within a few minutes, plus plenty of NVA combat helicopters and many more military planes, covering the territory in very short time. To keep the air force away from the West German Luftwaffe, East German pilots would have to fly actually eastward to get away. 4.) Same for the NVA navy, it confronted the West German Bundesmarine* on a daily (!!) basis during the cold war. Later but soon, during the 1980s with the moment Gorbachev coming into power, the WP military doctrine was indeed changed quickly to a much pure defence only strategy, the characters of all military exercises changed away from the typical WW2 Soviet approach considering "the attack being the best defence" before I left the army in 1986. On top, a big one-sided disarmament program by WP armies was initiated by then. The ice of the cold war was starting seriously to melt. Your comment seems like a typical Wester fairy tail propaganda. It is contractional in itself and makes no sense in military sense. The NVA after all was an army and not a small rifle-only home brigade. The enemy was always clearly named in the NVA: the Bundeswehr and US forces (particular at the Fulda gap). Peace! from Dresden / Germany *One of my now dear friends served in the West German Bundesmarine in the Baltics in the very early 1980s.
@@gerdlunau8411 Your perspective is fascinating and I appreciate your providing it. However: The Leopard 1 was not just used by the Bundeswehr! It was a highly successful export, being used also by the Dutch, Danes, Canadians, and Belgians - and that's just naming NATO members deployed either to Germany or Denmark. As for the M48, it was still in US Army National Guard units in the 80s, and thus might have been deployed to Europe in the event of a truly protracted war of attrition.
That would actually make an excellent topic for a video also. There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to equipment of the East German infantry.
@@buckplug2423 No, but battleorder is not always accurate either. I got into a huge argument with the guy once over RPG gunners carrying rifles in the Soviet and East German doctrine. It took him forever to correct it. They are neat, and pretty cool, but be cautious on relying on them 100%.
@@HkSniper The thing about Afghan vs Europe? He sure corrected it. Talks about it in every Sov article, lul. I like to start with BATOR and then supplement with whatever I can find on the internet when I'm doing something I'm not knowledgable in. He sure does have handy articles. Almost feels like FMs.
@@unknownexplorer6232 actually the JSDF did use it in their marching band once in a video,and there was a video about the US navy that used the “frigates March”
Enough of these guys were smart enough to know they could surrender, get retrained, and be right back at it making a NATO paycheck within a month if the fat met the fire. NVA was the best Warsaw Pact army by a long shot. But how loyal would they have been to communism once they had to go into action?
Timeframe matters a lot. In the 1970s, the oil crisis had really damaged the West which was in retreat around the world. For the US military in particular, Vietnam, race and drugs were serious issues. This made communism's claims of superior prosperity and long term victory at least arguably credible. But by the 80s, oil prices had fallen, Western prosperity was visible on TV, & Solidarity etc devastated morale.
