DDR Q on DDR soldiers in Africa 1970s-1980s

[The Saint]

I am researching the ComBloc advisors/troops deployed in Southern Africa during the 1970s and 1980s. Could anyone help on the DDR troops ? I am looking for info on units deployed, photographs, &c.

Thanks

Eric

[Ulsterman]

Southern Africa?

I thought GDR troops were only in Ethiopia and Libya. Were they in Mozambique and Angola as well?

[The Saint]

Southern Africa?

I thought GDR troops were only in Ethiopia and Libya. Were they in Mozambique and Angola as well?

I have read (can't recall where right now) mentions of radar specialists in Angola in the 1980s, and advisors may have been in Zambia in the mid to late 70s.

[ehrentitle]

It's not exactly what you are looking for but this thread talks about DDR VOPO deployed to Namibia on a UN peacekeeping mission, it's on the WAF DDR Forum:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163155

Edited October 16, 2009 by ehrentitle

[Taz]

Does this help at all?

Soviet bloc military and civilian advisers

In Southern Africa: 1982

Sub-Saharan Africa / Soviet/ Cuban / East German

----------------------------------------------------------

Angola / 700 / 18,000 / 450

Congo / 850/ 950 / 15

Ethiopia / 2,400 / 5,900 / 550

Guinea / 375 / 280 / 125

Madagascar/ 370 / 55 / --

Mali / 635 / -- / 20

Mozambique / 500 / 1,000/ 100

Tanzania / 300/ 95 / 15

--------------------------------------------------------

Total: 6,130 / 26,280/ 1,275

Regards Eddie

Edited October 21, 2009 by Taz

[ksc]

Honeckers afrika korps at the african playgrounds

Since the late 70s they have been activ in the next a nations:

Afghanistan(only airforce advisors)Angola,Algeria,Mozambique,, Libya, Iraq, Syria, South Yemen, Ethiopia, Benin, Nigeria, Zaire( former belgium congo), Tanzania,Zambia.

Since 1975 +/-2000 officers & soldiers of the National People's Army & Stasi forces had been stationed in Angola to support the MPLA forces in their fight against the Unita.

They also try to get in South West Africa(former german colony 1884 - 1910) since 1980 Namibia wich was under the protection of South Africa.

Lots of SADF members who joined the SWAPOL or KOEVOET units allready learned their skills during the Rhodesia war even severall Selous Scouts joined the SDAF after the independance of Rhodesia, had a dutch/german background and zuid afrikaans is a mix of old dutch with german so a lot of SADF members asked information from local inhabitants and told them that they were east german military advisors looking for hidden MPLA members to bring them back to their own lines.

KOEVOET members were financially rewarded through bountyreward system, which paid them for kills, prisoners and equipment they captured. This practice allowed many of the members to earn many times more than their normal payment, and resulted in competition between units.

SDAF = south african defence forces

SWAPOL = south west african police force

KOEVOET = crowbar unit of the police.

Selous Scouts = special forces of the rhodesian army 1973 - 80 who task was to clandestine elimination of terrorists or state enemies within and without the borders of the rhodesia nation after the dissolution of the regiment in 1980, many of this soldiers went to the SDAF where they joined 5 Reconnaissance Commando.

During the apartheid period as a cloggie(dutch) you could do you conscripted service clandistine in the SDAF and get a double passport after it,i try to join but it turned out that i copied the signature of my father so they refused me & i had to do my conscripted service in west germany defending europe against the evil from the east.

I also know that there have been also a few bulgarian military advisors in Angola as i heared from a Bulgarian who works here in Holland that there was only one black guy in Bulgaria as the boy was adopted by a bulgarian officer and took him back to bulgaria.

Also there have been a few Czechoslovakian advisors in africa,and they travelled together with members of the Dvur Kralove nad Labem ZOO!!!!!!!!!!.

United Nations Transition Assistance Group in Namibia (April - March 1990) 20 observers wich incl a few dutch and some members of the german grenzschuts and a maybe few ex DDR soldiers who sign up with the BGS as far as i can remeber they even had their own DDR UNsleeve badge had it in my hands on a military show 1990/91 period and it was totaly unknow to me(as in 1989 the wall went down at the un ops was in 1990 so i did not buy it) and i obtain from the same "Ossie" dealer a complete DDR service dress para trooper for 100,- HFL now 45,00 euro remember it so well as i sold the para trooper uniform the same day for 250,- HFL.