06.11.2019

Ranks in the Danish Armed Forces. Danish Armed Forces. Participation of Danish citizens in the war on the side of Germany and the anti-Hitler coalition

2.2. Danish Armed Forces

The armed forces of the southern neighbor of Norway - the Kingdom of Denmark - consisted of an army (H?r), navy(Flaade) and the Air Force (Luftvaaben). In peacetime, the affairs of the armed forces were in charge of the military ministry, in the event of a declaration of war, the king became commander in chief.

The State Defense Council included: King Christian X, Prime Minister T. Stauning, Foreign Minister P. Munch, Minister of War General Görtz, Army Commander Major General Prior and Navy Commander Vice Admiral Rechnitzer.

The Danish army was built on approximately the same principle as the Norwegian one. Ground troops consisted of two divisions - Zeeland and Jutland - located in the respective territories. Headquarters of these formations in war time they were responsible for conducting mobilization in the areas entrusted to them, and in peacetime they organized the passage of military service for recruits and retrained reservists. The divisions consisted of regiments, separate battalions, artillery and anti-aircraft battalions, whose headquarters were constantly functioning, but the units themselves were mostly cadre. In particular, the Jutland division included the 2nd and 7th infantry regiments, the 14th anti-aircraft artillery battalion of three batteries, the 12th and 13th separate infantry battalions.

In the first days of the war, conscripts of 1940 and five older ages were mobilized ahead of schedule, of which four were sent home with uniforms before the new year.

According to the work of P.M. Norup "The army that did not have to fight", by the time of the German invasion as part of ground forces there were 4 infantry battalions (fully manned in peacetime), 15 recruit (squadron) companies, 23 artillery and 4 anti-aircraft batteries, 4 cavalry squadrons, 11 motorized squadrons, 2 mortar companies, 3 radio communications companies, 2 engineering companies. The peacetime army numbered about 15.5 thousand people.

The Air Force consisted of army and naval aviation, as well as parts of anti-aircraft artillery. Army aviation was divided into two squadrons, which included five squadrons: two fighter, two reconnaissance and one bomber. IN total they had 43 combat aircraft. About 20 training aircraft had a flight school, located on the outskirts of Copenhagen. The fleet of winged vehicles consisted of the same obsolete Fokker C-V biplanes, which were put into service in the late 20s, as well as the low-speed Gloucester Gauntlet fighters and their slightly more modern counterparts, the Fokker D-XXI. The most modern were the seven Fairy P.4 / 34 light bombers - the prototypes of the famous Fulmar. Naval aviation consisted of three squadrons (42 combat aircraft) - fighter, reconnaissance and bomber. All of them were equipped with obsolete vehicles and were based on the island of Zealand. The flight personnel of the Air Force consisted of about 800 people. In addition, the air force included one anti-aircraft regiment and 16 separate anti-aircraft batteries.

The Danish navy had more than 40 warships:

2 coastal defense battleships ("Niels Yuel" and "Peder Skram");

14 destroyers ("Dragen", "Valen", "Laxen", "Glenten", "Högen", "Jörnen", "Havkatten", "Springeren"; "Heyen", "Narvalen", "Havernen", "Valrossen", "Macrelen", "Nordkaperen" - some of them by that time had been reclassified into patrol ships and minesweepers);

9 submarines("Bellona", "Flora", "Rota", "Daphne", "Drayaden", "Havmanden", "Havhesten", "Havkalen"; "Havfruen");

4 minelayers ("Quintus", "Sixtus", "Lossen", "Lindormen");

6 minesweepers ("Söbjörnen", "Söhasten", "Sölöven", "Söulven", "Söhunden", "Söridderen" - part under construction);

5 minesweeper boats ("MS 1–5");

5 fishing protection vessels (Beskütteren, Ingolf, Vidbjörnen, Maagen, Ternen);

several support vessels and patrol boats.

It should be noted that Denmark has traditionally focused on Germany in its foreign policy. The Danish leading circles took an openly defeatist position and did not prepare for a full-scale armed struggle, even to the best of their country's capabilities. As Academician Kahn writes, "Members of the government openly declared that the Danish armed forces were intended to suppress accidental violations of neutrality by the belligerents, and not to defend against aggression - obviously irresistible if the attacker is a great power." Soberly assessing the real possibilities of his country, Prime Minister Stauning declared: “Our country is ready to defend neutrality, but waging war in the proper sense of the word is out of the question. geographical conditions; the small population also precludes the existence of an army capable of taking the fight.

Composition of the armed forces

Ground troops

The Royal Danish Army is the land arm of the Danish Defense Forces, along with the Danish Home Guard.

Over the past decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone significant changes in structure, facilities and training methods, abandoning the traditional anti-invasion defense strategy and focusing instead on foreign operations. Other initiatives included reducing the reserves and increasing the staff of the regular army, during this reform the ratio between reserve units, support units and regular army units changed from 60% - 40% to the opposite ratio: 40% reserves and support, 60% regular units. When the program is completed, the Danish Army will be able to deploy 1,500 troops permanently and another 5,000 troops for a short period of time. This deployment during international operations will take place without the need for such an emergency measure as parliamentary approval of the military budget.

Naval Forces

Royal Danish Military naval forces(officially Danish Kongelige Danske Marine, unofficially Søværnet) is the maritime branch of the Danish Defense Forces. KDVMS are responsible for naval defense and maintaining sovereignty in the territorial waters of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Other tasks include surveillance, search and rescue, icebreaking, oil spill prevention and response, and participation in international force groups.

Between 1509 and 1814, when Denmark was in union with Norway, the Danish Navy was part of the Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy. Until the "Copenhagenization" of the navy in 1807, this navy was one of the most powerful forces in the European region, but it has since dwindled. Despite this, the fleet is equipped with a number of large modern ships that entered service after the end of cold war. This can be explained by its strategic position as a NATO member controlling access to the Baltic Sea.

Danish Navy ships carry the prefix Kongelige Danske Marine) in Danish, which can be translated into Russian as "Her/His Danish Majesty's Ship" ( English transcription– HDMS). Denmark is one of several NATO members whose fleets lack submarines.

Air Force

The Royal Danish Air Force (Dan. Flyvevåbnet; Eng. RDAF) is the Danish air force responsible for maintaining internal security and ensuring goals national security in international operations abroad. Currently in Danish air force consists of 3400 permanent employees and another 100 draftees. The flight fleet is represented by 119 aircraft and helicopters, respectively, of American and European production.

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By the time the German troops invaded Denmark on April 9, 1940, the Danish Armed Forces had not participated in hostilities since 1864 - the war with Prussia and Austria. At the same time, a certain number of Danish citizens (from several hundred to several thousand people) as volunteers (inhabitants of the land of Schleswig - subjects of Germany) took part in the First World War of 1914 - 1918, as well as in civil wars in Finland - 1918, in Estonia and Latvia - 1918 - 1919, in Spain - 1936 - 1939. On initial stage During World War II, 800 Danish volunteers joined the Finnish army during its armed conflict with the USSR in 1939-1940.

The Danish general is talking to the officers. 1939

Many of these Danish citizens were officers and trained the Danish army and navy, guided by their combat experience.

Danish flag bearer. 1934

Like most armies European countries, the Danish Armed Forces on the eve of a new world conflict were reorganized and modernized.

Soldiers and officers of engineering units. 1935

In 1937 the Social Democrat Defense Minister Alsing Andersen ( Alsing EmanuelAndersen) united under his general leadership the land and sea forces of the country. The direct leaders of the ground forces and the navy, respectively, were Lieutenant General William Prior ( William Wain Prior) and Vice Admiral Hjalmar Rechnitzer ( Hjalmar Rechnitzer). There was a modernization of air defense, engineering troops, transport and the Air Force.

The ground forces consisted of two infantry divisions, which included seven infantry regiments, two cavalry regiments, three artillery regiments. One division was located in Zealand, and the second - in Jutland and on the island of Bornholm. A regiment of the Royal Guard was stationed in Copenhagen. During the winter of 1939 - 1940. The size of the Danish army was increased from 6,600 to 15,000 men.

Danish infantry. April 1940

The infantrymen were armed with rifles Gevær M. 1889, submachine guns 9-mmMP-32, heavy machine guns 20mm Madsen maskinkanon, light machine guns Madsen M.1929 And Madsen M.1924, mortars 81mm M.29S. Field artillery was represented by guns 75mm M.1902, 10½ cm M.1930, howitzers 15cmM.1917, 15cmM.1923 And 15cmM.1929, anti-tank guns 37mmBofors, air defense - anti-aircraft guns 75mm L/49 M.1932.

Howitzers 15cmM.1929 during the exercises of the Danish army. 1939

Reorganized in 1937, four infantry battalions received motorcycles and bicycles.

Danish motorcyclists. April 1940

Since 1932, a tank unit, consisting of three British-made tankettes, stood out from the engineering troops Carden-Lloyd Mk.VI.

Danish tankers. 1937

Danish pilot at the plane fokker. 1930

Danish Air Force ( Kongelige Danske Flyveveben) included two fighter squadrons - 13 Gloster Gauntlet and 7 Fokker D.XX, as well as 28 reconnaissance aircraft and 19 bombers.

Danish Navy ( Kongelige Danske Marine) consisted of 58 warships (two armored artillery ships - Peder Skram And Niels Juel, three minelayers, nine minesweepers, four patrol boats, six torpedo boats, seven submarines, as well as one training vessel and one hydrographic vessel). There were 1,500 men in the Navy.

Armored artillery ship Peder Skram.

Naval aviation included 13 hydroplanes Heinkel H.E.8 and eight fighters Hawker Nimrod Mk. II.

In general, the Danish Armed Forces were able to provide units German army(170th and 198th infantry divisions, 11th motorized brigade of the Wehrmacht, 70 light tanks of the type Pzkw I And Pzkw II, 240 aircraft) serious resistance. This can be confirmed by the fact that in an hour and a half of hostilities on April 9, 1940, Danish artillery destroyed 12 armored cars, knocked out three tanks and shot down several German aircraft, including one bomber. Heinkel He 111. The cessation of hostilities was a political decision of the Danish government, and not the result of a military defeat of the Danish Armed Forces.

Danish and German soldiers after the armistice. April 1940

Until August 1943, the Danish Armed Forces, under the conditions of German occupation, completely retained their personnel and weapons.

Klint Helge. Den danske Hær IV, 9. April 1940. Copenhagen, 1978.
Niemann P.E. Feltartilleriet i Aarhus 1881 - 1969. Copenhagen, 1981.

The Danish army is called the Royal Army. It, along with the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, the Civil Guard, is part of the Kingdom. Their goal is to protect the territory of Denmark, its freedom and independence.

kingdoms of Denmark. Story

Throughout history, Denmark has fought for territory and independence. The king was at war with the nobles. Nobles with the king. A series of continuous hostilities were a way for the survival of the heirs of the Vikings, maintaining the independence and integrity of the state. The Danish army fought a lot, up to the 1864 war with Prussia, and participated in the colonial wars.

Denmark was an ally of the French emperor in the Napoleonic wars of 1799-1815 and after his defeat lost Norway, which went to Sweden. The country's territory consisted of the Danish lands, the islands and the county of Lauenburg, for which Prussia was given Swedish Pomerania and the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. Holstein also went to Denmark. Formally, Denmark became dependent on Germany, since its king, as the ruler of Lauenburg and Holstein, became part of the German Union.

Germany and Prussia constantly interfered in the internal affairs of Denmark. In 1864-1866 there was a war between Prussia and Denmark. The reason for it was the adoption of the Constitution in the land of Schleswig. It ended with the victory of the Prussian army over the Danish army. Having lost Schleswig, the country turned into a minor state of Europe for a long time, but this was a positive moment. She is on for a long time became a peaceful country, which decided exclusively internal matters and developed the army.

The state of the army at the beginning of the war

Danish Armed Forces in 1939-1940 were reorganized and modernized, but did not take part in any military conflicts. The army consisted of two divisions, a division of seven regiments of infantry, two regiments of cavalry and two artillery regiments. They were stationed in Zeeland and Jutland. In Copenhagen there was a regiment of the Royal Guard. Total military personnel amounted to 15 thousand people.

The Air Force had two squadrons of fighters, bombers - 19 units, reconnaissance aircraft - 28 units. The Navy had 58 ships, including artillery battleships - 2, minelayers - 3, minesweepers - 9, patrol ships - 4, torpedo boats - 6 and submarines - 7. These were well-trained military forces capable of repelling any aggressor.

An occupation

Denmark was able to provide worthy resistance to Germany, having a well-trained and armed army. This can be judged by the fact that in an hour and a half of hostilities, the Danes shot down 12 armored vehicles, 3 tanks, shot down 2 aircraft - one of them was a bomber. Nevertheless, the government signs the act of surrender, deciding not to resist, which causes discontent among the inhabitants of the country, some of whom, fearing persecution, left its borders.

The reduction of the army in 1940-1943.

Despite the loyalty of the Danish government to the invaders, Germany demanded the reduction of the army and navy, which represented a certain force. This was just the beginning. Formally, the police and army forces were subordinate to the Danish government. The German command gradually began to withdraw heavy weapons, including 25 anti-aircraft guns, air defense systems and military vessels to guard the bridge across the Small Belt Bay.

On August 23, 1943, the Germans simply dispersed the Danish government and brought their troops into the country. The military units that remained after the reductions were disarmed, the military personnel were interned, which means that all the equipment and weapons were in the hands of the German military - the Danish army ceased to exist in World War II. Only the Navy offered resistance - out of 49 ships, only 18 passed into the hands of the Nazis. The rest were flooded or completely disabled. The occupation continued until 1945, until May 5, 1945, the command of the German units in Denmark capitulated to the troops of England.

Participation of Danish citizens in the war on the side of Germany and the anti-Hitler coalition

Historically, many Germans lived in Denmark, so the Danes served in parts of the Wehrmacht, the SS, police and security units in the country, on the Eastern Front in the USSR and Croatia. Danish emigrants took part on the side of the Anti-Hitler coalition. Since 1941, the Danish government was created in London, which achieved the drafting of Danish emigrants into the ranks of the British troops.

Postwar years

In the spring of 1949, Denmark joined the NATO bloc, in which it hosted Active participation in all operations. The military building and modernization of the army went on intensively. In 1951, an agreement was signed with the United States, according to which American military bases were built on the territory belonging to Denmark - Greenland. Without taking active action in Korea, the country provided medical and sanitation services.

In 1992, the Danish armed forces, as part of NATO forces, participated in military operations in the territory former Yugoslavia: Danish tanks participated in battles with Serbian troops in Bosnia, in 1994 they fired at Serbian positions during Operation Armada. In 1999, a country that is part of the NATO bloc took an active part in operations on the territory of Yugoslavia. Since the autumn of the same year, Denmark, as a member of NATO, has been participating in operations to ensure stability in Kosovo.

present tense

In Denmark, the only country in the West, the conscription of the population into the army has been preserved. It is fundamentally different from military conscription in Russia. They serve in the army for only 4 months, conscription into the armed forces of the Kingdom of Denmark is voluntary, conscripts must write a statement about their desire to serve and wait a year or two, when the turn comes up. During the service, cadets undergo a course of initial military training. If there is a desire and a vacancy, then those who wish sign a contract for 3-4 years. The rest are enrolled in the civil guard, which is essentially a militia.

The commander-in-chief of the troops is the queen, but this title is formal, since all issues are decided by the Minister of Defense and General base. In the units there are persons in charge of political issues - the role is assigned to the deputies of parliament representing the ruling party. The number of regular troops is 15 thousand people, 12 thousand are in reserve, 56 thousand militias are in the service of the civil guard.

In Denmark, there are three historical regiments left, which include three battalions - two main and one training. They are part of the First and Second Brigades, which include two guards regiment, one artillery battalion, consisting of two batteries, which are equipped with mortars and self-propelled guns.

The special forces of the fleet were created in 1957, in 1961 the army special forces were created, numbering 200 people.

The Danish fleet, due to its strategic position, is composed of large modern ships that control the entrance to the Baltic Sea. The Air Force has 119 aircraft and helicopters produced in NATO countries and the USA.

Belonging to Denmark Virgin Islands were captured by Great Britain, but on November 20, 1815 they were returned to Denmark.

On April 4, 1949, Denmark joined the NATO military-political bloc, after which the country's military spending was increased (if in 1950 the total military spending was 350 million Danish crowns, then in 1953 - almost 900 million crowns), military construction began. In 1951, Denmark and the US signed a treaty that allowed the US to establish military bases on the island of Greenland.

Denmark did not take a direct part in the Korean War, but provided medical assistance to the UN forces

In 1992, the Danish military contingent was sent to Bosnia, April 29, 1994 during the operation " Bellebank"Leopard 1A5 tanks of Denmark from the NORDBAT 2 unit entered into battle with Serbian units, and on October 25, 1994, during Operation Amanda ( "Operation Amanda") - fired on Serbian positions in the Tuzla region.

In 1999, Denmark took part in the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia.

Since the autumn of 1999, Denmark has been participating in the NATO operation to maintain stability in Kosovo, Danish military personnel have been included in the KFOR forces as part of the multinational brigade "North" (" Multinational Brigade Nord»).

XXI century

In 2011, Denmark took part in the military intervention in Libya. Six F-16s and one C-130J-30 Super Hercules, as well as flight personnel, were sent to the group, the first four F-16s arrived in Sicily on March 19, 2011. On March 23, 2011, six Danish F-16s made the first 12 sorties, during which they launched airstrikes on targets in Libya. In general, only during the operation "Odyssey Dawn" (in the period before the start of the "Unified Protector" mission), Danish F-16s made 43 sorties, dropping 107 guided bombs on targets in Libya. In total, in the period up to October 31, 2011, Danish Air Force aircraft made 599 sorties, dropping 923 guided bombs on targets in Libya.