Thanks for the Image Genosse, I do like a Democratic State about its Historical Mission....
Interesting 1989 Pic of DE IX w/BG-73
Thought I would share this. 1989 pic of DE IX special mission unit troops moving to confront freedom protesters.
BG-73 was the fat tube on the barrel of the AKs, a grenade launcher. It was developed and used by the East German VPKA/VPI and VP-Berietschaften. While regular NVA units fielded the RPG, Volks Polizei units relied on these launchers for heavy weapon support at the squad level.
While never formally adopted by the NVA, in November / December, 1989 some launchers were handed over by the VP to the rocket-technical and weapon-technical service of the NVA for evaluation.
The launchers were used with either irritant gas grenades (RWK-64) and standard blank cartridges or fragmentation grenades (RGD-5) and a special blue-tipped high-pressure blank cartridge.
What is really interesting are the FJ vests they are wearing. That's what identifies them as DE IX vs regular MdI troops. DE IX was a special mission unit developed after the Munich Olympics Hostage Crisis. Kind of cool for you gear collectors.
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BG-73 was the fat tube on the barrel of the AKs, a grenade launcher. It was developed and used by the East German VPKA/VPI and VP-Berietschaften. While regular NVA units fielded the RPG, Volks Polizei units relied on these launchers for heavy weapon support at the squad level.
While never formally adopted by the NVA, in November / December, 1989 some launchers were handed over by the VP to the rocket-technical and weapon-technical service of the NVA for evaluation.
The launchers were used with either irritant gas grenades (RWK-64) and standard blank cartridges or fragmentation grenades (RGD-5) and a special blue-tipped high-pressure blank cartridge.
What is really interesting are the FJ vests they are wearing. That's what identifies them as DE IX vs regular MdI troops. DE IX was a special mission unit developed after the Munich Olympics Hostage Crisis. Kind of cool for you gear collectors.
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