Command Flags and Pennants of the Territorial Army (Germany)

kommandozeichen des territorialheeres

Last modified: 2012-11-17 by pete loeser
Keywords: territorial army | kommandozeichen | eagle (black) |
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• Introduction
• Command Pennant for a Territorial Army Brigade - Kommandozeichen einer Territorialheer-Brigade
• Command Flag for a Territorial Army Regiment - Kommandozeichen einem Territorialheer-Regiment
• Command Pennant for a Territorial Army Batallion - Kommandozeichen einem Territorialheer-Bataillon
• Command Pennant for a Territorial Army Company - Kommandozeichen einer Territorialheer-Kompanie

• Command Flags and Pennants of Army Units - Kommandozeichen der Einheiten des Heeres
• Index of all German Pages

Introduction

During the Cold War, the army branch of the Bundeswehr (the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany) was organised into the Feldheer (standing army?) and the Territorialheer (territorial army). While the Feldheer was active in peacetime, and would have been placed under NATO command in wartime, the Territorialheer's peacetime strength was only 10% of its due size. In the case of a war it would have been filled up with reservists and was to remain under national command. From 1992 on, a new concept was introduced (Heeresstruktur 5) in which the structures of Feldheer and Territorialheer were merged.
Stefan Schwoon, 14 February 2002

The German Territorialheer is the part-time reserve component of the German Army (Bundesheer). It bears some similarity to the US Army National Guard/Army Reserve. The Territorialheer is organized, trained and equipped to reinforce the Bundesheer on short notice with combat brigades and battalions (primarily mechanized infantry). During the Cold War, when West Germany followed a policy of 'forward defense', its role was considered critical. Most Territorialheer soldiers lived close to their mobilization stations, and most units were earmarked for operations in their home regions. Thus the name 'Territorial Army'. Though in the post-Cold War era the Territorialheer has been somewhat pruned, and though it has assumed some new missions, its basic structure has not changed.
The modern Territorialheer descends form the Landwehr, the reserve military force of Prussia and then Germany from the Napoleonic period through 1918. During the Weimar period it did not officially exist, since the accumulation of trained military reserves was banned by the 1919 Peace Treaty [of Versailles]. When Hitler came to power and began to build up the Army some reserve divisions were raised, but full war mobilization came so quickly that a full-fledged Landwehr was never really established.
Tom Gregg, 14 February 2002

Command Pennant for a Territorial Army Brigade
Kommandozeichen einer Territorialheer-Brigade

Image by Joseph McMillan

Green pennant with two horizontal black stripes and the national arms on the center. Source: Schnell and Seidel 1983.
Joseph McMillan, 9 March 2001

Command Flag for a Territorial Army Regiment
Kommandozeichen einem Territorialheer-Regiment

Image by Joseph McMillan

Rectangular green flag with one horizontal black stripe and the national arms on the center. Source: Schnell and Seidel 1983.
Joseph McMillan, 9 March 2001

Command Pennant for a Territorial Army Batallion
Kommandozeichen einem Territorialheer-Bataillon

Image by Joseph McMillan

Green pennant with one horizontal black stripe and the national arms on the center. Source: Schnell and Seidel 1983.
Joseph McMillan, 9 March 2001

Command Pennant for a Territorial Army Company
Kommandozeichen einer Territorialheer-Kompanie

Image by Joseph McMillan

Green pennant with one vertical black stripe and the national arms on the center. Source: Schnell and Seidel 1983.
Joseph McMillan, 9 March 2001