What gun did the Grenztruppen use?
The firearms utilized were the Makarov PM as the standard sidearm, MPi-K Rifle (an East German copy of the AK-47), RPK and RPD to name the most utilized weapons by the Grenztruppen. It has also been documented that the RPG-7 and PKM were also used in certain situations if needed.
Who protected the Berlin Wall?
East German border guards
The Berlin Wall began as a border of barbed wire fencing and evolved into a fortified concrete barrier with armed East German border guards. East Germany militarized the entire border with the West, laying more than one million land mines and deploying around 3,000 attack dogs.
How many soldiers were guarding the Berlin Wall?
7,000 guards Eastern side of the Wall. More than 7,000 East German soldiers manned 302 watchtowers and 20 bunkers. At night, with lamp posts every 30 metres, it was the best-lit part of Berlin.
What pistol did the Stasi use?
Walther PPK used by the East German Staatssicherheit (Stasi) It is a standard commercial pre-war Walther PPK that continued his carrier after the war in service of the East German Staatssicherheit (Stasi). The Stasi did not use the pistol in its original form. The pistol was modified to accept a suppressor.
What is the death strip?
The “death strip” was the belt of sand- or gravel-covered land between the two main barriers of the Berlin Wall. It was constantly under surveillance by guards in watchtowers, who could shoot anyone they saw trying to escape.
How wide was the death strip?
The 27-mile portion of the barrier separating Berlin into east and west consisted of two concrete walls between which was a “death strip” up to 160 yards wide that contained hundreds of watchtowers, miles of anti-vehicle trenches, guard dog runs, floodlights and trip-wire machine guns.
How many soldiers guarded the Berlin Wall?
7,000 guards
7,000 guards Eastern side of the Wall. More than 7,000 East German soldiers manned 302 watchtowers and 20 bunkers. At night, with lamp posts every 30 metres, it was the best-lit part of Berlin.
How many East Germans died trying to cross the wall?
Well over 100,000 citizens of the GDR tried to escape across the inner-German border or the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1988. More than 600 of them were shot and killed by GDR border guards or died in other ways during their escape attempt.