Military surveillance

The 6th Border Brigade Coast executed the military surveillance In Kuehlungsborn by means of 
a) 6.Border Company of the II Border Batallion in Kühlungsborn East:  
Beach patroles, police dog unit, tower crew and mobile searchlights
b) TBK Bukspitze (Technical Surveillance Company) in Kühlungsborn West/ Riedensee:  Sea surveillance with focus on escapees and boats
c)  GAB (Border Training Batallion) in Kühlungsborn West/ Lake Rieden: 
train border soldiers for the 6th Border Brigade Coast

Borderline

The GDR Sea border run parallel to the shoreline in a distance of 5.6 km. This so called „3 mile zone“ represented the Territorial Waters of East Germany. Behind the „3 mile zone“ began the International Waters.

The border control of the Baltic Coast was a far reaching system on the water and on land, with surveillance of the Inland (towns and railway stations), increased surveillance of the „7km wide Border Zone“ along the shores  and the surveillance of the actual Sea border.

Inland surveillance

At  night the beams of the search lights wandered regularely over the Baltic Sea. Armed soldiers with border dogs patroled in pairs along the beach of Kuehlungsborn. Border soldiers lying in ambush were looking out for escapees.
Boats and floating devices, night walkers or suspicious objects and equipment caused the soldiers to strike immediately. The inland surveillance  was not only effective but was designed to scare off escapees and the public.

Sea surveillance

Directly in front of the coast were the border ships of  the border company stationed. Two outpost ships were  were lying close to the coast of  West Germany.  They searched a certain area for arriving escapees at dawn. 
The border ships, watch towers and technical observation companies monitored the entire sea traffic. In serious cases the border company was assisted by the peoples navy and helicopters.