German army forced to lay down weapons due to ‘overtime limits’.

German soldiers taking part in a four-week Nato exercise in Norway earlier this year had to leave after just 12 days because they had gone over their overtime limits, it has emerged.

Under the latest reforms, in force since January, the military working week has been reduced to 41 hours and troops can no longer be paid for working overtime. …

Ursula von der Leyen, the defence minister, has been widely criticised for reforms that have seen creches and flat-screen TVs introduced to military bases and postings limited to match school term dates.

She has been accused of prioritising the wrong issues at a time when the military is facing equipment shortages that have seen soldiers training with broomsticks instead of guns.

Last year it emerged that fewer than half of Germany’s 66 Tornado aircraft were airworthy.

Who’s afraid of the Wehrmacht nowadays?