German frigate Bayern since her commissioning, including deploying in the Adriatic in 1999 during Operation Allied Force, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Between April and November 2005 she served as the flagship for Wolfgang Kalähne, Commander-in-Chief of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2. "Bayern" was deployed with the Group in various manoeuvres, and to support Operation Active Endeavour. Between September 2007 to March 2008 "Bayern" was the flagship of Hans-Christian Luther, Commander-in-Chief of the Maritime Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. In late January 2008 "Bayern" came to the assistance of the container ship "Gevo Victory", which was in distress
Names of Germany federal state since West Berlin, although considered a de facto federal state, had the legal status of a military occupation zone. The official name of the country is "Federal Republic of Germany" (Bundesrepublik Deutschland). The terms "Westdeutschland" and "Ostdeutschland" are still used for the western and the eastern parts of the German territory, respectively. Names of Germany Because of Germany's geographic position in the centre of Europe, as well as its long history as a non-united region of distinct tribes and states, there are many widely varying names of Germany in different languages, perhaps more so than for any other