This page ("under construction") describes the 2nd Squadron's
area of operations (environment) and provides a background for the
following
pages that will focus on segments of its 23 year history. (If you
were there before 1960 please accept the term "squadron" to mean
"battalion"
as well.) Dates are based on best recollection of the
contributors.
Comments to make this account more precise and complete will be very
much
appreciated. Send to committee
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The Squadron's sector, about 50 Km (30 miles) wide, was bounded on the left (northwest) by the Rhoen Mountains and on the right by a lower range of hills, the Hassberge, which ran south from Koenigshofen (now Bad Koenigshofen) to the Main River about [five] miles east of Schweinfurt. The largest town in the border area ("Five Click Zone") was, and remains, Mellrichstadt located on Highway 19. Border patrol routes generally began (weapons were loaded) or ended (weapons were cleared) there. The village at the northern end of the sector was Fladungen; at the south end it was Maroldsweisach. From time to time the Squadron deployed a troop to Coburg to cover that sector.
There are a number of landmarks in the border area
which
many troops probably remember.
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About a mile
north of Mellrichstadt on the
west
side of Hwy 19 stood the remains of a stone watchtower which was built
in the Middle Ages a time when the Franconians did not welcome
wanderers
and brigands from what they considered the less civilized region to the
north and east. (So the Cold War was not the first time this
attitude
prevailed). From 1953-55 this position was used as a base for
patrol operations. In other years it was often used at night as a
listening post.
A main observation post (OP Delta - later named Sierra) was located on a higher forest covered hill west of Hwy 19 at the border. It afforded observation of Hwy 19 up to a point about 2 miles beyond the border. Up to 1951 Soviet troops based in Henneberg manned positions close to this section of the border and clearly visible. |
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Cooperating units in the border area were the Bavarian Border Police (BBP) and the Federal Border Protection Force (BGS - Bundesgrenzschutz). The BBP consisted of small detachments based in the largest villages. They conducted foot patrols along the border and operated OPs and listening posts. The BGS conducted vehicle mounted patrols initially from their base in Coburg and, after 196x, from the new kaserne at Oerlenbach about 5 miles south of Bad Kissingen. These operations raised the odds that any sapper teams aiming to infiltrate in the last hours before a surprise attack would be intercepted.
This area was called Grabfeld and the village names bore the suffix "in Grabfeld". It was easy to surmise that this name translated to Gravefield and that there must have been a major battle there a couple of centuries ago. This however was not the case. According to local legend the name derives from the jealousy of a nobleman about [300] years ago. His lady had been away for a few days and when she returned she was without her wedding ring. He suspected that she had lost it in the course of some wild cavorting, but she claimed that it had somehow slipped off her finger while she was riding home. In an effort to discover the truth he had her retrace the route and ordered out all the serfs in the area to sift through the surface soil along the way - hence it became known as "the digging field" (Grabfeld).
The southern half of the Grabfeld is commanded by a hill standing about 100 meters above the surrounding terrain - and probably reconnoitered by many of our troops scouting for field positions. Its unusual name, Juden Hugel, translates to Jews Hill and the background for that name was probably known only to the troops who scouted the lower reaches of its reverse slope. There, well concealed by the forest, is a small cemetery. The aging gravestones bear the Star of David.
The first element of the West German Army to be based near Bad Kissingen was its Infantry School which was located on the high ground south of Hammelburg. It was established in 195x. In 1962 a new kaserne was built 2Km southwest of Mellrichstadt and occupied by the 352nd Armored Infantry Battalion of the 12th Panzer Grenadier Division.
The low mountain range beyond the border that was visible from our observation posts was the Thueringer Wald (Thuringian Forest). Its higher peaks reach elevations above 2000 feet. It is heavily forested and sparsely populated which would have been of some help to us had the Cold War turned hot. The roads needed by the Soviet regiments based at its far side could - if NATO achieved early air superiority - have been well trashed by tree blowdown.
The 117th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment based in Meiningen was the westernmost Soviet ground force in Europe. Its three rifle battalions were fully mechanized (BTR xx). Its tank battalion was equipped with 33 medium tanks (T-34s until 195x, T55 from then to 196x, and then the T-60). Its artillery battalion would have needed about 10 minutes to get from its hardstand to battery positions from which it could reach targets as deep as Bad Neustadt (e.g. the Border Camp at Wollbach). Its main kaserne on the high ground north of Meiningen was visible from aircraft on our side of the border. In summer the dust clouds raised by exercises in the training area west of the city were also spotted.
Without access to the war plans of the Soviet Eight Guards Army we do not know what the mission of the regiment in Meiningen would have been in the event of a "short warning attack". It could have been committed west toward Fulda and the Vogelsberg or south toward Main River crossings. Other regiments of the 39th Guards Motorized Rifle Division were based in Ohrdruf and were as well, or better, positioned for a move west toward the Fulda Gap as for a division strength move to the south. It is worth noting that when the tank battalion in Meiningen received the T__ tank and became capable of deep fording (crossing underwater) it had a unique training facility to drill its crews in underwater escape procedure in case of major damage to breathing tower in midstream. (photo and more info) The presence of that facility could have reflected a war plan aimed at the Main River. It certainly was not there to train crews for a retrograde crossing of the Elbe.
Upon completion of the NATO buildup in [195x] US war plans generally called for the Squadron to engage as far forward as possible and execute delaying action in zone to give the VII Corp infantry division to our rear time to occupy its defensive positions (battle area). From 1951 to 195x that division was the 1st Inf. It was followed by the [10th and later by the 3rd]. The unit on our left flank was the US infantry battalion stationed in Wildflecken and on our right, the 2nd Sqdn, 2nd ACR stationed in Bamberg. For a period in the early 1960s the 2nd ACR was replaced by the 3rd ACR.
If warning time permitted the Squadron would have
occupied
initial positions within xx km of the border with the three recon
companies/troops
abreast. Under some conditions a tank platoon would have been
attached
to one or two of the recon companies. This was generally the case
prior to 1956 when the recon companies were equipped with light M24/41
tanks.
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The kaserne in Bad Kissingen was constructed in 1936. Some information about its first 15 years and a 1938 photo are attached It was occupied by the 2nd Batallion in the summer of 1951 and named Daley Barracks in honor of [ ]. To view an aerial photograph taken in 1954 click here.
US troops vacated the kaserne in February 1992 when the 2nd Squadron, 11th ACR returned from duty in Kuwait and moved to temporary station at Wildflecken. From then to 1998 the kaserne stood vacant. The barracks buildings and the motor pool sheds were demolished in 1998 to clear the way for construction of commercial buildings. A photograph of the present "situation" is attached..
Although the kaserne is gone there are three
landmarks remaining
in Bad Kissingen that have a significant association with the U.S.
Army.
One is the Stadt Schwimmbad (City swimming pool) constructed in
1954.
Our engineers did most of the excavation and concrete work. The
second is the family housing area along Pfalzstrasse which was
completed in 195[] and as late as 2003 was still occupied by families
of US
troops based in Schweinfurt.
The third landmark is the Ringstrasse which was built in the early 1960's to carry traffic around the center of the city. The City needed major funding from the Federal Government to undertake that project. In the spring of 1960 a commission from Bonn came to make an on site assessment of the need for a bypass route to reduce or eliminate through traffic on the elegant Kurhausstrasse. Of course this commission was quartered in the Kurhaushotel where they could gather a close range impression of that traffic. In view of this situation it occurred to a very talented official of the city government (a gentleman who shall not be named here) that it might help if arrangements could be made for some of the Squadron's heaviest trucks to pass the hotel about 0600 hours. Such "arrangements" were duly agreed upon and for the first time in many years a column of deuce 'n halfs transited Kurhausstrasse. It is suspected that one or more of them had been rigged (via timing adjustment) to backfire on driver command. We have no way to know whether the Commission from Bonn had already made up its mind before that morning, but it is quite obvious that the City did get the money it sought.
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Upgrading of the Squadron's tanks and infantry carriers
proceded as follows:
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Fire support:
Prior to 195x the battalion's
artillery
support was [ ] based in [ ].
In 195x the [ ] moved to Daley
Barracks and
In 1955 Battery [X] of the [ ]
became
the battalion's in-house artillery and in 196x it was upgunned to 155mm.
In 196x the mortar squads of the
recon
platoons received the Mxxx carrier. In 196x they were upgunned
with
the 4.2" mortar.
The HAWK battery (D, xxx ADA Bn.) became operational
in 19xx.
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An index to pages written
by members of the Squadron about operations and "events" in their time
will be posted here. If you are interested in forming or joining
a team to produce an article about the Squadron in YOUR time contact
the 14th
ACR Committee
A memoir written by Colonel James R. Spurrier about the
years in which he commanded the Battalion (1951-1953) is posted at this
address.