USAREUR Units - 11th Sig Bn

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11th Air Defense Signal Battalion
32nd AADCOM
Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please email me (webmaster).

History

HHC

Co "A"/Det "A"

Co "B"/Det "B"

Co "C"/Det "C"

Co "D"

Newspaper articles

Related Links

Relay Sites
Eibensbach
Kalmit
Melibokus
Moenchberg
Reinwarzhofen
Zabelstein

Terminal Sites

History

1958 - 1992

11th AD Signal Battalion DI

(Source: 11th Signal Battalion Unit History)

Radio Tower
Radio Relay Site Buick
Zabelstein

The 11th Signal Battalion is a descendent of the 3181 Signal Battalion which was activated 1 July 1944 at the Western Signal Corps Training Center in Camp Kohler, California. The battalion participated in the enormous communications effort that supported the invasion and conquest of Okinawa from April to June 1945. After the war the battalion remained on the island and was redesignated as a service battalion in April 1947. The battalion was deactivated in 1950, while in Okinawa.

The battalion served next at Fort Huachuca, AZ from July 1954 through December 1957.

On November 10 1958, US Army Signal Support Company (Air Defense) was activated per USAREUR GO 345, dated November 6 1958, with duty station in Kaiserslautern (Kapaun Barracks?). The Company was assigned to the newly formed 32nd Artillery Brigade (Air Defense) with the mission of providing signal maintenance and relay communications to elements of the 32nd Arty Bde which at the time consisted of only one NIKE Artillery Group.

Per USAREUR GO 403, dated December 11 1961, US Army Signal Support Company was reorganized and redesignated as US Army Signal Support Unit (AD), a battalion size unit. Concurrently, three dets were activated:

Det A, Kaiserslautern, supporting 94th Arty Gp;

Det B, Würzburg, supporting 69th Arty Gp; and

Det C, Munich, supporting 10th Arty Gp.

Each detachment had a 3d Echelon Signal Maint Shop and operated a 3d Echelon Maint Tm at each battalion and group hqs to provide on-site support.

The name was changed to include Battalion instead of unit in 1964 and finally to the 11th Air Defense Signal Battalion, 21 November 1967, with no change in mission, per USAREUR GO 269, dtd Oct 26 1967.

In November 1975, the battalion headquarters moved with the headquarters of the 32d Army Air Defense Command to Darmstadt, Germany. The remainder of the battalion was dispersed throughout Central Germany, in continuous operation in support of the 32nd Army Air Defense Command.

By 1984 the primary means of communications employed by the 11th AD Sig Bn were multi-channel radio systems which allow the Battalion to provide voice telephone, point-to-point, and common user communications. Each multi-channel system provided up to 12 separate circuits. The multi-channel system also allowed the Bn to provide automatic data links which was the primary means used for controlling air defense assets.

The 11th AD Sig Bn completed its change-over to the new MSE equipment by April 1991. The digital MSE replaced the analog Army Tactical Communications System (ATACS). The new network operated and maintained by the 11th connected the Fire Direction Centers of the ADA Brigades with the Command and Reporting Centers. The communications between the batteries and battalions was to continue to use the analog communications system until the J-TIDS became available.

The battalion remained in Germany providing communications support until the 1992.

On 27 October, 1992, the HHC, 11th AD Sig Bn held its deployment ceremony in Darmstadt, Germany. The line units were redesignated and the colors cased:

LINE UNITS

Company A was redesignated as the 286th Signal Company and moved to Fort Polk, LA

Company B was redesignated on Aug 16 as the 57th Signal Company, under the command of the 22nd Sig Bde

Company C was redesignated as the 413th Signal Company and remained with 32nd AADCOM

Company D was redesignated as the 208th Signal Company and remained with 32nd AADCOM

HHC, 11th AD Signal Bn was inactivated at Fort Gordon, Georgia 15 January 1993.

The unit's motto was "Sure and Ready".

CORRECTIONS:

Some corrections submitted by Frederick Twombly. - The parts where the units were redesignated are transposed between C Co and D Co. I was in Delta Co. and was redesignated as the 413th Signal Company. At the time we lived on Kaupan Air Station in Kaiserslautern and then moved to Kleber Kaserne.

(Source: STARS & STRIPES, Jan 28 and April 11, 1967)

132 house trailers that have previously been used by Air Force families at various bases in France are now being sent to Germany to be used at 32nd AADC remote site. The 41-foot trailers will be used as housing facilities, mess facilities and ready rooms for the various missile and signal units. Almost every battery and radio relay site is scheduled to receive a number of these trailers. They will replace primarily the winterized tents currently used at these sites.

Distribution:

7th Sig Spt Bn -- 40 trailers

10th Arty Gp -- 29 trailers

69th Arty Gp -- 33 trailers

94th Arty Gp -- 30 trailers

Major James A. Vardeman is the project officer for the move. A 32-man team led by CWO Vernon Barksdale has been in Frace since last November to coordinate the paper work and movement of the trailers from France to their final destinations. (By mid April 1967, 64 batteries and radio sites had received their trailers.)

The trailers (41 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high) have two bedrooms, a hallway with storage space, combination kitchen-living room, a bathroom, space heaters and built-in cabinets.

Signal Sites Operated by the 11th AD Sig Bn

(Webmaster Note: looking for anyone with more details on the radio relay and terminal sites operated by the 11th and its predecessor.)

SITE DESIGNATION	LOCATION	COMMENTS
AA (1980s)	CFK, Darmstadt	operated by HQ & A Co
BB (early 1980s)	Griesheim	operated by C Co; located at Terminal 52
QA (1980s)	Kleber Ksn, Kaiserslautern	operated by Delta Company in the 1980s, later by A Company
VS (1980s)	Börfink	at CRC Borfink, operated by Delta Company in the 1980s, later by A Company
YS (1980s)	Kalmit	673 m; operated by D Co in the 1980s
X-ray Sierra (1980s) ?	Melibokus	517 m
X-ray Tango (1980s) ?	Mönchberg
X-ray Tango (1980s)	Taufstein	see email from Jeff Berger
X-ray Uniform (1980s)	Melibokus	see email from Jeff Berger
	Büttelberg
Radio Relay 28	(Taunus Mts)	Near Frankfurt /Main; 1966
Radio Relay DOG	Donnersberg	at one point (1981) site was probably designated Austin Relay and operated by a Det of C Co
Radio Relay Site Buick	Zabelstein	originally known as Radio Relay 28; also known as Radio Site Falkenstein; 489m
Radio Relay Site Cadillac	(near Grafenwoehr)	operated by Co B early 1970s
Radio Relay Site Chrysler	Frechetsfeld	a.k.a. Geigenwang?
Radio Relay Site Mercedes
Radio Relay Site Mercury	Oberdachstetten
Radio Relay Site Morgan	Edenkoben
Radio Relay Site Rover	Melibokus	mid-1970s
Radio Relay Site Simca	Eibensbach	in later years known as Relay Eibensbach
Radio Relay Site Sunbeam	Mönchberg	operated by A Co Comments from Randy Leigher: While I was in Germany (1972-75), Relay Sunbeam (different location?) was part of B Company.
Bann Hill	Bann (Landstuhl)	operated by D Co in the 1980s
Radio Relay Site Geinsheim	Geinsheim
CRC Lauda "STRAWBASKET"	Lauda-Königshofen
	Griesheim
	Heppenheim	operated by C Co
	Reinwarzhofen
	Taufstein
	Wurmberg
Terminal Site 40	Vogelweh (Kaiserslautern)	operated by HHC, 11th AD Sig Bn
Terminal Site 41	Erbeskopf	operated by A Co; a German radar site and an Air Force Air Traffic Control site were also located on the mountain top (Fred Butler, 1966-1970)
Terminal Site 50	Darmstadt	Ernst Ludwig Kaserne; operated by C Co
Terminal Site 51	Wasserkuppe	operated by C Co
Terminal Site 52	Griesheim	operated by C Co
Terminal Site 60	???
Terminal Site 61	Würzburg	located in the basement of our radio maintance shop on Emery barracks (Larry Mays, 1973-76)
Terminal Site 62	Würzburg	on the hill behind Emery next to the Hawk Missile site - D Btry, 6th Bn. 52d ADA (Larry Mays, 1973-76)
Terminal Site 70	???
Terminal Site 71	Erbeskopf	billets located at Allenbach?

Over the course of the years that the 11th Sig Bn (and its predecessor) operated radio site, the sites were also given codenames such as:
Radio (Relay Site) Mercedes
Radio (Relay Site) Morgan
or
Radio Site Golf Bravo
Radio Site YS
Radio Site BB
Who can tell us more about this?

(Source: Email from Michael Rattler)

Your info is correct of the operation of radio sites. In the late 1980s, Alpha Company was moved to Kaiserslautern and assisted Delta. HHC continued to operate TAA.

I serve with the tatical combat telecommunication center codename 'Cowboy'. The other names were

Cinnamon (Delta Company)

Cocktail (Bravo Company)

Curfew (Alpha Company)

Cricket (Charlie Company)

I saw mention of ' Strawbasket'. There were three others (the Four Horseman) . . . . one was 'Hardtire'.

NOTE: Michael is referring to the Control and Reporting Center (USAFE & GAF) sites:

Hardtire (CRC Börfink)

Strawbasket (CRC Lauda)

(Source: Email from Matt M., 11th AD Sig Bn, 1988-1991)

I was stationed there (in HHC) from July of 1988 to April 1991. The website you've put together is pretty interesting, especially the detail of the different radio sites manned by the unit I was in. I spent many days on quite a few of the sites, some I remember, some I don't (it was dark and rainy), but of those, I spent the most time at Melibokus and Mönchberg. I did go to Eibensbach more than once, and a few others as well. I was on an FM Retrans team for quite some time, and visited these sites on a weekly basis, doing our regular Comex, setting up, operating for a day or so and tearing down, repeating the process every week. A lot of time was spent on the road, traveling around and operating the mobile radio relay, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

My section sergeant and I were untouchable to a certain extent, because we had a definite "mission" to accomplish. I remember the guard dogs ("Schotze" and I made friends!) at Eibensbach, and a guy showing me card tricks at 1:30am in the morning in his van. I remember Melibokus and climbing the concrete tower to watch F-16s scream by. I remember Wasserkuppe, and looking across the border and seeing the East Germans looking back, and the high state of readiness at that site. It all had a very strong impression on me at the time. Memories to last a lifetime, that's for sure.

If my memory serves me correctly, Melibokus was X-ray/Sierra and Monchberg was X-ray/Tango. I really can't think of any of the others short of the fact that there were two additional radio sites in garrison on CFK. The NOC and the UHF rigs that ran 24/7. I don't remember the name of the site in the motorpool, but it was there.

Each company had one Retrans Team. Teams were usually two people, the team chief and one lower enlisted, sometimes a backup. The team I was on was mixed in with the RATT riggers, the radio teletype guys. I think we were two squads of about 10 people. Anyway, the rig that I ran was a CUCV, a pickup, with a soft top in the back, and a set of four FM radios on a rack in the bed of the truck, two active and two backup. Our purpose was to go out and relay FM radio traffic from two distant sites that were too far apart, or that had geographic barriers in between. We would go out, set up, turn on the radios and they would relay the traffic automatically. From one radio on one frequency, the traffic would be transferred to the other radio and sent out on another freuqency. Of couse we had secure gear and power and antennas and generators and all that too. The equipment was Vietnam era vintage so it was always breaking down. I learned to troubleshoot electronics that way!

Radio Site
Mönchberg

1. Former radio relay site, recent (KB)

2. Former radio relay site, 2005 (KB)

(Source: Information - Rick Anders, Germany; Map - Walter Elkins)

Comm Network in support of the 32nd AAA Brigade/AADCOM (DRAFT)

While doing research on several other topics at the German national archives, Rick recently ran across a large map of radio terminal and relay sites operated by the 32nd AAA Brigade in the mid-1960s.

The map was actually compiled by the German government as a planning tool for their involvement in supporting the communications requirements of the US Army's NIKE and HAWK sites. Although Rick was not able to obtain a photocopy of the map, he did create a hand drawn map that he was kind enough to make available to me. I have created the map on the left using his information and data from several copies of STATION LISTS from the mid 1960s.

The map is a first attempt at creating a comprehensive view of the communications network that would have been operated by the US Army's Signal Support Battalion in support of the 32nd AAA Brigade.

Input from readers (corrections, additions, explanations and suggestions) is very much appreciated!

Company "A" (Det "A")

(Source: Email from René Meier)

I am Swiss and emigrated to the US in 1962. I was immediately drafted because of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After basic training at Ft. Jackson and Spec.training at Ft.Monmouth, I was sent to Germany. (René was assigned to Det A, 7th Army Sig Spt Unit and stationed at the Donnersberg Relay Site (R1).)

After 1½-year of service, they asked me to go to West Point to the officers school. But they told me that I would most probably go to Vietnam after graduating as a Lieutenant. So I decided to go back home!

Here is a picture of me with our cat named DOG at Donnersberg.

Terminal and relay sites operated by Det A

Det A, 7th Army Sig Spt

1. Det A, Kapaun Ksn, Kaiserslautern, 1963 (KB)

2. Relay 1, DOG (KB)

3. Relay 3, Eibensbach

4. Tower at Relay 3 or 4

5. Comm van climbs narrow road to Terminal 2, Kalmit

6. Commo equip (KB)

7. Commo equip in trailer, 1963 (KB)

8. Commo equip in building, 1964 (KB)

Det A commo equipment

Who can provide details on the Radio Set displayed on the left?

Signal Sites Operated by the Det A, 7th Army Sig Spt Unit

SITE DESIGNATION	LOCATION	COMMENTS
Terminal 2	Kalmit
Terminal 2A	Erbeskopf
Relay 1	Donnersberg
Relay 2	unknown
Relay 3	Eibensbach
Relay 4	Melibokus
Relay 5	Rhaunen
Relay 6	Zwingenberg
Relay 7	Mönchberg

(Source: Email from Dan Manring, Co "A," 1975-77)

The News Beam was the unit newsletter

I was stationed with Co. A in Darmstadt from 1975-77.

I am sending you a copy of the 11th Signal Battalion newspaper, regarding the Nijmegan International Road Marches held in 1976 in Nijmegen, Holland. This is a story about the competitions to pick a team to represent the 32nd Air Defense Command and the 11th Signal Battalion in Nijmegen. The marching team consisted of members from Company A, Headquarters Detachment, and Company C. One of the pictures is of the marching team taken during the marches.

The Nijmegen march was a wonderful experience, if I had stayed in Germany I would have volunteered for the team again. The Dutch people were very friendly and treated us Americans like we were royalty. I have original newspaper clippings from the Stars & Stripes on the marches themselves. However, there is very little mentiond about the 11st Signal Battalion, only a couple of paragraphs.

The other pictures are of Company A motor pool, barracks, communications center, front gate of Cambrai-Fritsch Kaserne, and one photograph was taken of myself.

I was stationed there from October 1975 to March 1977. I have a lot of good memories of this unit, I'm sorry to see it was deactivated.

Det A, 11th AD Sig Bn

1. Cambrai-Fritsch Kaserne main gate (KB)

2. CFK and Microwave tower (far left) (KB)

3. Motor pool area (KB)

4. Co A motor pool (KB)

5. Co A motor park (KB)

6. Dan Manring (KB)

7. Entrance to Co A Motor Pool (KB)

8. Nijmegen Team (KB)

(Source: Bruce Scott, A Co, 1981-85)

I spent four and a half years with A Co 11th AD Sig. The majority of that time at Relay Site Mönchberg. The old name was RS Sunbeam. Our Engineering call sign was Relay VS (Victor Sierra). I'm probably wrong but all A Company sites were "Victor," another company was "Xray," etc.

I arrived in August 1981 and left in January 1985. The concrete "NATO" tower was already there, the tactical Army tower having been replaced a year or so previously.

It was a very small site with six to eight soldiers there at any one time. The NCOIC had a single room, and all the other soldiers shared a single bay. One latrine served everyone. I brought my wife overseas after a few months and lived in Hobbach, 10 to 15 minutes down the road.

Three line of sight tactical radio systems were in place. The S-250 shelters were on the ground and powered commercially. The Dodge M 880s were parked and driven occasionally. The tactical 3kw (mogas) generators were a constant source of maintenance.

I don't want to give inaccurate information, but I'll try to recollect the three different "shots" (links). At least one (& maybe two) relayed via XS to TAA (Darmstadt) on one end, and to Wurzburg on the terminating end (I do not recall the terminal call sign). One link relayed through us from Wurzburg to Babenhausen. Wertheim may have been the terminal site for the other Darmstadt link.

1. Darmstadt to Wurzburg (via XS & VS).

2. Darmstadt to Wertheim (via XS & VS)?

3. Wurzburg to Babenhausen (TBB?) (via VS).

As for the name change from Sunbeam to VS, I do not know the exact reason for the change. The site was referred to as Relay VS (Romeo Victor Sierra) when I arrived in 1981. Old timers (& many German locals) continued to call the site "Sunbeam."

A TMP (transportation motor pool) VW vanagon from Aschaffenburg military community was our main source of transportation.

In the dark days before VHS and AFN TV, our prime source of entertainment was 16 mm movies the went traveled through the mail from Wertheim to us and on to a site I cannot recall. If no movies came in a week or so, we would call the folks at Wertheim, and pick them up directly if they had any.

I was fortunate enough to see the site be vastly improved over the years. A prefab day room was installed in 1982, and in late 1983 another prefab bldg. separated into three or four bed rooms was installed, greatly improving living conditions. During that time a remodel took place and the kitchen, dining room, latrine and "operations area" was improved/updated.

In 1984 a system of ramps were built to place the S-250 shelters on, so the site soldiers could load them on to the M 880s without wrecker support. We did deploy to the field once or twice in my final 12 months using that system.

Another signal unit operated a LOS microwave system (the reason for the concrete tower) that was remotely monitored. Maint crews showed up occasionally and opened their shelters and back up generators.

Seeing your website has brought back some great memories. Unfortunately, I won't have much time to dig anything up, or send you pictures. Tomorrow I deploy to Ft Lewis, WA for KFOR deployment.

With any luck I may get to visit the FRG in 2005 and will attempt to visit old "hangouts."

(Source: Email from Thomas Schulz, Germany)

Click here to see comments on the site and additional information on Utah Relay (26th Sig Bn).

Relay Site Simca

1. Relay Site Simca (KB)

2. Eibensbach radio tower (KB)

(Source: Email from Dan Bertucci)

I arrived at 21st Replacement on the 14th December 1981, first time in another country and just after completing basic and AIT at Ft. Dix NJ (home of the infantry and also closed now I understand). From there I was assigned to A Co. 11th Air Defense Signal Bn. in Darmstadt. I only spent 2-3 days in Darmstadt at A. Co. (even met the cook I was replacing, him going home, I just arriving).

The drive to Eibensbach was very long, about 3 hours from Darmstadt if I remember correctly, needless to say the first thing I saw was the tower on a site approximately 120 ft x 120 ft. square, fenced and barbed wired site with a very small building just to one side of the lot. The building had three sections, the day room where we watched AAFES movies (always first run on mail days, right out of the theatres, usually three reels that we all took turns setting up) and played card games such as Uno or Spades. The next room as you walked thru the building was the perpetually hot radio room with a fairly good sized rack of microwave equipment, very impressive and very secret (we were told to guard and/or smash all equipment and log/code books upon any kind of take over or such if possible). and then the largest of the three sections incorporated the kitchen area and two dorm type rooms, one quite larger than the other.

One sleeping area (the small one) slept two people and the larger slept from 5 to 7 (manpower came and went as tours ended). and the restroom/showers just behind that. The yard was fair sized with a large tin building that held a ping pong table and foosball table, and a few other activity style things. Next to that was a small basketball court where we spent much of our time, summer and winter. In winter we would put on our cold weather gear and have small football games on the basketball court in 2-3 ft of snow.

Germans were always walking the road up to the site and looked in with curiosity at the locked gate. There was some sort of rule that the person in charge of the gate key had to jump to alert at the moment someone showed at the gate, german or military. Germans were denied any entry to this secure site but to be very honest there were locals on a couple of occasions that we allowed in to the yard (the radios were never seen but that room was asked about more than once). We had a fantastic time and the locals that we knew seemed to like us.

Remembering the times, there were many terrorist alerts when we would actually unlock weapons (had to leave them in the rack but...) just to be ready. Many times we could hear automatic gun fire somewhwere in the distance and were told to be on guard as there were terrorist groups practicing near by. We never had a problem.

We had a pretty ethnic mix, couple of 3 white guys, 3 black guys and a puerto rican guy for most of my tour and we all got along great with an occasional rough moment. We went down the hill to Heilbronn once every two weeks if memory serves, did any grocery shopping and took care of any personal needs too. we went in too stuttgart for stereo equipment or when there were enough of us that we could warrant a trip because Stuttgart had far better stores. Everyone had a top of the line stereo at the time.

Like Henderson says in the 'Eibensbach 9' article, Sheba, the german sheppherd guard dog/mascott, was awesome, too. She was ok around a uniform but was weary around the germans and always stood her ground.

Two or three of us had personal vehicles which we had to go to Heilbronn german driving class to be able to drive. Clarence Henderson and myself bought an Audi 90 for about 1200 marks, if I remember correctly. Wasn't long before Henderson smashed it on the very windy mountain road leading to Site Eibensbach. I think we both laughed it off but it wasn't driveable anymore as Germany had a very strict law about banged up vehicles on the road.

The site was always manned, never vaccant. In fact I think atleast two had to stay while the rest took the hour or so trip into Heilbronn. We had three deuce and halfs with radio equipment on the back; 2-3 Dodge 880's and three large generators on trailers parked. We had to drive the trucks once every week as I remember and we would convoy them down to Heilbronn on that day. I personally left at least three letters of commendation hanging on the wall, the others also left they're mark. In the kitchen was a room ringed with awards for radio operations as well as food service and I look back on that time proudly.

Anyway, most of the stuff I have read from the 11th Sig guys pertained to operating radios and I hope I gave you a little different perspective. It was only a year and a half for me in Eibensbach and I'll remember that time for the rest of my life with a smile. There's probably a lot more I can tell you. It seems to come back the more I think about it. Would sure love to hear from some of the guys... Michael Brodie, Bob Etheridge (who I tought to play guitar during our stay), SSgt Zaghaschtoko, Clarence Henderson a.k.a. "Dino" (we used to box when we had an argument (with gloves of course)...

Company "B" (Det "B")

(Source: Email from Daniel W. Efirt, Jr. -- photos from Frank Monaco)

Site Sign near entrance

I first went to B Company, 7th Army Signal in Dec 1964. I was assigned to Terminal 4 located at Giebelstadt Air Force Base. At this time we were the terminal for 6 systems. Using the old FDM equipment: AN/MRC-69's (Radio terminal set).

If I recall correctly the systems were as following:

Cocktail 1, 2 & 3 - no relays - to Wurzburg (Terminal 3)

Cat 13 - no relays - to Giebelstadt across the air strip

Challenge 19, Relay 31 to Ansbach 4/57 ADA

Cocktail Alpha, Relay 14, 12 & 16 to Terminal 6 and

T-6 had a system to Relay 19 to Bad Aibling.

Relay 12 Buick
Relay 14 Falcon
Relay 16
Relay 19 Imperial

Some corrections:
Relay 14 should be Relay 32 (Falcon)
Terminal 6 was outside of Landshut, east of München (Cocktail Alpha)
Relay 19 (Imperial) was 2 miles east of Warngau, on top of Taubenberg.

The system terminated at Bad Aibling; also, there was a system at T-4 named Charcoal.
So, that means we had seven systems at T-4

Webmaster Note: compare the call signs used for the comm links to radio relay sites with the call signs assigned to the various ADA battalions attached to the 69th ADA Group (see 94th ADA Gp Command & Control Page)

Also, B Co had a relay site across the river in Wurzburg I think its name was Opel.

A 412-L was at Giebelstadt. It was a joint Missile Control Center, manned by US Air Force & US Army personel. The 69th GP had a section at Giebelstadt out of HQ & HQ of 69th GP. I was told that the MCC at Giebelstadt moved to Lauda, west of Giebelstadt and closer to Relay 32 (Falcon).

T-4 was located at the MCC 412-L at Giebelstadt. At Terminal 4, we had the MRC 69s and PU 685 water cool 5KW generators and the CE 106 water cooled 10 KWs. We made our own frame until we got a small patch panel. We also had an extra 69 that 3 of us would go out on test shots. Our site NCOIC was W. E. Raines Sgt (E5).

T-6 was by itself.

Cocktail Alpha was at Landshut
Cat 21 was within the Btry at Giebelstadt
Charcoal 24 ??
Challenge 19 was located at the HQ 4/57 Arty, at the BCC just outside of Katterbach (Ansbach)
Cocktail 1, 2 & 3 were on the hill behind Emery Barracks, Wurzburg

Terminal 3 had systems going to C Co.

Daniel W Efird Jr. 1SG (Ret)

B Co, 7th Army Sig Spt

Photos are from Frank Monaco, Terminal 4 , B Co

1. Terminal 4 (KB)

2. (KB)

3. (KB)

4. 412-L Radar site at Giebelstadt (KB)

5. (KB)

6. (KB)

7. Relay 11 (KB)

8. Relay 32 (KB)

9. Relay 32 (KB)

10. (KB)

11. (KB)

12. (KB)

13. (KB)

14. (KB)

15. Barracks B Co, 7th Army Sig Spt (KB)

16. (KB)

17. (KB)

(Source: Email from James Nelson, 1965-67)

Sp4 Carter from Georgia sits in one of the tents that served as living quarters

The radio relay station with the walk up tower (that you show in the History section) I helped put up in the summer of 1966, before I was transferred to Terminal 51 at Wasserkuppe.

Radio Relay Site 28 was the original name of the site. It was part of 7th Army Sig Spt Bn.

I was at that site from May of 1965 thru July of 1967. I was an SP4 at the time. We lived in tents with wooden walls on the inside.

Radio Relay 28
Zabelstein

1. Original tower (KB)

2. New tower constructed in 1966 (KB)

3. Living quarters (KB)

4. Radio van trucks (KB)

5. 30KW generators (KB)

(Source: Email from Robert Paul, HHC, 7th Army Sig Spt Bn, Apr 1966 - early 1967; B Co, 7th Army Sig Spt Bn, early 1967 - Apr 1968)

I was stationed with HHC, 7th Army Sig Support Bn at Kapaun Bks, Kaiserslautern, Apr 1966. I was a mechanic.

Went to Etain, France in Dec 1966 TDY with a group to bring back trailers for the relay sites (see STARS & STRIPES information). Then went to B Company at Emery Kaserne in Würzburg, early 1967 ---- was assigned to a mobile mechanic team. We serviced Relays Cadillac, Chrysler, Imperial.

Finally, got permanent duty at Relay Chrysler until Apr 1968 when I was sent to Vietnam.

Since you are going to post this I will give you some more info ---- the Co B motor pool photo shows the old original german motor pool maint shop from WW2. All the windows in the shop were painted black so they could work at night during air raids. It even had the work pits in the floor to drive the vehicles over so you could work under them.

The guy in the photo at Relay Cadillac opposite me on the right side is Gordon Kirchoff----he was the maint team leader.

HHC, 7th Sig Spt Bn
Kapaun Bks, Kaiserslautern

1. Main Gate, Oct 1966 (KB)

2. (KB)

3. (KB)

4. (KB)

B Co, 7th A Sig Spt Bn
Emery Bks, Würzburg

1. Emery Bks, 1967 (KB)

2. Maintenance Shops (KB)

3. (KB)

Terminal 62
Würzburg

1. Terminal 62, B Co (KB)

12. HAWK site at Würzburg (KB)

Relay Cadillac
Reinwarzhofen

1. Relay Cadillac Sign, 1967 (KB)

2. Relay tower at Cadillac (KB)

3. Radio van (KB)

Relay Chrysler
Geigenwang

A.k.a. Relay 16

1. Relay site from atop of tower (KB)

2. Former house trailers at radio site (KB)

3. Surrounding area under snow (KB)

4. Day room (KB)

Relay Imperial
Taubenberg

A.k.a. Relay 19

1. Relay Imperial, June 1967 (KB)

2. (KB)

3. Mess and day room (KB)

(Source: Email from Mike Thomas, Co B, 1967-69)

The best I can remember, Company B had sites that were called: Mercury, Chrysler, Buick, T-61 (major relay site in Wurzburg), plus another 7 or 8 sites with American car names -- as far south as the Bad Tolz area. I served in the company from June 1967-April 1969. Unfortunately, I can't remember the other names.

I do remember some of the officers and NCO's:

1LT. Ron Turner

2nd LT. Ron Edwards

1LT. Ron Kinney

SFC James Russell

SFC Danny O'dell

SGT Stan Bailey

SGT. MacDonald

SP4 Dan Euell

At the time, the commander of the 69th ADA Brigade was Col. Babers. We were collocated with the HQ's of the 69th at Emery Kaserne; most of the married Soldiers lived at Leighton Barracks, a few miles away from Emery.

I remember we played hard and we worked hard. I learned how to be an officer from SFC's Russell and O'Dell.... they were old time NCO's, who knew how to lead and how to train young lieutenants.

At any rate, I enjoyed my time, learned a lot -- that helped immensely when I went to RVN in 1969/70. I recall many trips visiting the Soldiers who lived in tents, Gasthaus's, and in host family houses on the isolated mountain tops in the area.

(Source: Bill Caloia, B Co, 1970-72)

I was stationed at Co B, 11th AD Sig Bn from Sep 1970 until April 1972. I was the PLL Clerk, MOS 76U20 , Communications-Electronics Repair Parts Specialist, even though I was assigned at first to work on the TRC-129A Troposcatter Radio System (MOS 26L10) made by Collins Electronics.

We were stationed in Wurzburg at Emery Kaserne. I supported all sites with Electron Tubes and related electronic repair parts. I was a better parts clerk than I ever was a tech.

When I first got to Wurzburg, I was assigned as a Tropo Scatter radio operator in MOS 26L20 which was what I was trained in at Ft. Monmouth in 1967-68. I never worked in that MOS unti I got to Germany in Aug 70.

Since I had already worked as a Tech Supply Specialist at a HAWK Missile Battery in Korea, when out clerk was rotating back to the States, I took over the job. I had a list of regulations and manuals to post changes in, and I had a Cardex bin. This was the record of all transactions involving the issuance of Prescribed Load List (PLL) items. It stated the NSN, Description, Classification Code and location. The card had fields for manual entries of all in and out transactions. I also had a running log book for the Site Chiefs to sign out everything they took.

I maintained a group of parts referred to as "running spares" which were commonly used, low value electron tubes and other components not requiring formal documentation. Of course, I had to keep the place clean and neat and First Sgt Bob Warford was anal about neat and tidy. Once I learned his system, I had no trouble from him and we got along fine. I even got to pick my days pulling CQ (I was a SP4 at the time).

(Source: Email from Herbert Hept who served with a German Bundeswehr engineer unit)

There was a radio site from 1st Platoon, Company B, 11th AD Signal Battalion near my hometown (about 4 miles away) on the top of the hill named Zabelstein in the Steigerwald. The designation of the site during the 1970's was "RELAY BUICK" , in the early 1980s it was "RADIO SITE FALKENSTEIN" and during the last years (about 1985-91) it was called "RADIO SITE ZABELSTEIN".

I have a lot of photos from the years 1973-1988. During many CPX`s, Company D, 34th Signal Battalion (VII Corps) was at the site with radio shelters on 2-½ ton trucks . I'm especially interested in any information about this specific "RADIO SITE", because I had some friends up there. (I guess this was the "kick-off" for my interest in "army-stuff").
Viele Grüsse aus Germany
Herbert Hept

Radio Site
Zabelstein

1. Former radio relay site, 2004 (KB)

(Source: Email from Randall "Randy" Leigher, 1972-