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Nahbollenbach Army Depot
Communications Zone
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).

Depot History

RSAN Organization and Mission

Winterhauch Storage Site

85th QM Co

Newspaper articles

 
Depot History
1950 - 1986
(Source: Welcome to General Support Center, Kaiserslautern. Compiled by GSCK in 1989)
Nahbollenbach was a German Army depot until the end of World War II.

It was turned over (at the end of WWII) to the French Army until 1950.

In 1950 it was turned over to the US Army. Construction on all the large warehouses began in 1951, and was completed in December 1952.

1953


1980s
  The United States Army used the depot as a Quartermaster Depot, a General Depot and as a US Army Depot until 1975. Lt Gen Gregg, USA (Ret.), commanded there as a Colonel.

US Army Depot, Nahbollenbach was deactivated in 1975. Additionally, Nahbollenbach Storage Area was then used by the Department of Defense Dependent School (DODDS) System to store school supplies and by the US Army to store Prepositioned Materiel Configured To Unit Sets (POMCUS).

In July 1985, CINCUSAREUR directed its use as a Theater War Reserve location and assigned it to the General Support Center, Kaiserslautern.

In April 1986, four warehouses and 100,000 square feet of open space was made available to establish the European Redistribution Facility (ERF) for the US Army Material Command, Europe.
(Source: Email from Dave Willis)
Col Hines was the Depot Commander when I arrived there in Nov 1952.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
I don't know if this is important enough to note but I noticed (from the Depot drawing) that the numbers of the warehouses have been changed since I left in 1956.  I don't remember the numbers for the whole depot but I do remember the warehouses I was in charge of and those on either side:.

The warehouse numbered 2 in the drawing was Warehouse #1 in 1952. The warehouse numbered 1-3 was Warehouse #2, warehouse numbered 1-2 was Warehouse #2A, warehouse numbered 1-1 was Warehouse #3. I was the NCO in charge of warehouse 2, 2A & 3 before I returned to the States in 1956.

Warehouse numbered 5 in drawing was originally Warehouse #4.

When I arrived in Nov 1952 there were only twelve warehouses, several more were built before I left in 1956.

Also there was a Lt Col Grisham in charge of Warehouse Operations when I left in 1952.
The original twelve warehouses were:
#1 - Designated as 2 on drawing
#2 - Designated as 1-3 on drawing
#3 - Designated as 1-1 on drawing
#4 - Designated as 5 on drawing
#5 - Designated as 3-1 on drawing
#6 - Designated as 3-3 on drawing
#7 - Designated as 3-5 on drawing
#8 - Designated as 3-7 on drawing
#9 - Designated as 6-7 on drawing
#10 - Designated as 6-5 on drawing
#11 - Designated as 6-3 on drawing
#12 - Designated as 6-1 on drawing

Warehouse #12 shipped Less Than Case lots (LCL Shipments) .
1964
(Source: Email from Hartmut Wettmann, son of Arthur Wattmann, civilian employee at Nahbollenbach Depot)

Nahbollenbach Depot

 

1. Herr Wettmann with coi-workers (KB)
2. Herr Wettmann (KB)




3. Nahbollenbach, 1964 (283 KB)



If you have more information on the history or organization of the Nahbollenbach Army Depot, please contact me.
RSAN Organization and Mission
(Source: Welcome to General Support Center, Kaiserslautern. Compiled by GSCK in 1989)

Source: www.innorev.com
  MISSION

 Receive, store, maintain, and issue peacetime and war reserve materiel to include TR-1, Decrement, Organizational Readiness Float, and Theater stocks as directed by the 200th Theater Army Management Center (200th TAMMC).

NOTE: Click on thumbnail for nice aerial view of Nahbollenbach Storage Area after it was released by the US Army to the German Federal Government.
MISSION STATISTICS (as of Jan 1989)
Line Items On Hand 1,100
Short Tons On Hand 23,000
$ Value 250.0 MIL
Wheeled Vehicles On Hand 2,200
Tracked Vehicles On Hand 500
GENERAL INFORMATION

Nearest Autobahn located approximately 28 km at Freisen.

Nahbollenbach Storage Area is situated on 96 acres of land.

Nahbollenbach Storage Area has - 71,958 sq yds of roadway; 6.7 miles of railroad; 3.11 miles of fenceline.
Winterhauch Storage Site
(Source: Email from Michael Sheetz, 7th CEC, 1974-76)
  I commanded 7th CEC at Idar-Oberstein from summer of 1974 to summer of 1976. Our barracks were at Strassburg Kaserne with equipment stored at both Nahbollenbach Depot and Winterhauch Storage Site.

We had a very busy time in many respects. Issues to projects 9dd and 9jj, Reforger 74 in September 1974, Brigade 75 in January 1975, Reforger 75 in September 1975 and Reforger 76 in March 1976.

Additionally, when Depot Command closed Nahbollenbach Depot facility, I became installation commander there and concurrently we civilianized the majority of the unit, hired several hundred of Nahbollenbach's personnel and moved the barracks from Strassburg to a very small Kaserne behind the depot. At that point 4 officers; 1 Warrant Officer and 15 to 20 enlisted all E-6 and above.

Per USAREUR instruction, the Group developed a facilities plan with all new and modern shops, storage facilities with weapon areas, test tracks and vehicle wash racks. All were accepted but only one built while I was there, a modern tank repair shop.

When I left 7th CEC, I became Group Director for Supply and then Group XO. This entire time was spent opening CEBN. While XO, I was responsible for sites in England; 1 at Hythe (fleet storage) and 1 at Liverpool (depot facilities).

I don’t remember many names. COL. Patrick Roddy, later MG; LTC Roland Shawl, later COL. Lots of fun, lots of work.
Newspaper articles