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USAREUR
Engineer Topographic Center
US Army, Europe
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 contact me .
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ETC
History |
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(Source: USAREUR
ETC Orientation Brochure, 1968, via Kenneth Jamin) |
HISTORY OF
THE ENGINEER TOPOGRAPHIC CENTER
(First part, not included here, covers the unit history of the
656th Engr Bn (TOPO) from activation in March 1944 to the end of hostilities
in Europe, May 1945)
The battalion's log for the remainder of 1945 was full. After Bobigny
came Camp Twenty Grand and then departure for the US on 15 June 1945.
The 656th expected a short rest, followed by assignment to the Asian
theater. The surrender of Japan ruined such speculation. After five
days at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, the battalion moved to Camp
Swift, Texas, arriving on 10 August 1945. Continuing its tradition
of wanderlust, the 656th moved to Camp White, Oregon, arriving in
December of 1945. In April of 1946 the battalion conducted a motor
march to Fort Lewis, Washington, and remained there until it was deactivated
in January 1948. Most of the career topographic men transferred to
the 62nd Engineer Company (Topo) (Corps) at Fort Lewis.
The dormancy of the 656th was short lived. On 20 May 1949 the battalion
was reactivated at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, under the command of Captain
Howard J. McCracken. After more than two years of garrison duty and
training, the 656th departed for Europe on 1 August 1951. Ten days
later the battalion arrived at Tompkins Barracks, its present station,
where it was assigned to the newly redesignated USAREUR command. |
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With
the return of the 656th to Europe, it is no longer possible
to consider its history without involving intelligence
efforts. The story of what would one day be known as ETC
is a complex one involving activation and deactivation,
the redesignation and the reassignment of units. It can
best be told by chronologically listing the occurrences
which proved decisive in the eventual shaping of ETC:
10 June 1948. The 7714th
Engineer Intelligence and Topographic Company
was activated at Schwetzingen, Germany. The intelligence
element involved laid the foundation for ETC. The company
was redesignated the 7714th Intelligence
and Survey Center effective April, 1950. August,
1951. The Center became the 7714th Engineer
Intelligence Group, Headquarters Company. The
656th Engineer Battalion arrived from the US and assumed
a supporting role to the 7714th.
In 1951 several Engineer units were assigned to the Group
to aid in a comprehensive program of converting maps to
the UTM grid and of processing Engineer Intelligence.
Later in the year the 22nd Engineer Platoon was activated
to increase the Group's reproduction capability. The 23rd
Engineer Map Depot Platoon arrived on Christmas Day, 1951.
The workload necessitated an authorization to operate
two shifts. |
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December, 1951.
The US Army Engineer Reproduction Detachment (France)( Provisional)
was activated at Schwetzingen as the 7740th Engineer Base Section
Map Reproduction Detachment.
January 1952. The 656th was attached to Headquarters Company of the
7714th Engineer Intelligence Group which in turn was assigned to the
Engineer Intelligence Group. On 20 August of that year the battalion
received its present designation, the 656th Engineer Battalion (Topo)
(Army) .
1952. The 509th Engineer Detachment (Terrain) and the 515th Engineer
Survey Liaison Detachment, which later became the 515th Engineer Detachment
(Topo Liaison), arrived at Tompkins Barracks.
During the 1st quarter of 1952, the 23rd Engineer Map Depot Platoon
and the 7740th, which would become the US Army Engineer Reproduction
Detachment (France)( Provisional), moved to St Ay and Bordeaux, France,
respectively, to establish depots in critical areas.
10 April 1952. Effective this date, Headquarters Company, 7714th Engineer
Intelligence Group and the 656th Engineer Topographic Battalion were
attached to the Engineer Intelligence Group.
15 January 1953. ETC came into being when the Engineer Intelligence
Group was redesignated the US
Army Europe Engineer Intelligence Center.
March, 1953. The 501st Engineer Technical Intelligence Team, which
would become the 501st Engineer Detachment (Technical Intelligence
"Research"), was activated. |
Sketch
of Tompkins Bks at time of Orientation Brochure
Org
chart, USAREUR ETC, 1968
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October,
1953. Col F.O. Diereks provided the impetus which resulted
in the establishment of an Intelligence and Mapping Branch
of the Engineer Division, United States Army, Europe.
The Branch freed the Center from a part of its burden
by assuming the responsibility for coordinating the Centers
mapping and intelligence activities with interested agencies
and countries. The reorganization plan also recommended
the deactivation of Headquarters Company of the 7714th
Engineer Intelligence Group.
April, 1954. Activated to perform mission duties formerly
assigned to the 7714th Engineer Intelligence Group, the
139th Engineer Detachment (Terrain) is the youngest of
the detachments at ETC.
15 June 1954. The 656th Engineer Battalion was relieved
from attachment to Headquarters Company, Engineer Intelligence
Group, 7714th Army Unit, and attached to United States
Army Europe, Engineer Intelligence Center. The 7714th
Army Unit was deactivated on the same day.
1 July 1959. The United States Army, Europe, Engineer
Intelligence Center was relieved from assignment to Headquarters
United States Army Europe and assigned to Headquarters,
Special Troops, United States Army Europe, and placed
under the Engineer, USAREUR, for technical direction.
27 September 1960. The 22nd Engineer Platoon (Map Reproduction)
was attached to B Co of 656th Engineer Battalion.
7 August 1964. The US Army Engineer Reproduction Detachment
(France) (Provisional) was deactivated.
1 January 1965. The US Army Europe Engineer Intelligence
Center was renamed the Engineer
Topographic Center. |
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27 April 1965.
The functions of the 501st Engineer Detachment (TIR) were transferred
to the USAREUR Technical Intelligence Center.
25 September 1965. The 23rd Engineer Platoon (Map Depot) located at
St. Ay, France, was deactivated.
8 May 1967. The 524th Engineer Company (Topo)(Corps) was attached
to the Engineer Topographic Center. The Company is physically located
at Grenadier Kaserne, Stuttgart.
8 May 1967. The 24th Engineer Platoon (Map Depot) was attached to
the Engineer Topographic Center. It is located here at Tompkins Barracks,
Schwetzingen.
The Cold War which threatens to ignite and the brushfire war which
threatens to become world-wide in scope are a prominent characteristic
of our age. Fluid world conditions often transform an area of minor
significance into one of strategic value overnight. Korea, Viet-Nam,
the Congo and the Middle East bear witness to this. Such global instability
makes the possession of accurate, current mapping and geographic documentation
paramount to national security. It is the mission of the Engineer
Topographic Center to do its part within the total Department of Defense
Mapping Community to provide such information. |
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If you have more
information on the history or organization of the USAREUR Engineer
Topographic Center, please contact me . |
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ORGANIZATION
AND MISSION OF THE ENGINEER TOPOGRAPHIC CENTER
The objective of military mapping and geographic documentation activities
in Europe is to preserve our readiness for rapid response to the needs
of U.S. and Allied Forces and to prepare in peacetime as much as possible
to meet the anticipated wartime requirements. The Engineer, United
States Army, Europe and Seventh Army has technical implementation
responsibility for this activity, acting in behalf of the Deputy Chief
of Staff for Intelligence who has the staff responsibility and budgets
for the funds.
The Engineer Topographic Center (ETC) fits into USAREUR as an assigned
unit of USAREUR and Seventh Army Troops receiving its mission assignments
from the USAREUR Engineer. In accomplishing its mission, the ETC fills
three basic roles. The first is that of a mobile, Army-type topographic
battalion. The 656th Engineer Battalion (Topo) (Army) provides for
this directly in its military configuration. The Battalion remains
at a high state of readiness for field duty, meeting all military
garrison and field training requirements as well as its peacetime
production assignments. The second role is that of a base topo battalion,
normally located in the communications zone in support of a theater
of operations. Serving in lieu of and comprising a rough equivalent
to the base topo battalion is the German civilian component at ETC.
These long term, highly skilled people are employed as cartographers,
lithographers, and topo supply and maintenance personnel. The third
role is the preparation of Engineer Terrain Intelligence documentation.
This is accomplished by two TOE type Engineer Terrain Detachments
augmented by professional-type American and German civilians.
The Center provides control over the USAREUR theater map storage and
distribution system. The management of this wide-spread complex combines
features common to both the normal functions of the mobile Army battalion
and the base topo battalion. The ETC data processing unit involved
in the map storage and distribution function is called the USAREUR
Theater Topographic Map Inventory Control Point and takes part in
the world-wide map inventory control system with its main processing
point at the Army Map Service in Washington, D.C.
Suitable emergency plans call for a phased splitting up of the three
basic roles described above into their appropriate configurations
should hostilities occur or threaten to occur.
A more detailed breakout of ETC is shown on the preceding organization
chart. The components are narratively decribed as follows.
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 656th Engineer Battalion,
is composed of a company headquarters, a Survey Platoon and battalion
staff personnel. The company houses and supports the staff personnel
for battalion headquarters, maintains files and duty rosters, furnishes
logistical support, training and troop information for itself and
attached elements. It operates a consolidated mess and motor pool
for all ETC units. The Survey Platoon has three field survey parties
each of which can perform traverse, triangulation, level line and
plane table surveys. The Survey Platoon operates the Geodetic Control
Library which receives, processes, and stores geodetic data for the
USAREUR area of interest.
Company A, 656th Engineer Battalion, the battalion's photomapping
company, has the capability to compile original maps and map substitutes
and revise existing planimetric and topographic maps and map substitutes.
Operationally, the company consists of a headquarters, an operations
section and a photomapping platoon having two drafting sections and
one compilation section. The compilation section compiles and revises
maps, and prepares photomosaics. The two drafting sections make color
separation drawings by either the pen and ink method or the plastic
scribing method.
Company B, 656th Engineer Battalion, the map reproduction and
distribution company, contains an organic reproduction platoon having
camera, platemaking, layout and press capabilities using van mounted
equipment. The map depot platoon, with some local national employee
augmentation, operates the map depot at Schwetzingen and depots in
other European areas. Attached for operational control is the 22nd
Engineer Platoon (Reproduction) and the 24th Engineer Platoon (Map
Depot) . The organic reproduction platoon and the 22nd Engineer Platoon
print maps and related materials from reproduction materials produced
within the Center or obtained from other sources. The depot platoons
receive, store and issue, maintain stock records, and conduct inventories
of classified and unclassified maps, reproduction materials and intelligence
products.
524th Engineer Company (Togo) (Corps) is a scaled-down version
of the 656th Engineer Battalion. It is physically located at Grenadier
Kaserne, Stuttgart. The 524th Company has all van mounted equipment
and can produce the same types of work, but in smaller quantities
than the parent unit. It receives its work assignments, logistical
and administrative support from Headquarters, ETC.
Geographic Division. The division, headed by the senior detachment
commander, consists of the 139th and 509th Engineer Detachments (Terrain),
a reference library and a classified message center, Assigned military,
U. S. civilian and local national personnel compile geographic documentation
according to guidance received from higher headquarters and in a form
suitable for cartographic drafting, reproduction and distribution.
The division is capable of and has produced various types of studies,
including strategic terrain studies, detailed terrain studies, tactical
commanders terrain analyses, urban area studies, routes of communications
studies, geological, surface drainage and river studies. Personnel
also maintain basic documentation files on areas of interest.
Center Reproduction Plant. This is the Center's fixed printing
plant where all reproduction beyond the size limitations of the battalion's
mobile equipment is accomplished. The plant employs German civilian
lithographers who are skilled in all phases of map reproduction. Many
of them have had continuous employment with this Center since 1948.
Because of its stable and skilled work force, and its large, fixed
equipment, the CRP produces approximately 75% of the unclassified
printing done at the Center.
In addition to its civilian lithographers, the Base Plant also has
a cartographic section composed of highly skilled German civilians
who greatly enhance the cartographic capability of ETC. The experience
and high degree of technical skills possessed by these personnel lends
itself readily to a minimum of supervision as well as an uninterrupted
source of skills for unclassified projects such as city maps.
Theater Topographic Map Inventory Control Point (TTMICP).
This organizational segment is the initial source of supply for topographic
maps within the theater. Stock control is maintained over approximately
50,000 line items of maps and related geographic materials, having
an aggregate total of 40 million copies. Map requirements are computed
on the basis of war plans, demands by NATO countries, and operational
stock levels. Requirements are filled by printing at this Center,
ordering from the Army Map Service, or procurement from NATO countries.
Map requests from units within USAREUR are reviewed and filled on
MILSTRIP priority basis. Automatic Data Processing Equipment is used
to update map balances, conduct periodic studies on stock levels,
and report transactions to the National Topographic Map Inventory
Control Point in Washington, D.C. |
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1975 |
(Source: Army In Europe Magazine, August 1975) |
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524th Engineer Company (Topo)(Corps) |
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Big Picture Report #5: 524th Engr Co (Topo), 1950s (starts at 12:45 - YouTube) |
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(Source: Email from Tom Thomas, 524th Engr Topo Co, 1951-52) |
I was stationed at Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen, Germany from June 1951 to Dec 1952 with the 524th Engineer Topo Co. I have been trying to find
information about our unit from that time. I am also interested in finding out what happened to the unit since then.
Attached are photos of the base. The proximity to Heidelberg was a big asset for us GI's to see the historic sights and quaint shops & restaurants. Historic Heidelberg Castle along the Neckar River was always one of our stops. |
524th Engr Topo Co
Schwetzingen |
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![](524th%20Engr%20Co%201%20sm.jpg)
1. Tompkins Barracks
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![](524th%20Engr%20Co%202%20sm.jpg)
2. Tompkins Theater
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![](524th%20Engr%20Co%203%20sm.jpg)
3. Post theater and edge of motor pool
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![](524th%20Engr%20Co%204%20sm.jpg)
4. Tompkins Theater |
![](524th%20Engr%20Co%205%20sm.jpg)
5. Motor pool |
![](524th%20Engr%20Co%206%20sm.jpg)
6. Motor pool |
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![](524th%20Engr%20Co%209%20sm.jpg)
7. Main gate |
![](524th%20Engr%20Co%2010%20sm.jpg)
8. Guardhouse |
![](524th%20Engr%20Co%207%20sm.jpg)
9. Sign |
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![](524th%20Engr%20Co%208%20sm.jpg)
10. (KB) |
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![](../../EUCOM_patchwhite.jpg) |
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