| If you do
NOT see the Table of Contents frame to the left of this page, then
Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' frameset |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
102nd Signal Battalion Archive |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Area of responsibility of the 102nd Signal Battalion |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This archival document is dedicated to the members of the 102nd Signal Battalion (Microwave and Radio Relay), 315th Signal Construction Battalion and 17th Signal Battalion personnel attached to the 102d. Also included are the various individual microwave communication sub groups of the post Berlin crisis era (1950-1952) who were incorporated into the 315th Signal Bn in 1953. These include the following units:  503rd Signal Company (Radio Operation), Karlsruhe 550th Signal Company (Radio Relay), Karlsruhe22nd Signal Detachment (Radio), Kaefertal506th Signal Platoon (Long Lines), Karlsruhe7793 Micro-Wave and Radio Relay Platoon (Smiley Barracks, Karlsruhe)Also included are members of the 68th Signal Battalion who took over the long line mission in Oct 1967 when the 102d Signal Bn (MW&RR) was deactivated. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battalion History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituted 11 December 1944 in the Army of the United States as the 102d Signal Heavy Construction Battalion. Activated 1 March 1945 in Italy as the 102d Signal Light Construction Battalion. Inactivated 2 October 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. Redesignated 1 February 1955 as the 102d Signal Battalion (MW&RR) and allotted to the Regular Army. Activated 18 March 1955 in Germany. Inactivated 13 November 1967 in Germany. Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 102d Signal Battalion, activated 1 July 1974 in Germany. World War II: North Apennines, Po Valley. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mission Statement for the 102nd Signal Battalion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maintain and operate the USAREUR Multichannel Radio Telephone Network. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mission History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Following the Berlin Crisis of 1950 Congress made the decision to defend Western Europe and built up US Army strength in Europe from the post WW2 occupation strength of the Constabulary from 50,000 to almost one half a million. The communication requirements of this new force could not be met by the limited established tactical networks of the Constabulary or by rented Deutsche Bundespost networks. Accordingly the requirements for a theater wide strategic telephone network were generated and called for a modern class A telephone and TTY communication system similar to the Bell Telephone TD-2 intercontinental commercial microwave radio network in CONUS. The task was given to the 315th Signal Bn in 1952 who at that time were converted from a Signal construction unit to a Mircowave & Radio Relay unit. The 315th Signal Bn combined the various existing long line units in Germany and France and built out a network that stretched from Paris to Munich to Berlin with connections to Italy via LOS Microwave across the Alps and submarine cables and HF radio. This network consisted of 55 stations and was fully operational by 1955. The network was connected to the Army ACAN worldwide Network (originated in 1922) which boasted the slogan “Around the world with 9 words in 9 ½ seconds” during WW2. Actual construction of the USAREUR Multichannel Radio Telephone Network varied according to country. In Germany it was built out by a contractor, Lorenz AG, and later by Siemens-Halski and paid for by German reparation money. In France the system was built out by 315th Signal Bn personnel since the French would not allow German equipment or contractors to operate inside France .Previously purchased and stored (Sacramento Army Signal Depot) General Electric equipment was utilized. A side benefit of this strategy was that no new DA funding line, with multi-year delays, was required. This site contains many archival documents including a data sheet of about 400 names of personnel who served in the 102d Signal Bn between 1955 to 1967, photo albums of most of the sites and many documents related to operations. The 102d Signal Bn was subordinate to the 4th Signal Group which in turn was subordinate to USAREUR/EUCOM Chief Signal Office. It operated under a TD&A organizational structure customary for a specialized unit using commercial equipment and a non traditional mission. Walt Gelnovatch Hohenstadt Radio Station, 1957 to 1959 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 102nd Signal Battalion Commanders 1955 - 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1) Last battalion commander of the 315th Sig Bn; first battalion commander of the 102nd Sig Bn. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ** If anyone has corrections to the list or has information on the missing battalion commanders, please contact the webmaster (see email link at top of page) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
