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28th Infantry Division
Keystone Division
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.

Division History

Organization

Division Paper

Page 2
Inf Regts
Div Arty

Page 3
28th QM Co
28th Repl Co
28th Med Bn
728th Ord Bn

628th Tank Bn

Division History
1950s
(Source: "Roll On 28th," 28th Inf Div Yearbook, 1952)
In September 1950, the 28th Infantry Division was called to active federal service (due to the hostilities in Korea) and started training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The Division embarked for Europe in November 1951 to become part of the NATO forces undergoing training in Germany.


 
On 5 November 1951, a Division Rally was held (at Camp Atterbury, Indiana). Major General Daniel B. Strickler, Commanding General, addressed the troops concerning the movement to Europe and the mission of the 28th in that command.

It had been ordered by Department of the Army that elements of the 28th would conduct a parade in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (prior to boarding ship for movement to Europe.) A party was given by the citizens of Philadelphia on the evening of 11 November, at which many members of the units (participating in the parade) met their families. On the 12th, at 1400 hours, the parade was held. At the conclusion of the parade the first increment troops returned to the USS General Butner, docked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The ship sailed at 1735 hours, bearing the first units of the Division to their new assignment in Germany.

The first ship of the first increment, the USS General Butner, arrived at the Bremerhaven Port of Embarkation on 21 November. After a Thanksgiving Dinner on the ship, the troops disembarked to be greeted by General of the Armies Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Powers in Europe, General Thomas Handy, Commanding General, European Command, and Major General Withers A. Burress, Commanding General, VII Corps.  
As finally determined, the following is a list of the increments which, with the exception of the USS General Butner, sailed from Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Hampton Roads, Virginia between 13 and 26 November 1951:
UNITS TRANSPORT
First Increment - sailed 12 Nov 51
Hq and Hq Co, 28th Inf Div; 28th Div Band; Hq 28th Div Arty; Med Det, 28th Div Arty; 108th FA Bn; 103rd Engr C Bn; 28th CIC Det.		 USS Gen H.W. Butner
- sailed 12 Nov 51
28th MP Co; Hq Med Det; 28th Sig Co; 728th Ord Maint Co; 28th QM Co; 899th AAA Bn (SP).		 USS Gen Taylor
Second Increment - sailed 17 Nov 51
Service Co, 109th Inf Regt; 1st and 3rd Bns, 109th Inf; 103rd Med Bn. 		USS Gen W.G. Haan
- Sailed 18 Nov 51
Hq and Hq Co, 109th Inf Regt; Hvy Mortar Co, 109th Inf Regt; Med Co, 109th Inf; Tank Co, 109th Inf; 28th Recon Co.
 USS Gen C.H. Muir
Third Increment - sailed 20 Nov 51
Service Co, 110th Inf Regt; Hvy Mortar Co, 110th Inf; Med Co, 110th Inf; 2nd and 3rd Bns, 110th Inf.
 USS Gen S.D. Sturgis

- Sailed 21 Nov 51
Hq and Hq Co, 110th Inf; Tank Co, 110th Inf; 1st Bn, 110th Inf; 107th FA Bn.

 USS Gen R.M. Blatchford
Fourth Increment - sailed 26 Nov 51
229th FA Bn; Hq and Hq Co, 112th Inf Regt; Service Co, 112th Inf; Hvy Mortar Co, 112th Inf; 1st and 2nd Bns, 112th Inf; 28th Repl Co. 		USS Gen S. Heintzelman
- Sailed 27 Nov 51
Tank Co, 112th Inf; Med Co, 112th Inf; 3rd Bn, 112th Inf; 628th Tank Bn.
 USS Gen C.C. Ballou
 

First increment of the 28th Inf Div arrives at Bremerhaven
 
Upon arrival at Bremerhaven, personnel boarded trains and were taken to Camp Y-79, Sandhofen, near Mannheim. This staging area was the site of the reunion of units with their equipment. Theoretically, equipment would then have been loaded on the vehicles and the unit would have left, fully equipped, for their final destinations. Shipments from the Zone of the Interior were late in arriving, however, and the net result was a longer stay in the muddy tent city than was anticipated. Division Headquarters opened at Göppingen on 26 November 1951, and Camp Y-79 had been completely cleared by 17 December.

 
To those of the 28th who left Germany in 1945 with memories of twisted steel, rubble-filled streets and shattered buildings, the changes which had occurred throughout the country were startling. Much of the debris of World War II had been cleared away, and the German people were busy at the process of rebuilding. Shops which then were boarded up and empty, once more held a variety of consumer goods. As a part of the rebuilding program, the kasernes, or former German Army barracks, which had been damaged during the war were completely renovated to house elements of the NATO Army. Units of the 28th, after leaving the staging areas of Camp Y-79, were to occupy many of these kasernes in Southern Germany.

Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image
 
After the inconveniences imposed by the conventional barracks of Camp Atterbury, the steel and masonry construction of the kasernes was a welcome change to most of the men of the Division. Large, draughty (sic) rooms were replaced by the smaller, more adaptable, and certainly more livable ones found in the huge kasernes buildings, which sometimes were three and four stories high. It was possible, in some cases, to separate individual squads and sections under the control of the squad or section leader. This created a situation extremely favorable to overall control and contributed much to individual privacy, an accomplishment which was impossible at Camp Atterbury in the latter case. For recreational purposes, most of the kasernes were equipped with bowling alleys, snack bars, theaters, and service clubs. In many cases, these were not completed until later in 1952.

In accordance with the geographical location and troop capacities of the various kasernes within the Division area, it was necessary to separate the units of the 28th over a large section of Southern Germany. This separation caused some difficulties in communication and control which were non-existent at Camp Atterbury. There, the Division was assembled on one Post, while here it required as much as three hours to establish messenger contact with one of the regiments.  
 
In all, six Area Commands were formed by the Division, each under the control of the major unit within the area. The 109th Infantry Regiment and its attached 109th FA Battalion comprised the Gablingen Area Command.

The 110th Infantry Regiment, 107th FA Battalion and 728th Ordnance Maintenance Company are included in the Ulm Area Command.

The Heilbronn Area Command consists of the 112th Infantry Regiment and the 229th FA Battalion.

At Ellwangen (Ellwangen Area Command) are the 103rd Engineer Combat Battalion and the 103rd Medical Battalion.

The Leipheim Area Command houses the 628th Medium Tank Battalion and the 28th Reconnaissance Company.

Göppingen Area Command includes Headquarters and Headquarters, 28th Infantry Division; Headquarters 28th Division Artillery; 28th Signal Company; 28th Replacement Company; 28th Quartermaster Company; 28th MP Company; 28th CIC Detachment and 28th Division Band. The 108th FA Battalion and the 899th AAA AW Bn (SP) are also included in the Göppingen Area Command, but are located in Schwäbisch Gmünd and Nellingen, respectively.

With the completion of relocation in the new kasernes, the major problem facing the Division was that of becoming combat ready. The primary mission of the 28th is to close with the enemy by fire and maneuver in order to capture or destroy him, or to repel his assault by fire and close combat. The specific mission of the Division is three-fold. First, it is to engage in a training program designed to improve its capabilities to fulfill its primary mission. Second, as a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Army, it is to help safeguard the peace and frredom of the people of Western Europe and North America, and, if necessary, to defend that freedom against any aggressor. Third, by demonstrating to the people of Germany the high standard of American moral, cultural and material life, it is to inspire them with confidence in the democratic ideals. In line with these missions and the requisite of combat readiness, a program of intensive training was launched at the beginning of the year. This training program was scheduled to last for forty weeks, and included in its scope advanced individual and squad training through Regimental Combat Team and Division Exercises.

To accomplish the training objectives for 1952, unit training areas were established near the various kasernes. In all cases, the training areas were considerably smaller than those previously used at Camp Atterbury. Many were at a considerable distance from the kasernes, requiring long foot marches which tended to decrease the time spent in actual training activities. In spite of the difficulties encountered, the training program was continued successfully, and, with the arrival of good weather late in the spring, field problems and trips to special training areas such as Hohenfels and Grafenwöhr increased the proficiency of units of the 28th.

During the first several months in Germany, a great deal of emphasis was placed on the speed with which the Division was able to load its equipment, ammunition and personnel upon vehicles and move to a tactical assembly area prepared for combat. This was a procedure entirely new to the 28th, and one which needed many hours of practice before the required degree of perfection could be attained. As the months passed, new systems for completing this movement were designed, and by the end of the summer the 28th had added another accomplishment to its objective of combat readiness.

The training program was culminated in the fall by three large scale field exercises during which the Division was tested on its mobility and communications, the ability to sustain itself, and special techniques which had been practiced during the year, such as air-ground support, river crossings, night movement and the delaying action. During the first two of these exercises, the 28th acted in the role of aggressor opposing the 43rd and 1st Infantry Divisions, respectively. In the last, the Division was faced by elements of the 1st Infantry Division attacking from the east. In all phases of these tests, the 28th proved that the training program carried on during the year had been effective, and that the Division was ready to fulfill its mission as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Army.

When the 28th Division arrived in Europe, it found that a great deal of emphasis was placed upon competitive sports by the USAREUR commander. Shortly after entering the field of competition, 28th Divisional individuals and teams made themselves known by establishing excellent records in the various sports contests. In team competition, the 109th Infantry basketball squad went unbeaten to the 1952 USAREUR championship. The 28th Division Artillery baseball team reached the finals in competition for the USAREUR baseball championship. Similarly, the 28th Division Special Troops were eliminated from football competition only after the last, championship, game. Individual sports, such as skiing, swimming, track and field were represented by 28th Division soldiers who compiled a long list of honors.

By the end of 1952, the 28th had successfully completed more than one year of service in Germany, and more than two years of active service since Federalization in September, 1950. Most of the National Guardsmen who had originally accompanied the Division to Camp Atterbury had returned to their civilian occupations in Pennsylvania. Many of the selectees who had joined the 28th shortly after it seached Camp Atterbury had also rotated to the Zone of Interior after completing their required two years of active duty. On 2 December 1952, it was announced that Major General Cortland Van Rensselaer Schuyler, former Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, was to succeed Major General Daniel B. Strickler as the Commanding General, 28th Infantry Division.
 
Click here to view the 1953 YEARBOOK (Source: Michael Gushwa)
1952

Location of 28th Infantry Division units and stations, 1952 (Walter Elkins)
Click on the graphic to view a higher res version of the map
If you have additional information/corrections, contact the webmaster - see email link at top of page
 
Division Organization
 
(Source: STATION LIST, August 1952 & August 1953)
UNIT CITY COMMENTS
Hq/Hq Co, 28th Inf Div Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th QM Co Göppingen
728th Ord Bn Ulm
28th Div Band Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th MP Co Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th Repl Co Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th Sig Co Cooke Bks, Göppingen
109th Inf Regt Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg
110th Inf Regt Hindenburg Ksn, Ulm
112th Inf Regt Wharton Bks, Heilbronn
Hq/Hq Btry, 28th Div Arty Cooke Bks, Göppingen
107th FA Bn Ulm
108th FA Bn Schwäbisch Gmünd
109th FA Bn Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg
229th FA Bn Wharton Bks, Heilbronn
899th AAA Bn Cooke Bks, Göppingen
628th Tank Bn Leipheim
28th Recon Co Leipheim
103rd Engr Cbt Bn Mühlberg Ksn, Ellwangen
103rd Med Bn Mühlberg Ksn, Ellwangen
 
28th Infantry Divison Redesignated 9th Infantry Division, May 1954
(Source: several STARS & STRIPES articles, May, 1954)
OLD DESIGNATION NEW DESIGNATION CITY
Hq/Hq Co, 28th Inf Div Hq/Hq Co, 9th Inf Div Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th QM Co 9th QM Co Göppingen
728th Ord Bn 709th Ord Bn Ulm
28th Div Band 9th Div Band Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th MP Co 9th MP Co Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th Repl Co 9th Repl Co Cooke Bks, Göppingen
28th Sig Co 9th Sig Co Cooke Bks, Göppingen
109th Inf Regt (1) 10th Inf Regt Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg
110th Inf Regt 47th Inf Regt Hindenburg Ksn, Ulm
112th Inf Regt 60th Inf Regt Wharton Bks, Heilbronn
Hq/Hq Btry, 28th Div Arty Hq/Hq Btry, 9th Div Arty Cooke Bks, Göppingen
107th FA Bn 84th FA Bn Neu Ulm
108th FA Bn 34th FA Bn Schwäbisch Gmünd
109th FA Bn (2) 46th FA Bn Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg
229th FA Bn 60th FA Bn Wharton Bks, Heilbronn
899th AAA Bn 42nd AAA Bn Nellingen
628th Tank Bn 61sth Tank Bn Leipheim
28th Recon Co 9th Recon Co Leipheim
103rd Engr Cbt Bn 15th Engr Cbt Bn Fürth
103rd Med Bn 9th Med Bn Crailsheim
(1) The 109th Inf Regt was redesignated as 10th Inf Regt and concurrently reassigned to the 5th Inf Div; the 39th Inf Regt (formerly designated as the 169th Inf Regt, 43rd Inf Div) was reassigned to the 9th Inf Div.
(2) The 109th FA Bn was redesignated as 46th FA Bn and concurrently reassigned to the 5th Inf Div; the 26th FA Bn (formerly designated as the 192nd FA Bn, 43rd Inf Div) was reassigned to the 9th Inf Div.
628th Tank Battalion

Fliegerhorst Kaserne, Leipheim, 1950s
628th Tank Bn Pocket Patch
1952
(Source: Email from Anthony D'Auria)
I was a member of the 628th Tank Battalion in Leipheim Germany.  I have some interesting photos if you could use them.   

68th Tank Bn
Leipheim

 

1. (KB)
2. (KB)
3. probably Staging Area, Bremerhaven 		 

4. (KB)
5. (KB)
6. Co "C" Christmas sign 		 

7. (KB)
8. (KB)
9. (KB)
  

10. (KB)
11. (KB)
12. (KB)
  

13. (KB)
14. (KB)
15. Günzburg train station		  
Keystone News - Some of the issues published while in Germany

July 10, 1952

January 15, 1953


 
If you have any of the "missing" issues of the KEYSTONE NEWS (see list below), the webmaster would like to hear from you. (Contact info at top of page)
 
ISSUES IN COLLECTION
DATE ISSUE HQS
  Vol. 1, No. 1 - 12 Göppingen missing
May 1, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 13 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 14 - 15 Göppingen missing
May 22, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 16 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 17 - 22 Göppingen missing
Jul 10, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 23 Göppingen
Jul 17, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 24 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 15 - 26 Göppingen missing
Aug 7, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 27 Göppingen
Aug 14, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 28 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 29 - 32 Göppingen missing
Sep 18, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 33 Göppingen
Sep 25, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 34 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 35 Göppingen missing
Oct 9, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 36 Göppingen
Oct 16, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 37 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 38 Göppingen missing
Oct 30, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 39 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 40 Göppingen missing
Nov 13, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 41 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 42 - 46 Göppingen missing
Dec 24, 1952 Vol. 1, No. 47 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 48 Göppingen missing
Jan 8, 1953 Vol. 1, No. 49 Göppingen
Jan 15, 1953 Vol. 1, No. 50 Göppingen
  Vol. 1, No. 51- last issue Göppingen subsequent issues missing
Aviation Section

One of the division's Bird Dog (L-19) aircraft in the early 1950s (Webmaster's collection)
(Source: The United States Army in Europe 1953 - 1963, by D.J. Hickman, HQ USAREUR 1964)
A new TOE, under which Seventh Army reorganized in February 1953, assigned several fixed-wing and rotary aircraft to each division.
Related Links:
Letters From Deutschland - Letters written by John M. Holman while serving with Service Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, at Gablingen Kaserne, Augsburg, Germany 1951 - 1953. During these years, he has sent pieces to The Hampton Union (New Hampshire) about millitary life in Germany in the Army of Occupation. Some of these letters are now posted on a special web page of the Lane Memorial Library at Hampton, NH.