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Seventh Army
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.

Operation GYROSCOPE Troop Movements (CARS)
 
(Source: Walter Elkins graphic)

 
The information on division and armored cavalry interchanges was obtained from the following sources: "Operation GYROSCOPE in the United States Army, Europe," 6 Sep 1957, David A. Lane, HQ USAREUR; various articles in The STARS and STRIPES, European Edition, 1954-1959; various editions of US Army STATION LISTS from 1955 through 1959.

The dates of the interchanges refer to the effective dates that the incoming unit assumed responsibility for the outgoing unit's mission.

"Reflagging" indicates that the change was not GYROSCOPE related.

This is only a preliminary draft for now and will be updated as I find more information or make corrections after studying additional sources. For comments and corrections, please contact the webmaster (see email link at top of page).

Two additional graphics are planned for the near future - battalion-level and company-level interchanges in Europe.
 
(Source: FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL, April 1957)

Three pages - click on image to view all three
Schedule of Field Artillery units involved in the Gyroscope program from the beginning in 1955 to the latest released information (early 1958) that covers the 3rd Infantry Division in the Spring of 1958.
 
(Source: September 21, 1955)
9 Bns in Germany Get '56 Gyro Date

WASHINGTON (S&S) --The Army has named 9 non-divisional battalions in Germany for rotation to the U.S. under Operation Gyroscope for the spring and summer of 1956.

Units returning to the US:
  RETURNING UNIT STATION MONTH REPLACED BY  
27th Trans Bn Flak Ksn, Ludwigsburg April 1956 4th Trans Bn (Ft. Eustis, Va.)  
40th Sig Bn Knielingen (Karlsruhe) April 1956 25th Sig Bn (Ft. Devens, Mass.)  
80th Ord Bn Stuttgart April 1956 66th Ord Bn (Ft . Bragg, N.C.)  
547th Engr Bn Kelley Bks, Darmstadt April 1956 95th Engr Bn (Ft. Ord, Calif.)  
254th FA Bn Peden Bks, Wertheim April 1956 97th FA Bn (Ft. Carson, Colo.)  
597th FA Bn Hanau April 1956 267th FA Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.)  
529th FA Obs Bn Karlsruhe June 1956 532nd FA Obs Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.)  
273rd FA Bn Neu Ulm June 1956 538th FA Bn (Ft. Carson, Colo.)  
760th FA Bn ELK, Darmstadt July 1956 553rd FA Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.)  
 
Unless otherwise stated, the source for the information on this page are various issues of the STARS & STRIPES.
(Source: April 10, 1956)
The 504th Ord Company in Nellingen and the 60th Ord Company in Baumholder are returning to the States on the USNS Rose on April 11 (1956) as part of Operation GYROSCOPE. The replacement units, 521st Ord Co (Ft. Bragg) and 606th Ord Co (Ft. Bragg) respectively, arrived on the Rose on April 9.
 
(Source: April 10, 1956)
12 Bn-Sized Units Begin April Gyro Back to the U.S.

WASHINGTON (S&S) -- An Operation GYROSCOPE changeover of battalion-sized USAREUR units began today with the arrival at Bremerhaven of the 25th Sig Bn.

Units returning to the US:
  RETURNING UNIT STATION MONTH REPLACED BY  
40th Sig Bn, dep April 10, 1956 Knielingen (Karlsruhe) April 1956 25th Sig Bn (Ft. Devens, Mass.), arr April 9, 1956  
80th Ord Bn, dep April 11, 1956 Stuttgart April 1956 66th Ord Bn (Ft . Bragg, N.C.), arr April 9, 1956  
547th Engr Bn, dep April 11, 1956 Kelley Bks, Darmstadt April 1956 95th Engr Bn (Ft. Ord, Calif.), arr April 9, 1956  
597th FA Bn, dep April 13, 1956 Hanau April 1956 267th FA Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.), arr April 11, 1956  
254th FA Bn , dep April 15, 1956 Peden Bks, Wertheim April 1956 97th FA Bn (Ft. Carson, Colo.), arr April 13, 1956  
27th Trans Bn, dep April 18, 1956 Flak Ksn, Ludwigsburg April 1956 4th Trans Bn (Ft. Eustis, Va.), arr April 16, 1956  
529th FA Obs Bn Karlsruhe June 1956 532nd FA Obs Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.)  
273rd FA Bn Neu Ulm June 1956 538th FA Bn (Ft. Carson, Colo.)  
18th FA Bn ELK, Darmstadt July 1956 553rd FA Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.)  
 
Smaller units scheduled to return to the US in the same period:
  RETURNING UNIT STATION MONTH REPLACED BY  
60th Ord Co, dep April 11, 1956 Baumholder April 1956 606th Ord Co (Ft. Bragg, N.C.), arr April 9, 1956  
504th Ord Co, dep April 11, 1956 Nellingen April 1956 521th Ord Co (Ft . Bragg, N.C.), arr April 9, 1956  
24th Trans Co, dep April 18, 1956 Bamberg April 1956 15th Trans Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.), arr April 9, 1956  
63rd Trans Co, dep April 18, 1956 Zirndorf April 1956 16th Trans Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.), arr April 9, 1956  
100th Trans Co, dep April 18, 1956 Schweinfurt April 1956 88th Trans Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.), arr April 9, 1956  
544th Trans Co, dep April 18, 1956 Heilbronn April 1956 151st Trans Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.), arr April 9, 1956  
 
(Source: April 21, 1956)
The advance party of the 532nd Field Artillery Observation Battalion recently arrived in mid-April at Karlsruhe to prepare for the parent unit to move here from the US to replace the 529th FA Obs Bn as part of Operation GYROSCOPE.

The 25th Signal Construction Battalion (Ft. Devens, Mass) recently replaced the 40th Sig Bn in Karlsruhe. This was the first GYROSCOPE move for a Signal Corps unit.
 
(Source: May 15, 1956)
The advance party of the 254th Field Artillery Battalion recently arrived at Ft Carson, Colo. The battalion has been replaced at Wertheim by the 97th FA Bn under Operation GYROSCOPE.
 
(Source: May 20, 1956)
The 4th Transportation Battalion and 27th Trans Bn have completed their deployments under Operation GYROSCOPE. 4th Trans Bn has been assigned to Flak Kaserne, Ludwigsburg, while the 27th (previously home stationed at that kaserne) has moved to Ft. Eustis, Va.
 
(Source: August 12, 1956)
Army will Gyroscope 280-mm Gun Battalion

WASHINGTON (S&S) -- Army announced additional 1 battalion and 12 companies in Germany to rotate to the U.S. under Operation Gyroscope.

Units returning to the US:
  RETURNING UNIT STATION MONTH REPLACED BY  
59th FA Bn (280mm)   March 1956 613th FA Bn (280mm) (Ft. Bragg, NC)  
511th Engr Co   March 1956 55th Engr Co (Ft. Campbell, Ky.)  
738th Engr Co   March 1956 589th Engr Co (Granite City, Colo.)  
512th QM Co   March 1956 510th QM Co (Ft. Lee, Va.)  
556th QM Co   March 1956 568th QM Co (Ft. Lee, Va.)  
215th QM Co   March 1956 157th QM Co (Ft. Lee, Va.)  
547th Lt Truck Co   March 1956 379th Lt Truck Co (Ft. Gordon, Ga.)  
29th Truck Bn   March 1956 6th Truck Bn (Ft. Eustis, Va.)  
10th Truck Co   March 1956 32nd Truck Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.)  
598th Med Truck Co   March 1956 5th Med Truck Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.)  
62nd Truck Co   March 1956 126th Truck Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.)  
591st TAAM Co   March 1956 29th TAAM Co (Ft. Eustis, Va.)  
66th Engr Co   April 1956 320th Engr Co (Ft. Polk, La.)  
 
(Source: ARMY INFORMATION DIGEST, September 1956)

FY'57 Gyroscoping Units (not complete). All movements scheduled for 15 March 1957, except the switch of the 320th and 66th Engr Cos, which will take place 15 April.

  RETURNING UNIT STATION MONTH REPLACED BY  
6th Armd Cav Regt Straubing   11th ACR (Ft. Knox, Ky)  
826th Tank Bn     714th Tank Bn (Ft. Benning, Ga.)  
35th Engr Bn     9th Engr Bn (Granite City, Colo.)  
499th Engr Bn     78th Engr Bn (Ft. Benning, Ga.)  
5th Engr Bn     63rd Engr Bn (Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo.)  
70th Engr Bn     168th Engr Bn (Ft. Campbell, Ky.)  
54th Engr Bn     498th Engr Bn (Ft. Ord, Cal.)  
290th FA Bn     534th FA Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla..)  
765th FA Bn     55th FA Bn (Ft. Sill, Okla.)  
30th FA Bn     720th FA Bn (Ft. Lewis, Wash.)  
 
(Source: December 18, 1956)
12 USAREUR Units Selected for '57-58 Gyroscope Moves

WASHINGTON (S&S) --The Army has named 12 non-divisional units in Europe for rotation to the U.S. under Operation Gyroscope from July 1957 to February 1958.

Units returning to the US:
  RETURNING UNIT STATION MONTH REPLACED BY  
1st Chem Bn Baumholder [1] July 1957    
7th Chem Co (Depot) Baumholder [1] July 1957    
12th Chem Co (Maint) Baumholder [1] July 1957    
69th Chem Co (Smoke Gen) Knielingen [1] July 1957    
39th Sig Bn (Spt) Böblingen [1] Oct 1957    
176th Sig Co (Repair) Böblingen [1] Oct 1957    
595th Sig Co (Spt) Böblingen [1] Oct 1957    
596th Sig Co (Spt) Böblingen [1] Oct 1957    
519th FA Bn (155mm)(T) Babenhausen [1] Oct 1957    
3rd Armd Cav Regt Nürnberg (Bayreuth, Bamberg,Amberg) [1] Feb 1958    
291st FA Bn (8in)(SP) Schw. Hall [1] Feb 1958    
775th FA Bn (8in)(T) Schw. Hall [1] Feb 1958    
[1] USAREUR Station List, 30 Sept 1956

In an earlier report it was announced that the 4th Armd Div at Ft. Hood, Tex., would move to Germany in November and December 1957 to replace the 2nd Armd Div.
 
Related Links:
 Operation GYROSCOPE in the US Army, Europe - Online copy of the historical manuscript that tells the story of Operation GYROSCOPE, from its proposal in 1954 through the principal interchanges of Fiscal Year 1957.