USAREUR Units - Nahbollenbach Army Depot

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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 contact me.

Depot History

RSAN Organization and Mission

Winterhauch Storage Site

Hq Co, Nahbollenbach Depot

Air Item Maint Shop

85th QM Co

Depot History

Research Request

1. U.S. Army Railroad Signal Tower at Nahbollenbach (posted May 2024)
Requester: Adalbert Jaszoltowski
Subject: My name is Adalbert and I am a retired officer at the German railway services. In the 1990s, I worked in Nahbollenbach at the “Stellwerk” (Railroad Signal Tower) that was part of the US Army Depot at Nahbollenbach and was built and maintained by the US Army.
Now I am researching the history of the railway in this area to write a book and I came across your informative website on US Army Depots in Germany, particularly the details on the one in Nahbollenbach.
The "Stellwerk" was situated on Gellertstraße, across from House #12. (See exact location in the attached photo.) In the 1990-92 time frame, it was shut down and soon thereafter demolished.
Contact: webmaster

Nahbollenbach Storage Depot, Wehrmacht installation during WWII

Original plan of Bldg #2, May 1945

Damage to Bldg #2 (US Bldg #9640), May 1945

(Source: Storage Depot at Nahbollenbach, Germany, Physical Damage Division Report No. 25, U. S. Strategic Bombing Survey, 1947)

The German military depot was used for processing and storage of grain and provided 161,000 sq ft of storage space.

Six of the buildings were single story warehouses and similar in construction and size.

A smaller structure of similar construction served as a service building.

Two additional buildings were reinforced concrete structures and were originally scheduled to each have six stories and a basement. However, only one was completed as planned. The construction of the other stopped at the second floor level and had a temporary roof erected over that floor.

There were also several temporary wooden structures.

Nahbollenbach Army Depot, 1964 (Hartmut Wettmann)

Northeatern area of Nahbollenbach Army Depot, 1960s

Installation map of Nahbollenbach Army Depot, 1980s

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

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) .

Early/mid 1950s

(Click on image to view a higher resolution copy)

(Source: "Souvenir of N.Q.M.D. - St. K., Idar Oberstein, Germany," undated brochure, Webmaster's collection)

Brochure includes photos of Strassburg Kaserne. Click here to view those image.

1964

(Source: Email from Hartmut Wettmann, son of Arthur Wattmann, civilian employee at Nahbollenbach Depot)

Nahbollenbach Depot

1. Herr Wettmann with co-workers

2. Herr Wettmann

1966

(Source: Email from Ron Proffitt)

I was stationed at Strassburg Kaserne from Christmas Eve 1966 (yes, I arrived on Christmas Eve) as an E-2 and was extremely nervous. We flew into Frankfurt from Ft. Dix, New Jersey IIRC....long time ago. Three of us boarded a train for Idar-Oberstein, (West) Germany. Each of us did not know one another other than we were going to Strassburg K.

We arrived at the train station about midnight and there was a small phone booth that had a sign on it with the number to call for pickup by US Army; we called and about 20 minutes later a jeep or other military vehicle arrived. Driver asked to see our papers. When ok, we hopped in and headed into the night on a road that had NO straight sections in it at all (remember I'm from Kansas and we can see for miles and our roads are as straight as arrows!).

The driver took us up to Strassburg Kaserne and dumped us out at the first barracks. We checked in and were assigned to #4 (clear at the other end of the street, about 1/4 mile) so we carried every thing we owned (not much) and checked in. Were put up on the 4th floor (attack area) with nice rooms and were told at what time Chow would be served at breakfast across the street and about halfway back down the street.

We were in a "Holding Company" until our orders arrived about 3-4 days later which assigned each of us our barracks. Since I was a 71N20 (MOS - Transportation Movements Specialist), I was put into the HQ Company on the other end of the street just inside the Main Gate. The others were put into the other Company's according to their MOS (I think both were "box humpers", warehouse guys) and really never saw either one of them again other than off and on at the PX.

I was replacing a E-5 who was rotating out of the Army and going home. We would board a bus each morning and ride about 30 minutes to Nahbollenbach General Depot where I worked in the Transportation Dept. There were five (5) in the Transportation Office which was located on the building's 1st floor. The mess hall was on the second floor, so was very 'handy'! I was the only GI in my office. In the next office was the Sgt E-7 in charge, and in the next office to that was the Officer in Charge of all transportation. Across the hallway were three other offices that were all Transportation. Remember, back then all paperwork was either all hand written or typed with non-electric typewriters!! (and now one asks......what's a typewriter?) amazing........

My duty was to Time Stamp a "packing slip," sign it with my name, and then someone would pick it up and take it to the warehouse for the driver to haul it to 'where-ever'. We also had shipping via Rail and, very seldom, via Air. But the shipment would go out of our office via truck to Ramstein Air Base or Frankfurt Air Base.

I might mention that Nahbollenbach General Depot was the largest in Europe at that time. It was being built due to the unrest with our troops being in France for so many years and they "wanted us out" ! (Do a Google Maps search for Nahbollenbach Germany and you'll see that parts of the Depot area are still there but hard to make out. Within the last 10 years the Germans have torn down a large 7-story building that was the main HQ for all Europe Army Freight. The facility now is a huge German Industrial complex with a McDonalds and huge Gas Stations, etc. Of course it has been 45 years since I was there.....but it seems like yesterday.

Bldg #9640, Nahbollenbach Depot, 2005 (Johnny Chocholaty)

Bldg #9640, Nahbollenbach Depot, 2005 (Johnny Chocholaty)

Bldg #9640, Nahbollenbach Depot, 2005 (Johnny Chocholaty)

Location of former Bldg #9640 in the new commercial park (aerial - GOOGLE)

The Nahbollenbach Depot (at the time known as the European Redistribution Center) was released to the German government in 1997. The former installation was demolished with the exception of Bldg #9640 and converted to a commercial park, "Gewerbepark Nahetal."

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.

Air Item Maintenance Shop

(Source: STARS & STRIPES, May 24, 1971)

The Air Item Maintenance Shop (AIMS) at Nahbollenbach Depot is responsible for repairing huge cargo parachutes, personnel chutes and other air equipment. The shop also manufactures air-drop components to fix chutes and other equipment when replacement parts are not available. The chief of AIMS is CWO Boyd D. Lee.

AIMS services all Army and many Air Force units as well as aerial demonstration teams of both services.

More than $1 million worth of air items were processed through the maintenance shop in 1970.

Ten seamstresses busily patch and sew the chutes that get the go-ahead nod from one of the seven EM's who act as inspectors. All of these enlisted men are parachute riggers and are jump-qualified.

Once repair work has been completed, the chute is returned for repacking to the unit that sent it in for repair.

A parachute normally has a 10-year or 100-jump life expectancy. Each chute received in the shop is classified according to the number of jumps made. Repairs for the chute are determined and the total cost of those repairs is estimated and compared to the remaining life expectancy of the chute. If determined to be economical, the repairs are made. There is no limit as to the size of repairs or number of sections of the chute to be replaced as long as they are cost-practical.

Costs of (a new) chute ranges from about $5 for a pilot chute (used to pull out regular chutes) to $1,200 for a 100-foot cargo heavy-drop chute.

In 1970, a Cannibalization Section was set up in AIMS to strip the chutes that could not be economically repaired of usable parts such as metal fittings, before they are sent to property disposal.