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Military Police Division
(Field Army - Corps - Divisional MP Units
)
Headquarters, 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.


Page 1 (MP Div)

Field Army MP Units

Division MP Units

Related Links


On parade: 1st MP Company during a parade in a Germany city, 1951
 

In garrison: 8th MP Detachment guards Rose Barracks main gate, 1959 (8th Inf Div Alumni)
 

In the field: Members of the 3rd MP Detachment at a traffic control point, 1960
 
Division Military Police Units in Germany
(Source: various USAREUR STATION LISTS)
Webmaster note: While reading Bob Gunnarsson's excellent history of USAREUR military police units ("American Military Police in Europe, 1945-1991") I noticed that he did not list a few of the divisional MP companies that served in the European Theater during the Cold War.

To help fill that gap and also pay tribute to the divisional MPs for their service in Germany during the Cold War, I am providing a more complete list of divisional MP units:

DIVISION MP COMPANIES IN USAREUR (1945-1990) (1)
UNIT DIVISION STATION DATES (2) ADD'L COMMENTS
1st MP Company 1st INF DIV Darmstadt Jan 1950 - Aug 1952  
1st INF DIV Würzburg Aug 1952 - Sep 1955  
3rd MP Company 3rd INF DIV Würzburg Apr 1958 - (1996)  
4th MP Company 4th INF DIV Frankfurt Jun 1951 - Jun 1956  
5th MP Company 5th INF DIV Augsburg May 1954 - Feb 1956  
8th MP Company 8th INF DIV Goeppingen Sep 1956 - Dec 1957  
  8th INF DIV Bad Kreuznach Dec 1957 - inact 1992  
9th MP Company 9th INF DIV Göppingen May 1954 - Sep 1956  
10th MP Company 10th INF DIV Würzburg Sept 1955 - Apr 1958  
11st ABN MP Company 11th ABN DIV Augsburg Feb 1956 - Jul 1958  
24th MP Company 24th INF DIV Augsburg Jul 1958 - May 1968 (3)  
28th MP Company 28th INF DIV Göppingen Nov 1951 - May 1954  
43rd MP Company 43rd INF DIV Augsburg Oct 1951 - May 1954  
404th MP Company 4th ARMD DIV Goeppingen Dec 1957 - May 1971  
501st MP Company 1st ARMD DIV Goeppingen May 1971 - (Aug/Sep?) 1971  
1st ARMD DIV Ansbach (Aug/Sep?) 1971 - (2011)  
502nd MP Company 2nd ARMD DIV Bad Kreuznach Jul 1951 - Dec 1957  
503rd MP Company 3rd ARMD DIV Frankfurt Jun 1956 - inact 1992  
 
(1) Only Divisions that served in Germany after 1950 are listed.
(2) I will try to provide exact dates as I continue my research into activation, inactivation and changeover dates for each division.
(3) 3rd Brigade remained in Germany as part of the REFORGER program.

 

Organization Chart (FM 61-100, Division (November 1968))
 
Divisional MP Company - "G" Series
 
(Source: FM 61-100, Division, November 1968)
CHAPTER 5: COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT

Section II: Military Police Support

5-5. General
a. The military police company maintains discipline, law and order in the division.
b. The provost marshal supervises the military police company and coordinates all attached and supporting military police units and activities. The subordinate elements of the company are employed as follows:
(1) The security platoon provides the security for sensitive installations of the division main and alternate and assists in the defense of the division main and tactical command posts.
(2) A military police platoon normally supports a committed brigade to provide military police support on an area basis. Platoons may be attached to, or placed in support of, committed brigades as dictated by the tactical situation. Attachment to brigades operating independently is the normal method of employment.
(3) One military police platoon operates a prisoner of war collecting point, a straggler control collecting point, a civilian internee collecting point, and a temporary confinement facility for military prisoners. This platoon also evacuates prisoners of war from brigade to division as required.
(4) When available, one military police platoon normally provides general military police support on an area basis in the division rear area. Additional military police units are requested from corps or army when the requirements for support exceed the company's capability.

5-6. Divisional Military Police Functions
a. Traffic Control. Military police platoons support the division's traffic control and traffic regulation plans with direction, enforcement, accident investigation and prevention, and highway traffic security measures, to include route security and in transit security support. Functionally, the traffic control mission is accomplished by operating traffic control points and information posts; patrolling roadways; securing key points on roadways such as bridges, defiles, and intersections; and escorting movements.
b. Circulation Control of individuals.
(1) Military police patrols and posts control the circulation of individuals.
(2) Each subordinate commander is responsible for straggler control within his own area. Commanders of units located within the division rear area control the movement of stragglers in their areas of responsibility.
(3) The area in which military police straggler control is established extends from the rear of units in contact to the division rear boundary, exclusive of unit areas of responsibility. All traffic control posts, information posts, and roving military police patrols also perform straggler control. Special straggler control posts, when required, are located at critical points on the main roads and on other natural lines of drift within the division area. These posts control stragglers, traffic, and refugees.
(4) The military police company operates a central division straggler collecting point. Stragglers collected at the collecting point are screened and sorted for return to their units, evacuation to a medical facility, or other disposition.
c. Confinement of Military Prisoners. Convicted military prisoners are not normally confined in the division area. The military police company operates a temportary confinement facility for U.S. military personnel. The military police company also provides escorts for the evacuation of U.S. military prisoners.
d. Prevention and Investigation of Crime.
(1) Military police augment and extend the command crime prevention program. They conduct crime prevention surveys and other crime prevention operations.
(2) The division military police company has a limited capability for criminal investigations. The division provost marshal supervises the criminal investigation program and arranges for the transfer of cases to nondivisional supporting units.
e. Escort and Security of Material, Installations, Personmel, and Movements. The military police company provides escorts and security personnel for sensitive material, key installations, designated personnel, and critical or sensitive movements. When the personnel requirements are beyond the capabilities of the company, additional military police can be requested from corps.
f. Discipline, Law and Order. Each subordinate commander is responsible for discipline in his unit and for the enforcement of law and order in his area of responsibility. Division military police assist subordinate commanders.
g. Prisoners of War.
(1) Collection. The military police company operates one or more division prisoner of war collecting points. In most tactical situations, one central prisoner of war collecting point is sufficient. This facility is normally operated by the military police platoons which also operate the division straggler collecting point and the temporary confinement facility for military prisoners. It is centrally located and conveniently accessible from a main supply route (MSR). Prisoner of war collecting points can be established in the rear of committed brigades by the supporting military police platoons.
(2) Evacuation. Enemy prisoners of war are evacuated by capturing unit to the nearest division prisoner of war collecting point where limited processing, including interrogation, is accomplished. Division military police evacuate prisoners of war from forward collecting points to the division central collecting point. Wounded prisoners of war are evacuated through medical channels. Military police from field army units evacuate prisoners of war from the division prisoner of war collecting points.
h. Civilian Internees. The military police company establishes and operates a division civilian internee collecting point when required. This facility is normally operated by the same military police platoon that operates the division central prisoner of war collecting point, the division straggler collecting point, and the temporary confinement facility for military prisoners. Civilian internees are evacuated from division by military police units from field army.

5-7. Nondivisional Military Police Support
a. The division provost marshal coordinates all military police support of the division.
b. Military police support is regularly provided to the division by higher echelons -- normally by field army military police troops. This support is provided when
(1) The prisoner of war capture rate exceeds the capabilities of the division military police company.
(2) Additional units are attached to the division.
(3) There are extensive requirements for physical security.
(4) All three brigades are committed.
(5) The division is executing river-crossing operations.
(6) Additional military police support is required.

 
Related Links:
  Tower Rat - the "Other" Military Police - very intense web site dedicated to the MP units who guarded special weapons ammo depots, etc.  
  Military Police Unit Locator - Dick Burch has created a web page that consolidates all the known MP unit websites into one directory, includes unit pages on usarmygermany.com and Militar.com. Very nice idea!  
  62nd Highway Patrol (MP), Germany - This web site is dedicated to all the men who served with the U.S. Army Highway Patrol Unit in Germany. A nostalgic trip back in time!