11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

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11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment CSIB.svg

Badge of the 11th ACR "Blackhorse"
Lineup 1901
Country Flag of the United States.svg United States
Armed forces United States Armed Forces
Armed forces United States Army
Type brigade
structure 3 squadrons
Insinuation OPFOR
National Training Center Fort Irwin , California
Nickname "Blackhorse Regiment"
motto Allons (let's go)
march Allons! Allons!
Butcher Philippine-American War
Second Occupation of Cuba
Mexican Expedition
World War II
Vietnam
War Gulf
War Second Afghanistan
War Iraq War
commander
Important
commanders

John N. Abrams
Andrew J. Bacevich
Frederick M. Franks
Leonard D. Holder
George S. Patton IV
Crosbie E. Saint
Donn A. Starry
Thomas E. White

insignia
Identification symbol 11CRDUI.png

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ( German  11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ) ( Blackhorse Regiment ) is a unit of the US Army , which is stationed in Fort Irwin , California . Despite its designation as the "Armored Cavalry Regiment" , it has been reorganized as a heavy brigade . The regiment served in the Philippine-American War , the Second World War , the Vietnam War , the Cold War and during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq War). During the Cold War , it was stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany along the inner-German border for around two decades . Since then, it has mainly served as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) for enemy representation for the US Army and US Navy forces and foreign armed forces during exercises in the National Training Center .

Until June 2002 the US Army units were trained in mechanized desert warfare by the OPFOR, following a threat modeled on the Cold War. Since then, OPFOR units, including the 11th ACR, have focused on portraying an urban and asymmetrical style of warfare that American soldiers currently face in overseas operations. From June to December 2003 members of the 11th ACR relocated to Afghanistan , where they helped build and train the tank and mechanized infantry battalions of the Afghan National Army. These specialized units defended the Afghan capital Kabul during the Loja Jirga . In January 2005, the 11th ACR relocated to Iraq . The 11th ACR was not reorganized under the Combat Arms Regimental System , but the United States Army Regimental System .

history

11th Cavalry Regiment

The regiment was founded on February 2, 1901 within the Regular Army as the 11th Cavalry Regiment and set up on March 11, 1901 in Fort Myer , Virginia . The history of operations of the regiment can be found in the representation of the individual squadrons.

At the beginning of World War II, the 11th Cavalry Regiment was stationed in the Presidio of Monterey in Monterey (California). Gradually it moved from January 16 to 27, 1940 and again from April 15 to May 15, 1940 for training at Camp Clayton. It took from 4 to August 29, 1940 in maneuvers in Fort Lewis ( Washington ) part and then returned on 31 August 1940 in the Presidio of Monterey back to where it the 2nd Cavalry Division was attached before the status restored as an independent Cavalry Regiment has been. The 11th Cavalry Regiment next moved to Camp Seeley on November 7, 1941 and to Live Oaks, California on July 24, 1941, and then returned to Camp Seeley on September 17, 1941, before moving to Camp Lockett on December 10, 1941 . The regiment was assigned to the armored forces of the US Army on June 12, 1942 and transferred to Fort Benning , Georgia on July 10, 1942 , where it was inactivated and reorganized on July 15, 1942. Crews and equipment were immediately transferred to the 11th Armored Regiment, simultaneously with the establishment of the 11th Cavalry Group and the 11th Tank Group. The remnants of the 11th Cavalry Regiment were disbanded on October 26, 1944.

11th Armored Regiment

The 11th Armored Regiment was formed on July 11, 1942 within the National Army and assigned to the 10th Armored Division . On July 15, 1942, it was set up at Fort Benning from the teams and equipment of the 11th Cavalry Regiment. The motto on the unit's badge is “Allons”, which means “Let's go” in French.

The regiment moved on June 22, 1943, after Murfreesboro ( Tennessee ) and on September 5, 1943, after Fort Gordon . On September 20, 1943, the 11th Armored Regiment was divided as follows:

  • The HHC-11th Armored Regiment as well as the 1st and 2nd Battalion were reorganized as the 11th Tank Battalion in the 10th Armored Division.
  • The 3rd Battalion, 11th Armored Regiment was reorganized as the 712th Tank Battalion and excluded from integration into the 10th Armored Division.

The 712th Tank Battalion was renamed Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on October 27, 1945 and the 525th Medium Tank Battalion on September 1, 1948. It was activated at Fort Lewis on September 10, 1948 and renamed the 95th Tank Battalion on February 4, 1950 and assigned to the 7th Armored Division . This was deactivated on November 24, 1950 at Camp Roberts, California, and inactivated there on November 15, 1953.

The reconnaissance company was reorganized as Troop E, 90th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and then had its own history. The support companies were disbanded.

11th Tank Battalion

As part of the 10th Armored Division, the 11th Tank Battalion was transferred from the port of New York to France on September 13, 1943 , where it landed on September 23, 1944.

The battalion took part in the campaigns in the Rhineland , the Ardennes , Alsace and Central Europe and stood on August 14, 1945 in Schongau in Germany . On 13 October 1945, it swept over Hampton Roads ( Virginia ) back and was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry in Virginia and also spun off from the 10th Armored Division.

11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized)

The HHT (Headquarters and Headquarters Troop), 11th Cavalry Regiment was renamed HHT, 11th Cavalry Group on April 19, 1943 and activated in Camp Anza, California on May 5, 1943. At that time, the 36th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and the 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron were affiliated. The group then moved to Fort Bragg , North Carolina on January 31, 1944 and to Atlantic Beach , Florida on March 15, 1944 for amphibious warfare exercises . She then moved to Camp Gordon on June 1, 1944 and left the port of New York on September 29, 1944 for transfer to England , where she arrived on October 10, 1944. She landed in France on November 26, 1944. She moved to the Netherlands on December 8, 1944 and came to the front in Germany on December 12, 1944 to defend the section on the Rur . The group returned to the Netherlands on February 3, 1945 and crossed the German border for the second time on February 3, 1945 on the left flank of the 84th Infantry Division . They then moved on March 12, 1945 a line of defense along the Rhine near Düsseldorf under the XIII Corps . On April 1, 1945, the group crossed the Rhine near Wesel , shielding the northern flank of the XIII Corps, and fought in the Battle of Munster and when the bridge in Ricklingen was taken over the Leine . During the campaign in northwestern Europe, Troop B of the 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron served as mechanized escort and security for the headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower , the chief commander of the SHAEF . In August 1945, the headquarters of the 11th Cavalry Group was in Groß Ilsede in Germany.

HHT, 11th Cavalry Group was reorganized into HHT, 11th Constabulary Regiment on May 1, 1946 . During this time the regimental headquarters were in Regensburg . As a constabulary unit, the 11th Constabulary Regiment was used to patrol and enforce law enforcement and maintain public order in occupied Germany. The HHT 11th Constabulary Regiment was finally reorganized on November 30, 1948 and renamed the HHC, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

11th Tank Group

The HHT, 11th Tank Group was founded on July 19, 1943 within the National Army . It was activated on July 28, 1943 as a separate group in Fort Campbell , Kentucky and on December 5, 1943 as HHC, 11th Armored Group, reorganized. During the Second World War, tank groups such as the 11th Tank Group served as administrative headquarters for the numerous independent tank battalions in the European theater of war. On May 1, 1946, the HHC, 11th Armored Group was reorganized and renamed HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment, and decommissioned in Germany on September 20, 1947.

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

The reorganization and organization of the 11th ACR was completed on December 30, 1948 with the restoration and reorganization of parts of the 11th Cavalry Regiment and the HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment. The HHT-1st Constabulary Regiment was reorganized and renamed on November 30, 1948 and incorporated into the 11th ACR as HHT, 3rd Battalion, 11th ACR. The 11th Tank Battalion followed on January 8, 1951. The 95th Tank Battalion was integrated into the 3rd Battalion, 11th ACR on October 1, 1958. The Air Troop was inactivated on March 20, 1972 in Vietnam , the 2d Squadron also on April 6, 1972 in Vietnam. Both were reactivated on May 17, 1972 in Germany. In the period around 1984, the Air Troop was enlarged and became the 4th Squadron, also known as the Combat Aviation Squadron.

On June 17, 1986, the 11th ACR was added to the regimental system of the United States Army . Inactivation took place in Germany between October 15, 1993 and March 15, 1994. On October 16, 1994, the reactivation took place in Fort Irwin, California, but with reduced strength of the 3d and 4th Squadron, the air defense and howitzer batteries, and the 1st and 2d Squadron.

Germany (1957–1964)

As part of the unit rotation within Operation Gyroscope , the 11th ACR came to the Federal Republic of Germany in March 1957 for surveillance along the Iron Curtain , where it replaced the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The regimental headquarters and the 1st Squadron were located in the Mansfield barracks near Straubing , while the 2nd Squadron was stationed in Landshut and the 3rd Squadron in Regensburg . The regiment's surveillance missions took place along the German-Czechoslovak border. In 1964, the 11th ACR returned to the United States, only to be drawn into the war in Vietnam two years later.

Vietnam (1966–1972)

Propaganda leaflet with an 11th ACR tank summoning Viet Cong and Army of North Vietnamese forces to defeat

After returning to the United States, Fort Meade , Maryland, was home to the regiment, where it was involved in maneuvers and support missions such as attending the inauguration of the President of the United States and providing support for the Reserve Officer Training Corps' summer training .

As the Vietnam War escalated, the Blackhorse Regiment was alerted on March 11, 1966 for deployment in Southeast Asia. The regiment began special counterinsurgency training . For strength and equipment verification , a focus was placed on modified MTW of the type M113 . Two machine-guns of the type M60 with a protective shield were mounted on the front and rear sides of the vehicles. A combination of round and flat frontal protective shields was attached around the Browning M2 MG on the commander's hatch. This created the M-113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle, abbreviated to ACAV by the GIs in Vietnam , a name coined by members of the 11th ACR.

Due to the modifications made by the regiment, the use of the ACAV was preferred to that of the M48 "Patton" medium tank . The M114 , which had been used in reconnaissance squads until then, was completely replaced and was more suitable for missions in Europe or the Continental United States . The M114 had been in service in Vietnam since 1962 but was withdrawn in 1964 because of its inadequacy and often disastrous performance. During the war, the tank companies with their M48 tanks remained the same in each squadron. In 1968, George S. Patton IV (son of World War General George Patton ) as commander of the 11th ACR in South Vietnam recommended to General Creighton W. Abrams that one squadron of each division and the rest under the command of the MACV with the new M551 Sheridan light tank for testing should be equipped in combat operations. General Abrams agreed, and in January 1969 M551 Sheridan were assigned to the 3rd Squadron 4th Armored Cavalry and the 1st Squadron 11th Armored Cavalry. Due to differences between the organization of the cavalry squadrons at regimental and division level, the Sheridans were assigned to the ACAV troops in 1st Sqdn 11th ACR, where they replaced three M113 ACAVs in each platoon (the squadron's tank company remained unaffected) and in the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, which completely replaced M48A3 tanks.

Although the Sheridan's deployment to the latter unit almost led to disaster within a month of its introduction (a tank was destroyed by a mine), the 1st Sqdn 11th ACR, conversely, was luckier. Around 80 enemy soldiers were killed in a battle on January 23, 1969. Overall, the army was happy with the Sheridan tank, and by the end of 1970 there were over 200 M551s in service in South Vietnam. While all ACR squadrons of the US Army were equipped with the M551 until 1970, as were three US tank battalions (1 / 69th, 2 / 34th, and 1 / 77th Armor), all kept their M48A3 "Patton" with 90 mm cannon . Only the M48, as well as the Centurions of the Australian Army and the M41 Walker Bulldog of the South Vietnamese Army , were able to carry out so-called thunder runs , with all weapons being fired while driving on a street. While the ACAV did not have a cannon, the high recoil of the M551's 152mm cannon prevented its use for firing broadsides when traveling on roads. The daily securing of roads through thunder runs thus mostly fell to the M48 of the 11th ACR and the supporting tank units.

Pioneers in mine clearance in Cambodia, assisted by an M551 Sheridan from the 11th ACR

The Blackhorse Regiment arrived in Vũng Tau in South Vietnam on September 7, 1966 and was under the command of Colonel William W. Cobb. Operation Hickory (October 7-15, 1966) inflicted the first casualties on the enemy by the 3rd Squadron and parts of the 919th Engineer Company in the Phu Hoa area.

"Atlanta" was the code name for the establishment of Blackhorse Base Camp , the new home of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam. The Blackhorse Base Camp was about 6 km south of the village of Xuan Loc and about 2 km southeast of the village of Long Goia. Saigon was about 35 km to the west. The operation lasted from October 20 to November 3, 1966.

The book Stanton's Vietnam Order Of Battle lists the following locations of the 11th ACR headquarters in Vietnam:

  • Biên Hòa September 1966 - November 1966
  • Long Binh December 1966 - February 1967
  • Blackhorse Base Camp / Xuan Loc March 1967 - January 1969
  • Lai Khê February 1969
  • Long Giao March 1969 - September 1969
  • Bien Hoa October 1969 - June 1970
  • Tue July 1970 - March 1971

From January to May 18, 1967, the regiment participated in three major search-and-destroy operations. These operations were later known as reconnaissance-in-force operations ( RIF ). The first of these operations began on January 8, 1967 as Operation Cedar Falls . It continued until January 24, 1967. The 1st and 2nd Squadron operated in the notorious Iron Triangle near Ben Cat , using the search-and-destroy tactics and searching, locking down and protecting against attacks on subsequent targets.

Operations Junction City I and II included the 1st and 3rd Squadron. It began on February 18, 1967 and lasted until April 15, 1967. This operation took both squadrons to the headquarters of the Communist Central Office for South Vietnam ( COSV ), which were believed to be in Bình Dương Province . The goal was to destroy these headquarters. The operation was carried out jointly with the 1st Australian Task Force and communication lines and fire support bases were secured. Extensive RIF operations were also performed.

On April 23, 1967, the third operation, called Operation Manhattan, began as an advance into Long Nguyen Secret Zone , carried out by the 1st and 2nd Squadron. This zone was the long suspected regional headquarters of the Viet Cong . In a series of RIF operations, 60 tunnel complexes were exposed. In 1884 fortifications were destroyed. 621 tons of rice were brought to safety during these operations. Operation Manhattan ended on May 11, 1967.

Starting in April 1967, the regiment was used until March 21, 1967 to secure and pacify the Long Khánh district . This year-long deployment was called Operation Kittyhawk . It had three goals: to prevent the Viet Cong from disrupting traffic on the important roads, to provide the Vietnamese population with medical support within the framework of the MEDCAP and DENTCAP programs and finally to hold down the enemy with RIF operations and make it impossible for them to attack start.

From summer to winter 1967 the regiment was led by Colonel Roy W. Farley. Operations Emporia I and II consisted of keeping the roads clear with limited RIF operations by 1st and 3rd Squadron in Long Khanh District. Operation Valdosta I and II were regimental operations. They should provide security at the voting venues during the elections and act as reaction forces against the agitation of the Viet Cong. 84.7% of eligible voters in Long Khánh District were able to cast their votes in the first general election and 78% in the second.

The 1st and 2nd Squadron of the 11th ACR participated in Operation Quicksilver . Its purpose was to secure the transport routes for the logistics personnel of the 101st Airborne Division between the provinces of Binh Long and Tây Ninh . Lockdown, search and RIF missions were also carried out.

From December 21, 1967 to January 21, 1968, Operation Fargo ran in regimental strength in the provinces of Binh Long and Tây Ninh with RIF operations, with road No. 13 being opened for military traffic for the first time.

In the spring of 1968, the Tet Offensive led to the largest enemy attack, coordinated by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army , during the entire war. The start of the offensive coincided with the Vietnamese New Year celebrations .

On January 31, 1968, Operation Adairsville began for the 11th ACR . The II Field Force HQs requested immediate regrouping in the area of ​​Long Binh and Bien Hoa in order to relieve the local facilities threatened by the Tet offensive. At 2:00 p.m., the 1st Squadron was instructed to relocate from their position south of the Michelin Rubber Plantation to the II Field Force HQ. The 2nd Squadron moved from their position north of the plantation to the POW camp of the III Corps, where it was feared that the camp would be liberated by enemy soldiers. The 3rd Squadron moved from An Lộc to the headquarters of the 3rd Corps of the South Vietnamese Army. It only took 14 hours from the first alarm to moving into the new positions.

Veterans of the A Troop Awarded by President Obama in October 2009.

The security operation in the Long Binh and Bien Hoa area and around Blackhorse Base Camp by the 1st and 2nd Squadron continued as Operation Alcorn Cove from March 22, 1968. This joint operation with the 18th and 25th South Vietnamese divisions was determined by both backup and RIF missions. The operation Toan Thang was an extension of Alcorn Cove and moved the 1st and 25th Infantry Division one.

The K Troop was part of the 3rd Squadron and known as the "Killing K Troop". The 3rd Squadron's nickname was "Workhorse". Shortly after their arrival in Vietnam, the 3rd Squadron was in combat with the Viet Cong for the first time. For this period she received the Meritorious Unit Citation .

The Tet offensive in 1968 gave the squadron the first opportunity to fight the enemy troops in open combat. In Biên Hòa , the 3rd Squadron pushed the enemy back from the area near the III Corps HQ. His action proved crucial in repelling the enemy offensive.

On October 20, 2009, US President Barack Obama, in the presence of veterans from Troop A, awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for Valor in Combat along the Cambodian border on March 26, 1970.

John Bahnsen, one of the most decorated American veterans of the Vietnam War, served with the 11th ACR in Vietnam, commanding first the regiment's Air Cavalry Troop and later the 1st Squadron.

Germany (1972–1994)

Soldier of the 11th ACR on duty at the inner-German border

The 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized was renamed the 11th Constabulary Regiment on May 3, 1946 to fulfill occupation duties in Germany. This was restored as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and inactivated in November 1948. On April 1, 1951, the regiment was reactivated at Camp Carson , Colorado . In 1954 it was relocated to Fort Knox , Kentucky , to complete its training in tank tactics.

The "Blackhorse Regiment" came to southern Germany through the unit rotation in May 1957, where it replaced the 6th ACR and took over patrol service along the German-Czechoslovak border until its return to the USA in 1964. It arrived in Vietnam on September 7, 1966. The 2d Squadron was in charge of Operation Fish Hook on May 1, 1970, into Cambodian territory, where they surrounded a North Vietnamese supply center.

During the reduction of American troops in Vietnam in the spring of 1972, the 11th ACR was gradually inactivated in Vietnam (Air Troop on March 20, 1972, 2nd Squadron on April 6, 1972). It was then reactivated in Germany (Air Troop and 2d Squadron on May 17, 1972) by changing the flag of the existing 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment . The task of the regiment was in particular the patrol service on the inner-German border in the so-called Fulda Gap .

The headquarters of the regiment and the location of the 1st Squadron (nickname "Ironhorse") were in Fulda in eastern Hesse in the Downs Barracks there . The 2nd Squadron (nickname "Eaglehorse") was stationed in the Daley Barracks in Bad Kissingen in Bavaria , the 3rd Squadron (nickname "Workhorse") in the McPheeters Barracks in Bad Hersfeld, East Hesse . The Sickels Army Airfield near the Fulda district of Sickels was the location of the 4th Squadron (nickname "Thunderhorse"). 1985 the Combat Support Squadron (nickname "Packhorse") was activated in Fulda. The 11th ACR had several observation posts along the border . The 1st Squadron operated Observation Post Alpha near Rasdorf , the 2nd Squadron Camp Lee near Wollbach and Observation Post Tennessee (originally Observation Post Sierra ) near Fladungen-Brüchs , the 3rd Squadron Observation Post Romeo near Wildeck-Bosserode and Observation Point India near Ringgau-Lüderbach . In the late 1980s, the 4th Squadron in Fulda ran the first US air assault school in Europe, known as the Blackhorse Air Assault School .

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the regiment ended its seventeen year service along the Iron Curtain. On April 10, 1991, the regiment transferred a task force to Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort , an aid operation for Kurds in Iraq. The following month, all three squadrons of the regiment moved with the support squadron to Kuwait , where they protected Kuwait and ensured reconstruction within Operation Positive Force . In October 1991 the regiment returned to Fulda after completing its assignments in Turkey and Kuwait. As the need for American troops in Europe diminished, the Blackhorse Regiment was inactivated in a ceremony on October 15, 1993, and the remaining troops left Germany in March 1994.

National Training Center (since 1994)

Reactivated on October 26, 1994, the 11th ACR now served as the opposing force at the National Training Center for enemy representation . The regiment represents a determined enemy force to train U.S. forces and their formations in the basics of army operations. As the 2nd Brigade Tactical Group, the squadron in the National Training Center trains task forces of brigades and battalions ten times a year.

structure

1st Squadron

The 1st Squadron (nickname "Ironhorse") was set up in 1901 as a cavalry squadron in Fort Myer, Virginia. The unit served in the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, and Vietnam. It is now a tank battalion and is one of the two combat units of the 11th ACR. The association consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Troop ( HHT ), four companies ( A , B , C marked as cavalry troops, D as tank company) and an anti-aircraft battery ( I ), with a total strength of 587 soldiers. The 1st Squadron is equipped with target display vehicles for OPFOR ( OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle ). It uses the M901 ITV based on the chassis of the M113 with the turret of the M2 / M3 Bradley to represent the Soviet and Russian BMP-2 armored personnel carriers . More recently it has been equipped with the OSTS-MBT ( OPFOR Surrogate Training System-Main Battle Tank ), which is similar to the OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle and can represent a wide range of enemy tanks. With this equipment and configuration, the squadron fulfills one of its two main tasks as OPFOR to represent the enemy during ten combat training missions of FORSCOM per year. The second task is the combat operation as a tank battalion in urgent missions worldwide. For this purpose, the squadron is equipped with the M1 Abrams main battle tank .

Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hennisse, the 1st Squadron trained with its approximately 400 soldiers for nine months before being the first squadron to be transferred to the Philippines for the regiment's first deployment. After their arrival in January 1902, Troop A and D patrolled Samar , where the regiment first stood in combat.

In 1905 the regiment moved to Fort Des Moines, Iowa. In 1906 the regiment, with the exception of the 1st Squadron remaining in Des Moines, came to Cuba as part of the "Pacification Army" of US President Theodore Roosevelt . In 1909, the 1st Squadron was reunited with the rest of the regiment at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

On March 12, 1916, the regiment received orders to join the Mexican Expedition under General John J. Pershing and reached Mexico on March 21, 1916. Later, the 1st Squadron came to the aid of the US troops besieged in Parral with a 22-hour ride .

India Battery ADA soldiers, 1st Squadron, 11th ACR launch Stinger missiles at Fort Irwin

During World War I, the 11th Cavalry Regiment was not relocated. During this time, the 1st Squadron was performing port operations at Newport News , Virginia. After the armistice , the regiment was stationed at the Presidio of Monterey in California. During the reorganization of the US Army in World War II, horse cavalry was abolished in 1940, and the 1st Squadron exchanged “saddle and horseshoes” for “chains and steel”. On July 15, 1942, the regiment was inactivated. Crews and equipment from the previous 1st and 2nd Squadron were combined to form the newly formed 11th Tank Battalion, which later fought during the Battle of the Bulge .

On April 1, 1951, the regiment was reactivated as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as part of the establishment of the US armed forces in the Korean War . It served at Fort Carson, Colorado and Fort Knox, Kentucky before relocating to Germany to replace the 6th ACR along the border with Czechoslovakia.

In July 1964, the 1st Squadron, like the entire regiment, was transferred to Fort Meade, Maryland. In 1966 the regiment moved to Vietnam. The 1st Squadron was honored twice with the Valorous Unit Award and three times with the Cross of Bravery of the Republic of Vietnam, also with the Presidential Unit Citation. During the Vietnam War, the 11th ACR was given permission to wear its unit badge. On October 20, 2009, US President Barack Obama awarded the Alpha Troop of the 1st Squadron with the Presidential Unit Citation in recognition of a rescue mission on March 26, 1970.

In February 1971 the 1st Squadron was inactivated and then reactivated in May 1972 in Germany in the Downs Barracks in Fulda.

During the Vietnam War, 1st Squadron Camp Colt operated a scout training camp for reservists who reported for active duty. Following Operation Desert Storm , the regiment relocated to support Operation Positive Force from June to September 1991. The 1st Squadron, like the rest of the regiment, was deactivated in Fulda in March 1994.

1st Squadron soldiers training at Fort Irwin

The previous 1 / 63rd Armored Regiment in Fort Irwin, California, was changed to the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in October 1994, with the task of representing the enemy at the National Training Center.

On January 30, 2005, the 1st Squadron left Fort Irwin for Iraq. After three weeks in Kuwait, the squad moved to Camp Taji on the outskirts of Baghdad . The squadron was seconded to patrol the sector of Adhamiyah, a suburb of Baghdad just north of Sadr City . She also trained units of the Iraqi Armed Forces , which should finally take over the sector.

On May 21, 2005, the squadron left Camp Taji for transfer to Camp Liberty, one of the numerous bases around Baghdad Airport . Her new role was to patrol the Abu Ghraib sector , west of Baghdad, and to secure the perimeter around Abu Ghraib prison .

In the sector of Abu Ghraib, the 1st Squadron took along with the 256th Infantry Brigade of the National Guard of Louisiana at Operation Thunder Cat in part to there cell of insurgents who booby traps began, to smash. During that operation, the 1st Squadron discovered five individual weapons caches, captured four insurgents, and discovered $ 2,000 in US currency.

On January 22, 2006, the squadron moved back to Fort Irwin, where they continued their OPFOR duties for the National Training Center. In her absence, her duties there were taken over by 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry, Nevada National Guard.

2nd Squadron

The 2nd Squadron (nickname "Eaglehorse") is part of the Opposing Force at the National Training Center, where its task is to conduct simulated combat operations in accordance with published military doctrines. As the 2nd Brigade Tactical Group, it represents an enemy force that trains US troops in the basics of Air Land Battle doctrines and checks all battlefield operating systems ( BOS ). The regiment trains brigade and battalion task forces at Fort Irwin in ten rotations annually. Between these unit rotations, it also conducts combat shooting training at the platoon and Bradley crew level.

Havoc Company M1A1 Abrams practicing at Fort Irwin, 2012

The OPFOR mission began with the inactivation of the 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 52d Infantry, and with the reactivation of the 2nd Squadron by changing the flag of the existing unit.

The 2nd Squadron was originally activated on February 2, 1901 at Fort Myer, Virginia, and saw deployments in the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, and Vietnam, as well as support assignments in Southwest Asia. In November 1901 she moved like the entire regiment to the Philippines to suppress the insurgents there. To commemorate this mission, the Bolos were added to the regimental coat of arms . In 1905 the "Blackhorse Regiment" came to Fort Des Moines, Iowa.

On October 16, 1906, the 2nd Squadron moved to Cuba, where their role as part of President Roosevelt's intervention force was patrols and demonstrations of force. She was also part of the punitive expedition against Mexico from March 12, 1916. Here Major Robert L. Howze, as commanding officer of the 2nd Squadron, commanded the last mounted attack on May 5, 1916.

From 1919 to 1942 the regiment monitored the border between the United States and Mexico. During its stationing on the Presidio of Monterey it was named "Blackhorse" and its regimental coat of arms.

As a mounted regiment, the 11th ACR was inactivated on July 15, 1942 at Fort Benning, Georgia. The Headquarters and Headquarters Troop was rededicated on April 19, 1943 to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized. The previous squadrons of the 11th Cavalry Regiment fought overseas with the 10th Armored Division and the 90th Infantry Division. The HHT, 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized, were assigned the 36th and 44th Squadron, and they also received an Assault Gun Troop with howitzer batteries.

After surveillance service on the southeast coast of the United States from March to June 1, 1944, the group moved to Camp Gordon for training for use overseas. The regiment arrived in Great Britain on October 10, 1944 and entered French soil on November 23, 1944. On its march through France and Germany it was assigned to the Ninth US Army and assigned to the XIII Corps, whose flank it secured on the advance from the Rur to the Rhine.

The 2nd Squadron was later deployed like the 1st Squadron in Vietnam, and after its reactivation in Germany in 1972 , it was stationed in the Daley Barracks ( Manteuffel barracks before 1945 ), just like the flagged 2nd Squadron of the 14th ACR in Bad Kissingen.

3rd Squadron

Memorial stone for the 3rd Squadron in front of the former McPheeters Barracks in Bad Hersfeld.
Memorial stone at Point Alpha near Rasdorf

After the Vietnam War, the 3rd Squadron (nickname "Workhorse") was stationed in Germany in the McPheeters Barracks (before 1945 Langemarck barracks ) in Bad Hersfeld , around 40 km north of Fulda. Like the other two squadrons, it was organized as an armored cavalry squadron. The 58th Engineer Company was also affiliated with it. In use, these affiliated units should operate in a larger area, while smaller divisions should support the regiment's armored cavalry squadrons.

4th Squadron

While the 11th ACR arrived in Vietnam in September 1966, the associated Air Cavalry Troop (ACT) was relocated there in December of that year. It was equipped with Bell UH-1 C ( Gunship ) and D helicopters . In early January 1967 it flew combat missions in support of the regiment. After this time the ACT got the nickname "Thunderhorse" because of the unmistakable rotor noise of its helicopters and the regimental badge.

In July 1968 the ACT was reorganized into the Air Troop (AT). He had nine attack helicopters of the type Bell AH-1G "Cobra" (referred to as "Reds") and reconnaissance helicopters of the type Hughes OH-6 "Cayuse" (referred to as "Whites"), which were used in pairs for homing and destruction missions as " pinks “flew. The AT also included an Aerial Rifle Platoon (ARP) (referred to as "Blues"), which transported infantry and cavalry scouts with the UH-1 "Huey" (officially "Iroquois").

The Air Troop was awarded the Cross of Merit of the Republic of Vietnam, the 1st platoon also received the Presidential Unit Citation. In addition, an AT soldier, SFC Rodney JT Yano, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. On March 20, 1972, the regiment's air forces were deactivated and left Vietnam. When the regiment was reactivated on September 18, 1972 and replaced the inactivated 14th ACR on September 18, 1972, the new Command and Control Squadron was formed. Their location was the Sickels Army Airfield near Fulda-Sickels.

The C&C Squadron had the task of aerial reconnaissance along a section of 385 km of the border between the two German states. Like the Air Troop, it consisted of its headquarters with three UH-1H, 21 AH-1S (MOD), and 13 Bell OH-58 "Kiowa" . In addition, there was the Combat Aviation / Support Troop (CAT) with 13 UH-1H, including an Aerial Mine Platoon (AMP) and six OH-58A, the 58th Combat Engineer Company (CEC), the 340th Army Security Agency (ASA) and the 84th Army Band. A division of two OH-58A was assigned to the 2nd Squadron in Bad Kissingen and the 3rd Squadron in Bad Hersfeld.

In 1981, the Air Troop under the command of Major Joseph W. Sutton won the Draper Cavalry Award as the first flying unit. Under the command of Major Michael K. Mehaffey, he was also recognized as "Unit of the Year" by the Army Aviation Association of America's (AAAA). On June 1, 1982, the Command and Control Squadron was renamed the Regimental Combat Aviation Squadron (RCAS), officially Combat Aviation Squadron (provisional), 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, with the nickname "Lighthorse".

In the spring of 1984, the Air Troop again received the AAAA “Unit of the Year” award. On June 14th of the same year, the components of the AT and CAT according to the new Cavalry 86 guideline of the Department of the Army and the J-Series in the new Modified Table of Organization and Equipment ( MTOE , German for: "Modified Organization and Equipment Plan ") ) united to the 11th Combat Aviation Squadron (11th CAS) with the nickname "Thunderhorse", in honor of the history of the previous air cavalry troops. The new squadron had a Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, which included an Aircraft Maintenance Platoon (AVUM) with the nickname "Crazyhorse". The Alpha Troop (nickname "Miners") should support the warfare from the air and led Yosemite Sam in a cavalry uniform as a mascot. The Bravo Troop was an attack helicopter squad and used the old AT Cobra badge and later a bulldog as a badge. The Charlie Troop, also an attack helicopter squad, led the silhouette of a Soviet Flakpanzers type ZSU-57-2 in the crosshairs of an AH-1 as an icon. The Delta Troop was an air cavalry group nicknamed "Death Riders" and used a skull in the style of Jolly Roger against a red and white background. The Echo Troop, again an air cavalry squad, wore a red and white badge with the letter "E" on the profile of an AH-1 and OH-58. The F Troop as an air cavalry squad had as a badge the comic illustration of an AH-1 striking a Soviet Mil Mi-24 "Hind" with the motto "Grab 'em by the nose - kick' em in the ass". The 511th Military Intelligence Company (MI / CEWI) (nickname "Trojan Horse") replaced the 340th ASA. The S-4 section of the squadron responsible for replenishment was known by the nickname "Hobbyhorse".

On June 17, 1986, the squadron was aligned with the regiment system of the US Army. It now consisted of HHT, N, O, P, Q, RS and AVUM Troop and used helicopters of the types Sikorsky UH-60 "Black Hawk" , Bell OH-58D "Kiowa" and Boeing AH-64 "Apache" . On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell , and on March 1, 1990, the squadron ceased operations along the inner-German border. On April 10, 1991, the transfer order from Fulda to Diyarbakır in Turkey was issued in support of Operation Provide Comfort . The "Task Force Thunderhorse" relocated 15 UH-60s and five OH-58Ds with crews and support teams to Diyarbakır. During this time, the 511th MI (CEWI) was recognized as the best military intelligence unit in company strength within the US Army. With the collapse of the Warsaw Pact , the regiment began deactivating the unit between October 15, 1993 and March 15, 1994. The regiment was reactivated at Fort Irwin in October 1994 without the 3rd and 4th Squadron.

Support Squadron

The Support Squadron, 11th ACR, nicknamed "Packhorse", provides support services for the 11th ACR and the OPFOR units at the National Training Center and ensures relocations, survivability and maintenance.

The squadron was formed on September 17, 1985 under the command of Lt. Colonel Ronald Kelly activated in Germany to support the regiment in its patrol service on the inner-German border. Its official name was Combat Support Squadron (CSS). The nickname “Packhorse” is derived from the packhorses used in the past in the US cavalry , which accompanied the cavalrymen on duty and transported all important supplies.

The initial organization of the Support Squadron included Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, Maintenance Troop, Supply and Transportation Troop, Medical Troop and the affiliated 54th Chemical Detachment. She also maintained the Regimental Material Management Center, which was responsible for all supplies and logistics for the regiment. Parts of the squadron were stationed both in Fulda and in Wildflecken . It was relatively large for a battalion-strength unit. The maintenance troop alone comprised around 400 soldiers. The Support Squadron supported both the regiment's frequent exercises during the Cold War and the target exercises at the Grafenwoehr training area . Here the squadron was deployed for several weeks while the cavalry troops and tank companies practiced one after the other.

M88A1 ​​of the 11th ACR in Iraq, 2005

During the Cold War, CUCVs of the types M1008, M1009 and M1010 were used, which mostly transported communication, medical and maintenance equipment in special containers. In addition, there were HEMTTs , type M88 armored recovery vehicles , tankers and trucks with equipment for chemical decontamination . Two M939s housed the headquarters of the squadron in the field. The squadron was also able to perform highly specialized tasks such as the treatment of drinking water with treatment plants.

With German reunification on October 3, 1990 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the squadron's six-year presence at the “Iron Curtain” ended. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 was followed by the Second Gulf War. On May 16, 1991, the Support Squadron received the transfer order to Kuwait to support the parts of the regiment deployed there. In October 1991 he returned to Fulda, where the squadron was inactivated on February 15, 1994, followed by the entire regiment on March 15, 1994.

On October 15, 1994, the squadron was reactivated at the National Training Center. It is divided into Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, Maintenance Troop and Supply and Transportation Troop. It also maintains a small mounted division, the Fort Irwin 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Mounted Color Guard, to maintain tradition and representation.

Current organization of the 11th ACR

Current structure

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment CSIB.svg 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

  • 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment (Armored Reconnaissance Squadron) (Nevada Army National Guard)
  • 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Combined Arms Squadron)
  • 2d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Combined Arms Squadron)
  • 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment (California Army National Guard)
  • Support Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
ACAV of the 11th ACR in Vietnam
Soldiers of the 2nd Squadron with an M3A2 "Bradley" in Iraq, March 2005

gallery

  • Memorial stone for the 11th ACR on the site of the former Downs Barracks in Fulda

  • M114 reconnaissance tank as used by cavalry platoons in the 1960s and 1970s

  • Forces of the 2nd Squadron in Snuol, Cambodia, May 1970

  • Soldiers of the 11th ACR with members of the BGS on a border patrol in 1979

  • The former McPheeters Barracks in Bad Hersfeld

  • When the enemy was portrayed as OPFOR at Fort Irwin.

  • 2nd Squadron soldiers training at Fort Irwin.

literature

  • Tricoche, George Nestler: La vie militaire a l'etranger. Notes d'un engage voluntaire au 11th United States Cavalry , Paris 1897
  • Bonsteel, FT: The Eleventh Cavalry, 1901 to 1923 , Monterey 1923
  • Fitfield, Robert W., et al .: 11th US Cavalry, California-Mexican Border, 1941 , Los Angeles 1941
  • Haynes, George L., Jr./James C. Williams: The Eleventh Cavalry From the Roer to the Elbe, 1944–1945 , Nuremberg 1945
  • Herr, John K./Edward S. Wallace: The Story of the US Cavalry , Boston 1953
  • Unit Members (ed.): 11th Armored Cavalry . Fort Knox 1956.
  • Armed Forces Publications (ed.): Allons 11th Armored Cavalry , Dallas 1959
  • Blumenson, Martin : Breakout and Pursuit , Washington DC 1961 ( online )
  • Cobb, William W .: 11th US Cavalry Report ; Armor, LXXXVI, No. 2 (March-April 1967)
  • Albright, John: "Convoy Ambush on Highway 1, November 21, 1966", in John A. Cash et al .: Seven Firefights in Vietnam. Emphasis. New York 2007, pp. 49-70
  • Stary, Donn: Mounted Combat in Vietnam, Washington DC 1989 ( online )

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b United States Army Center of Military History: Regular Army / Army Reserve Special Designation Listing -By Unit Number-. Retrieved April 11, 2015 .
  2. ^ William E. Stacy: US Army Border Operations in Germany. Retrieved April 12, 2015 .
  3. ^ Walter Elkins: US Army in Germany. Retrieved April 12, 2015 .
  4. ^ Donn E. Starry: Mounted Combat in Vietnam, p. 73. Retrieved April 12, 2015 .
  5. ↑ Donn E. Starry: Mounted Combat in Vietnam, p. 38. Retrieved April 12, 2015 .
  6. ↑ a b c Donn E. Starry: Mounted Combat in Vietnam, p. 144. Retrieved April 12, 2015 .
  7. ^ A b Donn E. Starry: Mounted Combat in Vietnam, p. 80. Accessed April 12, 2015 .
  8. ^ Shelby L. Stanton: Stanton's Vietnam Order Of Battle . Stackpole Books, 2003, ISBN 0-8117-0071-2 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  9. ↑ United States Army: President cites heroism of 11th ACR troopers in Vietnam. Retrieved April 13, 2015 .
  10. ↑ Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc .: BG John C Bahnsen "Doc". Retrieved April 13, 2015 .
  11. ↑ a b US Army Center of Military History: 11th Armored Cavalry. Retrieved April 13, 2015 .
  12. ↑ Washington Post, October 20, 2009: Obama honors veterans for actions in Vietnam. Retrieved April 19, 2015 .
  13. ^ Operation Iraqi Freedom Archived Stories of the 3rd Division in Iraq: Iraqi forces, US Army Keep Pressure on Terrorists. Retrieved April 14, 2015 .
  14. ↑ Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System: 1 / 11th ACR destroys terror cell, find weapons, cash. Retrieved April 19, 2015 .
  15. ↑ olive-drab.com: M-934 Truck, Van, Expansible: 5-ton, 6x6, XLWB. Retrieved April 19, 2015 .
  16. ↑ Peter Sakalas: The Expando Van: TOC on Wheels. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on January 29, 2010 ; Retrieved April 19, 2015 .

Web links

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