German Mark construction program of the US Army
The US Army's Deutsche Mark construction program was used to build the military infrastructure of the armed forces of the United States of America in the years 1950–1953 and 1954–1957 from the occupation costs paid by the Federal Republic of Germany .
Historical background 1950 - 1953
The US Army's Deutsche Mark construction program was started in 1950 to meet the requirements created by the American commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In September of this year, the signatory states to NATO decided to strengthen their armed forces in Western Europe, whereupon the President of the United States and the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared that the number of US troops in Europe in particular would be increased significantly. This decision meant a new mandate - the stationing of a strong and mobile defense force in Europe instead of a small, fixed force with a police character ( United States Constabulary ) - and its effects were particularly noticeable in Germany, where by far the largest part of the US Army, Europe ( USAREUR ) was stationed.
The resulting increase in troops consisted of four divisions and supply units that were shipped from the USA to Europe in 1951; this increased the troop strength from around 80,000 soldiers to over 240,000. At the same time, some units already stationed in the command area were relocated for tactical reasons. For the additional units and associations, additional troop accommodation and family apartments, enlarged recreational facilities, more social facilities in the communities and numerous other buildings were required. Strategic considerations led to the replacement of the endangered supply route from Bremerhaven along the zone border to Hesse with a new line of communications from the French Atlantic coast to Rhineland-Palatinate. For this purpose, new supply and supply facilities had to be created west of the Rhine .
To meet the requirements, a four-stage construction program for the American Zone of Occupation was designed. The first three phases were intended to bring the armed forces into a position of strength through the necessary defenses. In the fourth phase, the changed military circumstances should be taken into account and family apartments and community centers should be built. The program was financed by the USA's share of the occupation costs which the Federal Republic of Germany had to pay for the maintenance of the occupation forces. It was agreed that all institutions would ultimately revert to the Federal Republic of Germany. The considerable scope of the construction program from 1950 to 1953 is illustrated by the fact that the US Army projects alone amounted to 2.364 billion DM. The Army also managed the construction programs financed with Deutscher Mark for the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) with another DM 313 million; including small contributions for United States Naval Forces Germany , Germany (USNAVGER).
Reasons for continuing the program
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Despite the considerable scope of the buildings planned and completed between 1950 and 1953, some considerations led to the continuation of the program.
In the first place it seemed that in 1953 the ratification of the Paris Treaties , which would grant sovereignty to the Federal Republic of Germany (in fact, it lasted until May 5, 1955), would take place. To what extent a sovereign Germany would continue to pay the stationing costs was uncertain and it was in the interests of the American armed forces to set a maximum budget in German marks without delay.
Second, as a side effect of German sovereignty, it was expected that the United States would face increasing pressure to release confiscated German property. With a few exceptions, these German buildings were to be replaced by new, rent-free facilities financed with Deutscher Mark according to the plans of the US command authority. This should, if possible, reduce or even avoid expenses for rent and maintenance of the confiscated property.
In third place was the fact that additional family apartments were urgently needed. During the installation phase of the troops newly brought in from America, the bulk of the Deutsche Mark budget was used for the construction or repair of the barracks damaged in the war and for the construction and repair of utility facilities. Less than 30% of the three-year program was spent on family housing. In addition, in 2000 of the planned 17,000 residential units for families, not yet built. As a consequence, most of the sites suffered from an acute shortage of living space. In August 1953, fewer than 36,000 family homes were available against a demand of more than 43,000, including USAFE's claims, and nearly 50% of the homes were only available temporarily, for example in hotels about to be returned to German owners. Many families had to wait 9-10 months or more before they could travel to Germany with their husbands and fathers, which became a serious morale problem.
Another factor in the continuation of the construction program was the continued need for supply depots and other technical facilities such as repair shops, reprocessing plants and fuel tanks. Road repairs, reinforcement of bridges and more ammunition storage facilities were urgently needed to fulfill the order. In addition, new types of weapon systems also required new facilities, such as loading platforms for missile units. In short, the Deutsche Mark construction program was continued because there was a great need for additional facilities of all kinds and because Deutsche Mark budget funds for infrastructure were still available. The main goal in the period 1954 - 1957 was to complete existing and planned military, operational and social facilities for the needs of the US armed forces in Germany and at the same time to reduce the requirements in dollars to a minimum.
administration
Before 1953, the Supreme Commander was US Army, Europe (Commander in Chief, US Army, Europe, CINCUSAREUR) the final authority for approval for the construction programs of Army , Navy and Air Force in Germany. On January 1 of this year, the American budget agency ( US Bureau of the Budget ) declared that from July 1, 1953, all budget funds from the Deutsche Mark program would have to be approved by the American Congress and allocated by the Department of the Army . The same rules applied to these funds as to households in dollars. Thus, from the Fiscal Year (FY) 1954, the Army Ministry became the highest authority for the approval of construction projects in Germany. The implementation level of the projects lay with the pioneering staff ( USAREUR Engineer ).
For projects with a volume of more than 80,000 DM, construction drawings and precise descriptions had to be presented to the pioneering staff in Heidelberg . Projects with a smaller budget could be approved by the regional commanders. The pioneer staff at headquarters and the regional command staff (area commands) kept lists of acceptable German construction companies and architectural offices. Only listed companies could submit bids. The responsible regional representative submitted the three cheapest offers to USAREUR Engineer for decision.
Immediately after the start of the construction program in 1950, the German Federal Building Administration and the building administrations of the states of Bavaria , Bremen , Hesse , Rhineland-Palatinate and Württemberg-Baden complained that they were excluded from the proceedings, even though they were German tax payments. Members of the German Bundestag also presented the matter to the American High Commissioner (HICOG). Although both HICOG and USAREUR had doubts about the competence of the German building authorities to take over the entire construction volume, they recognized the desirability of strengthening the role of the federal building administration even before the Federal Republic gained sovereignty. In negotiations in Bonn in November 1953, the Federal Ministry of Finance , HICOG and USAREUR agreed to hand over 30% of the new orders to the Federal Building Administration in the future, ie for FY 1954 and 1955.
The end of the occupation statute
At the beginning of 1953, the American armed forces had the impression that, without an additional agreement to the Paris Agreement, the construction plans in German marks, which would not have been realized before the Federal Republic of Germany had achieved its sovereignty, would ultimately result from a greatly reduced DM- Funds or dollars would have to be financed. In April 1953, an agreement with the German finance minister came into force, according to which approvals were to be made in DM monthly and funds that had not been used up by the end of the year could be called up by December 31, 1954.
The Paris Agreement had not yet been ratified by the end of 1954, but the Germany Treaty allowed expenses for the construction program to be made up to 18 months after the end of the occupation statute. This ensured that orders placed would be processed correctly and would not be affected by the termination of the crew. In anticipation of the new regulation, the Federal Ministry of Finance put 61 million DM as a precautionary measure for USAREUR. Nevertheless, after gaining sovereignty, it turned out that not all expenses from occupation costs could be processed within the agreed 18 months, ie by November 5, 1956. Two weeks before this date, 121 million DM were still planned for construction work were not accessed, mainly due to delays in land acquisition. In new negotiations, the partners agreed to leave the final date of the payments from the Deutsche Mark construction program open.
As a result of joining NATO and stationing allied troops, certain costs were incurred by these troops even after the end of the occupation, which were sometimes perceived as ongoing occupation costs. As a NATO member, the Federal Republic was not obliged to assume the costs of stationing the allied armed forces in Germany. In the first few years, however, there were always protracted negotiations about the Federal Republic's appropriate defense contribution to NATO. Because the development of the German Bundeswehr progressed more slowly than expected, the funds earmarked for it in the budget were not used, and the expected financial and military contribution of the Federal Republic to the overall strength of NATO was not achieved. In addition, the sending states demanded financial compensation for the inflow of foreign currency that entered the Federal Republic through the foreign armed forces.
costs
The US Army's Deutsche Mark construction program
| Subject matter | DM 1950 - 1953 | % 1950-1953 | DM 1953 - 1957 | % 1953-1957 | DM entire period | % whole time span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troop accommodation | 832,683,600 | 35.2 | 69,459,600 | 4.2 | 902.143.200 | 22.5 |
| Family apartments | 658.837.200 | 27.9 | 1,034,615,400 | 63 | 1,693,452,600 | 42.4 |
| Warehouses, cold stores | 225,598,800 | 9.5 | 42,588,000 | 2.6 | 268.186.800 | 6.7 |
| Social facilities | 166.765.200 | 7.1 | 89,544,000 | 5.5 | 256.309.200 | 6.4 |
| Medical institutions | 100,455,600 | 4.2 | 4,922,400 | 0.3 | 105,378,000 | 2.6 |
| Practice areas | 89.006.400 | 3.8 | 9,525,600 | 0.6 | 98,532,000 | 2.3 |
| Military road network | 66,511,200 | 2.8 | 80,745,000 | 4.9 | 147.256.200 | 3.7 |
| Ammunition depot | 46,796,400 | 2 | 108.368.400 | 6.6 | 155.164.800 | 3.8 |
| Repair shops | 41,491,800 | 1.8 | 30,651,600 | 1.9 | 72.143.400 | 1.8 |
| Administrations | 9,525,600 | 0.4 | 11,314,800 | 0.7 | 20,840,400 | 0.5 |
| Airfield runways, lighting, navigation | 6,237,000 | 0.3 | 7,341,600 | 0.4 | 13,578,600 | 0.4 |
| Operational facilities | 5,892,600 | 0.2 | 55.843.200 | 3.4 | 61,735,800 | 1.7 |
| Other | 44.112.600 | 1.8 | 34,805,400 | 2.1 | 78,918,000 | 1.9 |
| Total USAREUR | 2,364,230,400 | 100 | 1,641,792,600 | 100 | 4,006,023,000 | 100 |
| USAFE, USNAVGER | 312,777,000 | |||||
| Total USEUCOM | 2,677,007,400 |
Regional distribution of investments
For details on the regional division, see: Territorial Organization of the US Forces in Germany .
| Regions | DM 1950–1953 | % 1950-1953 | DM 1953–1957 | % 1953-1957 | DM total Period | % total Period | Number Apartments 1950–1957 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | 38,740,800 | 1.45 | 41,113,800 | 2.49 | 79.854.600 | 1.84 | 620 |
| Bremerhaven Point of Entry (BPOE) | 17,379,600 | 0.65 | 36,825,600 | 2.23 | 54.205.200 | 1.25 | 749 |
| Headquarters Area Command (HACOM) | 204.724.800 | 7.64 | 189.310.800 | 11.48 | 394.035.600 | 9.1 | 4946 |
| Frankfurt Military District | 280.015.600 | 10.45 | 7506 | ||||
| Wuerzburg Military District | 149.284.800 | 5.57 | 3470 | ||||
| Northern Area Command (NACOM) * | 429.300.400 | 16.02 | 449.677.200 | 27.28 | 870.567.600 | 20.11 | 10,976 |
| Augsburg Military District | 135,597,000 | 5.06 | 2763 | ||||
| Munich Military District | 69,787,200 | 2.6 | 2951 | ||||
| Nuremberg Military District | 184,464,000 | 6.88 | 2675 | ||||
| Stuttgart Military District | 267.783.600 | 9.99 | 5514 | ||||
| Recreation Area (SEACOM) | 20,670,800 | 0.77 | 280 | ||||
| Southern Area Command (SACOM) * | 678.302.600 | 25.31 | 558.381.600 | 33.87 | 1,245,052,200 | 28.77 | 14,558 |
| Western Area Command (WACOM) | 825.388.200 | 30.8 | 366.483.600 | 22.23 | 1,191,913,800 | 27.54 | 6796 |
| USAREUR logistics department (G4) | 170,394,000 | 6.35 | 170,394,000 | 3.94 | |||
| USAFE | 315,594,800 | 11.78 | 6,568,800 | 0.4 | 322.163.600 | 7.44 | 8845 |
| Total | 2,679,825,200 | 100 | 1,648,361,400 | 100 | 4,328,186,600 | 100 | 47,490 |
- The difference of DM 8.4 million in the "Total period" column between NACOM (-) and SACOM (+) is due to the change in Bamberg from NACOM to SACOM in 1955.
Focus
Individual investments between 1950 and 1953 with a volume of over DM 10 million
| Garrisons with investments of over DM 10 million | Total in DM 1950 - 1953 | including: individual items of over DM 9.9 million | Total in DM 1950 - 1953 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baumholder (WACOM) | 66.116.400 | Smith Barracks | 57.107.400 |
| Mannheim (HACOM) | 49,077,000 | Camp Sandhofen | 32.230.800 |
| Hohenfels (SACOM) | 38,761,800 | Military training area | 38,761,800 |
| Kaiserslautern (WACOM) | 33,222,000 | Kleber barracks | 14,368,200 |
| Vogelweh Cantonment | 9,916,200 | ||
| Pirmasens (WACOM) | 29,916,600 | D'Isly Caserne | 29,916,600 |
| Nellingen (SACOM) | 29,496,600 | Air base | 29,496,600 |
| Hanau (NACOM) | 27.115.200 | ||
| Karlsruhe (HACOM) | 25,099,200 | Cantonment Camp | 14.998.200 |
| Mainz (WACOM) | 25,095,000 | CRAN barracks | 13,074,600 |
| Mangin barracks and tent camp | 10,978,800 | ||
| Grafenwohr (SACOM) | 25.002.600 | Training Area (East Camp) | 25.002.600 |
| Augsburg with Gablingen (SACOM) | 23,583,000 | ||
| Kirch-Göns (NACOM) | 22,432,200 | Cantonment Camp | 22,432,200 |
| Fulda (NACOM) | 20,277,600 | Cantonment Camp | 19,945,800 |
| New Ulm (SACOM) | 19,862,000 | Ludendorff Cantonment | 13.108.200 |
| Gelnhausen (NACOM) | 18,816,000 | Cantonment Camp | 18,816,000 |
| Crailsheim (SACOM) | 18,299,400 | Cantonment Camp | 18,299,400 |
| Frankfurt with Hoechst (NACOM) | 16,917,600 | ||
| Wild spots (NACOM) | 16,527,000 | Military training area | 16,527,000 |
| Berlin | 13,423,200 | Andrews Barracks | 11,562,600 |
| Munich (SACOM) | 13,015,800 | ||
| Babenhausen (NACOM) | 12,293,400 | barracks | 12,293,400 |
| Ludwigsburg (SACOM) | 12,028,800 | ||
| Heilbronn (SACOM) | 11,272,800 | ||
| Schweinfurt (NACOM) | 10,474,800 | ||
| Wuerzburg (NACOM) | 10,042,200 | ||
| Total | 588.168.200 | 408,219,000 |
Number of apartments built with the Deutsche Mark building program between 1950 and 1957
| Housing areas with more than 1000 apartments | Apartments 1948 | Apartments 1950–1957 | Apartments after 1957 | Total apartments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiserslautern with Vogelweh (WACOM) | 1851 | 1808 | 3659 | |
| Frankfurt with Hoechst (NACOM) | 494 | 2655 | 3149 | |
| Munich (SACOM) | 475 | 2250 | 2725 | |
| Heidelberg (HACOM) | 108 | 1909 | 375 | 2392 |
| Mannheim (HACOM) | 1887 | 416 | 2303 | |
| Baumholder (WACOM) | 1518 | 768 | 2286 | |
| Augsburg with Gablingen (SACOM) | 1711 | 440 | 2151 | |
| Stuttgart (SACOM) | 2097 | 2097 | ||
| Hanau (NACOM) | 317 | 1207 | 340 | 1864 |
| Nuremberg (SACOM) | 1450 | 240 | 1690 | |
| Landstuhl (WACOM) | 308 | 1160 | 1468 | |
| Karlsruhe (HACOM) | 1150 | 312 | 1462 | |
| Wuerzburg (NACOM) | 671 | 642 | 1313 | |
| Mainz (WACOM) | 705 | 312 | 1017 |
See also
- List of American military locations in northern Germany
- List of American military locations in southern Germany
- Territorial organization of the US armed forces in Germany
- 59th Ordnance Brigade
- Weapon Storage and Security System WS3
- United States Constabulary
- American field post in the Cold War
Remarks
- ↑ The source of the illustration is two studies that were written in the US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg headquarters in 1955 and 1958, initially classified as SECRET , but downgraded to UNCLASSIFIED in 1960.
- ^ The US Army Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1953 - 1957, Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1958, p. 2 (initially classified as SECRET, downgraded to UNCLASSIFIED in 1960).
- ^ The US Army Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1950 - 1953, Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1955, p. 169 (initially classified as SECRET, downgraded to UNCLASSIFIED in 1960).
- ^ Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1953 - 1957, Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1958, p. 4.
- ^ Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1953 - 1957, Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1958, p. 11 f.
- ^ Heide-Irene Schmidt: The embarassment of strength . Germany's position in the “International Monetary System” 1958–1968. In: Ursula Lehmkuhl, Clemens Wurm, Hubert Zimmermann: Germany, Great Britain, America. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, p. 165 f.
- ↑ Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1950 - 1953, p. 163 (Table 35)) and 1953 - 1957, p. 60 (Table 2), Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1955 and 1958.
- ↑ Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1950 - 1953, p. 195 (Appendix K) and 1953 - 1957, p. 69 (Appendix B) and ibid. P. 71 (Appendix D), Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1955 and 1958. For the number of apartments: Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1953 - 1957, p. 7 (Map 1), Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1958.
- ^ Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1950 - 1953, pp. 170-175 (Appendix A), Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1955.
- ↑ named after Captain Harold D. Smith, who died on August 6, 1944 (General Order October 1, 1951).
- ^ Quartier Kléber (FFA) until 1951, named after Général Jean-Baptiste Kléber (March 9, 1753– June 14, 1800), soldier of the Revolutionary Wars from Strasbourg, honored at the Siege of Mainz in 1793 and the Battle of Fleurus on June 16, 1794 , murdered during the campaign in Egypt.
- ^ Quartier d'Isly (FFA) until 1951, named after the Battle of Isly in Algeria on August 14, 1844, for which Maréchal Thomas-Robert Bugeaud was awarded the title of duc d'Isly. 1964 USAREUR established the use of the German names for the barracks in Pirmasens and Zweibrücken, ie D'Isly Caserne was renamed Husterhoeh Caserne.
- ^ Quartier Mangin (FFA) until 1949, named after Général de division Charles Mangin (1866–1925), officer in the colonial wars, participant in the Congo-Nile mission under Capitaine Marchand 1898–1900, founder of the Armée d'Afrique, commander in chief during the occupation of the Rhineland 1918. 1956 Lee Barracks, named after Captain Robert E. Lee, who as 1st Lieutenant performed a particularly brave mission on November 17, 1944 (General Order October 11, 1956).
- ↑ Ludendorff-Kaserne / Wiley Barracks, named after Captain Robert C. Wiley, who fell in France on August 9, 1944 (General Order June 2, 1953).
- ↑ Lichterfelder Kadettenanstalt / Adolf-Hitler-Kaserne (Leibstandarte), named after Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews (1884–1943), Commander-in-Chief US Forces in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War.
- ^ Deutsche Mark Construction Program 1953 - 1957, p. 7 (Map 1), Headquarters US Army, Europe, Historical Division, Heidelberg 1958.