Missile Artillery Battalion (Bundeswehr)
A rocket artillery battalion was an association (military) of the artillery troops in the army of the Bundeswehr , which was equipped with rocket launchers .
history
From 1958 rocket artillery battalions were set up. The first three rocket artillery battalions 140, 240, 340 were equipped with the American field rocket launcher Honest John (HJ) in 1959 . They were directly subordinate to the corps until around 1965 ( I. Corps in Münster, II. Corps in Ulm, III. Corps in Koblenz). In 1961, with the help of these battalions, the establishment of a total of eleven rocket artillery battalions in the artillery regiments of the army divisions , each with three Honest John batteries and one companion battery, began . In 1962, the rocket artillery battalions 150, 250, 350 (for the I., II. And III. Corps) and later 650 (as a corp troop component for the 6th Panzer Grenadier Division , which formed the German part of the LANDJUT ), were set up and equipped with American short-range missiles Sergeant- type equipped. These battalions were directly subordinate to the corps ( corps rocket artillery battalions ). In the mid-1970s, the Sergeant missile was replaced by the US Lance short-range missile .
These missile artillery battalions should be able to fire not only conventional ammunition in the event of a nuclear war , but also nuclear warheads with these short-range missiles . This should enable the corps or division command to smash enemy (tank) forces close to the front or in the rear without having to resort to air support . Under the concept of nuclear sharing of NATO the appropriate nuclear warheads always remained in US custody, only the support systems were operated by German soldiers. From an increased alert level, the US units should then be subordinate to the German corps.
The units practiced on site training areas, in the open air and - also with combat shooting by the Honest John - on the military training areas Munster , Bergen-Hohne and Grafenwoehr . Because of the great distance, shooting was mostly from outside firing positions into the place or from place to place (Bergen-Hohne / Munster). The Sergeant and Lance units practiced the sharp shot at the NATO firing range in Crete .
In the eleven rocket artillery battalions of the army divisions (excluding the 1st airborne division), from 1970 (with the introduction of LARS (110 SF) ) until 1982, only the 2nd battery was equipped with four Honest John rocket launchers. The 3rd and 4th batteries of these battalions each led two platoons with four LARS guns each. The first battery in each case was the stick and supply battery . The 5th battery was the companion and watch battery. It was outsourced when the Honest John system was phased out. With the retirement, the nuclear participation in the rocket artillery battalions of the divisions ended. From the late 1980s, LARS was gradually replaced by the Medium Artillery Rocket System (MARS) ( Multiple Launch Rocket System MLRS).
- Former weapon systems of the rocket artillery battalions of the Bundeswehr at division and / or corps level
MGR-1 Honest John of the rocket artillery
LARS 1 multiple rocket launcher 110 SF, on a Magirus-Deutz Jupiter 6x6
Lars 2, multiple rocket launcher 110 SF, on MAN 6x6, 7 to, gl.jpg
MARS
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Training battalions
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On October 1, 1958, the following are set up in Cologne-Longerich:
- Teaching group D / artillery school
- 1./Artillery Training Battalion 421 (1./sArtLBtl 421)
- VP Artillery Training Battalion 422 (sArtLBtl 422)
In 1958 the units were moved to Eschweiler ( Donnerberg camp ). From there, ArtLBtl 1 emerged in 1960, from 1966 reclassified into rocket artillery teaching battalion 1, from 1969 reclassified into rocket artillery teaching battalion 72 and connected to the rocket school of the army in Eschweiler. 1970 relocates the school and the newly established RakArtLBtl 72 to Geilenkirchen. Until 1981 it functioned there as a rocket artillery teaching battalion (RakArtLehrBtl 72) until the artillery rocket school was closed.
The rocket school of the army in Geilenkirchen was renamed the rocket school of the artillery (RakSArt) on January 1, 1973. With the move to the Colmar barracks in Wuppertal-Ronsdorf on October 1, 1981, the name was changed to Missile Artillery Battalion 72 . The training battalion was the rocket artillery training battalion 52 (RakArtLBtl 52) in Gießen , which after relocation in the mid-1990s with 1st (staff and supply) and 2nd ( LARS (110 SF) ) batteries in Idar-Oberstein , 3rd and 4th . (each MARS ) battery was in Kusel . The training battalion served the practical training in the courses for the young rocket artillery leaders to be trained at the Artillery School Idar-Oberstein. It was later merged in the Hochwaldkaserne Hermeskeil , where it was dissolved at the turn of the year 2006/07.
Missile schools
Missile School of the Army
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- 1962-1973. Developed from parts of the TechnTrp I school and the ArtS teaching group A from Cologne-Longerich, set up in Eschweiler / Geilenkirchen
Artillery missile school
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- 1974-1981. In connection with RakArtLBtl 72 in Geilenkirchen. Subordinate to the Army Office in each case.
- 1981 Dissolution of RakS Art in Geilenkirchen and integration as teaching group B in ArtS Idar-Oberstein
Association badge
The basic shape of the association badge corresponds to that of the Army Office . It is a shield with a red background and shows two crossed swords. Under the swords in the base of the shield it says:
- a white L , which denotes the army's training battalions
- or an S , which identifies the school.
The piping of the badge of the artillery units is done in the weapon color of the artillery (crimson). The association badge is worn on the left sleeve of the jacket of the service suit.
Former rocket artillery units
Missile artillery units for the deployment of US nuclear warheads
In connection with nuclear participation , a rocket artillery battalion (division number and ending digit 2) in the artillery regiment of almost all army divisions and rocket artillery battalions in the corps (ending with 0) for the use of US nuclear warheads, if necessary. (See the list of units of the artillery troops of the army of the Bundeswehr ; the following listing of the units is only a partial excerpt.)
Missile Artillery Battalion 62
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The association was mainly in Kellinghusen and was housed in the Liliencron barracks . It was armed with Honest John missile launchers . These were later replaced by rocket launchers of the LARS ( light artillery rocket system ) and MARS (medium artillery rocket system , multiple launch rocket system ) type.
Missile Artillery Battalion 112
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The rocket artillery battalion 112 was set up in Delmenhorst in 1961 . It was part of the 11th Artillery Regiment. In 1993 it was disbanded.
history
On June 23, 1960, the Federal Defense Minister issued order No. 409a. In 1960 the second battery was first installed and stationed in the Caspari barracks in Delmenhorst. But after only six months the battalion was transferred to the Barbara barracks in Delmenhorst-Adelheide, where it remained until it was dissolved.
There were a total of five companies / batteries that performed the following tasks:
- 1. Battery = unit for logistics / communication (radio / radar)
- 2nd battery = fighting unit / 4 rocket launchers type LARS 110 SF
- 3rd battery = fighting unit / 4 rocket launchers type LARS 110 SF / training unit
- 4. Battery = auxiliary battery
- 5th battery = guard company
Commanders
- 1961: Lieutenant Colonel Rieke
- 1966: Lieutenant Colonel Breakdowns
- 1970: Lieutenant Colonel Hannemann
- 1973: Lieutenant Colonel Naumann
- 1974: Lieutenant Colonel Kreitz
- 1980: Lieutenant Colonel Weber
- 1985: Lieutenant Colonel Klaus Wittmann
- Lieutenant Colonel Augustin
Missile Artillery Battalion 122
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The rocket artillery battalion 122 was stationed in Großengstingen from 1963 in Philippsburg and from 1993 in Walldürn . See there for details.
Missile Artillery Battalion 150
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history
The 150 rocket artillery battalion was an artillery unit in the 1st Corps of the Bundeswehr . It was stationed in the Schill barracks in Wesel from 1965 onwards .
The rocket artillery battalion was established in October 1959. Preliminary training was carried out in the rocket school in Eschweiler. Specialists were trained in Fort Sill , Oklahoma for six months in 1962/1963 . The unit's weapon system was the MGM-29 Sergeant short-range missile , which was replaced by the Lance short-range missile in 1978 . They worked with the 1st US Army Artillery Detachment, which ensured US sovereignty over the nuclear warheads in the Wesel-Diersfordt special ammunition dump . The special ammunition dump was closed in 1991.
With the dissolution of the I. Corps and subordination to the 7th Artillery Regiment , the conversion took place in 1993 to LARS 110 mm (light artillery missile system) and later to MARS 227 mm (medium artillery missile system). The 150 missile artillery battalion was disbanded in 2002.
Rocket Artillery Battalion 250
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The rocket artillery battalion 250 was an artillery unit in the II. Corps of the German Armed Forces. The battalion was tasked with firing short-range missiles with US nuclear warheads in the event of a defense .
history
The rocket artillery battalion 250 was set up in Eschweiler from April 1, 1962 and was stationed in the Eberhard Finckh barracks in Großengstingen from 1963 . The unit's first weapon system was the Sergeant short-range missile . This was replaced around 1977 by the Lance short-range missile .
In peacetime the battalion consisted of five batteries (1st Bttr - St / VersBttr, 2nd - 4th Bttr -LANCE, 5th Bttr -BeglBttr). The 4th Bttr was dissolved in September 1985 and replaced by the LANCE teaching battery. This training battery was previously called 5./RakArtBtl 150 , remained stationed in Idar-Oberstein and was subordinate to the Artillery Training Regiment 5 in the peace. She served as a lance teaching force at the Artillery School in Idar-Oberstein . The 5th battery (auxiliary battery) was responsible for securing the special ammunition dump “Golf” (1.5 km from the barracks).
The battalion worked closely with the 84th U.S. Army Field Artillery Detachment. The detachment was stationed in Engstingen from January 1967. It was responsible for the US nuclear warheads , which were intended for use with missiles of the battalion according to the concept of nuclear participation . The Golf special ammunition dump was disbanded in the fall of 1991 and the US unit in May 1992.
The call to disband the rocket artillery battalion 250 took place on March 22, 1993.
tasks
The rocket artillery battalion 250 had the order to use the nuclear US warheads on its Lance short-range missiles to create focal points for the II Corps by means of atomic fire . For this purpose it was directly subordinate to the commander of Artillery Command 2 within the framework of the artillery of the corps.
Over the years, the 250 rocket artillery battalion took part in numerous NATO tests, exams and exercises. The batteries alternately fired Lance missiles once a year at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) training area on Crete .
Commanders
- 1962 to 1965: Lieutenant Colonel Johannes Hofmann
- 1965 to 1965: Lieutenant Colonel Hans-Adolf Heymann
- 1965 to 1969: Lieutenant Colonel Alois Escherich
- 1969 to 1971: Lieutenant Colonel Eberhard Golla
- 1971 to 1975: Lieutenant Colonel Uwe Heiko Bolt
- 1975 to 1977: Lieutenant Colonel Klaus Abel
- 1977 to 1982: Lieutenant Colonel Dieter Schaefer
- 1982 to 1988: Lieutenant Colonel Helmut Freyer
- 1988 to 1990: Lieutenant Colonel Winfried Mertens
- 1990 to 1992: Lieutenant Colonel Holger Pinnow
- In 1993 the association was dissolved by Major Herbert Fröhling.
Known basic military service
- Josef Rief , member of the Bundestag
350 missile artillery battalion
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The rocket artillery battalion 350 was an artillery unit of the Bundeswehr , which was stationed in the Westerwald barracks in Montabaur from 1966 .
history
The battalion was formed on April 1, 1961. Some of the soldiers and leaders were trained at Fort Sill .
The missile artillery battalion's weapon system was the MGM-29 Sergeant short-range missile , which was replaced in 1976 by the MGM-52 Lance short-range missile . The special ammunition , nuclear warheads within the scope of nuclear participation , was stored in the Horressen special ammunition dump and in the Bellersdorf special ammunition dump .
During the guarding of the Horressen special ammunition dump by the soldiers of the watch and escort battery (6th / 350th, later 5th / 350th) of the 350 missile artillery battalion, they worked together with the 83rd US Army Field Artillery Detachment of the 59th Ordnance Brigade , which was responsible for special nuclear ammunition was responsible for the allied NATO partners.
The rocket artillery battalion 350 was decommissioned on March 31, 1993 and the special ammunition depots Horressen and Bellersdorf were closed in 1994. The barracks were closed from 2004.
tasks
The rocket artillery battalion 350 had the order, with its atomic short-range missile Sergeant or the successor model Lance fire focuses with atomic fire for the III. To form corps. In addition, it was subordinate to the commander of Artillery Command 3 within the framework of the artillery of the corps.
Over the years, the 350 missile artillery battalion took part in numerous NATO tests, exams and exercises, including as part of the AMF . Once a year, the batteries alternately fired their missiles at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) training area on Crete.
Missile Artillery Battalion 650
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The rocket artillery battalion 650 was an artillery unit of the Bundeswehr , which was last stationed from 1973 to 1993 in the Briesen barracks in Flensburg-Weiche . The battalion had the task of firing short-range missiles with nuclear warheads in the event of a defense .
history
On May 16, 1963, the RakArtBtl 650 was set up in Eschweiler . Just one year later, the association was relocated to Breitenburg / Nordoe near Itzehoe to the Freiherr von Fritsch barracks . He stayed there until 1973. From April 1, 1973 until its dissolution in September 1993, the battalion was stationed in the Briesen barracks in Flensburg-Weiche . When it was deployed, it received the sergeant missile . In 1976 the battalion was converted to the Lance missile . Subordinate to the battalion was the independent supply company Sonderwaffen 611, also stationed in Flensburg-Weiche.
The battalion and the supply company were disbanded in 1993 and the associated special ammunition storage facility in Meyn was closed.
A memorial stone for the unit was erected in the entrance area of the Liliencron barracks . Furthermore, a Lance vehicle of the unit with an Asterix and Obelix paintwork was exhibited on the bow on the lawn opposite. The memorial stone is now in the " Ehrenhain der Schleswig-Holstein Artillery " in Kellinghusen .
tasks
The rocket artillery battalion 650 would have had the order to use its Lance short-range missiles to create nuclear fire focal points for the German-Danish corps LANDJUT . In addition, it was subordinate to the 6th Artillery Regiment of the 6th Panzer Grenadier Division in peacetime, and the Artillery Command 600 in use .
Over the years, the rocket artillery battalion 650 participated in numerous NATO tests, exams and exercises. The batteries alternately fired Lance missiles once a year at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) training area on Crete .
Commanders
- 1964–1967: Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Bodo Hahn
- 1967–1971: Lieutenant Colonel Hans-Joachim Kunze
- 1971–1976: Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich Techter
- 1976–1981: Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard Kausch
- 1981–1984: Lieutenant Colonel Klaus Möller
- 1984–1987: Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich Otto
- 1987–1990: Lieutenant Colonel Klaus-Michael Schmidt
- 1990–1993: Lieutenant Colonel Axel G. Loewe
outlook
After several army reforms, in 2006 there was only one rocket artillery battalion ( Raketenartilleriebataillon 132 in Sondershausen ) and a mixed battalion with a rocket artillery battery. ( Artillery battalion 295 in Immendingen ), both equipped with the multiple rocket launcher MARS . In October 2011, the dissolution of the Missile Artillery Battalion 132 was announced. The three firing batteries were integrated into the artillery battalion 131 , the artillery teaching battalion 325 and the artillery teaching battalion 345 , so that the number of four rocket artillery batteries and this ability in the Bundeswehr is still retained.
See also
- The equipment of the Bundeswehr also included the Pershing I short-range missile in missile squadrons 1 and 2 of the Air Force until 1991 and the Hawk surface-to-air missile until around 2008 .
- Luftmunitionsanstalt Dünsen
literature
- Helmut R. Hammerich, Dieter H. Kollmer, Rudolf Schlaffer, Martin Rink : The army 1950 to 1970: conception, organization, assembly . Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, 2006. ISBN 3486579746
- Joachim Lenk: Soldiers, warheads and live ammunition , Wiedemann-Verlag Münsingen 2006, ISBN 3-9810687-2-6
Web links
- 20 years of rocket artillery battalion 150 (PDF; 2.2 MB)
- Postille 150, No. 10 March 2006 (PDF; 593 kB)
- www.peterhall.de
- Westerwald barracks
- Raketenartilleriebataillon 350 Montabaur ( Memento from October 22, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- 2013, 10 years after the closure
Coordinates: 54 ° 45 ′ 30.3 " N , 9 ° 22 ′ 55.1" E
Individual evidence
- ↑ For information on lists and reclassifications, see: Hammerich / Kollmer / Schlaffer / Rink: Das Heer 1950 to 1970, Munich 2006, p. 241 ff.
- ↑ Outline image http://www.peterhall.de/srbm/bundeswehr/rakartbtl-div/rakartbtl6.html
- ↑ The rocket artillery battalion 92 of the 1st airborne division (= 9th division) was set up under Lieutenant Colonel von Preller in Großengstingen in November 1961 and, after being moved to Philippsburg in 1964, was subordinated to the 12th Panzer Division and renamed the rocket artillery battalion 122 .
- ↑ http://www.peterhall.de/srbm/bundeswehr/rakartbtl-62/rakartbtl623.html
- ↑ About batteries and regiments
- ↑ Short chronicle of the rocket artillery battalion 112 at www.peterhall.de
- ^ Units stationed in the Caspari barracks in Delmenhorst
- ↑ Walk between bunkers
- ^ The Luftmunitionsanstalt 3 / XI Dünsen
- ↑ Festschrift Raketenartilleriebataillon 150 ( Memento of the original from October 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%203594.html
- ↑ http://www.eberhard-finckh-kaserne.de/html/sondermunitionslager_.html
- ↑ Rocket Artillery Battalion 350 in Montabaur ( Memento from October 22, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from June 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://traditionsverband-aartalkaserne-herbornseelbach.de/bernhard_gorholt.html
