Steuben barracks (Giessen)

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Steuben barracks
today European Quarter Giessen
local community to water
Coordinates : 50 ° 34 '  N , 8 ° 44'  E Coordinates: 50 ° 34 '27 "  N , 8 ° 43' 38"  E
owner Private
Old barracks names
1940-1945
1946-1959
1959-1964
from Brauchitsch-Lager
Smith-Camp
Scharnhorst-Lager
German EmpireWar Ensign of Germany (1938–1945) .svg
United StatesFlag of the United States.svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
Formerly stationed units
Artillery Regiment 2
Field Artillery Battalion 55
Artillery Battalion 340
Missile Artillery Battalion 340
Anti-Aircraft
Missile Regiment 2 Missile Artillery Battalion 52 Escort Battery
5
Resupply Training Company 18/3 Jäger
Battalion 56
30th USA Field Artillery Detachment
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg

GermanyFlag of Germany (state) .svg
United StatesFlag of the United States.svg
Steuben barracks (Hesse)
Steuben barracks

Location of the Steuben barracks in Hesse

The Steuben barracks in Gießen , named after General Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben , was located in the urban forest in the east of the urban area and covered an area of ​​55 hectares.

During the Second World War, the " von Brauchitsch camp" was built for the Wehrmacht by the National Socialists' Reich Labor Service on the site later used as the Steuben barracks . It comprised 8 massive buildings and 60 smaller field houses.

After the Second World War was initially the von Brauchitsch camp as "Camp Smith" in 1946 by occupying forces of the US Army used. With the establishment of the Bundeswehr on January 15, 1957, the staff and staff battery of Artillery Regiment 2 (previously: Field Artillery Regiment 2, Deines-Bruchmüller-Kaserne in Lahnstein ) moved into the barracks. From these units, the field artillery battalion 55 was formed on March 1, 1959 (later: Panzerartilleriebataillon 55). The barracks were now called "Scharnhorst-Lager". On April 2, 1959, the field artillery battalion 55 changed to the Panzergrenadierbrigade 5. From June 29, 1959, the field artillery battalion 55 was gradually moved to Stadtallendorf .

1959 moved to the barracks, the artillery battalion 340 one, the one of the first units of the Bundeswehr with nuclear-capable Honest John (HJ) - missile was equipped.

In the 1960s, expansion work took place in the barracks.

On September 1, 1964, the 340 artillery battalion was first renamed the 340 rocket artillery battalion and finally the 52 rocket artillery battalion on January 1, 1965. Also on September 1, 1964, the "Scharnhorst-Lager" was renamed Steuben-Kaserne.

Between 1966 and 1975 the Steuben barracks also housed the headquarters of the anti-aircraft missile regiment 2.

The rocket artillery battalion 52 remained in the Steuben barracks in Giessen until 1992. However, a battery was relocated to Kusel in 1981 . In 1986 an additional battery was set up for the battalion in Kusel. A battery was also removed from the battalion; henceforth it formed the escort battery 5, which remained in the Steuben barracks. Thus the 1st, 2nd and 4th batteries of the rocket artillery battalion 52 and the accompanying battery 5 were still in the Steuben barracks in Gießen, while the 3rd and 5th batteries were in Kusel.

Between 1962 and 1993, the Alten-Buseck special ammunition depot was set up in which US nuclear weapons were deposited. These belonged to the 30th USAFAD. In the event of a defense, it was planned to equip the rocket artillery battalion 52 with these atomic warheads.

From April 1, 1982 to September 11, 1992 the Jäger Battalion 56 (equipment unit) was in the Steuben barracks in Giessen. The Jäger Battalion was then moved to the Berg barracks and reclassified to Homeland Security Battalion 56.

In the immediate vicinity was the US base Hohe Warte , which was established on August 5, 1982 as the first Patriot missile defense position in the Federal Republic of Germany. The 4th Battalion of the 43rd US Air Defense Artillery Regiment was located here. In 1991 the US troops withdrew during the Gulf War.

With the end of the Cold War , the 1st and 2nd batteries of the rocket artillery battalion 52 were disbanded in 1992 and the 4th battery was also relocated to Kusel. The rocket artillery battalion 52 was also moved to Kusel and stationed there as the rocket artillery training battalion 52. The companion battery 5 was also decommissioned.

The barracks were closed on September 30, 1993. Most of the hangars and simply built accommodation ("barracks") were demolished. The “Europaviertel Gießen” industrial area was developed around the remaining buildings and technical facilities.

Individual evidence

  1. http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/USAREUR_Kaseres.htm
  2. Article in the Gießener Anzeiger from July 2, 2016 (Author: Harun Atmaca)
  3. Chronicle of the Missile Artillery Battalion 52
  4. Chronicle of the Missile Artillery Battalion 52
  5. Chronicle of Panzerartilleriebataillon 55
  6. Chronicle of the Missile Artillery Battalion 52
  7. Federal Archives
  8. Chronicle of the Missile Artillery Battalion 52
  9. Chronicle of the anti-aircraft missile regiment 2
  10. Chronicle of the Missile Artillery Battalion 52
  11. ^ Contribution to the Alten-Buseck special weapons warehouse
  12. Chronicle of the Jägerbataillon 56, pdf  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.hschbtl56.de  
  13. Contribution to the patriot position Hohe Warte Gießen
  14. Chronicle of the Missile Artillery Battalion 52
  15. Zoning plan for Steuben barracks