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U.S. ARMY INSTALLATIONS - REGENSBURG
 
MAPS
Installation Maps
 
Looking for installation maps and information on US Army kasernes in and around Regensburg. If you have any, please contact the webmaster.
 
1960s

Topographical maps of Regensurg and surrounding area.

Legend:
1. Fort Skelly
2. Raffler Kaserne
3. Leopold Kaserne and Pioneer Kaserne
4. (US kaserne?)

Need help in identifying/verifying the location of the various US Army kasernes in Regensburg - please contact me if you know where the facilities were located.

Click on the thumbnail to view a larger format of the same map.

NOTES:
Georg Bauer, Germany, reports that Pioneer Kaserne was located on Landshuterstrasse, and that Picture #13 does show part of the Housing Area


 Don Henderson, stationed there from 1960 to 62 with the 508th MP Bn, provided the following input:
#1 on map is Leopold Kaserne (mostly German Troops)
#2 Ft Skelly (all US Troops)
#3 Raffler Kaserne (German troops and 508th motor pool)
#4 Pioneer Kaserne - PX, EM Club, Officers Club and BOQ.

Ft Skelly was located just off of Landshuterstrasse.

Michael Ehrenreich, Germany, provides some more details:
 here you get adresses of Regensburg Casernes, taken from Bundeswehr adress list, January 1989:

RAFFLER Kaserne: Bajuwarenstrasse 2 (= northward)
PRINZ LEOPOLD Kaserne: Zeissstrasse 4 (seems it was collocated with PIONIER
Ksn., Daimlerstrasse)
BAJUWAREN Kaserne: Bajuwarenstrasse 1 (=southward)
NIBELUNGEN Kaserne: Carl-Maria-von-Weber-Strasse 5

so on your topo map 50.000 -- Prinz Leopold can be identified as Nr. 3, Nibelungen as Nr. 1, and Bajuwaren Nr. 2.
Nr. 4 are the oldest kasernes, so called
INFANTERIE Kaserne (built around 1890/1900) - northward
KAVALLERIE Kaserne (completed 1915) - southward 
Additional information (in German): Wikipedia article

Regensburg (374 KB)

PHOTOS
Click on thumbnail to view larger image

Regensburg Kasernes

 

1. Fort Skelly Main Gate, 1953 (59 KB)
2. 3rd Bn Hqs Building, 1953 (80 KB)
3. Fort Skelly Barracks Buildings, 1953 (72 KB)
4. Another view of Barracks (67 KB)

5. Special Services Bldg, 1953 (85 KB)
6. Another view od the Special Services Bldg (59 KB)		    

7. Pioneer Kaserne, Bowling alley (91 KB)
8. Pioneer Kaserne, Service club (95 KB) (a)
9. Pioneer Kaserne, Diamond Club (109 KB) (a)
10. Pioneer Kaserne, POL filling station (83 KB)

11. Pioneer Kaserne, Motor pool (101 KB)
12. Pioneer Kaserne, Motor pool (120 KB)
12A. Pioneer Kaserne, former Motor pool, 2006 (100 KB)
13. Pioneer Kaserne, Local national performs maintenance on a playground (87 KB) (b)

14. Former Fort Skelly (now Nibelungenkaserne), 2005 (170 KB)
15. Former Pioneer Kaserne (now Pionierkaserne) and Raffler Kaserne (now Leopoldkaserne), 2005 (176 KB)
16. Markings still in english on maintenance doors (KB)		  

17. Main gate - entrance to US part of Pioneer Ksn (KB)		  

18. Service club and gym (KB)
19. (KB)
20. (KB)		  

21. Main gate secured (KB)
22. Maintenance shops (KB)
23. Kaserne layout (KB)		  

24. Fort Skelly, late 1950s (KB)		      
 
Your request for the layout of Bajuwaren (Raffler) Kaserne is best that I can remember of how far Raffler went to the south. The MP’s and Air Force were located in that area. We didn’t get along with them that well, so we stayed to our side of the Kaserne. The Consolidated Mess and Post Office was as about as far as we wandered into that area.
These following pictures are from my friend, Ed Bauer, taken in the winter of 2007. He is too young to remember much about Raffler and Pioneer before everything changed. For awhile he thought that Pioneer was Raffler until I described where it was located. So be did some checking around and finally got it straightened out.
 

25. Pioneer Ksn (KB)
26. Pioneer Kaserne main gate (KB)
27. (KB)
28. (KB)

29. (KB)
30. (KB)
31. (KB)
32. (KB)

33. (KB)
34. (KB) 		   
       
Deggendorf      

A. Donau Kaserne
      
       
       
Landshut      

A. Schoch Kaserne
B. Schoch Kaserne 		   
       
       
Straubing      

1. Aerial view of Mansfield Kaserne, 1953 (104 KB)
2. Straubing Army Air Base Main Gate, 1946 (99 KB)
3. Barracks on Straubing Army Air Base, 1946 (74 KB)
4. 396th Fighter Squadron Barracks, Straubing, 1946 (96 KB)

5. Officers Mess, Straubing Army Air Base, 1946 (74 KB)
6. EM Mess, Straubing Army Air Base, 1946 (77 KB)
7. Straubing American Red Cross Club, 1946 (135 KB)
8. Mansfield Ksn Main Gate, 1953 (78 KB)

9. Guard House next to Main Gate, 1953 (48 KB)
10. Mansfield Ksn Officers Club, 1953 (108 KB)
11. Post Chapel, 1953 (57)
12. Bachelor Officers Quarters, 1953 (49 KB)

13. Dependent Quarters, 1953 (49 KB)
14. Main street on post, 1953 (78 KB)
15. Service Club, 1953 (85 KB)
16. Headquarters Building, 1953 (38 KB)

17. Hq Co, 1st Bn Building, 1953 (85 KB)
18. Co A and B Barracks, 1953 (59 KB)
19. Aviation Section Hangar, 1953 (74 KB)
20. Regimental aviation, 1953 (51 KB)

21. Tower, Straubing Army Air Base, 1946 (52 KB)
22. Main Gate, early 1960s (90 KB)		    
 
CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS:

REGENSBURG KASERNES Section
(Source: Email from Bill Miller, Pioneer Kaserne, Regensburg, 1964-Jan 1966)
(a) Photo 8 & 9 show different angles of the Diamond Club.  Pioneer Kaserne did not have gym facilities, we had to use the German's Leopold Kaserne across the street if we wanted to use gym facilities.  Larry Swaboda, brother of the LA Angels' baseball player, Ron Swaboda, used the facilities frequently with a few of the other men in my unit.  Most preferred to exercise in the Diamond Club.

(b) Photo 13  The building on the left housed USAR Personnel, BOQ, administrative offices, and the PX.  The building on the right housed the Seventh Army unit of Battery A, 6th Missile Battalion, 61st Artillery from 1964 until they pulled out, whenever that was.  The photo is taken with the bowling alley behind the photographer and shows the main gate on Daimlerstrasse.  The Army family housing is not in the photo but would be accessed by turning right as you left the Kaserne and one block west across Landshuterstrasse.
Missing from the photos is the building that housed the Mess Hall and Army/Air Force motion picture theater (formerly the Officer's Club.)
 
Comment about the helicopters at Fort Skelly. The 11th Cavalry would bring in their helicopters before they went on maneuvers and leave them idle for four to six hours before they moved out.  Unfortunately their tanks would also sit around idling for the same time... the weary did not get any sleep.

PIONEER KASERNE Comments
(Source: Mason Frichette, Pioneer Ksn, Oct 1968-July 1970)
I happened across your site concerning Regensburg Installations (US installations in Germany). Under Corrections and Additions (b) it states that "The building on the right housed the Seventh Army unit of Battery A, 6th Missile Battalion, 61st Artillery from 1964 until they pulled out, whenever that was."

I was stationed in Regensburg from October 1968 until July 1970 with B Battery, 6th Missile Battalion, 60th Artillery. It was definitely "B" and 60th, not A and 61st. I think A Battery was in Amberg; other 6/60 batteries were in Hohenfels and Grafenwöhr.

Concerning B/6/60. I'm not saying it wasn't A Battery before I got there, only that during the time I was in.
 
(Source: Email from Gerald E. Ross )
I was the “garrison commander” at USAG Regensburg Garrison from mid-1964 until I ended my 2 years active duty in May 1965.

Re: Photo 13 in the Regensburg photo section above, the playground being built by local workers was my initiative. The 11th Armored Cav. had rotated back to Ft. Meade to prepare for deployment in VietNam. I was originally an artillery officer assigned to How Btry in the 11th AC, but because I had less than 12 months service left, regulations provided that I should not be transferred; thus the exalted title of Garrison Commander. Anyway, my task was to keep up as many services as possible for the 200 or so troops left in Regensburg after the 11th AC left and supervise preparation of the buildings at Ft. Skelly and Raffler Kaserne for return to the German government, including the anti-aircraft company that occupied the building on the right in the rear of the picture.

We had a problem with the small garrison. We had about 25 or so children in grades 1-6 and the parents did not like the idea of busing them to the nearest dependent school, which I believe was in Hohenfels, a good two hour ride on a bus each way. I convinced the Army school officials to let me build two classrooms for grades 1-3 and 4-6 in the building on the left, which also served as my HQ. We had about a dozen NCO’s, all experienced men, and at least 200 civilian employees so had no problem with doing the work necessary to prepare a school. Anyway, we built the school, including the playground you see.

We had to coordinate helicopter landings with school play times because the same spot served both functions!I Also installed a movie theater in the old officers club and made the Diamond Club a combined Officer/NCO/EM club. I was able to keep the bowling alley open by forming a league with the neighboring Bundeswehr 4th PanzerGrenadier Division.

I had quite a year and learned a great deal about dealing with the Army bureaucracy to get what my people needed and wanted. Then I left the Army for law school and have been practicing law in New York City since 1967. I would love to hear from anyone who was in Regensburg during those days. I returned there on a family trip last summer and found that Pioneer Kaserne is now some sort of military hospital for the German Army. Otherwise it looked much the same as it did in 1964. The building on the left had been the BOQ when the 11th AC was there, with a closed of hallway on the ground floor for women. We made the women’s quarters my NCO quarters for single NCO’s and got them QM furniture, which was much appreciated. We also had the school, a tiny PX, my office and I am not quite sure what else, probably a couple floors of empty rooms.

The NCO’s who were assigned to the garrison when I was the “commander” whom I remember were:
MSG Pete Kempenich
SSGT Walter (?) Klein - Sgt Klein had married a local lady and I believe planned to retire in Regensburg
SSGT Dickerson - SGT Dickerson also married a local lady.
SGT Tyler
SGT Natashay or Natashon - he ran the motor pool
SGT Cox
SGT Clifford Byce

Capt. Tom Seale was the CO of the anti-aircraft battery. I was also able to recruit an Air Force radar unit to use our facilities so we had a few more soldiers to take care of. Capt. Tim Kreig was an intelligence officer assigned to Regensburg in 1964. I have no idea what he actually did. I am probably wrong on the precise ranks and I may have forgotten. These were all experienced men and just did their jobs with no fuss and always made me look like I knew what I was doing.

We also had a full clerical staff of civilian employees, all of whom had been hired by the Army right after the war. They were superb. One of them, whose name I have forgotten (I think Vera, but don’t hold me to it) actually witnessed the SS hang the local bishop and mayor when they wanted to surrender the city to the Americans in April 1945. She also had a tragic experience – she was raped by a GI and had a child. Our librarian was a Czech refugee from the Soviets. Her family had been wiped out and she walked west for at least a year until she was picked up by a US Unit and wound up in Regensburg. Our civilian motor pool supervisor was a Jehovah’s Witness who had survived one of the concentration camps and was rescued by the US Army. Many of our civilian employees had stories like that – they were an amazing testament to the human capacity to survive terrible tragedy and trauma.

One of our “fun” projects was building soccer fields in the surrounding villages. As is often the case, the administrative apparatus was about two steps behind the tactical units, so we had enough people to support the 3rd Squadron, 11th AC and just the missile battery and radar unit so we had people, equipment and time. Thus the “fussball” field effort. A local burgomeister would call us and we would dispatch a road grader, bulldozer etc and create a soccer field. We enjoyed lots of chicken dinners at village festivals as a result and the Army got lots of good PR.

My commanding officer was Lt Col Fred Vinson, and his XO was a Major Krug, at Mansfield Kaserne in Straubing. Basically, as long as I kept him out of trouble he left me alone. One of our better projects was dealing with about 50 wrecked personal cars left behind by the 11th AC troops when the left for the US. The Army Regs spelled out a convoluted process to find and notify the owners, which would have taken months. The vehicles had been stripped of anything valuable and were just junk. Col Vinson was bugging me to get rid of them. My NCO’s and I made a deal with the local junkyard to take the cars, make them disappear within a day, in return for about 50 cases of beer. We were clear that no money was to change hands. The mission was accomplished in the early hours one Saturday morning.The colonel called me a couple days later and the conversation went like this:
“Ross, what have you done about the cars”
“Col. what cars?”
“Ross – those cars on xx strasse left behind by the troops”)
“Col. what cars?” etc. etcc.
“Ross dammit, I am asking you a question”
“Col., listen carefully sir, I just inspected that road and didn’t see any cars.”
“Oh – thank you Lieutenant -- dismissed.” 

I guess any statute of limitations has long since passed, so that story can now be told.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
 I was reading Mr. Biscan’s message and recall a few details differently. We were still using Raffler Kaserne in 1964 and I am reminded that the dependent school was there until the 11th A/C left Germany. It was that closing that led to my project to build a school for the little children. It is possible that it had been divided in two and shared with the Bundeswehr, but I just don’t remember. He is correct about the return of Ft. Skelly in 1965, right about the time I left the Army. I wonder if the German Gov’t repaired the bomb damage to the roof of the HQ building (One of the 1953 photographs shows the HQ building and you will notice that half the roof does not match the other half – part had been damaged in a raid and the bifurcated roof was a “quick and dirty” repair.

One rather touching Ft. Skelly story: The entire 11th A/C Regiment was out on winter maneuvers in November 1963, about two months after I arrived. We returned to base on November 22, 1963 (I was stuck in a little village of Vilshofen with a damaged personnel carrier, waiting for a wrecker and mechanic to get us up and running again). When we got back to town we of course learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

The next morning, all of the tanks were lined up in front of the Ft. Skelly HQ and the troops were formed up on the parade ground in full dress uniforms. A message from the secretary of defense was read and then a 21 gun salute was fired. Apparently this has been done every time a president dies in office. There was a massive outpouring of sympathy from everyone it seemed in Germany.  

I just read your e-mail. I did see those photos. I could not recognize Pioneer from the web site, but the images you just sent are much clearer and I think I spotted Pioneer Kaserne on the center left. There is a wooden tower about four stories high which was built for drying fire hoses. I can see it in the picture and it was still standing last year.

Ft. Skelly looked just like it always did but I can’t see the  damaged roof, which is why I asked whether the German gov’t had fixed it properly. My guess is they did at some point. The HQ building is along the short side on the lower right, the barracks are lined up on the right hand side of the parade ground and the motor pools were along the left. The land there is elevated above the parade ground but that is hard to see in the picture. My predecessor, plus the MP’s were at the opposite end of the parade ground from the HQ in the little building that shows in the photo. Behind all that was family housing and an ammo dump.
HISTORIES & MISC. INFORMATION
 
HISTORY OF THE REGENSBURG INSTALLATIONS

Source: Email from Egolf Biscan, webmaster of Luftfahrtgeschichte Regensburg (translated by Walter Elkins).
As far as I know, the Leopold Kaserne was the first to be returned to the German government (in the 1950s, for use by the newly formed Bundeswehr). I lived in the area and used to play in the Leopold Kaserne gym as a young boy. (Egolf's father worked for the US Army as a local national civilian.)

The Raffler Kaserne was returned to the Germans around 1959. The American Dependents School that was located there continued to be operated by the Americans for several years afterwards. In 1970, the Raffler Kaserne was divided into two separate sections by constructing a road right through it. The western section continued to be known as Raffler Kaserne. The much larger eastern section became the Bajuwaren Kaserne (as it is known still today).

I believe Fort Skelly was returned to the Germans around 1965 and renamed as Nibelungen Kaserne. I am not quite sure about the date.

The Pioneer Kaserne continued to be used by the Americans for quite some time. I believe that the last unit was moved to Hohenfels about 5 ro 6 years ago.

Besides the kasernes, there was also an army airfield behind the Raffler Kaerne that he visited frequently. He also remembers seeing L-19's, as well as helicopters, land at Fort Skelly. His greatest memories are of the annual July 4th fire works at Fort Skelly.
 
INFORMATION REQUEST

As part of his research on the early post-WWII days of civilian aviation in the Regensburg area, Mr. Biscan is looking for information on Capt. Joseph S. Wolfinger who served as commander of the Regensburg Army Airfield (Messerschmittflugplatz) in the 1953 timeframe. Capt Wolfinger is credited with having played an important role in helping the Germans in the formation of the Regensburg Light Air Sporting Club (a glider organization). He originally gave the local population permission to use the airfield for their model airplane club and later for glider flights. For more information, click here.

If you have information on Capt Wolfinger or the early days of Army Aviation in the Regensburg area, please contact Mr. Egolf Biscan or myself.
 
(Source: Christmas Menu 1955, issued by the Raffler Kaserne Consolidated Mess, via William Beumer)
 
Units (stationed at Raffler Ksn) listed on the Christmas Menu 1955:
Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 237th Engineer Battalion (Combat)
Company "B", 237th Engineer Battalion (Combat)
Detachment 2, 616th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron
26th Station Hospital
7822nd Army Unit (Regensburg)
1st Platoon, Company "C", 793rd Military Police Battalion
547th Army Postal Unit
 
Related Links:

368th Fighter Group Tribute (includes information and images from their stay at Straubing Army Air Base in 1945/46)
Mansfield Kaserne, 11th ACR Photo Album, 1959-62
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Page 1 - Straubing, Landshut and Regensburg from 1957 to 1964. (Page 3 - Fulda Gap from 1972 to 1994)
Aviation Company, 11th ACR - a web site dedicated to the soldiers of Aviation Company, 11th Armored Cavalry, Straubing, Germany, and their families and friends.
Army Aviation in Regensburg - a page (German language) by Egolf Biscan who is documenting the aviation history of Regensburg.