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8th
Antiaircraft Artillery Group |
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| 260th AAA Group History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8th AAA Group History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 8th AAA Gp DUI |
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| 1952 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, Oct 26, 1952) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hendrix Visits New Casern Brig Gen Raleigh R. Hendrix, CG, 7th Army Arty, paid an impromptu visit to the 8th AAA Gp and 633rd AAA Gun Bn recently at the Rhine Kaserne in Biebrich. The new kaserne is still under construction. When completed, it will be one of the most modern and complete in the Wiesbaden area. Hendrix inspected the snack bar, PX, motor maintenance shops, the bachelor officers' quarters, mess hall and enlisted men's quarters. |
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| 1953 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, July 1, 1953) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 8th AAA Group was activated on 1 July 1952 at Wiesbaden Air Base. (It replaced the 260th AAA Gp, a National Guard unit that was inactivated. Not sure if this means that the 260th was originally deployed to Europe as part of the buildup during 1951-52 and stationed at the air base until July 1, 1952.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORGANIZATION (1 July 1953): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| (Source: Author's collection) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1954 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Seventh Army Annual Historical Report FY 1954) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORGANIZATION (30 June 1954): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sometime between June 1954 and Dec 1955, the 40th AAA Bn was transferred to Kaiserslautern where it was attached to the 12th AAA Gp. Probably concurrent to this move, the 91st AAA Bn, previously under the 12th Gp, was transferred to Wiesbaden and placed under the 8th AAA Gp. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Seventh Army Annual Historical Report FY 1956) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORGANIZATION (30 June 1956): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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509th AAA Op Det DUI |
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| 5th AAA AW Battalion (Mbl) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 5th AAA AW Bn DUI |
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| 1952 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Richard Hartley, 5th AAA AW Bn) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Well I didn't make it to Wiesbaden. I arrived in Germany from Camp McCoy Wis in late April with the 5th AAA AW Bn (M) and we were sent to Mittenwald. About July we moved out and traveled to the Rhein Main Air Base area. We set up all around the Air base until Aug. Then we set up in a tent city area, that's when we were supposed to move into some barracks. I was ready to come home ( Pres. Truman called off our one year extension) so I left Germany around the middle of Aug. and was discharged on Aug 27 1952. |
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| 40th AAA AW Battalion > AAA Bn (GUN 90mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1953 - 19.. (Rhein Ksn, Biebrich) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 40th AAA Gun Bn DUI |
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| (Source: Email from Bob Marhenke, 40th AAA AW Bn) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I was part of the 40th AAA when they first moved into the Rhein Kaserne
at Biebrich. We had just taken over for the 633rd AAA (National Gaurd)
outfit from New Jersey. I am not sure of the date that the
633rd AAA became the 40th AAA but for sure close to but after Nov 26 1952.
(Webmaster: The date I have for when the 633rd AAA Bn was released from Federal Service was 14 April 1953.) I joined them in Sonthofen and we camped at
Rüsselsheim until the barracks were ready. This would be about
1952-53. Early 1952 I arrived a Bremerhaven and by train traveled to Sonthofen in the southern most point in Germany and there joined the 633rd AAA Bn. I think we called the camp "The Burg" as it had prior been a fortress for Hitler. As I recall the 633rd AAA was a National Guard outfit from New Jersey and had arrived at Sonthofen a short time ahead of me. I say this as they were still cleaning the heavy coat cosmaline (sp) off the equipment when I arrived. With some hunting I might find a better date if you are interested. Once we had the equipment serviceable, in convoy we went to Putlos on the Baltic Sea to fire our 90 mm guns. As I recall it was a two or three day trip to get there and we spent several days there. As I recall we were not too accurate and almost shot down the plane pulling the target. My memory is pretty fuzzy but as I recall the plans were: a new camp was to be ready on our return but that did not happen and we camped several weeks at Rüsselsheim in an old German 88 MM Gun emplacement that had over looked an Opel factory in WWII. We stayed there until the camp was ready. I am sure we had several field problems while there. I think I may have a picture of us camped there. Anyway the camp was nealy ready so we moved to the Rhein Kaserne at Biebrich a suburb of Wiesbaden right on the Rhein River. If your room was on the river side you could look out your window and see the river and the large barge traffic. We were not the first US outfit to occupy Rhein Kaserne, an all-black outfit (prior to the integration of black and white units in USAREUR) was there prior to us. When we arrived they were still hard surfacing the motor pool area and somewhere I have a picture of that operation taken from my barracks window. My superiors were Sgt Durante, Lt Leidy, Lt Hickman, Captain Sabo, Lt Col Boomer was commanding Officer of the Battalion at Rhein Kaserne. I was a radio operator in the Computer section of Battery "B". I was also Battalion Carpenter brought on because I had a carpenter job prior to going into the service. This is the period of time when they were integrating the services. The 40th was originally white and the 48th (AAA Bn) originally black. When they were through the 40th had a large black population and some race problems broke out and Rhein Kaserne was no exception. It seems we may have taken another trip to Putlos but I am not sure. I know much of our time was spent on maneuvers playing war games. Down the street from the Rhein Kaserne was a very nice Gasthaus called "Rhein Terrassen" and if you recall Nov 26 1952 we bid farewell to the 633 with a party there. I helped plan the party and still have the souvenir program. This program has a complete listing of all of Battery "B" plus the complete list of commanding officers of the 633rd on that date. At this point in time we had been at the Rhein Kaserne a while. |
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| 19.. - 19.. (Kleber Ksn, Kaiserslautern) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from J. King, 40th AAA Gun Bn. Motor Pool) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I recently read an email from 2nd Lt. James Slack, 504th Opn Det providing some past history on the 34th AAA Brigade. I also served in Germany at the same time as Lt. Slack. His condensed history of the 34th AAA Bde is pretty much as I remember it.
I have one minor problem with the article, from 1955 to 1956 I was assigned to the 40th AAA Gun Bn., but the location was not Rhein Ksn, Wiesbaden but, Kleber Ksn, Kaiserslautern. This is just a point of fact, hoping that the history of the 34th stays correct.
Each AAA unit had a crest and motto, our motto was "Defend or Die". Thank You Lt. Slack for keeping this small part of our military history alive. |
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| 1956 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Bruce Utto, A Btry, 40th AAA AW Bn) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I went into the 40th AAA in June, 1956 and staid until 1958; I was in A Battery Radar section. Then I went down to S3 Headquarters. I drove the Executive officers around. In 1958, I went to the 95th AAA Msl Bn, Nike Ajax, and staid until 1959. I have a lot of pictures of the 40th and some from the Nike site. It's been too long and I don't remember names of the guys I served with. |
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| 63rd AAA Battalion (GUN 90mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 A member of the 63rd AAA Gun Bn stands next to the Headquarters sign at Wiesbaden Air Base |
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 The 63rd AAA Gun Bn at the Todendorf Range (Webmaster's collection) |
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 A 90-mm AA gun is driven up the ramp of an LCU Mark IV of the Rhine River Patrol during a river crossing excercise (Webmaster's collection) |
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 63rd AAA Gun Bn DUI |
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| (Source: Email from Robert Szostek) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I have some modest insights into the 63rd AAA Gun Bn. Picture #3 (above) is more than likely what is now known as the Wiesbaden community activity center on what is now Clay Kaserne. The problem is the Army has built an extension to the rear of the building which has destroyed the tennis/volleyball court depicted, but I was there today and it really does look very similar, especially as there are hardly any other 2 storey (sorry I'm English) buildings on WAAF. Pic4 is indeed the church on WAAF although you wouldn't be able to see the building on the left these days (bldg 1015, where I work these days) because the Air Force built an extension perpendicular to the church after 1951, when the church was built. Pic 5 is taken in a south-east section of WAAF built after 1945 where 6 symetrical 4 storey barracks buildings are still there to this day. The other pictures of the guns on the fenceline could be anywhere although one presumes they were taken on the eastern side of the base. How things don't change. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Actually, I have to update to the above info. Picture 3 is actually what is now the Army Health Clinic. (I have been walking a lot this week which is good news). The buildings are very similar but the clinic has the four basement windows on the right hand side that the catering center does not have. Plus the chimneys are different. And, as it's opposite the church, I guess the photographer just turned round and took his picture. Pic 2 is almost certainly taken from building 203 on your map of WAB, the area that is all grass on that picture is now full of buildings. WAB, or Clay Kaserne as it's now known, has changed a lot over the years. The building in pic 5 is one of those 4-story barracks buildings and not dependent housing. |
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| 633rd AAA Battalion (Mbl) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1952 - 1953 (Sonthofen - Rüsselsheim - Biebrich) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 633rd AAA Gun Bn DUI |
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| (See 40th AAA Bn section for some information about the redesignation of the 633rd to the 40th AAA Bn.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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5th AAA AW Bn
