If you do NOT see the Table of Contents frame to the left of this page, then
Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' frameset

Port Command, USAREUR Com Z
Communications Zone

Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me.


7703rd Major Port

11th Trans Terminal Comd

Port Command

15th TC Terminal Bn

French Ports

Army HB Diving Team

Related Links
Bordeaux

La Rochelle

Rochefort

St. Nazaire

Mobile Subport

11th Transportation Terminal Command "B"
 

Communications Zone operated subports in the mid-1950s
(Year behind subport name indicates when the subport was opened)
 
(Source: Welcome! 11th Trans. Terminal Command "B", information brochure for newcomers published in the late 1950s or early 1960s)

Cover
 
MISSION OF THE 11th TTC "B"

The mission of the Communications Zone is to furnish logistical support to the US Army and other designated services stationed in Europe. The 11th TTC "B" is the foundation of this support as its primary mission is the initial receipt of cargo arriving from the United States and insuring the proper transport of this cargo in and thru the LOC (line of communications).

The 11th TTC "B" then effects the movement of cargo and things inbound and also handles outbound cargo at all the LOC Terminals in France using all available modes of transportation. At present, the 11th TTC "B," a fixed TO&E organization augmented by certain support units, has three (3) fixed Terminals located at St. Nazaire, La Pallice and Bassens; and one mobile Terminal (the 15th Trans Bn) which at present conducts the training exercises along the coast of France (these exercises are called "NODEX EXERCISES" (New Off-shore Discharge Exercises).

Caserne Aufredi - 11th TTCB Hqs after move from Rochefort in 1956 ( annotated)
 
In addition to the above, the 11th TTC "B" is responsible, as may be directed, for cargo arriving at ports in Spain and Portugal destined for military forces in France and Germany.

The secondary mission of the 11th TTC "B" is to provide logistical and administrative support to all military personnel and their dependents in the La Rochelle area. This support covers a multitude of functions, such as food, lodging, movies, religious functions and the requisition, storage and issuance of publications and supplies.
 
INSTALLATIONS USED BY US MILITARY IN 11th TTC "B" AREA
  INSTALLATION LOCATION COMMENTS
  Aufredi Caserne La Rochelle, France  
  Laleu Caserne (army airfield) Laleu (La Rochelle), France  
  Rochefort Arsenal Rochefort, France (1)  
  Joinville Caserne Rochefort, France returned to French Military 1956
  Touche-Treville Caserne Rochefort, France returned to French Military 1956
  Camp Bassens Bassens (Bordeaux), France  
  Camp Bussac Bussac, France  
  Bacalan Air Base Bordeaux, France  
  St. Nazaire Installation St. Nazaire, France  
       
(1) US Army personnel have been stationed in Rochefort since the fall of 1950, the year which saw the signing of the Franch-American Agreement which inaugurated the first peacetime Communications Zone.

In November 1950, Rochefort Arsenal and Joinville Caserne began housing a small group from the 7964th AU. La Touche-Treville Caserne, another local caserne, began housing US troops in June 1951. Together the three casernes formed the Rochefort Area Command.

In the fall of 1956, both Joinville and La Touche-Treville reverted to the local French military authorities, leaving Rochefort Arsenal -- today's Rochefort Installation -- as the center of the US Army's activities in the area.

Strip Maps
Installations in 11th TTC Area

 

1. Aufredi Caserne, La Rochelle (KB)

2. Laleu Caserne, La Rochelle (KB)

3. St. Nazaire Installation, France (KB)


4. Jeumont Shopping Center, Jeumont (57 KB)



 

COM Z Port Operations -- 1954/55
(Source: USAREUR Annual Historical Report 1954-55)
A. USAREUR Operations. Port operations were conducted by two commands, the Bremerhaven Port of Embarkation (BPOE) in Germany and the 11th Transportation Port Command B, subordinate to USAREUR COMZ. The latter operated all ports within France, including Bordeaux, Blaye, La Pallice, La Rochelle, Rochefort, St. Nasaire, and the COMZ offshore discharge exercise sites.

(1) Tonnages Handled. During FY 1955, BPOE and the 11th Transportation Port Command B handled 1,073,000 long tons of stock, or 289,000 long tons less than the previous fiscal year. BPOE alone handled some 231,000 tons less than during FY 1954, mainly shipments of general cargo and bulk POL. The tonnage of the 11th Transportation Port Command B also dropped by some 58,000 tons. The total decrease in tonnage receipts, however, was actually 77,000 tons for the French ports since shipments outloaded increased by 19,000 tons over FY 1954. Although plans under Concept C called for a shift to the LOFC in France, BPOE continued to handle a major share of tonnages. During FY 1955 the monthly average for BPOE was approximately 70,000 tons, whereas that for the entire COMZ port complex under the 11th Transportation Port Command B was only 17,000 tons. Much remained to be accomplished before USAREUR could achieve the 70-30 ratio envisaged under Concept C. (72) Table 14 shows the monthly cargo tonnages handled by both BPOE and the 11th Transportation Port Command B for FY 1955.


Table 14: Tonnages handled, FY 1955
(2) Personnel Movements. During FY 1955 396,692 personnel of all categories were shipped through both port commands, an increase of 16,701 persons over the previous fiscal year. Although BPOE handled some 10,843 more persons, the significant increase was at the 11th Transportation Port Command B, which saw an increase of 5,858 persons over the FY 1954 total of only 301 persons. Shipments of personnel through French ports occurred during only four months -- July and December, 1954, and January and February, 1955. At BPOE the major portion of the increase was in personnel embarking for the United States. (73)

B. NODEX Operations, 1954-1955. New offshore discharge exercises (NODEX) were begun in November 1954 after the original offshore discharge exercises (ODEX) had been stopped in February 1954. USAREUR planned to use certain new items of equipment in these exercises, such as landing craft utility (LCU), the 10,000-pound rough terrain forklift, the cargo resupply amphibious barge (BARC), and an aerial tramway. (74) In all, a total of 4 exercises were begun, with 3 of them being completed during the fiscal year. NODEX No. 1 began with the arrival of the Greece Victory on 1 November 1954 and terminated with the completion of discharge of cargo from the Lt. Robinson on 27 November. During the exercise, held at Le Verdon on the Gironde Estuary, a total of 7,832.8 long tons of cargo was unloaded from the participating ships. NODEX No. 2, began on 1 February 1955 at Le Verdon; No. 3 on 11 April at Le Verdon; and No. 4 on 27 June 1955 at La Repente, near La Pallice. (75)

In December 1954 the French Government had nominated five sites at which soil tests could be made for the selection of a permanent NODEX beach site. These included Le Verdon, Benedat Bay, La Foret de Fouesnant, Rade de Quiberon, and Rade de La Pallice. During March 1955 Base Section, COMZ, recommended Le Verdon as a permanent NODEX beach site, with negotiations to be continued for an alternate site. The only obstacle to using Le Verdon on a permanent basis was that the private property at the beach site would have to be purchased. (76)

(72) (1) USAREUR Quarterly Review of Log Actvs, 30 Jun 55, p. 80. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED). (2) USAREUR Plan and Dir, 31 Mar 55, sub: Concept C, Goals for Implementation, pp. 6-9. Prepared by the USAREUR ACOFS G4. GLD 65-1. SECRET. In USAREUR Hist Div Doc Br.

(
73) USAREUR Quarterly Review of Log Actvs, 30 Jun 55, p. 79. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED).
(74) USAREUR CINC's Wkly Stf Conf 14, 2 Nov 54, p. 5. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED). In USAREUR Hist Div Doc Br.
(75) (1) USAREUR CINC's Wkly Stf Conf 17, 14 Dec 54, p. 7. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED). (2) Memos, USAREUR ACOFS G4 to USAREUR COFS, 1 Feb, 1 Apr, 1 Jun 55, sub: Monthly Report of Important Planning Projects Pending within G4 Division. UNCLASSIFIED. In USAREUR ACOFS G4 Cen files, 319.1 (1955), Vol, I.
(76) Memo, USAREUR ACOFS G4 to USAREUR COFS, 1 Feb, 1 Apr 55, cited above.


1959 
(Source: Email from Ted Mauritzen)
I began my tour in the summer of 1959 and remember being picked up at the train station by a GI in a very strange car resembling an old 50 Chevy. Of course it was a Renault and I remember thinking this is probably the worst built car I had ever been in. I would later be introduced to the Citroen which was even worse.

The mess hall was open 24 hours then at Laleu and they thought it was nothing to order a dozen scrambled eggs at midnight. I was only joking at the time but that is what I was served.

The 3-story building I would be staying in was really a mess with holes in the walls you could walk through and a lot of construction projects going on all day long. There was a crew of French workers laying a new tile floor at a very slow pace. So slow I think they were still at it 2 years later when I rotated back to the States.

I was introduced to the staff of the S-4 Supply at Aufredi the next morning. I remember they had some really attractive French girls working there. I thought I was in heaven.

This was a great time to be serving in Europe and particularly the La Rochelle area as there was peace and harmony if you discounted the occasional "Yankee Go Home" signs that appeared infrequently.

My job consisted of supplying just about anything that was needed anywhere in the command area or outside it for that matter. We distributed office furniture, typewriters, targets to the French army, tents to a NODEX operation near Normandy, household furniture and appliances to newly arrived officers and non-coms living off-base.

We also were in charge of getting things repaired, moving whatever needed moving including weapons and ammo to the Captieux Ordnance Depot south of La Rochelle.

I made many trips to Rochefort where the boat company was stationed and to Croix Chapeau Hospital as well as Jeaumont and the PDO installation at Lagorde. I should not leave out La Pallice where we sometimes brought things to the Naval ships that docked near the old U-Boat base located there. I remember one ship distinctly, the USS Forrest Royal, a destroyer I think.

My day usually started with requisitioning a deuce-and-a-half-truck from the motor pool at Laleu and a large forklift at the Jeaumont Quartermaster facility. I had to put the forklift inside a huge old German Ammo Bunker at Jeaumont before I drove to Aufredi to begin the work day. By the time I got there it was almost lunchtime. We had a choice of several mess halls in the area to eat at and if the food didn't look too great at Laleu we could always go to one at Jeaumont which was positively gourmet all the time.

I was young, energetic and friendly so I got along well with everybody I met which made my tour exceptionally enjoyable. I had a lot of great experiences, some quite amusing and traveled a lot as much as I could, getting to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Spain.


NODEX 21 - Roll-off method of discharching S&P and van trailers (Leo McGowan - link)
(If anyone has good photos of Base Section or Bremerhaven POE floating equipment such as tugboats,
DUKW's, BARC's, J-boats, T-boats and other watercraft in the Com Z - please
contact the webmaster)

Port Area Command
 

USNS Comet, a RORO vessel, being discharged at the Port of La Pallice, France, 1960
 

USNS Comet, hatch #1 discharge at the Port of La Pallice, 1960
 
(Source: NODEX-24, La Pallice/La Repentie, 28 Aug - 3 Sept 1960)

Port Command Org 1960


PAC Ports
 
.

Army HB Diving Team
 
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, April 30, 1963)
The Army HB Diving Team is located at Rochefort, France. Strength: 7 (includes five divers). The team reports to the commanding officer of Rochefort Sub-Post.

The Army diving team is the only one stationed in Europe.

Their responsibilities include making underwater repairs on Port Area Comd's fleet of landing craft, tugs, repair ships and barges; recovering equipment lost overboard; making underwater inspections of seacoast areas in advance of NODEX ship-to-shore landing exercises. The divers also perform regular inspections and make repairs on the underwater pipeline off Donges through which tankers anchored offshore pump their liquid cargoes directly into Com Z's European petroleum pipeline network.

The divers wear deep-water diving gear or scuba equipment for work in shallow waters.

Fully rigged for deep water diving, a diver wears a 54-pound helmet and breastplate (a.k.a. "hat"), an 18-pound rubberized canvas diving suite (a.k.a. "dress"), a 96-pound lead-weighted belt and 21-pound metal-soled boots (a.k.a. "shoes"). (Total weight: 189 pounds) (When not in use, the helmets are stored on a rack with high-wattage light bulbs burning inside them to cook out all moisture.

 
Related Links:
  US Army Assignments Bruce Richards - Bruce was assigned to the 77th Transportation Company (37th Trans Gp) out of La Rochelle, France, and has a photo page on La Rochelle on his website.  
  Caserne Aboville Yahoo Group - Caserne Aboville in Poitiers, France served as the headquarters for BASEC (COMZ Base Section) from 1961 to 1967, when the US military was asked to leave France. This very active Yahoo Group is open to military and civilian personnel and their dependents who served at Poitiers and surrounding area during that period.