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4th
Transportation Battalion |
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| SUBORDINATE UNITS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Battalion History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1945 - 19.. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 4th Trans Bn DUI (1950s-60s?)  4th
Trans Bn DUI (approved Feb 1, 1968) |
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| (Source: 4th Transportation Battalion History , PAO, 4th Trans Bn, around 1980, and online Unit History) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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At
the end of the World War II, the 4th Quartermaster Battalion was
in Leipzig, Germany, but was moved to Munich and given a depot clearance
mission.
For its wartime accomplishments, the unit was awarded five battle streamers representing the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central European campaigns. These streamers are carried on the colors today. The battalion was temporarily inactivated in March 1947, after being converted to the Transportation Corps. It was reactivated on Okinawa in June 1949, but inactivated one year later. Final activation came at Fort Eustis, Virginia on 20 November 1950 when the battalion was allotted to the Regular Army. It remained at Fort Eustis until Operation GYROSCOPE brought it back to Germany in 1956. The 4th Battalion would rotate to Ludwigsburg, Germany, to replace the 27th Transportation Battalion, which would return to the US and be stationed at Fort Eustis. An advance planning group of the 4th Battalion arrived in Europe on 15 November 1955. The main body of the 4th Trans Bn left Fort Eustis on 6 April 1956. Arriving in Germany, the Bn was assigned to Flak Kaserne in Ludwigsburg and attached to the 10th Transportation Highway Group. From that time until its inactivation at the end of the Cold War, the battalion remained located at Flak Kaserne. By the mid-1950s, the French Line of Communications (LOC) was in full swing and US Army Europe had established a line of communication from the ports of Northern France to the 7th Army in Germany. The 37th Transportation Highway Group was responsible for the western leg of the line haul to Mannheim; at Mannheim, it handed off cargo to the 10th Group which then delivered to the garrisons and units in the field. At that time, the 10th Trans Hwy Gp was composed of the 4th, 29th and 38th Transportation Battalions. With the arrival of the 4th in Germany, the 27th Trans Bn released its truck companies to the 4th. In June 1956, the 4th Trans Bn comprised the following companies: |
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| At the end of 1956, the 62nd Medium Truck Co was released from attachment to the 4th and attached to the 29th Trans Bn. In 1956 or early 1957, the 15th Trans Co (Lt Trk)(Army) was transferred from Ft. Eustis to join the 4th with station in Bamberg. In 1957, the Battalion picked up the 32nd Trans Co (Med Trk)(S&P) that replaced the 10th Trans Co which rotated back to the States (Ft. Eustis) on 21 March as part of Operation GYROSCOPE. The 126th Trans Co (Med Trk)(Cargo) was attached to the 4th Trans Bn in early 1958. This unit was located at Karlsruhe. In June 1958, the 4th Trans Bn comprised the following companies: |
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| Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Trans Bn (Trk) was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 4th Trans Bn (Trk) on 20 Feb 1959. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the 4th Trans Bn was tasked with providing general support to Seventh Army units and direct support to the 3rd Infantry Division, which was organized as a pentomic division. With the reorganization to pentomic, the 15th Trans Co was released from attachment to the 4th and attached to the 3rd Inf Div where it provided DS to 2nd Battle Group, 4th Infantry located in Bamberg. In 1962, the 3rd Inf Div reorganized under ROAD and the direct support role of the 15th changed. The Company was reorganized as a Medium Truck, received new M-52 tractors and the M-127 stake and platform (S&P) trailers, and was reattached to the 4th Bn. On 24 June 1962, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 4th Trans Bn was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 4th Trans Bn (Trk). In 1963, the 4th Trans Bn was organized as follows: |
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| Looking for additional details on the unit history of the 4th Transportation Battalion - with special emphasis on the early 1960s though the 1970s. This period is not covered by the online history at the Biggs Library. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| (Source: 4th Trans Bn Command Briefing booklet, late 1980s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| (Source: Email from Robert L. Bandi, 590th Trans Co) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As a former enlisted member of the 590th Trans Co, 4th Trans Bn. It is great to see the history of the 4th TC Bn. However, I noticed that nothing was said about the 533rd Trans Co being assigned to the 4th in the early 1960’s. I was assigned to the 15th Trans Co and then transferred to the 590th after arrival in Germany. I have many documents that I saved from my times with the 590th at Flak Kaserne. |
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| (Source: Email from Steven Korish, 396th Trans Co, 1973-75) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I started off in Germany in HQ Co. of the 3rd Bn, 21st FA (Honest John) at
Fiori Barracks, in Aschaffenburg. Initially worked as the fuel truck
operator for the 3/21st - a 5-ton tactical fitted with two 500 gallon diesel
pods and towing a third (gas) pod in a trailer. We spent a lot of time in
the field - larger scale maneuvers in Grafenwoehr and every winter we
participated in the REFORGER exercises. REFORGER IV and V for sure. My favorite REFORGER exercise was breaking down on a lonely hilltop location after topping off one of the Batteries - huddled in a sleeping bag in the cab all night waiting for a mechanic. I was close-up to a great aerial dogfight the next morning - and learned from the mechanic when he arrived that one of the jets had 'killed' me. I thought 'GREAT!" - that means I can sit back - this truck won't have to deliver fuel for the rest of the exercise. Somehow my being dead did not eliminate me from hostling fuel, despite my protests. Luck sent me to the 396th Transportation Company - Flak Kasern - Ludwigsburg, outside of Stuttgart. My truck there was a deuce and a half. Our best runs were taking slack for 37th Group when they got overloaded. Always hoped it would take us in or past Rhein Mein - they had the best messhall and it served breakfast at midnight; almost made you want to join the Air Force. |
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| Related Links: 4th Trans Bn/44th Trans Bn - one of many great transportation unit histories online at the US Army Transportation School Library (Biggs Library and Information Center) |
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