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Base Section, USAREUR Com Z |
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| BASEC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, May18, 1952) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| One of the primary missions of the command is the operation of US ports between Cherbourg (Normandy) and the Spanish border. HQ BASEC is located in a former military hospital on Place de Verdun, in the center of downtown La Rochelle. The installation is known as Aufredi (or Aufredy) Caserne (  ). Since office space is short, most of the headquarters troops are located at Laleu, about 2½ miles west of the Hqs bldg. The major dock installations where US ships come in are located at La Pallice, also several miles to the west. Today, there are 18 major BASEC installations. (Some of the installations are in operation; a few are close to the point of completion; others are still in the site selection phase.) One of the installations is Camp Crespy in Bordeaux, France, home of the 7803rd Augmentation Det (formerly known as Bordeaux Det). This installation is occupied by both US as well as French units. The Americans occupy seven buildings within the installation (a number of others live in tents). amp Crespy has a PX and a STRAS & STRIPES newsstand but no snack bar. Det Hqs is located in the Hotel Bon Repos (Rue d'Orman), occupying two floors. The Det comes under HQ BASEC and controls the installations around Bordeaux and to the south of the city. |
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| 1956 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, July 29, 1956) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HQ Base Section (BASEC) of the Communications Zone moved its headquarters from La Rochelle to Poitiers, France, in July 1956. The switch to Aboville Caserne in Poitiers ( ) took three weeks and involved transporting several hundred military personnel and dependents, as well as their household goods and the headquarters office furniture, equipment and supplies (over 60,000 cubic feet of goods).The advantage of moving the headquarters to Poitiers is the centralization of all BASEC support facilities in one location. At La Rochelle, BASEC headquarters was split between three different parts of the city. Rental units for dependents are located at Belle Juoane and La Gibaudier (almost finished). There are separate BOQs for WACs, DACs and officers. New facilities (currently under construction) are an officers mess; NCO Club; EM Club; chapel; dependents school; gold course. Brig Gen James K. Woolnough is the BASEC CG. |
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| (Source: Christmas Card, undated, submitted by Bryan Hackett) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Air Section, Base Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, Jan 4, 1956) |
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Air Section, BASEC, Com Z is located at Laleu Army Airfield ( ) near La Rochelle, France.The Air Section, formed in 1950, has a strength of 19 military personnel (three are pilots) and comprises two De Haviland L-20's (fixed-wing), two Cessna L-19's (fixed-wing), and two Bell H-13 helicopters. The unit supports the commander of BASEC and his staff throughout western France. Laleu Airfield has a grass landing strip. (In the first years of operations, there were no hangars available for the American military aircraft. The planes were stored in the motor pool.) Besides the airfield at Laleu, only the installations (within the BASEC AOR) at Captieux, Bussac, Fontenet and La Roche Sur Yon have suitable landing areas. Civilian facilities have to be used for flights to US installations at Braconne, Saumur, Ingrandes, Poitiers, Perigeux, St. Nazaire, and Chinon. The Merignac Air Base (USAFE) is used for flights to Bordeaux. |
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| 1st Logistical Command | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 1st Logistical Command Patch |
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1961 |
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(Source: STARS & STRIPES, Nov 15, 1961) |
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The 1st Logistical Command will take over responsibility for all logistical installations in western France on Dec 15, 1961. Headquarters for the 1st Log Comd is being set up at Poitiers, France. All units assigned to the 1st Log Comd will wear the command's shoulder patch, a red, white and blue bull's-eye and arrow. The command was formerly stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. and assigned to the Strategic Army Corps (STRAC). |
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(Sources: various sources) |
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The 1st Log Comd deployed to France in late 1961 (during the Berlin build up) where it operated under the Communications Zone, United States Army-Europe. Placed on alert on Sept. 5, 1961, troops of the command left Hampton Roads, Va., on the USNS GORDON for Cherbourg, France. The GORDON landed at Cherbourg on Oct. 19, 1961, and the soldiers of the command continued by rail to Poitiers, site of the command's new headquarters. The command's mission was to organize a Base Logistical Command which would supervise depot and port operations in western and southwestern France under the command of the Comunications Zone. The command returned to the United States Aug. 11, 1962, after nearly a year of service in Europe. It was assigned to III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas. |
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| 5th Logistical Command | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Port Area Command | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 USNS Comet, a RORO vessel, being discharged at the Port of La Pallice, France, 1960 |
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 USNS Comet, hatch #1 discharge at the Port of La Pallice, 1960 |
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(Source: NODEX-24, La Pallice/La Repentie, 28 Aug - 3 Sept 1960) |
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| 11th Transportation Terminal Command "B" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Communications Zone operated subports in the mid-1950s (Year behind subport name indicates when the subport was opened) |
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(Source:
Welcome! 11th Trans. Terminal Command "B", information
brochure for newcomers published in the late 1950s or early 1960s)
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| 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. |
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INSTALLATIONS
USED BY US MILITARY IN 11th TTC "B" AREA
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(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. |
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| 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.
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 Table 14: Tonnages handled, FY 1955 |
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 (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) |
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(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. |
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 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) |
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| 15th Transportation Terminal Battalion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Source: Email from Homer Williams, 570th Trans Det (Port)) |
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The 15th Trans Bn, with the 570th Trans Det and the 51st Boat Co (Webmaster Note: should be 81st Transportation Company (Boat)), unloaded ships over the beach. The ship we unload frequently was the USNS Comet. The Comet is a Roll-On/Roll-Off freighter. Loaded trailers were loaded onto the Ship and when it reached it's destination,Tractors would pull them from the Ship to thier destination. Only the two forward Cargo Holdes contained loose cargo.
The 51st Boat Company used landing craft, DUKW's and BARC's to transport the cargo to the beach. A BARC was capable of carring 100 tons of cargo. The BARC had 14-foot wheels and could haul the Cargo from the ship to the rail head. I was assigned to a 40-ton Crane and Maintaince while in Garrison, when we were on what they called NODEX (New Off-shore Discharge Exercise = unloading a ship over the beach). I operated a 20-ton mobile crane or a 10-ton tracked crane. I also worked on the beach with the Manifest keeping the cargo separated by destinations and making sure everything on the manifest was accounted for and that it was sent to it's proper destination. The Army sent the unit two Walter tractors made for unloading the Roll-On/Roll-Off ships. The Walters tractor had four wheel steering that was needed to remove or place trailers in tight places on the ship. Sp/5 Friedbaure and I were assigned to test the Walters tractors and recommend any modifications we thought were needed. At the time the tractors arrived it took two men to operate a tractor. After we had changes made to the tractor, one person could operate the tractor. Also, when the MP's were on alert and had to move, myself and others became MP's. I must say the 570th had the best bunch of Stevadores. The following photos were taken while I was stationed with the 570th Trans Det (Port): |
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CORRECTIONS (Source: Email from Jim Smith, son of WOJG Hugh J. Smith who served with the 81st Trans Co (Boat)) In the above post on COMZEUR, you mention the 51st Boat Company and their participation in the New Offshore Discharge Exercises off the French coast. My father, WOJG Hugh J. Smith, was stationed with the 81st Transportation Boat Company in Rochefort, France in the early fifties. He wore the COMZEUR shoulder patch. He was later the S4 for the Rochefort Arsenal, and was assigned to the 11th TTC (B). Could there be an error in the numeration of this boat company in the COMZEUR piece, or were there more than one boat company nvolved in NODEX in this timeframe (1952 - 1954)? Otherwise, I cannot find anything on the 81st Boat Company on the internet. Webmaster Note: Jim also provided a heads up on some newly posted NODEX documentation that can be found in the Vertical File Reference Material section on the Biggs Library and Information Center website (US Army Transportation School, Fort Eustis, VA). Careful!!! Some of the NODEX files are very large 100+ MB. |
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 Several LCU's of the 81st Boat Company on a beach in France |
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(Source: Email from Paul Pratt, 81st Boat Company, 1955-56) |
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There was also a DUKW company and a
stevedore company stationed in the woods. Our company had about 20 LCM 6's and 8's and four live aboard LCU's. I was stationed on the oldest one for a few months which was built in the forties in Buffalo, NY and used in WW2. It had a crew of 13. Our skipper was WO Mr Kiely. Most of our ship unloading took place on the beach near Le Verdon at the mouth of the Gironde River. There was a special exercise in 1956 in Talmont on the east side of the Gironde River that used a Texas Tower type arrangement with cabes and [sky cars] to haul off loaded cargo to waiting 2½-ton trucks. In September,1956 we were assigned just outside St. Jean De luz, a few miles north of the Spanish border. We were there about a month and a half living in pup tents. I remember that our company was part of the 15th Trans. Bn. I hope this information is useful to someone at your end. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I arrived at Rrochefort in the middle of Sept.,1955 just in time to relocate just outside of Soulac, to another tent city. Within a few months, small 16 man wood and tarpaper billets were built and occupied by the 15th Trans Battalion.
Our LCU's were moored off a beach in LeVerdon and the LCM's on the beach. We unloaded several ships off that beach. That winter, the LCU that I was stationed on [LCU569] was towed to Bordeaux for repair and we spent a couple months in the old German sub pens now used for dry docks.
In the Spring, I was assigned to Talmont on the east side of the Goronde River where a large texas tower [a floating pier with legs that raised and lowered] was installed off the cliffs and aerial cars carried off loaded cargo from the pier to the cliffs. Very impressive.
In September 1956, we carried out an exercise in St. Jean-De-luz, just a few miles north of the Spanish border. We who weren't stationed on an LCU, lived in pup tents for about a month and a half.
My last three months were spent in the tar paper billets in Soulac. Our company commander was Capt. Seeley. My skipper on LCU569 was Mr Kiley who later became the Chief Boat inspector for New York State was part of the NYS Conservation Dept. Both the LCM's and LCU's were used for unloading cargo. A 2½-ton truck just fit onto the LCMs and the LCU's could fit 5 or 6 trucks. The ship would often unload large boxes that just fit into the bed of the truck [ conex boxes ?]. Every night, one of the LCUs would do liberty run, taking non-coms and officers to Royan across the Gironde River, about five miles wide at the mouth. There was no housing on the west side off the river being wine and tourist country. Soulac was mostly cottages and very busy in the summer with a great beach. |
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 A BARC of the 522nd Trans Pltn (BARC) during NODEX 21 in 1959 (Leo McGowan - link) (If anyone has good photos of the BARC's in the Com Z - please contact the webmaster) |
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1960 |
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(Source: NODEX-24, La Pallice/La Repentie, 28 Aug - 3 Sept 1960; USAREUR STATION LIST 31 Dec 1960) |
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15th TRANS BN (TERM) ORGANIZATION (1960): |
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81st Transportation Company (Boat) strength: 187 Officers, Warrant Officers, and EM provided landing craft: LCU's, LCM-8's; and LCM-6's |
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460th Transportation Company (Amph Trk) strength: 3 Officers, and 48 EM provided 15 DUKW's |
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522nd Transportation Platoon (BARC) strength: 2 Warrant Officers, and 48 EM provided 4 BARC's |
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| 20th Engineer Brigade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1954 |
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| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, Aug 25, 1954) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 20th Engineer Bde at Croix Chapeau celebrates its fourth year of reactivation on Aug 28, 1954. (The 20th Engineer Brigade was last deactivated at Bremen in December 1946 where it was serving on occupation duty in Germany.) After serving the first two years as a training brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., the 20th was deployed to France in November, 1952. The 20th was initially stationed at Camp Bussac where it assumed responsibility for directing engineer construction projects in the Base Section of Com Z. In February 1953, the brigade moved to its current home at Croix Chapeau. The brigade has a dual mission of operating the medical center facility at Croix Chapeau and directing the overall engineer construction program in BASEC. The command's engineering tasks include water supply purification for all BASEC installations; road construction; airfield construction and maintenance; erection of warehouses, billets, hardstands, ammo pads, and operational buildings; rehabilitation of camp sites and buildings; and operation of rock quarries. |
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| (Source: Wikipedia) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 20th Engr Bde was comprised of two battalions and six separate companies. The brigade redeployed to the States in August 1954. Webmaster note: The engineer battalions attached to the 20th Engr Bde at this time were probably the 83rd Engineer Construction Bn out of Camp Bussac (Landes de Bussac) and the 93rd Engineer Construction Bn at Chinon. (The couterpart to the 20th Engr Bde in the Advance Section was the 313th Engineer Construction Group at Verdun. ) |
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| 279th Army Band (BASEC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1952 |
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| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, June 1 1952) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Communications Zone headquarters has announced that each of Com Z's three major subordinate commands - Orleans Area Command, Advance Section and Base Section - will have an Army band attached to it. The 76th Army Band will be formed out of the 314th Army Band formerly in Frankfurt and attached to the Orleans Area Command. The 314th was led by CWO Richard H. Zoller and consisted of 22 men. The 118th Army Band will be formed from the 31st Army Band formerly at Wuerzburg and be assigned to ADSEC. The 279th Army Band has been ordered by Com Z Hq to be activated for BASEC; bandsmen will be furnished through regular requisitioning channels. |
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| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, June 1 1952) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 279th Army Band gave its first concert at Aufredi Caserne in front of more than 500 persons. The band, directed by WOJG Gordon O. Booth, is the first Army band to be assigned to Com Z Base Section. |
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1955 |
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Photos were provided by Robert S. Lunday; his father, Robert G. Lunday, served with the 279th Army Band in La Rochelle from 1955-58. |
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| Army HB Diving Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, April 30, 1963) |
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| 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. |
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| (Source: Army, Navy and Air Force Journal, 24 May 1952) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Base Section, LOC Across France By Brig. Gen. Charles C. Blanchard, USA |
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| Following World War II, a Line of Communication (LOC) was established from the port of Bremerhaven to a number of depots and other service installations located in the US Occupied Zone of Germany, east of the Rhine. This LOC was convenient and economical from the point of view of the US Forces, and took full advantage of the facilities of a great industrial country and an abundant force of skilled labor. However, with the new and expanding defense role of American forces in Europe and because of the vulnerability of this LOC, located on the traditional invasion route towards Western Europe, it was recognized as early as November, 1948, that an alternate and supplementary LOC should be developed. Discussions between the United States and French governments resulted in the establishment of a LOC in France. Brig. Gen. Mason J. Young, USA, was assigned command of the project and established his headquarters at Orleans. An Advance Section was assigned a zone of responsibility in northeastern France, with headquarters at Verdun. Base Section, the other subordinate command, was assigned a zone in southwest France, with headquarters at the seaport of La Rochelle. Col. John W. Mott, who initially commanded Base Section, moved into the area on 7 November, 1950. At the same time, a number of units were assigned to take over sites of proposed depots, and other facilities to be immediately occupied under the agreement. At first most of the troops were quartered in tents. The initial sites were occupied during an unusually wet season, and mud, an old military enemy, became a major problem. Within a week of Colonel Mott's arrival, the task of preparing a port area was begun. A few days later, the first shipments of supplies arrived at Blaye and Le Marquis, in the Grand Estuary. These supplies were moved to a large, burned-over area in the vicinity of Captieux. Amid a continual heavy rainfall, emergency roads were built and supplies stored on pads set up alongside the roads. Since the initial operations at Captieux, there has been a steady development of the installations comprising Base Section. Many of the installations are in localities famous in history and familiar to the veterans of World War I. The ports of St. Nazaire, Nantes, La Pallice and Bassens were all important ports in the supply line of 1918. An Engineer Depot is being established near Chinon, the site of the meeting between Joan of Arc and the Dauphin. This place also was a World War I Chemical Warfare Training Center. An Ordnance Depot is located at Angouleme, an Ordnance Training Center of World War I. Perigueux, now a Quartermaster Depot, was formerly a hospital center. A POL dump at St. Sulpice is on the site of a former US Depot. At Rochfort, installations erected by Napoleon, which served as depots, and POW enclosures in World War I, are now Ordnance, Transportation Corps and Engineer installations. The mission of the US Forces in France is unusual in that operations are performed in a friendly nation under the conditions of peace. An agency known as the French-American Fiscal Liaison Office (FAFLO) was set up to work out all matters pertaining to procurement, financing and accounting for the new projects as it would be affected by labor relations, contracting jobs, or leasing of property in France. Maximum use is being made of French labor and no hiring of local personnel can be done directly by Americans. French labor is contracted for through government labor offices and workers are paid on the basis of the prevailing French wage scale. Similarly, French government agents act as intermediaries between the American Army and French contractors who are hired to perform actual building work. French firms selling material to the US Army must deal only through FAFLO, and are paid through this agency. A problem being faced by the US Forces is the prevailing currency inflation throughout France. Original cost estimates for projects have been exceeded repeatedly, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to plan budgets in advance. On account of this inflation and the time lag required for a French businessman to collect a contracted job through FAFLO, work schedules fall behind and projects are held up for lack of capital. This inflation has also worked against American personnel in spite of the fact that officers and first three graders with dependents are getting a station allowance. Higher living expenses for food and quarters more than absorb established station allowances. Port operations in southwest France present certain difficulties. Berths, which were adequate for ships during World War I, do not have sufficient draft for modern American freighters requiring, in many instances, that the ships be lightened. Port facilities and labor are inadequate for the additional loads imposed by US operations. These factors result in competition between the interests of the US Forces and commercial companies. In spite of many difficulties, transit sheds and other facilities are being acquired, and a sound port organization is being completed, and suitable operation procedures are being developed. The construction program in Base Section has presented many difficult problems. The sites provided the US Forces have required, in all cases, major rehabilitation or new construction. The acquisition of a new site usually follows extended negotiations. The completion of plans and the awarding of contracts that are satisfactory to both the US and French authorities requires much time. The shortages of building materials in France contribute to many delays as well as the fact that skilled labor is already operating under full employment conditions. These problems have been solved partially by the erection of prefabricated housing units and warehouses. In a short time, most of the troops will be out of tents and other support facilities will be provided. In spite of the many unusual problems being encountered, Base Section is steadily developing. A few installations are reaching the point of completion, while other installations have not reached the stage of site selection. However, all US Personnel assigned to this command realize the importance of their task, and are working with the knowledge that the completion of the project is an urgent matter. |
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| (Source: Army, Navy and Air Force Journal, 2 October 1954) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Communications By Maj. Gen. O.P. Newman, USA Commanding General, Base Section, USAREUR |
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| The Berlin Blockade, coupled with the anticipated build-up of US forces in Europe as part of the NATO Defense program, led to a careful examination in early 1950 of the problem of establishing an alternate Line of Communication (LOC). Since World War II all supplies and troops had been funnelled in through Bremerhaven, an enclave in the British Zone of Germany, located on the North Sea and less than an hour away from the Elbe River. A survey team was appointed and determined that France, with her extensive coast lines and numerous first-class ports for the debarkation of troops and the handling of vital supplies, was the logical place for the new LOC. In addition, her excellent rail and road networks connected these ports directly to the Rhine River and our combat forces In Gerrnany. Our requirements were determined and agreements made with the French government to permit the establishment of the Communications Zone (ComZ), which included all of France. The Base Section of the Communications Zone, more commonly referred to as BASEC, was established on 7 November 1950, with headquarters in La Rochelle, a seacoast town located about 300 miles southwest of Paris, and 100 miles north of Bordeaux. BASEC covers an operating geographical area of approximately 400 miles north and south, by 150 miles east and west. It has grown in the past four years from three small detachments to its present three geographical districts, which include thirteen separate depots, one medical center, three seaports and five installations. Its total area of responsibility is more than twice the size of the entire Allied Occupation Zones of Germany combined, with installations dispersed over an area of 60,000 square miles. In the initial phases, speed in establishing a working LOC was of prime importance. Troop housing had to take second place to the receiving and storage of supplies. Most of the facilities turned over to us required rehabilitation or in many cases complete rebuilding. Troops and supplies were sent over prior to the renovation, rehabilitation or construction of barracks, mess halls, warehouses and other command support facilities. Lived In Tents Two years after the establishment of the LOC, many of the troops were still living in winterized tents. However, construction has been progressing continuously during these four year, and today all of the troops in BASEC are housed in barracks, either permanent or temporary. PX's, Service Clubs and theatres are now located in all of the major installations. One of our greatest problems, next to construction, has been drainage. The first two years of BASEC's history might well be called the "Battle with Mud." Two armies, the French and the German (during the German occupation) had failed to solve the drainage problem at what is now Captieux Ordnance Depot, the largest ordnance depot in Europe. Because of the peculiar impermeability of the sub-soil, water cannot soak into the ground but must be drained. During the rainy season this installation was literally a sea of mud. Today our Army Engineers have successfully drained this area, and recently the Chief Ordnance Officer, U.S. Army, Europe, declared Captieux to be one of the best ordnance depots in Europe. Base Section, as a logistical command, has been and still is, in the process of developing its facilities to perform the mission of receiving, storing and shipping supplies destined for combat forces in the forward areas in the event of hostilities. Forces in the field are dependent on effective logistical support. No major operation could be successfully launched or carried through without an adequate and dependable flow of essential supplies. Four Tasks Combat Zone supply instruction developed the four main supply tasks of a field army, requirements, requisitioning and local procurement, storage and distribution. BASEC has the same four tasks, differing only in magnitude. The great increase in the scope of the supply operation here is due to two factors. The first is volume. BASEC must not only be prepared to meet the demands of one or more field armies and of army units within the Communications Zone, but it must also meet the supply demands of other services, allies, and/or civilians as directed by higher authority. BASEC must be prepared to meet supply demands of field armies and other users within days. Today, our storage facilities, while not yet completed, are adequate to insure the accomplishment of this important part of our mission. However, no matter how many items of quartermaster, signal, engineer or ordnance supplies we have on hand, to get these supplies over the French roads and through French villages we must have the full support and cooperation of the French people. "In the eyes of foreign people, you are a mirror reflecting everything the United States looks like and stands for. By your appearance and actions, so is your country judged. In these times it is vital that we have friends and allies. You can strengthen our security by conducting yourselves at all times in a manner that will win respect of those with whom we live and work, and thus actually demonstrate that our type of democracy offers the most to all men." Placards bearing the above message occupy a prominent place in our Officers' and Enlisted Men's Clubs, dayrooms and bulletin boards. We are in France today under unusual circumstances. We are not here as co-belligerents, engaged in active hostilities. Neither are we an army of occupation. We are in France in peacetime, at the invitation of the French and with the freely given consent of their government and people. Hence, we are literally pioneering in a new field of international relations and international cooperation. As the welcome guests of France, our mission here, next to the actual performance of vital military duties, is cultivating and cementing cordial relations with the people of this country. Reds Busy When American troops first arrived in France, the Communist minority was very active. Hand-drawn slogans appeared on walls, and were painted on American cars -- "U.S. GO HOME." It was not safe to leave an American car in the street overnight in some localities. Tires were slashed, windows broken, and aerials snapped off. A vigorous campaign to improve Franco-American relations became one of our primary missions. Troops were given orientation lectures, drivers received a special course of instruction, dependents were furnished mimeographed pamphlets acquainting them with the peculiarities of French laws and customs, and both on-duty and off-duty French classes were started. Staff officers were encouraged to work with their counterparts in the local French governments. For instance, the Provost Marshal and the "Commissaire de Police" work very closely together. The U. S. Army Engineer and the "Genie," the Fire Marshal and "Chef des Pompiers" and of course the Commanding Officer and the "Prefet" all work together to solve our mutual problems. In May 1952, the 279th Army Band was activated. It has given public concerts throughout Base Section, and in no case has anything but appreciation been shown. Some communities hesitated at first to grant permission for these concerts, fearing hostile demonstrations, but now the band is in great demand. A quintet of Negro soldiers, "The Spiritualaires," became so popular that they were transferred full-time to Special Services, and spent most of their time on the road giving public appearances. These activities have paid off better than we could have anticipated. Communist incidents have almost died out in cities in the vicinities of our troop installations. Two Communist newspapers have gone out of business due to lack of subscribers. It is very seldom now that an American car is damaged, and the only remaining "U.S. GO HOME" signs are fading out. French Employees Over 4600 French employees have been hired by the Army to perform the various jobs necessary in receiving, storing and maintaining records of supplies at the depots. A number have been hired as drivers of trucks, sedans and busses, thus releasing soldiers for other duties. These French employees are known as LWRs because they are hired at the local wage rate, which is considerably lower than the money earned by the American soldier. This benefits not only the American taxpayer as it amounts to a considerable savings in wages, but it is also of great help to the French economy, since many of these Army employees would otherwise be unemployed. A major mission assigned to BASEC is the Off-shore Discharge Exercise, ODEX. This training exercise provides valuable experience in learning and applying methods for the discharging of troops and cargo from ships anchored at sea. All of these exercises are performed without the use of piers, docks, or other harbor facilities, under simulated wartime conditions. Transportation Corps' latest experimental vehicle, the BARC, was tested at three of our ODEX operations, to determine its capabilities in actual operation. Other technical services have profited by these exercises, since the Medical Corps, Signal Corps, Military Police, Quartermaster, Engineer and Ordnance Corps all join efforts during the ODEX. Observers include high ranking officers from the NATO nations as well as Department of the Army. BASEC is presently a nucleus from which expansion to a full scale operation could quickly be made in the event of hostilities. |
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- 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.