U.S. maneuver in Berlin part 1 by Reinhard von Bronewski

U.S. maneuver in Berlin
by Reinhard von Bronewski

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My special Thanks to Robert W. Rynerson, David Henderson, Thomas Oleszczyk & Andreas Constien!

Before you see related photos, I like to give you some info regarding maneuvers of the legendary Berlin Brigade troops. All main U.S. maneuvers, called FTX (Field Training Exercise) or later on ARTEP (Army Training & Evaluation Program), regularly took place in Spring and Fall. Usually they lasted for three, four or five days. Both Battle Groups ( 2/6 & 3/6), from 1963 all 3 Infantry Battalions ( 2/6, 3/6, 4/18) of the Berlin Brigade and all its attached Combat Support units (CSB, CSC etc) were in the field. Batt. 4/18 later was named in Batt. 4/6. Mids of the 1980s, the 3 Berlin Brigade Inf. Battalions: 2/6, 3/6 & 4/6 got named in: 4/502, 5/502 & 6/502. While the maneuvers the U.S. troops could test the result of their daily small field training activities. The whole year, almost every day, except American holidays and the so-called 'parade seasons', you could meet U.S. troops in the Grunewald. In squads, platoons or on company level they had to practice for such big maneuver events. Now even Generals and other high ranking military were seen in the woods to check the skills of their troops. There were all-American FTX / ARTEPS but also others together with British and French battle units (called RONDO), who you would otherwise as a rule only come across in their 'own' sectors of West-Berlin. Almost each spot of the Grunewald once has been an Army fox hole. There must have been hundred of thousands in all the years. That always was one of the first actions the GIs had to do, - digging and preparing battle emplacements. Was the defence or ambush line ready done, often followed a quick move-out. That meant, 1 or 2 miles ahead the same stressful work had to start again. The machine gunner crews always had an especially hard job to do, their firing emplacements were much larger than all the other ones. They often looked at the end like a big 'U' or 'L'. Hard work to dig such large holes about 5 feet deep, there always were strong roots which brought lots of sweat in their faces. In the 1950s and 1960s, the main field exercises always followed same rules and tactics. In those years I often knew in advance what was going to happen next. This was a good advantage to get hands on empty brass later on. I always lived right next to the Grunewald and have witnessed all of it countless of times. In my small room of the apartment of my Grandparents, I could hear firing noise days & nights. Sometimes that loud that it seems to be close to our back yard. When I looked out of my window I almost could touch the troops who marched or drove by. On the first maneuver day, the starting positions and various field camps would be taken up. They were located not just in the actual main 'battle' areas, but also often in the woods at Wannsee (by U.S. troops so-called 'Dauerwald') , Gatow, Spandau or Tegel. The last three locations were in the British or French sector. All morning, endless military convoys from McNair or Andrews Barracks drove down over Seehofstrasse, Onkel-Tom-Strasse, Fischerhuettenstrasse, Potsdamer Chaussee or Huettenweg (tank road) into the Grunewald or other woods. Gun jeeps, manned with MP soldiers temporary blocked traffic. All that could be heard on the Zehlendorf roads was the well known, rustic engine noises of the heavy Deuce-and-a-half trucks. Attached to many of these trucks were two-wheeled trailers in different sizes and purposes. Everything that otherwise lay dormant behind the barracks fences, invisible to the'outside world', was brought into the Grunewald on such occasions. Individual GI's stood, with their weapons at the ready, behind the driver's cab on the loading areas, some of which lay open. At the same time, infantry companies or platoons marched down the roads (sidewalks) at short intervals, visible equipped with all kind of ammo belts (blanks). The rifle men carried cloth bandoleers with 48 (.30 cal / M1 -Garand- rifle era) or later 60 rounds each, (7.62 cal / -M14- rifle era). The machine gun crews were equipped with long linked ammo belts. (slung around their chests, or still packed in small cloth-carton bandoleers and / or heavy steel ammo boxes.) At the Schlachtensee lake and behind of Havelchaussee, always large army camps were set up. Huge canvas tents replaced the barracks and were now the temporary home for CP, ambulance and field kitchen sites. Days beforehand, signal and support units had already laid black telephone commo wire all over the entire Grunewald. The wire was rolled down from big drums fixed onto the backs of their jeeps. Such activities always were the surest evidence that a big maneuver was about to begin. Apart from this, large field exercises were always heralded by the fact that there were announcements in the newspapers and news programmes urging parents to keep their kids away from the practice areas. Sometimes, German police patrols or combinded MP/ GP units were sent out to catch kids and juveniles to escort them out of those dangerous areas. A fact which we as juveniles never could understand. Whilst on the first day of a maneuver it usually remained quiet, the first contacts with the AGGRESSOR or OPFOR units began on the second maneuver day. Often, everything started with water crossing exercises at the 'Grosse Fenster' or 'Kuhhorn' beach at the Wannsee / Havel river. Arriving in small boats, amphibian vehicles, pontoon elements or Brits 'heavy ferries', the 'Good ones' were received with deafening blank cartridge fire by the 'enemy' ( AGGRESSOR / OPFOR units). These troops had parts of their uniforms dyed a poison-green color and wore red flaps on their shoulders. They also most of times wore instead of steel pots, soft caps or special kind of 'enemy' helmets. We juveniles called them 'Russians'. All AGGRESSOR / OPFOR vehicles were marked with huge paper insignia symbols (logos), like a green triangle on a white background to begin with and from the 1980s with a black star on a red background. (see photos) By this way they could be clearly recognized from a distance. Giant colored clouds caused by hand smoke grenades (red, green, yellow, violet or white) spread out along the beach. The different colors looked nice from distance but its nasty smell now had replaced the fresh Grunewald air. These grenades often were let off there by U.S. umpires, as were the many artillery or hand grenade simulators. If the umpire jeeps appeared with white flags attached to the antennas, it usually meant that an attack was about to commence. In the course of the day, the 'enemy' was chased back through the entire Grunewald as far as the 'Postfenn' and the 'Teufelsberg' (northern position). Small mock fights broke out at every large crossroad / dirt trail intersection. The enemy units would overrun the emplacements lines in no time at all leaving behind countless blank ammunition of every kind, whether full or empty. During the nights, the 'enemy' had retreated and entrenched themselves into several ambush positions. All of sudden, thick bushes 'had grown over night' at trail intersections that were otherwise bare. Such emplacments were always situated at the same localities. They began at the 'Saubucht', which the Americans also called 'pig farm' and continued over the Huettenweg to the Fischerhuettenweg, (to Block 68 that was located there), and to the two Havel hills (Havelberge) that stood next to it. It was at these last two places that the large final mock battles normally took place. In the middle of several Grunewald trails large blue practice anti-tank mines were placed. They must get removed first before the units could continue the attack. Various tanks from Turner barracks (M48 later M60) also took part in all big maneuvers. They fired wildly at the enemy positions with their main guns and coaxial machine guns. The last maneuver day began with reconnaissance patrols sent by both participating teams. For this, the U.S. units used jeeps that were equipped with anti-tank-weapons 'One o Six' (in the 1980s replaced by TOWs) or mounted machine guns. (.30 cal Brownings M1919-A4, in 1962 replaced by 7.62 cal M60 machine guns) The CSC recon jeeps (in the late 1980s replaced by 'Humvees') of both sides had quite a few little 'fights' with each other before the main units that were moving in had reached the actual 'enemy' line. With the aid of the numerous armored personnel carriers, called 'APC' (M59, after 1963 replaced by M113), the infantry troops started the final attack. On the last day, some units also moved for 'combat in city practice' to Parks Range and its 'Ghost town' -Doughboy city-. Another similar British range was located in Ruhleben ( called RFC). From the early 1970s, many former maneuver tactics have changed, troops got new organized. Now, more and more, U.S. helicopters took care for the transports, troops got by this way a much better mobility, a new kind of 'Berlin Brigade maneuver era' began. However, the emphasis of the Berlin Brigade field exercises during the 1950s until the 1980s always was the Grunewald forest. Also see my 'written memories' or book stories regarding Berlin Brigades' maneuvers:

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    





    

    





































































    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

























Grunewald maneuver - photo part 2