Book on USAREUR order of battle, 1976

[panzergator]

Just published, available on Amazon, by Mark Breed. US ARMY USAREUR AND SEVENTH ARMY ORDER OF BATTLE, 1976.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

That looks like a really nice resource for $25.

Sounds like he's got some good before and after 76 info included.

[panzergator]

I'll let you know. Ordered it yesterday. Should be here soon.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Sounds good.

[panzergator]

In conversation with the author, there will not be TOEs in the book. Tere may be a later book for that. This will list the USAREUR order of battle - a list of units. Nevertheless, it should be interesting. A number of questions may be resolved.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Interesting. Not exactly how I read the description but should be good stuff, nonetheless.

[panzergator]

Received my copy about an hour ago. First perusal interesting enough. Just what author says - what units were where (kinda) in USAREUR in 1976, including REFORGER units. Many pics seen before. You may find something you didn't know. A good reference and remembrance for folks like me. It is an OVERVIEW. $25 seemed a little steep, but you get less from Tankograd for more money, so its probably fair enough.

Sitting in my easy chair, it took me back to a time when all of West Germany was my home town, more familiar to me than any place else I'd lived (army brat). I LOVED it. It was the way my world was supposed to be. Often wish I could go back and relive it. It made me terribly homesick.

I had a brainfart on Brigade 75 and 76.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Sounds like you made a good purchase.

Memories of good times are one of the best things in life.

[panzergator]

This is a good book, not too much, not too little. Some instances of detail, like how arty was organized - number of pieces per battery by type, but not for other type units.

Two things - the boards hung from the side of the M577 pictured on page 7 might have been map boards, but in the divisions in which I served (3AD, 5ID, and 8ID), those were duckboards - boards for use in the floor of the track extensions. Also, on page 59, two M88s are pictured, one towing the other, described as being one from F Troop and one from G Troop. Recovery vehicles in ACR troops were M578s, so these two were the M88s from H Company (the tank company) and the squadron maintenance section.

Brings a lot of facts together in an easily-digestible reference.

[redleg]

Not to change the subject too much, but I often find myself on Google Maps, or similar sites with satellite footage, zooming in on some of my old posts. Kind of sad to see how some of them have been torn down. Other are unchanged. Interesting to see how some have realigned. The Camp Hovey motor pool that used to belong to 1-9 IN and was full of camo Bradleys is now full of desert tan Paladins! Ledward Barracks in Schweinfurt still has some of the cool buildings, but much of the motor pool areas have been bulldozed.

[panzergator]

Yeah, I've done that. My posts, my friends' posts, posts I've visited. Friedberg/Ray Barracks is abandoned, Baumholder is empty, the 11thACR posts are gone... It is very sad. I visited Panzer Kaserne, where I was with my dad, in the 50s, near Boblingen, on our last tour. I feel like my home town has been torn down. The passing of the Seventh Imperial Army has been a slow, painful process. And regrettable for so many reasons. It has, unfortunately, marked a decline in the credibility and ability to influence events in the region. You could, at one time, drive anywhere in Germany, and spot the kasernes inhabited by US troops from the autobahn.

[panzergator]

The book describes the ADA battery as two platoons of 4 Chapparals and two platoons if 4Vulcans each. This is incorrect. The ADA BATTALION consists of two BATTERIES of 12 Vulcans each and 2 BATTERIES of 12 Chapparals each.

[panzergator]

The book describes the ADA battery as two platoons of 4 Chapparals and two platoons if 4Vulcans each. This is incorrect. The ADA BATTALION consists of two BATTERIES of 12 Vulcans each and 2 BATTERIES of 12 Chapparals each.

[Cav Dog]

Sounds like a great resource. I have .pdf which lists the entire US order of battle including NG and AR units from 1985 and it would be interesting to compare the two. Unfortunately the link to it is no longer available so I currently can't post it.

[Roger H]

Got my copy yesterday. I’ve enjoyed reading it.