Border Operations of the Second Armored Cavalry 1945-1990

Steve Bowen

Burpeau

HIST

20 April 2011

Border Operations of the Second Armored Cavalry 1945-1990

The majority of people think that at the end of World War II that hostility ceased and that a

peacetime Occupational Army was posted in Germany. This might have been the case for many,

however, for the men of the Second, Third, and Fourteenth Cavalries this could not be further

from the truth. Troopers assigned to these Units performed first Constabulary duties, engaging

criminal gangs and guerilla holdouts from the Nazi regime, switching to combat training and

operations 24 hours a day 365 days a year as the front line defense against Soviet aggression for

the next 45 years The focus of this paper will be on the oldest and most decorated Cavalry

regiment in the United States Army, the Second Armored Cavalry, and their mission defending

the edge of freedom.

Prior to the end of the World War II occupational plan ECLIPSE was drawn up in the event of

German defeat or surrender. With the celebration of VE Day on May 9, 1945 all hostilities were

ceased, and the American VII Army was ordered to pull back from Czechoslovakian territory,

into Bavaria. A need had been realized for a different kind of soldier, one utilized as an

occupying force to restore order in the American Zone . The Army in 1946 developed the

Constabulary School at Sonthofen, Germany, in an old Hitler youth School at the foot of the

Bavarian Alps. This school was to train the Officers ,NCO’s and Enlisted Men in the new

Constabulary mission.

The end of the War brought new challenges to the Second Cavalry, after the liberation POW’s

and the famed Lipizzaner Stallions from what was to become the Soviet Zone of Occupation,

they were ordered to regroup back in Bavaria. Establishing boundaries within the American

Zone was fairly simple, with manned roadblocks controlling all major points of entry from all

directions. With the end of the War came de-mobilization. Many combat Veterans wanted out of

the Army and to return home to their lives. In January 1946 to meet the demands of occupation

the 2nd Armored Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron opened the Constabulary School in the

former Hitler Youth training camp. The training was particular to the mission at hand. Riot

control, apprehension of wanted persons, self defense, investigation and searches were on the

curriculum. Intelligence gathering and communications were dropped from the course, due to

already having schools teaching those subjects. Geography, German politics and history were

also taught to the Constabulary students to foster a better knowledge of the people.

After completion of their Constabulary training the troops were coordinated into the Theater

Plan for Zone organization with Three Brigade headquarters ant the German State level with

Twelve Constabulary Group headquarters, and 27 Squadron headquarters at lower levels, for a

total of about 38,000 men in the force. The Second was organized into three squadrons,

consisting of a Headquarters Troop, 3 Reconnaissance Troops, 2 Mechanized Troops, with a

Regimental Horse, Motorcycle, and Tank Platoons. Headquarters for the Second was established

in Bamberg on 15 February 1945. Original plans for establishing control of border crossers with

static manned posts were soon found to be inadequate. Patrolling the border as a line, without

any depth had little effect on illegal crossings, so a new plan was implemented. There would be a

10 mile zone, patrolled by 14 men in Jeeps and an armored car, led by a staff Sergeant or above.

Joint control of the static checkpoints with the Land Polezi (State Border Police) freed American

Troops to conduct more patrols. They would often accompany the Squadron on foot patrols,

dropped by 2 ½ ton truck at one location and being picked up at another. Searching Displaced

Person camps for wanted Nazi criminals, black marketeering, and conducting criminal

investigations were among some of their many missions performed. Most of the operations were

minor in scope, however there were murders, such as the axe murder of four civilians in

Sonnenhofen on 21 November 1949. The culprits were eventually identified as two DP

Ukrainians who formerly worked for one of the victims, robbery being the motive.

The mission was changing along with the political landscape. The Soviets had been

toughening up their Borders, while sending intelligence gathering agents into the West, posing as

refugees. The overthrow of the Czech government was seen as a serious threat, as the assignment

as an occupational power was changing back into a possible combat force. In December 1948,

the Second was again reconfigured, with Regimental HQ in Nuremburg, the 1st Squadron moved

to Bindlach, the Second Squadron to Bamberg and the Third being located in Amberg. Each

Squadron maintained separate Camps near their sector of the Border for conducting

operations, with a Troop sized element rotated in on a monthly basis. All NCO’s and Officers

were required to attend the Constabulary School, and the strictest requirements were placed on

attachment to the Unit. The politics of the world had shifted, and the need for mobile combat

units to conduct operations on the Border was seen. This new swing which only heightened

during the Korean War meant that the change needed to be made from a heavily armed police

force to a rapidly mobile combat unit resulted in the Second Cavalry being sent back to the

States for re-training in new equipment and tactics in 1955, when they were transferred to Ft.

Meade, Maryland during Operation GYROSCOPE. The Regiment returned in 1958 with new

men new equipment and a new job.

Turning over all policing duties back to the Germans, the Regiment’s focus was now to

screen and defend against a major Soviet Block invasion, to become the first line of defense if

the Soviets attacked. This was carried out by performing aggressive patrolling of the border 24

hours a day, 365 days a year in all conditions. Each Squadron would have one Troop stationed at

a foreword base camp, near the Border to conduct patrols and gather intelligence. For the

balance of the regiment not on the Border, intensive training in patrolling, communication,

armored unit movement and techniques, combat operations, maintenance, readiness drills and

inspections were the order of the day. Classes were held in German language, map reading, and

marksmanship to hone the skills of the Trooper. Between training and Border Ops, it was not

unusual for the Cavalryman to spend 250+ days in the field This would stay consistent until the

fall of Communism in 1989.

Events heated up and tensions were raised in 1961 during the Berlin crisis and subsequent

closing of the East German Border. Almost overnight the Border went from being a line marked

with poles to a no-man’s land complete with guard towers, anti- personnel mines, guard

towers and armed patrols. Border crossing became almost non-existent, and hazardous to the

lives of anyone who tried to make it to the West. Tower guards and patrols were expected to kill

anyone entering the cleared area between the fence and the border. Trains were stopped and

everyone checked. To have someone in your family or a friend defect could result in your own

arrest. Trade between the 2 Germanys came to a virtual standstill. This only highlighted the

assignment of the Second Cavalry, making their mission that more important. Constant Border

surveillance was essential and they became the eyes and ears of the VII corps. In 1967 an 4th

Regiment was added, an aviation Squadron, to conduct aerial surveillance, airmobile and ground

support capability, although no designated gunships would arrive until the winding down of the

Viet Nam war. OV-10 Bronco aircraft were also added to the Cavalry’s equipment being flown

using Side Borne Looking Radar (SLAR) for looking far into East Germany, providing earlier

warning of possible incursions. Military Intelligence companies were assigned to the Regiment

to provide the latest in Signal Intelligence and Photo interpretation.

The next major change in the 2ND Regiment came about with the ending of the Viet-Nam war.

Helicopter gunships that were scarce, soon became available. Now, combat patrols could be

carried out in the air as well as on the ground, with the arrival of the Cobra Gunship helicopter,

and the formation of the REDCATCHER Company. REDCATCHERS were armed helicopter

patrols, tracing the border from a kilometer inside the actual border. If any ground unit reported

an incursion either on the ground or in the air, REDCATCHER was called out. If it was on the

ground, a platoon of air-cavalry was deployed. Aerial crossings were determined at higher

headquarters, depending on the type of aircraft in question. The ‘70’s also brought the M551-

Sheridan Light tank with an ability to fire a 152 mm Shillelagh missile, capable of defeating any

Soviet armor. Unfortunately, firing problems and trouble with the ammo had the Army looking

for a replacement, finally utilizing the M-60 series of main battle tanks.

With the heavier armor, a new battle plan had to be organized. Tanks were prohibited within 1

kilometer of the border, and Scout Armored Personnel Carriers were not allowed within 500

meters. The addition to each Regiment of an independent Artillery Battery supplied with the M-

109 155mm self-propelled Howitzer also altered the equation. Although capable of firing

Nuclear Tipped artillery up to 18 kilometers, the zone of exclusion for artillery was only 10

kilometers.

The new order of battle would not vary much form the prior operation plans and would

carry into the 1990’s until the Fall of the Wall. Each Squadron would post a rotating Tank troop

with 9 M60A2’s, a Scout Platoon with M-113’s and Jeeps, 4.2 inch Mortar Platoon,

Headquarters Platoon with an attached FIST(Fire Support Team for targeting indirect fire). Each

Camp would patrol vigorously by various means including the usage of Ground Surveillance

Radar, static observation posts, roving patrols, and co-coordinating with the Air assets at

Regiment. Each patrol must maintain constant radio contact with Border Operations at Camp. If

a Patrol missed an assigned communication, within 15 minutes the Camp would be placed on

Alert, and a Quick Reaction Force(QRF) would be dispatched to regain communications, or

locate the Patrol. After 30 minutes the Squadron was notified and preparations for mobilization

of the Troop are being made. Within 1 hour Regimental Headquarters is notified, and the Troop

moves out of Camp and the Squadron goes on alert, with all men loading up their vehicles with

ammunition, fuel and rations. All other Border Camps are placed on Alert and the Air Troop

dispatches helicopters to the sector the patrol last reported from. While this is occurring

Regimental Headquarters is notifying, Command at US Army Europe (USAEUR) who alert the

proper chains of command. The same procedure is carried out in the case of anything of

importance such as an Illegal Border Crosser(IBC), someone who crossed from East to West, or

GSR detecting armored vehicles in the exclusion zone.

With the Fall of the Berlin wall, the re-unification of the two Germanys, the patrolling of

the Border came to an end, with the final patrol taking place in June 1990. The men of the

Second Cavalry had gone from horses to helicopters, Constabulary to Combat Ready for 45

years. Their mission has changed again now based out of Vilseck, Germany they will be

returning from a tour in Afghanistan. They have been re-designated : The Second Cavalry

Stryker Brigade, and are the Armor QRF for the XVIII Airborne, which includes both the 82ND

and 101ST Airborne, with one Squadron prepared to deploy anywhere in the world within 72

hours.

2nd Cavalry Association, Cold war Operations

Dragoon Base, Regimental History, The Cold War Years

Dragoon Base, Bamberg, Jessie Kelly

The Thoroughbred, Second Cavalry NewsletterNov 2010, Regimental Operations, Dave Getteman

US Borders Ops 1945-1983,William Stacy Colonel, US Army(ret)