Camp King
Encyclopedia
Camp King is a site on the outskirts of Oberursel
, Taunus
(in Germany
), with a long history. It began as a school for agriculture under the auspices of the University of Frankfurt. During World War II
, the lower fields became an interrogation center for the German Air Force. After World War II, the United States Army also used it as an interrogation center and intelligence post. In 1968, it became the command and control center for the United States Army Movements Control Agency - Europe (USAMCAEUR). Today it has been rebuilt as a German housing area.
and later Wetzler.
Activities at Auswertstelle West were intelligence-related. Captured allied air crews were brought to the post for interrogation. Once the interrogations were completed, they were transferred to their Stalag
. The center housed many types of intelligence to include unit histories on most allied air forces.
During this time the post also picked up its nickname "The Goat Farm". As mentioned earlier, the lands acquisitioned for military use were the lands below the school, which were agricultural. In one of the fields was home to a nasty goat that was noted for chasing prisoners who attempted to invade its territory.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the British convened a war crimes trial due to the allegations of ill treatment of British Prisoners of War interrogated at this facility. The hearing, known as the "Dulag Luft Trial", was convened in Wuppertal
, Germany, beginning on November 26, 1945. Four officers were charged: Killenger, Junge, Eberhardt, and Bohehringer. Killenger and Junge were sentenced to five years confinement. Eberhardt received three years. Boehringer was acquitted
Meanwhile, the facility itself was put by the victors to their own use (see following).
Charles B. King, Infantry an intelligence officer who died in the Battle of Normandy
, on June 22, 1944, while accompanying a patrol bringing back prisoners.
Officially European Command Intelligence Center, Oberursel, it served as a United States interrogation center, engaged initially in denazification
, and later for defectors from, and agents of, the Warsaw Pact
. This included many intelligence sources as well as scientists.
The book The History of Camp King lists the following people:
Some civilians were held at the post, including German test pilot Hanna Reitsch
and -- at the request of the FBI, before her transfer to the United States and trial for treason -- the German-American Mildred Elizabeth Sisk, one of the propagandists referred to as "Axis Sally
".
In July 1946 General Reinhard Gehlen
arrived on the post and established the Gehlen organization
which later went on to become the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst
, or "Federal Intelligence Service").
The post was a major intelligence center for the European Theater. The unit supported many field offices throughout Germany. The units power was usurped as the unit became so large that instead of command and control it actually served in more of a support role. Col Franz Ross rectified this and the unit resumed its actual function.
In the fall of 1968, the 513th Military Intelligence Group merged with the 66th Military Intelligence Group and relocated to the McGraw Casern in Munich, Germany.
The responsibilities encompassed:
The unit was inactivated in 1991 during the post-Cold War drawdown and its mission assigned to the 1st Transportation Movement Control Agency, which was formed from the command and control section of the former 4th TRANSCOM. In the spring of 1990, Headquarters, 22d Signal Brigade was moved to Camp King.
There is a small monument in the housing area to the history of the area as a military base.
Oberursel
Oberursel is a town in Germany. It is located to the north west of Frankfurt, and is the second largest town in the county of Hochtaunuskreis and the 14th largest town in Hessen.-Extent of municipal area:...
, Taunus
Taunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
(in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), with a long history. It began as a school for agriculture under the auspices of the University of Frankfurt. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the lower fields became an interrogation center for the German Air Force. After World War II, the United States Army also used it as an interrogation center and intelligence post. In 1968, it became the command and control center for the United States Army Movements Control Agency - Europe (USAMCAEUR). Today it has been rebuilt as a German housing area.
Prior to World War II (1926-1939)
Prior to World War II, what later became known as Auswertstelle West during World War II, was an educational farm established, in 1936, under the auspices of the University of Frankfurt. Students learned gardening, bee keeping, animal husbandry as well as general farming techniques. It was in essence an agricultural learning center.World War II
During World War II, the land below the school was adapted to military use as Auswertstelle West also usually erroneously called Dulag Luft. The discrepancy arises due to the post initially being both the Dulag and the interrogation center. Dulag Luft, initially on the post but later transferred to FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and later Wetzler.
Activities at Auswertstelle West were intelligence-related. Captured allied air crews were brought to the post for interrogation. Once the interrogations were completed, they were transferred to their Stalag
Stalag
In Germany, stalag was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager.- Legal definitions :...
. The center housed many types of intelligence to include unit histories on most allied air forces.
During this time the post also picked up its nickname "The Goat Farm". As mentioned earlier, the lands acquisitioned for military use were the lands below the school, which were agricultural. In one of the fields was home to a nasty goat that was noted for chasing prisoners who attempted to invade its territory.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the British convened a war crimes trial due to the allegations of ill treatment of British Prisoners of War interrogated at this facility. The hearing, known as the "Dulag Luft Trial", was convened in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, Germany, beginning on November 26, 1945. Four officers were charged: Killenger, Junge, Eberhardt, and Bohehringer. Killenger and Junge were sentenced to five years confinement. Eberhardt received three years. Boehringer was acquitted
Meanwhile, the facility itself was put by the victors to their own use (see following).
Post World War II (1945-1953)
As the war ended, the Americans stumbled across the post. Because the facilities were already designed for interrogations and intelligence gathering it was decided to continue using it for intelligence-gathering. Under U.S. control, the post was originally, unofficially, known as Camp Sibert (after Gen. Edwin Sibert, the Senior Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Zone), which should not be confused with the official U.S. post of Camp Sibert in Alabama. Department of Defense Records indicate that several Mobile Field Interrogation Units moved into the post to serve at the Army and group levels. On September 19, 1946, (General order 264) officially named the Intelligence Center located in Oberursel as "Camp King", after Col.Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Charles B. King, Infantry an intelligence officer who died in the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, on June 22, 1944, while accompanying a patrol bringing back prisoners.
Officially European Command Intelligence Center, Oberursel, it served as a United States interrogation center, engaged initially in denazification
Denazification
Denazification was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of any remnants of the National Socialist ideology. It was carried out specifically by removing those involved from positions of influence and by disbanding or rendering...
, and later for defectors from, and agents of, the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. This included many intelligence sources as well as scientists.
The book The History of Camp King lists the following people:
- Karl BrandtKarl Brandt (Nazi physician)Karl Brandt was a German Nazi war criminal. He rose to the rank of SS-Gruppenführer in the Allgemeine-SS and SS-Brigadeführer in the Waffen-SS. Among other positions, Brandt headed the administration of the Nazi euthanasia program from 1939 onwards and was selected as Adolf Hitler's personal...
, Hitler’s personal surgeon and in charge of sanitation - Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, Commander of the German navy,
- Hans FrankHans FrankHans Michael Frank was a German lawyer who worked for the Nazi party during the 1920s and 1930s and later became a high-ranking official in Nazi Germany...
, Reich Minister, Governor-General of occupied Poland - Reich Marshal Hermann GöringHermann GöringHermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
, Chief of the German Air Force, - Colonel General Alfred JodlAlfred JodlAlfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl was a German military commander, attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command during World War II, acting as deputy to Wilhelm Keitel...
, Chief of Operations Staff of the German Armed Forces - Field Marshal Wilhelm KeitelWilhelm KeitelWilhelm Bodewin Gustav Keitel was a German field marshal . As head of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and de facto war minister, he was one of Germany's most senior military leaders during World War II...
, chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - Field Marshal Albert KesselringAlbert KesselringAlbert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
, Supreme Commander West
Some civilians were held at the post, including German test pilot Hanna Reitsch
Hanna Reitsch
Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator and the only woman awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Luftwaffe Combined Pilots-Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds during World War II...
and -- at the request of the FBI, before her transfer to the United States and trial for treason -- the German-American Mildred Elizabeth Sisk, one of the propagandists referred to as "Axis Sally
Axis Sally
Axis Sally can refer to:*Mildred Gillars, German-American female radio personality during World War II, best known for her propaganda broadcasts for Nazi Germany...
".
In July 1946 General Reinhard Gehlen
Reinhard Gehlen
Reinhard Gehlen was a General in the German Army during World War II, who served as chief of intelligence-gathering on the Eastern Front. After the war, he was recruited by the United States military to set up a spy ring directed against the Soviet Union , and eventually became head of the West...
arrived on the post and established the Gehlen organization
Gehlen Organization
Gehlen Organization was an intelligence agency established in June 1946 by U.S. occupation authorities in the United States Zone of Germany, and consisted of former members of the 12th Department of the Army General Staff...
which later went on to become the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst
Bundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
, or "Federal Intelligence Service").
1953-1968
In 1953 Camp King was assigned to the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade. The post was still used as an interrogation center but also assumed intelligence duties as a command center for many field offices in Europe.The post was a major intelligence center for the European Theater. The unit supported many field offices throughout Germany. The units power was usurped as the unit became so large that instead of command and control it actually served in more of a support role. Col Franz Ross rectified this and the unit resumed its actual function.
In the fall of 1968, the 513th Military Intelligence Group merged with the 66th Military Intelligence Group and relocated to the McGraw Casern in Munich, Germany.
1968 to 1993
In 1968 the United States Army Movements Control Center - Europe (USAMCAEUR) was assigned to Camp King. The organization was redesignated on 1 April 1975 as the 4th Transportation Brigadehttp://www.allanfurtado.com/4 (redesignated 4th Transportation Command on 16 April 1981), reactivating the colors of a unit that had been in Vietnam and inactivated on 28 June 1972 at Fort Lewis, WA, after its return. Its mission, as stated in military records, was to operate integrated transportation service in support of US forces in Central Europe.The responsibilities encompassed:
- Operation of a military highway transportation system primarily known as the 37th Transportation Group (Trucks and Containers)
- Operation of a military water terminals, notably in Bremerhaven, Germany, and Rotterdam, Holland (container ports).
- Reception, processing, and on-carriage transportation of military units deployed in Europe
- Movement and control of personnel and material.
- Traffic management for US forces in Central Europe.
- Preparation of USAEUR wartime movement program.
- Intra-theater transport, employing both US Air Force and US Army aircraft.
- Traffic regulation services for US forces in Central Europe.
The unit was inactivated in 1991 during the post-Cold War drawdown and its mission assigned to the 1st Transportation Movement Control Agency, which was formed from the command and control section of the former 4th TRANSCOM. In the spring of 1990, Headquarters, 22d Signal Brigade was moved to Camp King.
1993 to present
In 1993 the post was deactivated and was returned to the German Government. Since that time it has been redeveloped into a housing area. In honor of the past, the people of Oberursel have named the area Camp King.There is a small monument in the housing area to the history of the area as a military base.
Other sources
- Numerous Department of Defense documents received from The Historian Headquarter Europe
- E-mail from John Finnegan, Historian Inscom.
- E-Mails from Sandi Andresen