Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany
Encyclopedia
Warner Barracks are a military base
of the United States Army
in the city of Bamberg
, southern Germany
. The base has been occupied by American forces since the end of World War II. Elements of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division entered the town on 13 and 14 April 1945. But before the war, this military site had a colorful history that goes hand-in-hand with Bamberg’s history, which began in the 10th century.
Bamberg
was originally a fort on a hill. The view enabled soldiers of the time to watch the city and guard it against possible attacks.
In 973, the Duke of Bavaria gained control of the fort.
The city and fort fell under Swedish
Protestants’ control during the Thirty Years War when the Swedes engulfed the city and took it forcibly. The year was 1634.
In 1891, Warner Barracks, then known as “Lagarde Kaserne”, was built by the Royal Bavarian Army
as an infantry barracks. Many of the buildings to the west were built during the turn of the century. Many of these buildings are classified at historical monuments. From World War I to War World II, almost every branch of the German Army was stationed here, the most famous being the 35th Tank Regiment and the German 17th Cavalry Regiment. In 1917, the present Muna area was established and, in 1928, the present airfield was added. After 1933, the forces here were increased with the addition of the 79th Artillery Regiment, and in 1936, Warner Barracks I, the eastern portion of the military base, was constructed as “Artillery Kaserne”.
Prior to World War II, almost every branch of the German Army
was stationed at Warner Barracks at some time, the most elite being the 35th Armor and the 17th Cavalry Regiments.
The cavalry was composed of noblemen who were wealthy and had their own riding school. Claus von Stauffenberg, who was known for 20 July plot of 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler
, served in the cavalry regiment; it was his family's traditional regiment. The stables and school occupied the PX, Commissary and community engineering areas. After World War II, the headquarters of the U.S. Constabulary, created to occupy Germany, was located in Bamberg. The Constabulary was a highly mobile unit made up of the 26th Infantry Regiment and the 1st Infantry Division. The unit was responsible for patrolling the American occupied quarter of Germany.
In June 1948, the Soviets imposed the Berlin Blockade changing the United States
’ role in Germany
from occupier to defender. The Constabulary was eventually phased out.
The current Warner Barracks complex was appropriated in 1950 by U.S. forces and renamed in honor of Cpl. Henry F. Warner
. Warner was killed in action on December 21, 1944 after his heroic anti-tank actions in Bütgenbach
, Belgium
. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
six months later, on June 23, 1945.
In 1951, development for long term use of the post began. A dispensary, dental clinic, schools, a PX, gymnasiums and an education center were established.
The post commander was always the senior officer of the infantry brigade until 1970 when Bamberg became an official U.S. Army Europe community with a general officer appointed as post commander.
Over the years, the installation was a sub-community of Frankfurt
, Nuremberg
and Würzburg
. All the installations located in Frankfurt
, Nuremberg
and Würzburg
. U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg
is subordinate to United States Army Installation Management Command – Europe
and is an indirect report garrison under USAG Ansbach.
Units from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
, 16th Sustainment Brigade, and 18th Engineer Brigade are station on Warner Barracks.
for World War I
. During World War II
, it was reactivated and expanded, with 67 buildings, mostly ammunition bunkers, in 1945. Each of the bunkers had a storage capacity for 60 tons of explosives.
In April 1945, only 10 days after the U.S. forces entered Bamberg, the 2nd Platoon, and 33rd Chemical Decontamination Company captured the ammunition plant, and placed guards at the facility. The depot was cleared, but it was decided that the facility should remain under U.S. command. An additional chemical shell dump was closed in Bayreuth on 5 May by the 61st Chemical Depot Company. Chemical supplies from this depot were transported to Bamberg.
During the first year of occupation, a total of 12,000 tons of ammunition
was removed from the Bamberg Ammunition Depot. 10,000 tons of this ammunition was shipped to U.S. depots, while 2,000 tons were destroyed.
After all German ammunition was removed from the Muna, the U.S. forces used the facilities for ammunition storage. Personnel at the depot provided technical and operational supervision for the Ordnance Ammunition Companies that were stationed in the installation and in the sub-depot Breitenguessbach after 1947. The sub-depot at Breitenguessbach, which was utilized for the storage of engineered high explosives and mines, was closed 15 March 1951. The Oberdachstetten Explosives Depot also fell under Bamberg’s operational control; this was closed in 1947 after the disposal of all the captured enemy ammunition.
During the Cold War
, various US Army Units were stationed at Warner Barracks, including: The 3rd Infantry Division; the 4th Armored Division
; 7th Armored Cavalry; 5 Missile Battalion, 39th Artillery (LaCross Missile); 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery (155mm towed guns), 1st Battalion, 75th Artillery (8" Self-Propelled Artillery), a 175mm Self-Propelled Artillery unit, and various support units. Most of the Artillery units were posted on the lower Kasserne, on Pödeldorfer Strasse (which no longer exists, it is now a civilian housing area).
The building housing the 5th Missile Battalion, 39th Artillery later became the headquarters of the 35th Artillery Group.
Two soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 75th Artillery gave up their own leave time to build a major extension to the Chapel located at the Kloster Maria Frieden (later the Abtei Maria Frieden) in Kirschletten. This was built in April and May 1964. Those two lived in the wash house of the convent, working from dawn to dusk, 6 days a week, to get this project built. Other soldiers would come out on Saturdays, to assist with the building. The 82nd Engineers lent some construction equipment (jackhammers and a cement mixer). In addition to doing the construction work, the soldiers involved also collected money from most of the units in Bamberg to help pay for this project. Eventually, because of the good publicity that this project gained for the Army, these soldiers had their leave time restored to them, and the US Army gave them "Administrative Leave" for the entire two months it took to complete the addition. They were also brought back from field exercises, when the Bishop of Bamberg dedicated this Chapel.
That addition is still standing, but is used as a storeroom today.
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the city of Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, southern 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...
. The base has been occupied by American forces since the end of World War II. Elements of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division entered the town on 13 and 14 April 1945. But before the war, this military site had a colorful history that goes hand-in-hand with Bamberg’s history, which began in the 10th century.
Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
was originally a fort on a hill. The view enabled soldiers of the time to watch the city and guard it against possible attacks.
In 973, the Duke of Bavaria gained control of the fort.
The city and fort fell under Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Protestants’ control during the Thirty Years War when the Swedes engulfed the city and took it forcibly. The year was 1634.
In 1891, Warner Barracks, then known as “Lagarde Kaserne”, was built by the Royal Bavarian Army
5th Royal Bavarian Division
The 5th Royal Bavarian Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army which served alongside the Prussian Army as part of the Imperial German Army. The division was formed on October 1, 1890 in Landau as the 5th Division and swapped division numbers with the Nuremberg-based 3rd Royal Bavarian...
as an infantry barracks. Many of the buildings to the west were built during the turn of the century. Many of these buildings are classified at historical monuments. From World War I to War World II, almost every branch of the German Army was stationed here, the most famous being the 35th Tank Regiment and the German 17th Cavalry Regiment. In 1917, the present Muna area was established and, in 1928, the present airfield was added. After 1933, the forces here were increased with the addition of the 79th Artillery Regiment, and in 1936, Warner Barracks I, the eastern portion of the military base, was constructed as “Artillery Kaserne”.
Prior to World War II, almost every branch of the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
was stationed at Warner Barracks at some time, the most elite being the 35th Armor and the 17th Cavalry Regiments.
The cavalry was composed of noblemen who were wealthy and had their own riding school. Claus von Stauffenberg, who was known for 20 July plot of 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, served in the cavalry regiment; it was his family's traditional regiment. The stables and school occupied the PX, Commissary and community engineering areas. After World War II, the headquarters of the U.S. Constabulary, created to occupy Germany, was located in Bamberg. The Constabulary was a highly mobile unit made up of the 26th Infantry Regiment and the 1st Infantry Division. The unit was responsible for patrolling the American occupied quarter of Germany.
In June 1948, the Soviets imposed the Berlin Blockade changing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
’ role 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...
from occupier to defender. The Constabulary was eventually phased out.
The current Warner Barracks complex was appropriated in 1950 by U.S. forces and renamed in honor of Cpl. Henry F. Warner
Henry F. Warner
Henry F. Warner was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
. Warner was killed in action on December 21, 1944 after his heroic anti-tank actions in Bütgenbach
Bütgenbach
Bütgenbach is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Bütgenbach had a total population of 5,574. The total area is 97.31 km² which gives a population density of 57 inhabitants per km². The official language in this municipality is German....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
six months later, on June 23, 1945.
In 1951, development for long term use of the post began. A dispensary, dental clinic, schools, a PX, gymnasiums and an education center were established.
The post commander was always the senior officer of the infantry brigade until 1970 when Bamberg became an official U.S. Army Europe community with a general officer appointed as post commander.
Over the years, the installation was a sub-community of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
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...
, Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. All the installations located in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
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...
, Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg
U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg
United States Army Garrison Bamberg is located on Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany. The unit provides "installation capabilities and services to support expeditionary operations in a time of persistent conflict, and to provide a quality of life for soldiers and families commensurate with their...
is subordinate to United States Army Installation Management Command – Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and is an indirect report garrison under USAG Ansbach.
Units from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy...
, 16th Sustainment Brigade, and 18th Engineer Brigade are station on Warner Barracks.
Muna Depot
The Bamberg Ammunition Plant (“Muna”) was originally built in 1917 for the production of ammunitionAmmunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. 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...
, it was reactivated and expanded, with 67 buildings, mostly ammunition bunkers, in 1945. Each of the bunkers had a storage capacity for 60 tons of explosives.
In April 1945, only 10 days after the U.S. forces entered Bamberg, the 2nd Platoon, and 33rd Chemical Decontamination Company captured the ammunition plant, and placed guards at the facility. The depot was cleared, but it was decided that the facility should remain under U.S. command. An additional chemical shell dump was closed in Bayreuth on 5 May by the 61st Chemical Depot Company. Chemical supplies from this depot were transported to Bamberg.
During the first year of occupation, a total of 12,000 tons of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
was removed from the Bamberg Ammunition Depot. 10,000 tons of this ammunition was shipped to U.S. depots, while 2,000 tons were destroyed.
After all German ammunition was removed from the Muna, the U.S. forces used the facilities for ammunition storage. Personnel at the depot provided technical and operational supervision for the Ordnance Ammunition Companies that were stationed in the installation and in the sub-depot Breitenguessbach after 1947. The sub-depot at Breitenguessbach, which was utilized for the storage of engineered high explosives and mines, was closed 15 March 1951. The Oberdachstetten Explosives Depot also fell under Bamberg’s operational control; this was closed in 1947 after the disposal of all the captured enemy ammunition.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, various US Army Units were stationed at Warner Barracks, including: The 3rd Infantry Division; the 4th Armored Division
U.S. 4th Armored Division
The 4th Armored Division of the United States Army was an armored division that compiled a distinguished career in the European theater of World War II. Unlike many other World War II U.S. armored divisions, the 4th never adopted an official divisional nickname or slogan...
; 7th Armored Cavalry; 5 Missile Battalion, 39th Artillery (LaCross Missile); 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery (155mm towed guns), 1st Battalion, 75th Artillery (8" Self-Propelled Artillery), a 175mm Self-Propelled Artillery unit, and various support units. Most of the Artillery units were posted on the lower Kasserne, on Pödeldorfer Strasse (which no longer exists, it is now a civilian housing area).
The building housing the 5th Missile Battalion, 39th Artillery later became the headquarters of the 35th Artillery Group.
Two soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 75th Artillery gave up their own leave time to build a major extension to the Chapel located at the Kloster Maria Frieden (later the Abtei Maria Frieden) in Kirschletten. This was built in April and May 1964. Those two lived in the wash house of the convent, working from dawn to dusk, 6 days a week, to get this project built. Other soldiers would come out on Saturdays, to assist with the building. The 82nd Engineers lent some construction equipment (jackhammers and a cement mixer). In addition to doing the construction work, the soldiers involved also collected money from most of the units in Bamberg to help pay for this project. Eventually, because of the good publicity that this project gained for the Army, these soldiers had their leave time restored to them, and the US Army gave them "Administrative Leave" for the entire two months it took to complete the addition. They were also brought back from field exercises, when the Bishop of Bamberg dedicated this Chapel.
That addition is still standing, but is used as a storeroom today.