Wildflecken
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Wildflecken is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
Bad Kissingen Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which beca ...
district, at the border of northwestern
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
and southern
Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Dar ...
. In 2005, its population was 3,285; the postal code is 97772 (US Forces used APO NY 09026 until July 15, 1991, when APO/FPO/DPO addresses got their own "state" codes, when "NY" became "AE"). Wildflecken is in the picturesque Rhön mountains. In 1937, the German Army established a large training area northeast of the village, large enough to house some 9,000 troops and 1,500 mounts. The camp (Camp Wildflecken) provings were primarily used by the land forces of the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
and the
Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...
. During the war, several Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS divisions each were activated and trained for combat in Wildflecken. Also located in the area were an ammunition factory and two camps holding Russian, Belgian and French prisoners of war. In April 1945, elements of the U.S. 14th Armored Division took control of the camp and the training area. From April 1945 to 1951, the base was a
displaced persons camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced peop ...
housing approximately 20,000 displaced persons (DPs) primarily of Polish origin, operated first by
UNRRA United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was an international relief agency, largely dominated by the United States but representing 44 nations. Founded in November 1943, it was dissolved in September 1948. it became part o ...
, then by IRO. A Polish cemetery holds the camp's residents who died during those five years. After 1951, its range served as a
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
training base operated by the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwöhr, and it was home station for several Army units including
armored Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
,
mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...
,
military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
and
logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
units (most notably the 373d Armored Infantry
Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...
of the 19th (later 4th) Armored Group). It also served as a base for
West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
Bundesgrenzschutz (border police) units and later for the new German Army. Dubbed "The Top of the Rock" by American troops, the small post was among the most feared and disliked of all training areas due to high altitude and
extreme weather Extreme weather or extreme climate events includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Often, extreme events are based on a loca ...
conditions. It featured ranges for tanks, artillery and basic training facilities. Additionally, it was one of only a few training sites allowed by the German government to utilize
CS gas The compound 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called ''o''-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile; chemical formula: C10H5ClN2), a cyanocarbon, is the defining component of tear gas commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agen ...
in training. American units stationed at Wildflecken include: * 2/15th Infantry
Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
* 1/68th Armor Battalion * HHB 1/1 Air Defence Artillery ( MIM-23 Hawk) from
Butzbach Butzbach () is a town in the Wetteraukreis district in Hessen, Germany. It is located approximately 16 km south of Gießen and 35 km north of Frankfurt am Main. In 2007, the town hosted the 47th Hessentag state festival from 1 to 10 June ...
to Wildflecken in May 1976. The Fire Distribution Section moved from Fulda at the same time. Established primitive Tac Site on hill top outside training center. * 3/52 Air Defense Artillery Battalion. Only Headquarters & Headquarters Battery (HHB), Service Battery and B Battery were stationed at Wildflecken. A Battery was located in Bad Kissingen, C Battery in Fulda, and D Battery in Schweinfurt. The unit's mission was to provide air defense against a potential East Block attack of Germany during the Cold War using Improved-Hawk missiles. * 108th Military Intelligence Battalion * 48 Maintenance Company * 536th Military Police Company * 54th Combat Engineer Battalion * 144th Ordnance Company * 23rd Medical Detachment – outpatient care, first aid; dispensary of the 33rd Field Hospital, US Army Hospital Würzburg, Wuerzburg MEDDAC/DENTAC, Würzburg American Hospital; headquarters for the Wuerzburg Medical Service Area * 2/ 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. In early 1992, the squadron moved from Daley Barracks in
Bad Kissingen Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which beca ...
to Wildflecken, where it remained until stood down in 1994.History of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
/ref> The Wildflecken Kaserne was decommissioned by the US Army and transferred to Germany in 1994 after a drawdown that began in 1991. Currently, it is home of the German Army Combat Simulation Center. The training area is primarily used by the German Infantry School.


References


External links


The History of Camp Wildflecken



Wildflecken Veterans Association website

54th Engineer Battalion
{{Authority control Bad Kissingen (district) Populated places established in 1524