United States Constabulary in the Occupied Zones
1946
The Map shows the Constabulary Zones and Squadrons.
Below the map you will find the complete listing of UNITS ASSIGNED TO CONSTABULARY, 1946 and their locations.
Map submitted by Walter Elkins

On 1 July 1946, the U.S. Constabulary assumed area and security responsibility throughout  the Third Army Area, relieving the 1st, 3rd and 9th Infantry Divisions of area responsibility and border control.

The First and Fourth Armored Divisions, both of which only a few months before had been designated as probable permanent occupational divisions, furnished the nucleus for the Constabulary.

In the first months of operation, not all CON units were located at their final stations. This was primarily due to occupation of those assigned facilities by other units or organizations (displaced persons or prisoners of war) pending relocation to other facilities. Also, some facilities required extensive repairs prior to occupation by CON units.

UNITS ASSIGNED TO CONSTABULARY, 1946
NEW DESIGNATION STATION OLD DESIGNATION COMMENTS
HHT, US Constabulary Bamberg    moved to Heidelberg in Jan 1947
97th CON Signal Sqdn Bamberg 97th Signal Bn  
CON School Sqdn Sonthofen 465th AAA Bn (AW)(SP)  
85th CON Car Platoon Bamberg    
114th CON Band Bamberg 114th AGF Band  
820th CON MP Company Bamberg 820th MP Co  
85th CON QM Car Platoon Bamberg 85th QM Car Platoon  
6th Air Liaison Sqdn      
1st Con Brigade      
HHT, 1st CON Brigade Wiesbaden-Dotzheim HHC, 4th Armored Division  
HHT, 1st CON Regiment Rothwesten (near Kassel) HHC, 11th Armored Gp  
11th CON Sqdn Rothwesten 11th Armd Inf Bn (1st AD)  
12th CON Sqdn Neustadt 6th Armd Inf Bn (1st AD)  
91st CON Sqdn (Bad) Hersfeld 91st Armd FA Bn (1st AD)  
HHT, 3rd CON Regiment Wetzlar HHC, CC "A", 1st Armd Division  
37th CON Sqdn Weilburg 37th Tank Bn (4th AD)  
68th CON Sqdn Buedingen 68th Armd FA Bn (1st AD)  
81st CON Sqdn Fulda 81st Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)(1st AD)  
HHT, 15th CON Regiment Weinheim HHT, 15th Cav Gp (Mecz) moved to Seckenheim (near Mannheim) in Jan 1947
1st CON Sqdn Knielingen (near Karlsruhe) 1st Tank Bn (1st AD)  
14th CON Sqdn Darmstadt 14th Armd Inf Bn (1st AD)  
15th CON Sqdn Schwetzingen (near Heidelberg) 15th Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)   
2nd Con Brigade      
HHT, 2nd CON Brigade Munich HHC, CC "A", 4th Armd Division  
HHT, 2nd CON Regiment Freising HHT, 2nd Cav Gp (Mecz)  
2nd CON Sqdn Lenggries 2nd Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  
42nd CON Sqdn Freising 42nd Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  
66th CON Sqdn Degerndorf 66th Armd FA Bn (4th AD)  
HHT, 5th CON Regiment Augsburg HHC, 6th TD Gp  
8th CON Sqdn Deggendorf 8th Tank Bn (4th AD) attached to the 11th CON Regt
35th CON Sqdn Fuessen 35th Tank Bn (4th AD)  
74th CON Sqdn Augsburg 474th AAA Bn (AW)(SP)  
HHT, 11th CON Regiment Regensburg HHT, 11th Cav Gp (Mecz)  
25th CON Sqdn Regensburg 25th Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  
51st CON Sqdn Passau 51st Armd Inf Bn (4th AD)  
94th CON Sqdn Weiden 94th Armd FA Bn (4th AD)  
3rd Con Brigade      
HHT, 3rd CON Brigade Stuttgart HHC, CC "B", 4th Armd Division  
HHT, 6th CON Regiment Bayreuth HHT, 6th Cav Gp (Mecz) moved to Bamberg early 1947 after HQ USCON relocated to Heidelberg
6th CON Sqdn Coburg 6th Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  
28th CON Sqdn Hof 28th Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  
53rd CON Sqdn Schwabach 53rd Armd Inf Bn (4th AD)  
HHT, 10th CON Regiment Stuttgart-Moehringen HHC, 10th Armored Gp  
13th CON Sqdn Bamberg 13th Tank Bn (1st AD) attached to 6th CON Regt
71st CON Sqdn Hessental (near Schwaebisch Hall) 771st Tank Bn  
72nd CON Sqdn Boeblingen 4th Tank Bn (1st AD)  
HHT, 14th CON Regiment Kitzingen HHT, 14th Cav Gp (Mecz)  
10th CON Sqdn Kitzingen 10th Armd Inf Bn (4th AD)  
22nd CON Sqdn Hammelburg 22nd Armd FA Bn (4th AD)  
27th CON Sqdn Schweinfurt 27th Armd FA Bn (4th AD)  

UNITS ASSIGNED TO U.S. FORCES, AUSTRIA, 1946
NEW DESIGNATION STATION OLD DESIGNATION COMMENTS
HHT, 4th CON Regiment Salzburg HHT, 4th Cav Gp (Mecz)  
4th CON Sqdn in Austria (loc unknown) 4th Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  
16th CON Sqdn Berlin HHT, 16th Cav Gp (Mecz)  
24th CON Sqdn in Austria (loc unknown) 24th Cav Rcn Sqdn (Mecz)  

Explanation of Abbreviations
AAA        Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Armd FA Bn   Armored Field Artillery Battalion
AGF       Army Ground Forces
Armd Inf Bn   Armored Infantry Battalion
Armd      Armored
AW         Automatic Weapons
Bde        Brigade
Bn         Battalion
Cav       Cavalry
Co         Company
CON       Constabulary
Div       Division
Gp         Group
HHT       Headquarters and Headquarters Troop
HHC       Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Mecz      Mechanized
MP         Military Police
Pl         Platoon
QM         Quartermaster
Rcn       Reconnaissance
Regt      Regiment
Sep       Separate
Sig       Signal
SP         Self Propelled
Sqdn Squadron
TD         Tank Destroyer
Tk         Tank
 

THE UNITED STATES CONSTABULARY
IN THE OCCUPIED ZONES
NOV. 1947
Below you will find a map showing the location of US Constabulary Units as of November 1947.

 Also included are the Military Posts that had been established just months before.  These posts would later become known as Military Communities.


CHECK BELOW THE MAP TO READ ABOUT THE U S  CONSTABULARY ORGANIZATIONS FOR THAT PERIOD.

Due to the many post-war missions within the European Theater that made manpower demands beyond the Army's capabilities, the idea of maintaining a tactical reserve in Germany had been abandoned in 1946. However, political developments within Europe - the growing threat to the East - dictated that the U. S. command in the European Theater (EUCOM) reconsider its plans to protect American lives and interests in case of aggression by a major power (the Soviet Union) or in the face of chaotic conditions resulting from communist uprisings feared in countries like France and Italy.

By the summer of 1947, EUCOM established a combat reserve designed to cope with special emergencies. The new reserve consisted of three principal elements:
1. A general reserve, consisting of the 26th Regimental Combat Team and the 18th Infantry Regiment (both of the 1st Infantry Division).
2. A Constabulary reserve, consisting of the 2nd Constabulary Regiment supported by additional combat elements.
3. A mobile field headquarters as part of the headquarters of 1st Infantry Division.

By June 1947, the shortage of manpower in the Constabulary had become acute and a reorganization was affected with the objective of creating a Constabulary reserve and of making the Constabulary's paper organization correspond to reality. The plan developed called for the discontinuance of one brigade (3rd CON Brigade) and the inactivation of four regiments (1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th CON Regiments). The 68th CON Squadron of the inactivating 3rd CON Regiment was reassigned to the 2nd CON Regiment, as an element of the Constabulary reserve.

The Constabulary Reserve
On 3 July 1947, the 5th CON Regiment, with headquarters in Augsburg, was designated the Constabulary reserve. At that time, the 5th Regiment consisted of the 35th and 74th CON Squadrons. Upon its designation as reserve, the 5th was augmented by the 68th CON Squadron from the inactivated 3rd CON Regiment and the 66th CON Squadron from the inactivated 2nd CON Regiment. Three squadrons, the 35th, 68th and 74th, were concentrated in Augsburg in August 1947 while the 66th remained in Degerndorf near the Austrian-German border to continue its mission of police-type duties.

The combat effectiveness of the reserve was increased with the addition of a light tank troop and a recoilless rifle troop. These two troops together with the headquarters and service troop became a provisional squadron also located in Augsburg.

On 20 September 1947, the 5th CON Regiment was redesignated the 2nd CON Regiment and the 74th and 35th CON Squadrons were redesignated, respectively, the 2nd and 42nd CON Squadrons.

By the end of September 1947, the Constabulary Reserve consisted of the 2nd CON Regiment (comprising the 2nd, 42nd and 68th Squadron), a provisional squadron made up of a headquarters and service troop, a Recoilless Rifle Troop and a Light Tank Troop, all stationed in Augsburg, and the 66th Squadron, stationed at Degerndorf.
 

UNITS ASSIGNED TO U.S. CONSTABULARY, Nov 1947
NEW DESIGNATION STATION OLD DESIGNATION COMMENTS
HHT, US Constabulary Heidelberg    moved to Stuttgart-Vaihingen on 1 Feb 1948
97th CON Signal Sqdn Heidelberg    
CON School Sqdn Sonthofen    
85th CON Car Platoon Heidelberg    
114th CON Band Heidelberg    
820th CON MP Company Heidelberg    
1st Con Brigade      
HHT, 1st CON Brigade Wiesbaden-Dotzheim    
HHT, 14th CON Regiment Fritzlar HHT, 1st CON Regiment  
10th CON Squadron Fritzlar 12th CON Squadron  
22nd CON Squadron (Bad) Hersfeld 91st CON Squadron  
27th CON Squadron Darmstadt 14th CON Squadron  
HHT, 15th CON Regiment Seckenheim    
1st CON Squadron Knielingen (vic Karlsruhe)    
14th CON Squadron Boeblingen 72nd CON Squadron  
15th CON Squadron (Schwaebisch) Hall 71st CON Squadron  
2nd Con Brigade      
HHT, 2nd CON Brigade Munich    
HHT, 2nd CON Regiment Augsburg    
Provisional CON Squadron Augsburg    
2nd CON Squadron Augsburg    
42nd CON Squadron Augsburg    
66th CON Squadron Degerndorf    
68th CON Squadron Augsburg    
HHT, 6th CON Regiment Bamberg    
6th CON Squadron Coburg    
28th CON Squadron Schweinfurt 27th CON Squadron  
53rd CON Squadron Schwabach    
HHT, 11th CON Regiment Straubing    
25th CON Squadron Straubing    
51st CON Squadron Landshut    
94th CON Squadron Weiden    

UNITS ASSIGNED TO U.S. FORCES, AUSTRIA, 1946
HHT, 4th CON Regiment Ebelsberg (vic Linz), Austria    
4th CON Squadron Wels, Austria    
16th CON Squadron Berlin, Germany    
24th CON Squadron Hoersching, Austria    

Explanation of Abbreviations
CON        Constabulary
HHT       Headquarters and Headquarters Troop
MP         Military Police
QM         Quartermaster
vic       in the vicinity of ...
 
 

THE ABOVE INFORMATION WAS SENT IN BY WALTER ELKINS.

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