Founding
market municipality of Germany
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Wildflecken is a municipality in the Bad Kissingen district, at the border of northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse. In 2022, its population was 2,935; 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 and the Waffen-SS. 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 housing approximately 20,000 displaced persons (DPs) primarily of Polish origin, operated first by UNRRA, 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 training base operated by the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwöhr, and it was home station for several Army units including armored, mechanized infantry, military intelligence and logistics units (most notably the 373d Armored Infantry Brigade of the 19th (later 4th) Armored Group). It also served as a base for West German 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 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 in training.
American units stationed at Wildflecken include:
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.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Wildflecken”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.