Every time I get a new group of pictures from Al, I always say to myself 'these are the best yet.' And I'm always surprised by the next group. Here's the best yet from Al Ditter's vault.
3 Mech Cdo did its first Fall concentration in 1971. It deployed to Hohenfels under US Army tentage and then exercised first in Grafenwehr and then into the Bavarian countryside on Central Army Group Exercise Gutes Omen.
4CMBG was to play the enemy force against II (German) Korps who intended, among other objectives, to determine whether it should retain its 90mm Jagdpanzerkannon (tank destroyer). The exercise got off to a bad start when both the 2R22eR and 3 Mech Cdo battle groups employed unconventional tactics -- the Van Doos did a dismounted attack behind the Jagdpanzer screen and 3 Mech Cdo did a night move, under radio silence, and was 20 kms behind the German lines without making contact -- causing the umpires to halt the exercise, move ll Korps 40 kms and then restart it.
Shortly after Ex Gutes Omen was debriefed, the Bundeswehr shelved the Jadgpanzer, convinced that it lacked the necessary maneuverability to be effective against a mobile mechanized force. AldiExercise Gutes Omen, 3 Mech Cdo's first deployment to the Bavarian Requisitioned Maneuver Area.
4CMBG played enemy to the Bundeswehr's II Korps.
Advancing to contact.
German troops being observed by a CF-104.
3 Mech Cdo's first summer under canvas at Hohenfels.
Cheers,
Dan.
