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598th Trans Co Germany
Click for a large Map
Click for a large Map
14 April 1960, the 28th Battalion headquarters moved to Poitiers, France and became part of the line of communication that stretched from the French ports of La Rochelle or Saint Nazaire, through Ingrandes, Orleans and on into Germany. With the Soviet threat, the lines of communication were safer stretching back to France than lateral across Germany. The way the operations in Europe worked were as follows. The 106th Transportation Battalion operated in the Base Sector and conducted port clearance from La Rochelle and Saint Nazaire delivering cargo-laden trailers to the trailer transfer point at Ingrandes General Depot or sometimes to Vitry la Francois where the drivers would spend the night and return the next day. There the drivers and their M-52 5-ton tractor whould pick up the trailer and deliver it to Orleans, where another would take it to Vitry Lefrancois. The 28th Battalion ran the relay in the Intermediate Sector. A tractor from the 53rd Transportation Battalion would take it the rest of the way into Kaiserslautern, Germany.
1961:
August 1961, the 28th Transportation Battalion, 37th Transportation
Command. The 598th Medium Truck Company was attached to the battalion
in October 1961. The battalion had four truck companies:
1st Transportation Company, Maison Fort, Orleans
68th Transportation Company, Ingrandes
76th Transportation Company, Maison Fort, Orleans
598th Transportation Company, (HET) Ingrandes
Trailer Transfer Point, Terminal Platoons, Ingrandes and Maison Fort.
The total miles operated by the battalion in FY 61 were 5,859,038 and 8,531,077 in FY62.
As part of Operation ROUNDOUT, the 598th Medium Truck personnel transferred to the Continental United States (CONUS) beginning in July 1962. The company became non-operational. Many replacements, mostly Privates and Private First Class, arrived in August to bring the company back up to strength. It, however, lacked qualified NCOs and officers. The company was placed in a training status and returned to full operational status on 23 October 1962.
1963:
The 598th time in Europe shifted in 1963 from Ingrandes France, when it was then attached to the 106th Transportation Bn, and moved to Kassel Germany in Oct 1963.
LTC (later COL) Charles T. Forrester, Jr. commanded the battalion from 4
July 1964 until 1 February 1966. In January 1965, the task organization
was as shown:
HHD. Bremerhaven
67th Transportation Company (Med). Bremerhaven
70th Transportation Company (Med). Kassel
77th Transportation Company (Med). Kassel
78th Transportation Company (Med). Bremerhaven
598th Transportation Company (Med). Kassel
TTA. Bremerhaven
TTB. Kassel
TTD. Kassel
Because the M52 5-ton was designed as a tactical vehicle it was not designed for high speed traffic on highways. This caused a lot of wear on the vehicles. Instead, the commanders pushed for commercial tractors. In 1965, 37th Transportation Command turned in their M52 tractors for the International Harvester 205H tractor.
The 598th remained in Kassel from late 63, till it moved to Mannheim in early 1967, where it was attached to the 28th Transportation Battalion again. During there time in Kassel, the 598th provided port clearance from Bremerhaven to Giessen. The trans units in Kassel had the tactical 5 ton M52 trucks, but in 1965 they all received International cab over trucks, which were a big improvement for highway use. In 1966, most of the 106th participated in Operation Freloc in France. These units spent roughly 1 year in France moving all of the US equipment and supplies out of France. When completed, the 598th was assigned to the 28th Trans Bn in Mannheim.
All 6 companies of the 28th Trans Bn were at Spinelli Barracks in Mannheim.
28th Trans Bn had the following:
40th Trans Co, Med Truck POL
109th Trans Co, Med Truck POL.
68th Trans S&P Medium truck
150th Trans S&P Med Truck
377th Trans Co Heavy lift
598th was Medium Truck with low boy trailers.
From 1971 to 1972, the 37th Transportation Command received
the newer model International Harvester Commercial (IHC)
tractors 4070 and 2000D models. The northern most battalion,
the 106th, which had the longest run clearing cargo out of
the Port of Bremerhaven received the IHC4070s. The IHC2000Ds
had single axles and could not pull the containers as well
The 598th and the 28th Trans Bn were Deactivated Jun 2010.
One of the later 598th IHC's while under the 28th Bn.
The 598th was one of the less nomadic Transpotation Companies in Europe.
They were under the 28th Trans Bn from 1960 to 1963. They then were under
the 106th Trans Bn from 63 through 1967. In 1967, they were again placed
under the 28th Trans Bn until both were deactivated in Jun 2010.
