An earlier article in the MILITARY REVIEW discussed the history, organization, and operation of the United States Constabulary from the time of its inception in early 1946 until the end of the first 6-months' period of operation.* Many changes have taken place since then to affect the structure and operations of the Lightningbolt force. However, the name, primary mission, distinctive uniform, and insignia remain as in the past. The purpose of this article is to bring readers up-to-date.

   A heavy burden fell on the Constabulary in January 1947, when the headquarters took over the functions of the Third United States Army and many Third Army tasks became its responsibility. During February, the headquarters moved from Bamberg to Heidelberg, which had been Third Army head-quarters. Third Army in Europe phased out on 15 March 1947, and Constabulary headquarters returned to full-time duty on its primary mission.

   A general Theater reorganization took place during this same period. Certain administrative functions, previously performed by the Base Sections, were now concentrated under newly organized units, the Military Posts. Constabulary Headquarters functioned as headquarters of the Second District of Military Posts, the 1st Infantry Division serving as headquarters of the First District. The dividing line between the First and Second Military Districts was the geographical boundary between the German states of Bavaria (First District) and Hesse and Wurttemberg-Baden (Second District). It is to be noted that no such dividing line existed between the area of the United States Constabulary and the 1st Infantry Division as far as their respective primary functions were concerned. This additional task remained with Constabulary Headquarters until the Districts were phased out in the spring of 1948 and the Military Posts were placed directly under the European Command (EUCOM).
In the spring of 1947, the Theater received a cut in troop strength, and the Constabulary had to absorb its share. The Constabulary was called on to submit a new table of organization, based on a reduced troop ceiling. The plan which was put into effect provided for a substantial decrease in the number of units within the Constabulary. One brigade was eliminated, leaving a total of two. Four regiments were deactivated, leaving five. Of 27 squadrons, 11 were deactivated, leaving 16. These major changes in organization were put into effect in several phases, beginning 1 July 1947. In order to retain units by historical precedence, a general renumbering process ensued which shifted numerical designations from squadron to squadron. The only squadron un-affected by this change was the 1st (Blackhawk) Squadron, a direct descendent of the famous 1st Cavalry Regiment.

   Under the revised organization, the 1st Brigade controlled the same area as the Second Military District (states of Hesse and Wurttemberg-Baden) and the 2d Brigade, the area of the First Military District (state of Bavaria). The reorganization did not entail any change in the operational mission of the Constabulary. This mission was to "maintain general military and civilian security; assist in the accomplishment of the objectives of the United States Government in the occupied US Zone of Germany (exclusive of the Berlin District and Bremen Enclave) by means of an active patrol system prepared to take prompt and effective action to forestall and suppress riots, rebellions, and acts prejudical to the security of the US occupational policies and forces; and maintain effective military control of the borders encompassing the US Zone."

   Of the five remaining regiments one, the 2d, was concentrated in a single location. A light tank troop was reactivated for it and a recoilless rifle troop added. The squadrons of the other four regiments were located in different towns with specific operational areas assigned to each. The four remaining line troops in each squadron were all organized alike as mechanized troops, thus eliminating the motorized troops which existed formerly.

   Generally, this organization remained unchanged until a "remanning table" was published in April 1948. This provided for a reorganization of all line troops without making any changes in major items of equipment. The reason of this reorganization was the fact that the role of the Constabulary in the Army of Occupation had begun to change. During the first year and a half of its existence, the Constabulary was primarily a police force. Now the emphasis was shifted to a purely military mission which required changes in training, planning, and organization. Under the remanning table, the line troop was composed of troop headquarters and line platoons of reconnaissance, rifle, and weapons type. Each reconnaissance platoon consisted of identical sections of ¼-ton trucks and M-8s. The rifle platoons comprised rifle squads, riding in 2½-ton trucks, and light machine-gun sections of two squads each. The weapons platoons comprised mortar squads and recoilless rifle sections. New weapons, in addition to the recoilless rifles, included the rocket launcher and rifle grenade launcher.

   The practice of arming each trooper with a pistol, in addition to a second individual weapon such as a rifle or a submachine gun, was discontinued under the remanning table. Only one weapon to a man was the new basis of individual arming. Mortars, rocket launchers, and grenade launchers were also authorized for all headquarters and special troops.

   Constabulary Headquarters was forced to move from Heidelberg to Stuttgart in February 1948, to make way for Headquarters, EUCOM, which gave up Frankfurt to the Bi-zonal Administration.

   With the ever-decreasing need for a special-type police force in the European Command, the summer of 1948 found the Constabulary undergoing still another reorganization. This time, the changes were radical. Regiments were reorganized as armored cavalry. One regiment remains concentrated in one location; the others are reinforced by Constabulary squadrons, as previously organized. These remaining Constabulary squadrons do whatever police work needs to be done while the armored cavalry units concentrate on training.

   The new armored cavalry regiments are organized generally under Department of the Army tables. This latest reorganization was accomplished during the summer and fall of 1948 but was not officially affected by general orders until 20 December. On that date, the first announcement of the changes was released to the press.

   Under this latest plan, the brigades assume functions comparable to those of a combat command in the armored division, and the brigade headquarters have been reorganized to fit this new function. In due time, it is anticipated that special troops assigned to the Constabulary will be attached to the brigades. As of the early part of 1949, the following special units are organic in the Constabulary: a field artillery group with 4 battalions; 2 engineer combat battalions (1 of which was the first Negro Constabulary unit); several smaller engineer units; ordnance maintenance and truck outfits as well as one horse troop.

   The gradual withdrawal from intensive operations began in early 1947, when a Theater directive indicated the Theater Commander's desire that all military units occupy former German military installations (kasernes) and, wherever feasible, withdraw from large, overcrowded German cities. This resulted in a progressive concentration of Constabulary units until all were entirely consolidated by squadron, except for a few small detachments on border posts and other special places.

   A very unexpected and pleasing accompaniment of these withdrawals from many locations were the many complaints from the population over the disappearance of the Constabulary men. Many a German felt, and many officials expressed it openly and officially, that the departure of the yellow-scarved troopers had given encouragement to criminal elements.

   Similarly, of course, many a Military Government liaison and security officer requested that the Constabulary return to his area to assist him and the German law-enforcement agencies in maintaining low crime rates and generally in giving everyone a feeling of security. Since the Theater Commander's policy was and is to hand the internal functions back to the Germans, none of these calls for return were granted.

   The zonal border security functions which the Constabulary assumed at the beginning of its operations were turned over to the German border police forces during the fall of 1947. The Germans were given the responsibility for keeping illegal crossings of the border to a minimum. Allied personnel alone remained the responsibility of the Con-stabulary, since the German police have not as yet been given authority over them. With the complete opening of the British and French interzonal boundaries during 1948, the last remaining Constabulary border posts there were withdrawn. Only on the Russian border are permanent check points for Allies maintained. A few "international trains," operating across national borders, are still spot-checked by the troopers to collect information on the effectiveness and efficiency of German controls.

   During 1946 and 1947, the Constabulary made a continuous effort to help German law-enforcement agencies to regain their operational know-how and prestige, which they had lost while operating as stooges for Hitler's Third Reich. This was accomplished by joint patrols with German police, by having German police present at check points, and by loaning them equipment, such as vehicles and radios. While no specific orders have been issued discontinuing this practice, it was found no longer necessary, since the German police agencies have become more and more self-sufficient. The equipment, as well as the personnel available to them, has improved in quality and quantity to an extent where the German police are not dependent on Constabulary assistance any longer. At the present time, the tendency is to turn over some of the US Zone internal security responsibility, formerly belonging exclusively to the Constabulary, to the Military Posts who have military police and service troops at their disposal to cope with any civil disorders. The tendency is clearly a return of the Constabulary to "normal" military duties.

   Many observers attribute the uneventful and smooth execution of the occupation to the Constabulary's operations. If it had not been for the preventive actions of the Con-stabulary during 1946 and 1947, for their ever-active patrols, their effective intelligence collection, and their close liaison with local authorities, the internal situation in the US Zone of Germany might well have been entirely different. It is difficult, if not impossible, to fully assess the actual effect of the Constabulary. However, in fairness to the tremendous effort made by the Constabulary, this speculation should be part of the record.

   During a typical month in 1946 and 1947, anywhere from 400,000 to 1,000,000 miles were travelled by foot, motorcycle, horse, and vehicular patrols of the Constabulary. From 8,000 to 15,000 road blocks were established, and from 1,500 to 2,700 L-5 liaison plane missions were flown. These operations were accomplished from more than 200 stations. Today, all Constabulary units occupy only about 20 locations.

   As in its early days, the Constabulary is still being used for unusual missions. At one time, two full squadrons were employed in a 2-day operation to comb an area for a large number of AWOL soldiers known to be in hiding. A brigade headquarters was charged with this mission, since the area involved covered two different regimental zones. Close coordination with German police, CIC, and Military Government was effected and the mission executed without incident.

   During a recent search for a murderer, the entire Constabulary was employed, setting up road blocks and check points throughout the US Zone to apprehend the criminal.

   Check and search operations to clean out known areas of crime are still undertaken occasionally. Anything from wanted persons to large stocks of "black market" goods and weapons are the usual results of these well-planned operations.

   Prior to the issue of the new German currency, the Constabulary played a vital part in the distribution of the money. First, under Top Secret orders, details were called to Frankfurt at irregular intervals to assist in the transport of the boxes containing the money from the train to the vaults of a bank. To avoid security breaches, no officer or enlisted man was employed on these operations more than once. After the 24,000 boxes were safely deposited, over a period of several months, the task of distributing them again was tossed into the Constabulary's lap. Due to the geographical proximity of one of the brigade headquarters, the task was turned over to the brigade. The planning was difficult because of the Top Secret classification of the operation and the many agencies involved. Military Government was in overall charge. French and British military and civilian agencies participated. The US Army Transportation Corps was committed to furnish the truck transportation. An infantry regiment supplied the labor for the stevedoring. Military Police units furnished local security. All of these, as well as housekeeping units, had to cooperate during the planning stage. The operation was executed smoothly and efficiently, the Constabulary employing a total of 200 "jeeps," 100 officers, and 500 enlisted men. A total of some 50 convoys were organized in Frankfurt and dispatched throughout the occupied areas. Every Constabulary vehicle involved was equipped with a machine gun and every convoy had a minimum of two radio sets. (Illegible) attached to the Constabulary established check points for the convoys on the roads. Some 50 L-5 airplanes furnished an air umbrella day and night, communicating by radio or flags with the convoys to determine whether they had encountered any trouble.

   Several times, the Constabulary has been called upon to assist in searches for lost aircraft. Its ready availability, great mobility, and fine communications facilities lend themselves well to special missions of this type.

   Later, with the introduction of a training program for all Constabulary reinforcements, small unit training was initiated and successfully carried out. In the fall of 1947, the platoon was declared the basic training unit, with only occasional work under troop and squadron control. The reason for this was mainly the decision on the part of the commanding general that junior officers and non-commissioned officers of all grades needed the training in their jobs as commanders and leaders.

  Not until the spring of 1948 did the Constabulary attempt major unit tactical training. Troop exercises were conducted in which both reconnaissance (cavalry) and dismounted (infantry) problems were executed. Units of troop size also were ordered into the field for periods of 1 to 2 weeks to become accustomed to field life and to carry out troop problems. The results of this training cycle were very gratifying. Along with the tactical improvements in all units, an increase in morale was noted throughout. Reenlistment figures went up, and deficiency reports went down. During the summer months, most elements of the Constabulary participated in field maneuvers of from 1 to 3 months' duration at Grafenwohr, one of the former German Army's largest maneuver areas. Several joint exercises, from CPX's to full-scale maneuvers, were held with the 1st Infantry Division, which spent the entire summer there.

   With the 1948 reorganization to armored cavalry accomplished, the divergencies in tactical doctrine which existed during the early days were bound to disappear. With a non-standard type of unit under the command of officers of all ground force branches, there used to be a good deal of disagreement as to how to employ the mechanized troops of the Constabulary with their ¼-ton and M-8 vehicles. Some units employed their outfits dismounted, others used armored cavalry tactics, still others developed a doctrine all their own. The new armored cavalry type of organization eliminated this problem.

   Of course, a period of retraining was needed to acquaint officers and men with their new equipment and indoctrinate them with armored cavalry tactics. All regiments operated tank training centers during the retraining phase, which will be climaxed during the maneuver season at Grafenwohr this year.

   Whenever special conditions indicate particular areas of intelligence interest, the flexible system of coverage is adjusted to concentrate on the desired spot, and appropriate measures are taken to cope with the situation. Thus, for example, reports may indicate unrest among the population in certain towns. As a result, a show of force of armored vehicles will quickly and effectively quiet the restless populace. When strikes occur or undesirable political activities increase, intelligence agents are concentrated and the frequency of reports is stepped up. Thus, by one means or another, the Constabulary keeps abreast of any activities in the zone which may threaten internal security.

   The two Brigades have experienced only one turnover in commanding generals. In the 1st Brigade, Brigadier General F.B. Prickett commanded from the activation until his return to the United States in November 1947; his successor is Brigadier General Arthur G. Trudeau. The 2d Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Hobart R. Gay until his redeployment and relief by General Edmund B. Sebree.