Charlie Battery Stories
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Charlie Battery Stories his document includes a 3 part article by Ulrike Maushake T of the Heilbronner Stimme, that are published on 3 different days. They feature stories told by the three Amigos, Werner Kümmerle, Günther Walter, and Robert Böckle, and one by Thomas Schulz. They are very interesting stories that, although told years ago, are new information to this writer. All of the original documents have been pro- vided by Thomas Schulz, as have many that are included on our web- site. It demonstrates his faithful, tireless, and on going efforts to assist in our historical record. These are short articles, however, I think all will enjoy them as little vi- gnettes of time gone by... -- - - Nordheim Brackenheim Lauffen Guglingen Zaber feld Pfaffen Kirchheim hofen Neckar- westheim Cleebronn Bönningheim Nordheim Brackenheim Lauffen Guglingen Zaber feld Pfaffen Kirchheim hofen Neckar- westheim Cleebronn Bönningheim Until the end of the 1980s, there was a rocket launch base on the landfill between Haberschlacht and Stetten US Army: “Held harmless as a gas station” By Ulrike Maushake federal government. cupation felt compelled to arm up ther Walter. Günther Walter and Werner again," says Günther Walter. "We "I can still feel the water in my illowherb bloom on the Kümmerle remember "young guys, resisted that." shoes today. Then it started to snow Wgrounds of the landfill be- around 20 years old" when they Two thirds of the people here and the writing on the notes ran." tween Haberschlacht and Stetten, started measuring and cutting were unemployed at the time, Gunther Walter had been targeted silver thistles and the Canadian one down the forest in 1957. Günther "says Werner Kümmerle. It was the by the data protection agency. "I Yellow loosestrife. Hardly anything Walter has brought a portfolio farmers' sons who were affected by was referred to as Moscow's side- indicates that anti-aircraft missiles with newspaper articles, calls, let- this. Some people had the oppor- kick," he recalls. with nuclear warheads were once ters to the editor and resolutions tunity to spend a few marks while installed here. that show how controversial the building the base. A construction Keyword Three men have gathered at the structure of the bases has been. company He explains that he had landfill, whose biographies areIn particular, a statement by the the general management of the Missile launch base somewhat linked to the history of US Army, which had claimed that construction work and that he On August 15, 1959, the plant the launch bases. Two farmers from the facility was "as harmless as a worked for. He erected high-volt- between the Haberschlacht Stetten: Günther Walter, who had petrol station", had outraged large age masts and braided iron mats. and Stetten in spite of previ- joined the Heuchelberg consor- sections of the population and Günther Walter tells how he ous protests in Zabergau and tium and fought against the firing activated civil resistance. Many pinned leaflets to 600 trees that Leintal went into operation. position. Werner Kümmerle, who also did not believe that those were to be felled in February 1958. Three articles today and in helped with the construction part- responsible claimed that the mis- "Do I have to die to ruin all be- the coming days are about time. In addition, forester Robert siles would not be equipped with ings big and small? No! No missile this time during the Cold Böckle from Guglingen, in whose nuclear warheads. weapons should ever cause mis- War and how nature has re- term of office falls the time when "Just twelve years after the end of chief here!" stood on the pieces of captured the former military Werner Kümmerle, Günther Walter, and Robert Böckle (from left) search the Americans opened the bases the terrible Second World War, our paper that had been copied using a site. (cs) for traces: soldiers used to maintain their vehicles here. (Photo: Maushake) in 1978 and returned the site to the government and the American oc- blueprint. "It was cold," says Gun- Nordheim Brackenheim Lauffen Guglingen Zaber feld Pfaffen Kirchheim hofen Neckar- westheim Cleebronn Bönningheim Nordheim Brackenheim Lauffen Guglingen Zaber feld Pfaffen Kirchheim hofen Neckar- westheim Cleebronn Bönningheim The Heuchelberg protection community resisted the launch base (part 2) Nike and Ajax to protect against Moscow By Ulrike Maushake and petitions everywhere. In Nie- and key as military secret. derhofen, the forest workers un- From three independent firing n January 1957, the Lanes gov- dertook not to cut or remove any groups, facing east, he says the fir- Iernment of Baden-Württem- more wood for the launch base. ing position was passed. "They were berg approved the construction of But the protests were fruitless. The initially equipped with the Nike five missile bases, according to an facility was put into operation on Ajax, then with the Nike Hercules information letter from the Heu- August 15, 1959 in order to coun- with ranges of 40 or 130 and, when chelberg protection association in ter any air raids with atomically used on the ground, up to 185 kilo- March 1958. equipped long-range bombers meters," said Schulz. They were later The community had been found- from Moscow. replaced by Pershing I, the medium- range nuclear missile. ed a few days earlier to "use all Thomas Schulz from Heilbronn- Each base had an underground democratic means" to build a pro- Böckingen can provide informa- posed Nike anti-aircraft base on bunker and a hall. The radar and tion on how this looked exactly. fire control area rose above Stock- Heuchelberg. "A piece of yellowed As a volunteer at the technical heim Castle. In addition, there were paper that tells of civil courage and relief organization, he helped re- barracks for around 220 soldiers, a hot fight in the Cold War. move the remains of the plant in Inauguration of the Heuchelberg Nike base on December 15, 1959: Prime facilities for the infrastructure and Minister Kurt Georg kiesinger was also there. (Photo: Archives / Eisenmenger) There was resistance everywhere the mid-1980s. Since then he has a fire water basin on the site. With in Zabergäu and in the Leintal, if been interested in this piece of a double, finally triple fence, with Thomas Schulz tation on the Heuchelberg the construction of the position contemporary history and col- barbed wire, watchtowers and strong Info is looking for Nike launch base. He can be was seen as a serious danger to lects documents that document it. headlights, says Thomas Schulz, the photos and other docu- reached daily from 7 p.m. at the localities. Protest meetings However, much is kept under lock site was protected. ments to set up a documen- 07131/251766 Nordheim Brackenheim Lauffen Guglingen Zaber feld Pfaffen Kirchheim hofen Neckar- westheim Cleebronn Bönningheim Nordheim Brackenheim Lauffen Guglingen Zaber feld Pfaffen Kirchheim hofen Neckar- westheim Cleebronn Bönningheim Nature has recaptured the military area between Stetten and Haberschlacht (part3) From now on the Americans have moved from Heuchelberg Nike base By Ulrike Maushake blow up." thickly overgrown with blackberry Most of the area is now cov- groves: here the soldiers have been rom today on they were morgan ered with forest again. Instead of waiting for their vehicles. FAmericans away, "looks the for- American soldiers, there are now You have to know where to look, mer district ranger Robert Böckle American coastal giant firs. "A on the Fuchsberg, in the Lochwald, back to 1978. "Suddenly overnight. particularly fast growing variety," you still want to discover the re- You left millions of dollars be- says Böckle with a smile. mains of the complex. The forest hind." Everyone then got what was And, like irony, it also seems has recaptured the area. Only a not riveted and nail-proof. that where the radar tower rose to concrete fire water pond has been The concrete slabs of the Ab- monitor the airspace, there is only completely preserved. circular and scussgruppen had caused special one model building association. a good six meters deep, circular problems for Böckle, who was Model airplanes now soar without and a good six meters deep, to- entrusted with the Aufgave to being run down by a Nike Hercu- day it serves toads and frogs as a reforest the area: "They were 70 les. Instead of the soldiers' watch- protected and hidden spawning After the withdrawal of the Americans in the late 1970s, there were plans to make centimeters thick and difficult to towers, hunters are raised. A pit, ground. an ammunition depot from the missile position. (Photo: Archives / Eisenmenger).