US military strength in the FRG: a convoy of tanks (5 January 1966)

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On 5 January 1966, almost 22 000 US soldiers from the 3rd Armored Division and 3 000 soldiers from the 15th Tank Brigade of the West German Army take part in a joint military exercise known as Silberkralle to test their operability in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact. The photo shows a convoy of American tanks being transported by train near the town of Lieblos in Hesse. ‘Reforger’ (Return of Forces to Germany) manoeuvres were intended to make sure the US had the ability to strengthen the Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) by deploying units forming the US III Corps. The CENTAG (Central Army Group) reserve was supplied by the French with the 1st Army.

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Source: GERMANY, Lieblos : American soldiers carry boxes with equipment in front of US tanks, which have been loaded on a train for transport at train station Lieblos in Hesse on the 5th of January in 1966. The soldiers and the tank are part of the German-American manoeuvre "Silberkralle", in which 22,000 soldiers of the 3rd US tank division and 3,000 German soldiers of the 15th tank brigade Koblenz were involved. Rehm, Manfred. DPA. Black and White.
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US military strength in the FRG: a convoy of tanks (5 January 1966)