Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1958–1959, Volume VIII

182. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, United States Army, Europe (Hodes) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff⁰

Heidelberg, February 19, 1959, 4:44 p.m.

EC 9–964. For your information, CINCUSAREUR has approved the following actions recommended by USCOB.

A. Develop Helmstedt into a communications base with limited operational capacity by increasing size of detachment with additional communications personnel and military police. (Already initiated.)

B. Increase number of personnel per vehicle. (Already initiated.)

C. Provide vehicular radio to accompany each convoy to assure communications with checkpoints during transit. (Already directed.)

D. Increase number of single military vehicles transiting autobahn. (Do not contemplate radios with single vehicles.)

E. Increase frequency of multiple (normal) vehicle convoys as well as composition.

F. Reintroduce military police patrols on autobahn.

G. Reintroduce transportation of personnel on autobahn armed with individual and crew-served weapons.

H. Increase number of selected military police at checkpoints and call attention to them by assigning additional duties, e.g., have MP’s accompany convoys to Soviet checkpoints to assist in effecting clearance.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 762.0221/2–1959. Secret; Priority. Repeated to the Department of State.