top of page

Research Links & Credits

This project would have been impossible without the considerable historical material available online.  Mad props and major credit to those who publish and maintain these sites! We're also happy to know about any sources we've missed. 

We also want to thank the directors and staff of Museum Insel Hombroich and Raketenstation Hombroich; the sponsors of the Raketenstation Hombroich Summer Fellows Program; Ursula Achternkamp, who curated the program in 2015 and invited us to participate; Klaus, Pieter, Katherine, and other residents and staff who shared their knowledge and encouraged our interest; and of course all of our friends and fellow artists at Hombroich who shared their talent and vision with us and created such a warm and supportive environment. And special thanks to our tech whiz Paul Spiesberger for his timely assistance!

Information Links:

Locations of Former Nike Site Locations & Status (text)

(excellent source!)

http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#GE-Rolf

 

Map of German Nike missile sites

(excellent!)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=zisi6Vjbis8Q.kzMq3ghEoONM&hl=en_US

 

 

Primary source of info!!:

US Army Artillery Detachments supporting Belgian Air Force NIKE units 

5th US Army Artillery Group 59th Ordnance Brigade

“The 507th Artillery Detachment, headquartered in Grefrath with its Alpha Team, is close to Duesseldorf and supports the 9th Belgian Missile Wing”

Kapellen (Hombroich) was C Team, 55th Squadron

(incl phto of US soldier in front of concrete gate bldg -“Gold House”? Also good personal accounts)

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/units/ordnance/USAREUR_5th%20USAAG.htm

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Historical photos of Kapellen base etc: 

 

careye marnick>Kapellen-erft2010

https://picasaweb.google.com/115481485939878156751/KapellenErft2010?feat=flashalbum#5646386250718751170

 

55SMLD Kappelen Erft

http://fotoalbum.seniorennet.be/MadMax/55smld_kappelen_erft/foto=3369500

 

Leger Kapellen Erft 1976 300 DPI

http://fotoalbum.seniorennet.be/javatrot/legerdienst_kapellen_erft_1976_/galerij

 

Herinneringen aan de legertijd in Kapellen Erft.

http://www.careye.be/kapellenerft/

 

Legerdienst

KAPELLEN-ERFT.

(historical photos of Kappelen IFC, also Kaserne)

http://www.legerdienst.be/KapellenErft.html

 

Grevenbroich

Nato-Kaserne geräumt

http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/grevenbroich/nato-kaserne-geraeumt-aid-1.172857

 

Belgian Nike crews

http://home.deds.nl/~belgiannike/nike.html

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Liste der geschlossenen amerikanischen Militärstandorte in Deutschland

(list of US military installations in Germany)

Kapellen Camp/Kamp Kapellen (Nukleare Verwahrung) US Custodial Team (Team C, 507th USAAD) 1985 Für 55 Sqn/9e Wing (BE-Nike).

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_geschlossenen_amerikanischen_Militärstandorte_in_Deutschland

 

 

Grevenbroich- Kaserne ohne Alternative

http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/grevenbroich/kaserne-ohne-alternative-aid-1.163055

 

Gemeinde Grefrath

Ex-Kaserne vor ungewisser Zukunft

(about Grefrath and Vinkrath HQ/barracks)

http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/kempen/ex-kaserne-vor-ungewisser-zukunft-aid-1.3498667

 

Funkstille auf dem Nato-Gelände

(about Vinkrath)

http://www.wz-newsline.de/lokales/kreis-viersen/grefrath/funkstille-auf-dem-nato-gelaende-1.1772903

 

 

Grefrath

(historical and current photos)

http://www.legerdienst.be/Grefrath.html

 

 

(Incl photos of abandoned Grefrath bldgs)

http://forum.hidden-places.de/showthread.php/9515-Grefrath-Kaserne-der-belgischen-Streitkräfte-mit-seltsamen-Gebäude

http://imageshack.com/i/ezkfQhR2j

 

Second Allied Tactical Air Force

(Second Allied Tactical Air Force was formed in 1958 with its area of responsibility covering the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany north of the city of Kassel and south of the Elbe river.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Allied_Tactical_Air_Force

 

Site Name: NATO Joint Operations Centre, Kanne

(massive underground tunnel complex, now not used)

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/k/kanne/index.html

 

 

D 2 1 ADA Dichtelbach Nike Hercules Missile Site

http://d21dichtelbach.webs.com

 

 

Army Air Defense in the European Theater

Fire Control Systems 

(very informative, incl training manual images, mosty for AA guns though)

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Air%20Defense/USAREUR_ADA%20Overview%201.htm

 

39th Signal Battalion

2nd Signal Brigade

(this site has good information about all US units in Germany) 

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/units/signal/USAREUR_39thSigBn.htm

 

 

(good organizational charts, maps of areas, etc)

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Air%20Defense/USAREUR_32nd%20AADCOM.htm

 

 

Missile Master brochure

great design artifact!

http://nikemissile.org/missilemaster/mm.pdf

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Bonn Int’l Center for Conversion

Base conversion and weapons destruction

https://www.bicc.de/publications/publicationpage/publication/restructuring-the-us-military-bases-in-germany-scope-impacts-and-opportunities-224/

 

Restructuring the US Military Bases in Germany: Scope, Impacts, and Opportunities

Good report pdf

https://www.bicc.de/publications/publicationpage/publication/restructuring-the-us-military-bases-in-germany-scope-impacts-and-opportunities-224/

 

http://www.wz-newsline.de/lokales/kreis-viersen/grefrath/funkstille-auf-dem-nato-gelaende-1.1772903

 

http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/kempen/ex-kaserne-vor-ungewisser-zukunft-aid-1.3498667

 

http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/grevenbroich/kaserne-ohne-alternative-aid-1.163055

 

 

NRDC US Nuclear Weapons Deployments Abroad 1950-1977

http://www.archives.gov/declassification/pidb/meetings/norris-addendum.pdf

 

 

Belgian web site (w/2 photos)

http://guibert.skynetblogs.be

 

 

Nuclear weapons for the Air Force in Lower Saxony

(autotranslate of German site)

http://www.relikte.com/nds_atom/luftwaffe.htm

 

The NATO air defense belt in Lower Saxony - FlaRak system Nike

(autotranslate of German site —very informative)

 

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?client=tmpg&depth=1&hl=en&langpair=de%7Cen&rurl=translate.google.com&u=http://www.relikte.com/nds_flarak_nike/index.htm&usg=ALkJrhjw3zzVyfy6-iwyBNRGiw_FzstO0Q

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nike_Ajax_base_on_alert.jpg

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nike_Ajax_base_aerial_view.jpg

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

About missiles themselves:

 

 

NIKE-X

(Good academic historical account, w/references)

http://missilethreat.com/defense-systems/nike-x/

 

Project Nike

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nike#Deployment

 

MIM-3 Nike Ajax

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIM-3_Nike_Ajax

 

MIM-14 Nike Hercules

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIM-14_Nike_Hercules

 

LIM-49 Nike Zeus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIM-49_Nike_Zeus

 

 

 

Nike Hercules Evolution (one nice image)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nike_Hercules_Evolution.jpg

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Military/NikeHercules.html

 

 

 

File:Nike Hercules Integrated Fire Control area (nice image)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nike_Hercules_Integrated_Fire_Control_area.jpg

http://web.archive.org/web/20040629085219/http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/archives/hercphotos/nike_herc_46.jpg

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Sites outside of Germany

 

Locations of Former NIKE MISSILE SITES 

US and Italy

http://ed-thelen.org/loc-i.html

 

Guardiano Silenzioso

(Excellent site w/many photos of Nike bases in Italy)

http://nikemissile.altervista.org/

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

SITE SF-88 SAN FRANCISCO AREA

http://www.nikemissile.org/site_sf88.shtml (deadlink?)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Missile_Site_SF-88

 

SF-88L Fort Barry

http://www.acme.com/jef/nike/sf88l.html

 

 

Nike LA-29C (site) | military, radar, nikemissile, closed - military

USA / California / Rowland Heights /

http://wikimapia.org/16432/Nike-LA-29C-site

 

http://www.nikemissile.org/launch1.shtml (deadlink?)

This is a picture of the Assembly Area

 

http://www.nikemissile.org/launch2.shtml (deadlink?)

This is a picture of the exclusion area on the south side of the launch site

 

 

Nike base in Denton, Tx

(many pictures)

http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/2011/06/26/journal/june-12-2005-the-cold-war-comes-home/

 

 

LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. NIKE MISSILE SITES IN ILLINOIS

(excellent overall Nike history etc, excellent photos and plans)

http://www.allworldwars.com/Last-Line-of-Defense-Nike-Missile-Sites-in-Illinois.html

 

Nike base in Illinois

(Similar to above; good layout plan; good info on firing procedure etc)

http://ed-thelen.org/last-line.html

 

 

Taiwan's SAM Network

(incl layout map)

http://geimint.blogspot.de/2009/05/taiwans-sam-network.html

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nike training manuals etc

 

Nike Missile Manual Collection

US Natl park Service

http://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/upload/35286fa-Nike-Missile-Manuals-with-table.pdf

 

 

From EdThelen 

http://ed-thelen.org/TM9-1400-250-10-2-040.pdf

http://ed-thelen.org/TM9-1400-250-10-2-125.pdf

pdf

 

NikeMissile.org seems to be limiting access, but is accessible through:

https://web.archive.org/web/20150922195200/http://nikemissile.org/

 

 

Nike-Hercules System- nuclear training directorate manual

https://web.archive.org/web/20150922195227/http://nikemissile.org/herc_system/sandia2.shtml

 

 

RADAR COURSE DIRECTING CENTRAL

Radar Course Directing Central (RCDC) was the technical name for the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) area of a Nike Missile Site

http://nikemissile.org/RCDC.shtml

https://web.archive.org/web/20150923011954/http://nikemissile.org/RCDC.shtml

 

(manual, inacessible?)

http://nikemissile.org/AADCAP/aadcaps.shtml

 

ADA SUBCOURSE 703-3

THIS SUB-COURSE PERTAINS TO THE NIKE HERCULES LAUNCHING AREA AND IS DATED FEBRUARY 1972. THE CREDIT FOR THE COURSE IS 14 HOURS. THERE ARE FIVE CHAPTERS TO THIS COURSE, WHICH ARE LISTED INDIVIDUALLY. 

http://www.nikemissile.org/ADA703-3/ada_subcourse_703.shtml

 

ASSEMBLY AND SERVICE AREA EQUIPMENT

(Including links to many manulal plans and illustrations!)

http://www.nikemissile.org/Assembly/assembly.shtml

 

(Photo pages etc, inaccessible now?)

http://www.nikemissile.org/webphotos/fig40.tif

http://www.nikemissile.org/webphotos/fig45.tif

http://nikemissile.org/myNORAD/NORAD.pdf

http://nikemissile.org/missile_master_photos.shtml

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

 

Elvis in Germany

 

http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1958-1959-elvis-presley-army.html

http://www.german-way.com/notable-people/featured-bios/elvis-presley-in-germany/

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Soviet bases in Germany

 

A Soviet missile base in Germany that spy planes never saw

(Vogelsang)

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20079147

 

AN ABANDONED SOVIET GARRISON ROTTING IN THE BRANDENBURG WOODS

(Vogelsang)

http://www.uncubemagazine.com/blog/14820889

 

Drone footage reveals ghost Soviet military base hidden in German forest

(Vogelsang)

https://www.rt.com/news/227323-drone-ghost-military-base-germany/

 

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_Soviet_Forces_in_Germany

 

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces [INF] Chronology

http://fas.org/nuke/control/inf/inf-chron.htm

 

bottom of page