Heeresübung 1968 "Schwarzer Löwe"

The combat exercise "Black Lion" was conducted from September 15th to 20th, 1968, under the command of the II (GE) Corps in Baden-Württemberg and western Bavaria. It involved 42,000 German, French, and American soldiers with 12,000 wheeled and tracked vehicles. They were supported by approximately 200 combat aircraft. This exercise marked the first use of multiple rocket launchers by the Bundeswehr (German Federal Armed Forces). Originally scheduled for July in eastern Bavaria, the maneuver was postponed to the autumn and relocated to a new training area due to the tense political situation in Czechoslovakia.