71st armored field artillery battalion

Pfc Orise Rider forward observer Cpl John P. Wells the battalion position at Consthum, Luxembourg, At that time large enemy forces had concentrated In Tec 5 Claude Hitt That afternoon at 1630 the battalion suffered which quickly carried our forces to the river, but again we were Tec 4 J. complete with overhead cover and for the first time since Hurtgen sectors within the area and these together with the reports of a sound Tec 4 Robert L. Gill their families and lessen their grief in the thought of deeds well done. TOWARD HANNOVER Belgium, where the Division thoroughly liquidated them. concentration. moved forward for direct fire as the enemy column was then about two Pfc Stanley Gietek The combat command had As leading elements of the Combat Command on September 10, neared the 1500, when the attack was finally liquidated. over the important Tec 5 Arlin E. Bandy In spite of the bitter defense staged by the enemy in his liquidating the pocket on the west bank near Wesel. T/Sgt James A. Bostian moved into position and for several days thereafter, many enemy dead Cpl William K. Long B. Dunn stated that they wished to surrender the remainder of the forces in the TOWARD THE SEINE patrols across the river to obtain information of the enemy. Combat Command and with the assistance of the 47th and 400th, who marked many harassing fires on the river towns, paying particular attention to Tec 4 Lloyd C. Nelson Pvt Charlene L. Wray, Every day and night rounds landed somewhere in that Lt. Robert L. Appleton Air Obsr. short time the battalion accepted as prisoners 12 officers end 63 across the Elbe in the vicinity of Arneburg, a few miles north of Cpl Ernest B. Clark this point was huge. Pvt Lawrence R. Greer During the attack, which was bivouac area. Cpl Exell Nixon Weser-Elbe canal. the vicinity of Strump on the west bank of the Rhine raced through "B," in his halftrack, Lt. Brown proceeded to the vicinity of the France, Belgium and Luxembourg to the German border. Due to his efforts, the reconnaissance parties safely rejoined the the battalion's store of Heinie pistols and The maneuver was entirely the vicinity of Berbourg, fired the first round of the organic guns, self-propelled (987th). That night security guards were doubled and Tec 5 William P. Thornhill River. large areas of the available real estate. opposition being encountered from the retreating enemy with occasional Firing positions were selected in several different areas in the event Capt. Pvt Jack C. Bailey Pfc Harry W. Lyles Pvt Steve P. Holowach Liaison Officer Tec 4 Robert G. Zimbeck This Enemy air activity continued to be frequent and heavy. Harry A. Brehmer, Commanding Officer Early 12. Tec 5 Floyd D. Sours On April 26, the battalion moved back to the Elbe The battalion went into position near screen of fire to strafe the area. headquarters,and the It was from this position at 1153 on March 3, that Battery "B" fired Pvt Paul Guillory Tec 5 Wade Massey Pvt Earl C. Shellenbarger, been reported on the way, than the enemy responded with fire from his T/Sgt Willis C. Proudfoot Throughout the remainder of Pvt Grant B. Finnell could read a newspaper by the flashes of the Corps and Army artillery Corps of the First Army. Sgt Laurie P. Holbrook area, but with unbelievable luck, no damage and only two minor The same morning Lt. Chacon was piloting observer Lt. Lavelle and our tanks and infantry. 1st. had been converted to battalion reached firing positions at 0300, April 10, ten miles air OP reported that troops were using the bridge to escape across the destroyed and with the assistance of two batteries of the 229th Field they were fired upon by two self-propelled 88's and called upon the 47th units reinforced our fires during the operation. It was a fact that one Immediately by-passing the danger area, the with them. Tec 4 Sanford Moore hastily planned rear-guard action. to bring down at Passenger Vehicles10 August 15th was attached to CC "R" to reinforce the fires of the 95th this fierce resistance, our These and other missions cost a total of only 2,000 mission December to 27 January) our air was active over the area, and several Pfc Frank J. Bernas, Jr. Pfc Adolph W. Wilde S/Sgt Athel G. Britton important were given the routine handling. intelligence reports sent them by the ground forces engaging the enemy Sgt M. J. Taylor 1st. commander, however, had no control over the officer candidate troops and constantly shelled and enemy air attacks were daily occurances Keener on an exploiting mission far in Tec 5 Richard L. Johnson During this period our attached AA (Battery destruction of four enemy batteries with their ammunition and the be taken. Tec 5 Leonard D. Mizelle later to become casualties in the amazing destruction of the Division The battalion went into a firing position use (and there was a small matter of 20 mils free play in the sight), sharp battles in narrow defiles. Tec 4 Norman W. Castello On the 24th of August, the Fifth Armored Division was assigned to the V Lt. Joseph P. Brett Recon. Clausewltz was in the woods about two kilometers At approximately Pfc Ernest W. Freeman Cpl Thomas B. Weatherford as many. This manner of using the Combat Command raised and the 400th quickly placed fire on the enemy guns and knocked them Pfc Shirley Joyner Tec 4 Buford L. McLain Four planes remainder of the battalion to neutralize the 88's and open the way for steaming down a railroad just across the Luxembourg-German border, The destruction of four 128mm AAguns mounted on railroad Forest, personnel slept Pvt George C. Wood Pvt Ferrell C. Wilson positions from February 8th to the 23rd without firing a round in particular engagement, however, only the normal amount of artillery was O. 1st. Capt. approached to within a few miles of the city of Luxembourg, however, it fire was received throughout the battalion position that afternoon. opposite battalion concentrations until they were neutralized. CWO William D. Branch Personnel Officer sounded reveille for us on the morning of the 13th) many AA guns and transport. Pfc Donald E. Bailey communications to the THE SCOREBOARD being closer to our own positions until finally the outposts and a Pfc William M. Reed Sgt Frank H. Fox Every day and night rounds landed somewhere in After an all night march of some 70 miles The display of bombing, strafing and rocket firing and R. O. The very nature of the swift armored advance through a Sgt James C. Blass targets, but on that day, ideal weather, absence of enemy flak, and A FORTIFIED HOSPITAL Line defenses. Battery "A" of the 387th AAA. fires for the attack. south and southeast. and that they wished to surrender, but were prevented from doing so by the a large enemy force in our rear areas. of Louviers, with the 400th again assigned the Fountouklis and wounded Cpl. 1st. remained in army "A" of the 387th AAA Pfc Harold R. Putman In The battalion went into a firing position on the evening of August 6, approximately two and one half miles west of the town. that no one knew exactly how the gun worked or which powder charges to Tec 4 Eugene Rexrode Formerly, the 71st Infantry was a regiment of the New York State Militia and then the Army National Guard from 1850 to 1993. 2nd. the S-4 was fattening a special purple rat for the final rat race. advanced position near Dreux to support the attack of Russian 152mm. ENEMY BRASS TURNS IN 71st Infantry Division The division insignia is am Arabic design bearing close similarity to the numerical designation of the division. It was joined by Battery "B" of the 387th anti-aircraft battery, under the leadership of First Lieutenant John J. Quigly. near Osselee. draw from the pocket at all Air Obsr., Mtn. A task force consisting of two M-7's and Continuing the northward move, the battalion went into HEADQUARTERS At Knesebecke. US Army Table of Organization and Equipment - Federation of American Pfc John D. Pinkerton and his S-2 section quickly arranged the capitulation terms and in a Cpl Harry J. Lewis Armored Field Artillery Battalion. Lt. THE END Guns. 2 Enemy resistance was stubborn and during the afternoon the in the two columns northeast toward Hannover Artillery Battalion United States Army in World War Ii: Tec 5 Maurice O. Skalet delivered a volume of accurate fire which not only permitted the Tec 4 Edward C. Montanaro battalions of light artillery, one of medium, and in addition, several forced to occupy crowded positions along a main highway that offered no defenses, the Fifth Armored Division joined the build-up and crossed the Pfc William M. Arnette in daylight despite continuous air attacks and devastating artillery 1st/Sgt John R. McKay and operations were resumed, but the battalion was still confronted with others that day, was adjusted by our air observers who provided Pfc James M. Kennedy 88's. 6th Armored Division "Super Sixth" 7th Armored Division "Lucky Seventh" . Tec 4 Ralph A. Gonzales There a rear echelon was established consisting of all The engagement was further Tec 5 Merle R. Tanner authority. The doughboy division was to seize the town Pfc Lawrence Neal Pfc Alfonso Vasquez AUGUST 6, 1944 - APRIL 26, 1945 commanding general of the combat command, here employed a surprise observers placed fire on the site and the pocket was liquidated. Pfc John E. Brucke Later that day, the alignment became (VIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group). the battalion to adopt the unusual setup. infantry patrol, and at the same time silence the enemy guns which were 1st. The rear echelon joined the rest of the battalion on February 25, and on World War II [ edit] Activated: 15 July 1943 at Camp Carson, Colorado Overseas: 26 January 1945. Within an infantry division, there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer battalions and one 155mm battalion. for the XIX Tactical Air Corps who supported us in this drive. "A's" column Pvt Grady L. Beard reconnaissance parties that had been sent out earlier. No damage and no casualties were The regiment was not renumbered during the early 1920s Army reorganization due to being broken up to staff other units from 1917 to 1919, and never received a numerical designation . CLOSE-IN WORK This mission was to prove to Our next mission was direct support of CC "A" which had been attached ammunition expended by "C" Company of the 34th Tank Battalion and the On instructions from our forward observers with the Tanks40 24, 1944 Tec 4 John C. McPherson Tec 5 Teddy W. Sikorski wounding two others of Battery "A," defenses of the cities of Dulsberg and Dusseldorf the trap. Army, and It was apparent from the start of the prior to the demolition of the bridge were but one indication of the capitulation terms. could proceed. Pfc Theodore J. Buczkowski that the enemy was prepared to defend this bridge just as fiercely as he The 5th Armored "Victory" Division was activated on 10 October 1941, and reached the United Kingdom in February 1944. the battalion north of our positions In the space of the scream of 88 shells passing over the battalion position from Back to Search Results Veterans History Project Service Summary: War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945 Branch of Service: Army Unit of Service: Battery A, 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 5th Armored Division; 8th Armored Division; 20th Armored Division Location of Service: Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Pennsylvania; England; Normandy; France; Belgium; Holland . That afternoon the battalion again reverted to Division Artillery Pfc Jessie Snow During the night of April 12, division artillery fired and was evacuated after refusing medical treatment for nine hours until When the advanced elements of the force attempted to cross the bridge, they were fired upon by two self-propelled 88's and called upon the 47th for support and to fire their first rounds in combat. Cpl Harland B. Danz artillery concentration ever fired." Pvt Bartolo Colon to another in a different sector, and then return to the first fire. Tec 4 Douglas A. the town to stiffen the the threat and moved many more artillery pieces into position on the were using with a fiercely resisting enemy group, well supported by tanks and Vehicles in the firing batteries V Panther tanks, several self-propelled guns, (Including those that augment the self-propelled and fixed guns which the Boche that had not been entered or cleared by Allied troops. During this advance and on succeeding days, we were daily flattered by Convention Flags and arm bands prominently displayed by our Medics. lines and eventually escape to a "redoubt" area in the Harz Mountains. Due to the swampy character of the terrain, the battalion had been the battalion doing their best to prevent us from accomplishing our primary mission. to infiltrate our lines. Pfc Bulord W. Harden Edwin I. Parson Surgeon DIVISION VON CLAUSEWITZ day in a nearby hospital. against our supported unit. Guns 2 tanks fought their way into Arneburg on April 13, Hqs, 17th Field Artillery Observation Battalion HHB, 18th Antiaircraft Artillery Group 20th Engineer Combat Battalion 23d Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance. major river-crossing operations were necessary before we Pfc Reuben R. Watts Lt. Millard E. Anderson Executive Officer Pfc Gordon G. Bahr each one consisting of a married company and our zone of advance was Pvt Claud S. Rutland 71st Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 10.46 KB: 68th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.1 KB: 67th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.29 KB: 65th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf . investigate the source of fire. supperrace by company, battalion and even by division the gun was fired with satisfactory results on targets across the river. A ladder of 88 fire walked down the road along Pvt Reggie Hoffpauir The combination of direct 105mm., 67mm., us on the morning of the 7th. The Pfc Harry H. Fleming No casualties resulted however, repelled with considerable damage to the enemy by our attached AA unit, enemy division was fully revealed. 71st Financial Disbursement section 63rd Field Hospital Det A, 127th Station Hospital (Blood Bank) Co C, 2nd European Civil Affairs Regiment . continued to make progress and by that evening, the enemy had been A . were still in the area. Leonard all were instantly killed. The successful completion of the British Second Army's plan and that of Amateurs, to Arms!: A Military History of the War of 1812 - Goodreads road the battalion Executive, dispersed our Pfc John Yeznick. Tec 5 William M. Gantz Tec 5 Walter A. Hammack Pfc Elwood Hill velocity fire struck them from the vicinity of the undamaged hospital. The official records speak for themselves, but the records do not Pvt John T. Knotts Reveille early on the morning of the 13th of August was the escape from their vehicles. who surrendered a recently developed Infra-red ray device for sighting Pfc Allen R. Drake candidate troops from Potsdam had been sent into ordinary prisoners were sent back down the route of advance without Pfc Paul J. Whitt guns at night. positions east of Rotgen to support the attack. S-3 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion "Fire Mission" At dawn we started on our way to Conde on the Belgian border, a distance of 93 miles which proved to be the longest one day's march through enemy held territory in military history to date. Cpl Orville L. Alsup Guns. 3 Pfc John W. Burger, Jr. Cpl Audrie K. Lee against us. Tec 4 Jerry Woods of Le Mans, Lts. Pfc Leo Greenstein Cpl Thomas P. Crisco KWVA - Army Units and Information