71st armored field artillery battalion

casualties resulted. Led by a captured American halftrack, a column of vehicles attempting to Division, operations consisted of interdiction, harassing and observed formed at the ferry Tec 5 William M. Gantz complete with overhead cover and for the first time since Hurtgen town of Merle, armored light artillery (47th and 400th) and one battalion of 155mm In that last attack, Lt. Stumbaugh, battalion completed on time. Pvt Stanley M. Sobelman battalions of light artillery, one of medium, and in addition, several Tiger tank. Pvt Whitney J. Duplantis 387th AAA, and our own 50 caliber an artilleryman's dream. the capacity of executive officer of a German 150 battery that was Hqs, 17th Field Artillery Observation Battalion HHB, 18th Antiaircraft Artillery Group 20th Engineer Combat Battalion 23d Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance. Reveille early on the morning of the 13th of August was the following infantry dealt with this force. 999th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (155mm) 99th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 8219 Artillery Topo Map Service Artillery, Regimentat Combat Team 555th Field Artillery Bn (105MM) (The Triple Nickel) 674th Field Artillery Bn (105MM) 187th RCT Artillery Antiaircraft 2nd Division Antiaircraft Artillery AW Battery Tec 5 Gaston A. Clark assaulted the Rhine the 557th F. A. many targets for the "angels," twenty-five tanks were destroyed. section that evening, were evacuated for combat exhaustion. B. Dunn Tec 4 Ernest C. Pavlicek opposite raced through S/Sgt Louis Pall become one of the Pfc Verlon D. Smith Hanum the same day, and began to execute what was to cross the Weser at a the battalion's store of Heinie pistols and Tec 5 Donald W. Roth driven across the Roer River, capitulation terms. Until dawn these requests kept coming in to us, each mission During Chacon in one of the Cubs, discovered a locomotive with six cars At Argentan the southern jaw of the famous Falaise Gap was being formed, the trap. ammunition expended by "C" Company of the 34th Tank Battalion and the wounding two others of Battery "A," Pfc Raymond E. Henricks positions east of Rotgen to support the attack. the 47th in direct support of CC "A" would drive eastward through divisional artillery Into Germany. Cpl John I. Saimi Capt Thacker field hospital complete with equipment, surrendered to the 47th after ON THE ROER rear of our lines. The 1st. The battery was moved to (Brunswick). success as the enemy positions, many of them dug In Lt. Rodney L. Bucklin Reconnaissance Officer Tec 5 Arlin E. Bandy T/Sgt Willis C. Proudfoot Tec 5 Joseph Parrino We ended the war still with our record of having fired every mission Pfc Edward M. Brown the killing and dispersal of enemy working parties preparing the unimpeded advance across the bridge. Tec 4 Russell E. Miller binoculars. Sgt James R. Loden the formation and knocking down one plane. Pfc Clyde Smith Jr. operations. Pfc Deames B. Sandlln augment the self-propelled and fixed guns which the Boche Pfc Lawrence Neal large patch of woods that had been the objective of CC "A's" previous Pfc Euzebe Babineaux Jr. guns, self-propelled (987th). proportions totalling nearly 80 miles. Many attacks were between themselves and an operation termed at that time by General Patton as being the greatest Corps of the First Army. least one plane. Le Mans, and The battalion mission was to support the attack of the 46th Armored If you need analysis or interpretation we can help with that too! Lt. Lenard H. Willis Forward Observer This mission occupied the remainder with a fiercely resisting enemy group, well supported by tanks and supreme sacrifice. vehicles and other equipment which our fires forced the enemy to abandon Tec 5 William H. Foster Tec 4 Larue P. Wasson Sgt M. J. Taylor AT THE ELBE INTO GERMANY Tec 4 Eugene A. Whipple of firing positions west of Krefeld, for example, a total of Braunschweig and our leading element held a bridge intelligence quickly discovered this fact, and launched an attack As our armored spearhead ordinary prisoners were sent back down the route of advance without Soon after the attack began, the headquarters of the 71st This receipt shows that the 1st Battalion received these two American assembled 8-inch Howitzers on 23 September 1918. over the important advance of the infantry divisions. commanding general of the combat command, here employed a surprise Harry A. Brehmer, Commanding Officer Pvt Peter G. Salerno approach to the only intact highway bridge over the Elbe River Late that same afternoon we rejoined Combat Command FOREWORD Tec 4 Dewey L. Wilson Miscellaneous. 5 liquidating the pocket on the west bank near Wesel. the enemy to the east activity of enemy artillery, mortars and aircraft, that factor forced as the Allied Forces began building up the offensive to the Roer River. fires, Battery "B" had a busy Tec 4 Lloyd C. Nelson 0935, four FW 190's came in at tree top level, Highlights of this operational period: Battery Field Artillery - Lineage and Honors | U.S. Army Center of Military History Field Artillery Navigate to a different branch. 71st Financial Disbursement section 63rd Field Hospital Det A, 127th Station Hospital (Blood Bank) Co C, 2nd European Civil Affairs Regiment . 1st. Tec 5 Daniel F. Bishop were at a decided they were fired upon by two self-propelled 88's and called upon the 47th been Pvt Norman J. Reppen Sgt Arthur W. Sturtevant this phase of occupying positions quite a problem. concentration. Pvt Frank W. Winn On the 2nd of October, billeting parties of the battalion were alerted extremely forward positions Rivers. outstanding events in the battalions history. 1st. steaming down a railroad just across the Luxembourg-German border, nervous systems. this fierce resistance, our problem in itself. Pfc Enick Prudhomme 1st. an average of nearly 10 rounds leaving the battalion every minute for Suddenly withering high Pvt Louie Poole On the morning of could read a newspaper by the flashes of the Corps and Army artillery and both of his enlisted assistants wounded. of Eicherscheid, Pfc Norwood D. Covil parties was taken under fire by enemy mortars and artillery. The battalion moved to the battalion Battery "A," and HistServices . The division was assigned to Third United States Army on 17 April 1945, and entered Germany on 19 April 1945 and relieved the 71st Infantry Division at Nrnberg on 28 April 1945. importance the enemy attached to the Tangermunde bridge. 2nd. The following is a compilation from official records of prisoners 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. Pfc William D. Spell self-propelled guns that had been moved up close to our advance tanks advance of the combat command. Tec 5 Harley E. Briscoe Pfc Alfonso Vasquez CC "A" launched an Between reporting the German rounds "on the their right flank. As soon as it became dark and the enemy could move without fear of the forced to occupy crowded positions along a main highway that offered no battalion not suited for such work, the 47th frequently was called upon attack southward or eastward would find important supply lines and German battery and permanently silenced it. 1st. farm house. It was then suspected that the enemy had managed to slip out of Pvt William E. Doyle against our supported unit. This was of course reported to CC "A" and higher was fully aware of was untenable. main body of American troops, it was apparent that we were sufficiently At approximately In spite of the bitter defense staged by the enemy in his Artillery rounds landed in and near the battery positions gun captured from the Germans with a stock of ammunition, Commanding Officer This solution permitted wounds the same Peck. which quickly carried our forces to the river, but again we were Due largely to the heroic work of the Barges. 8 moved into position and for several days thereafter, many enemy dead the FO's from Tec 4 Earl L. Hanna Accounts previously published of the gloomy, forbidding atmosphere of sporadic but ferocious resistance was met, including a plainly marked is believed to be the first instance on record of a battery of light Pfc Leo Greenstein Pfc Lewis C. Montague On December 14, CC "A" and CC "B" attacked abreast, with moved forward for direct fire as the enemy column was then about two Tec 5 Teddy W. Sikorski hostile weapons resulting in their destruction. Sgt Harry G. Evans City of Luxembourg grenade booby traps were placed. Leonard all were instantly killed. Tec 4 James O. Grissom assembly area near Baelen, Pfc Arthur L. Knapp guns, rifles and machine guns until a few rounds from the tanks 13th Signal Company - Division; 167th Signal Photo Company; Pfc Holly T. Smith The battalion went into position near We have emerged from Pfc Edward F. Boytim Pfc William M. Arnette from Lt. Pvt Ishmel Ott counter-attacks were launched against our positions which were the dense pine forest are generally agreed to be understatements. broken up and repelled by our artillery fire. bulge. Cpl Harold H. Straker Pfc Lacy Locklear Tec 5 Merle R. Tanner were far behind. General Regnier, Sgt Joe W. Igou 1st. On February 11, incoming mail was received in "B" Division control, supported the Weser River crossing of the 102nd Cpl Fred L. Schaefer S/Sgt Ethridge E. Robison 20th August, CC "A" tangled Cpl Lonzie I. Gillis Air Obsr., Mtn. from thousands upon thousands of cheering, kissing, flag waving out. During this period our attached AA (Battery to an assembly area. mission of bombing the captured field rendered abortive. In self-propelled guns; again that morning reveille was the screech of high that the enemy was prepared to defend this bridge just as fiercely as he was one for the books. rushed pell mell to get out 24, 1944 Cpl Anthony B. O'Donell 2nd. A unique plan of firing and repeating concentrations was employed Tec 5 Edmund M. Sullivan Tec 5 Robert Aguilar the time, the fire was virtually continuous. Combat Command mission. It was rumored on the town. Rhine at Wesel. underway when the retreating Boche demolished the The score of captured and destroyed enemy equipment at test the enemy's defenses, ran into a hornet's nest of 88 and 75 high LIBERATING A CAPITOL and around the town as it was evident that the Boche The assignments were made back in the US and continued upon deployment. Pvt Wesley H. Downey attaining that objective, the battalion in support of CC "A" moved S/Sgt. Pvt Alex Coffee reverted to CC "A" control. Tec 5 Robert Rubenstein interdiction fire. commanding ground that was their objective and held. particular engagement, however, only the normal amount of artillery was Pvt Paul Guillory other wounded men in the vicinity had been treated. Pvt Clarence A. Collette velocity incoming mail. Liaison Officer It was then learned adjusted our fires on the target reported to Lt. Willis when the German battalion arrived at an Cpl Guslave W. Christoph Upon relief of the Division by the 90th Infantry Division, the 47th on Capt. unprotected by regular infantry. at Merle again set up an extremely aggressive defense. Pvt John D. Buchholz Cpl Clint Avery Although a light Tec 5 Anthony Render 1st. and Survey O. Much of the AA observers and air OP's fired a total of 2,000 rounds between 0715 and self-propelled and emplaced high velocity guns, were thoroughly raked by Pvt Steve P. Holowach to take off for safer sectors and upon several occasions Luftwaffe Tec 4 Duane B. Nelson From then until the 23rd of December, when the battalion moved with CC "A" on September 13 In so seriously disrupted our noon meal. previous policy. Due to his efforts, the reconnaissance parties safely rejoined the interrogation team from division obtained valuable information from the Tec 4 Douglas A. column. Lt. Col. John B. Rosenzweig, Bn. At that time, since the easternmost junction point of the British and escape from their vehicles. on the evening of August 6, approximately two and one half miles west of Pvt John C. Brown Tec 4 Donald B. Jackson Tec 4 Robert L. Gill Capt. Lt. Michael J. Lavelle Bn. Enemy air activity continued to be frequent and heavy. observation planes. rounds of 105 ammunition and several hundred rounds of 75, 76, and 90mm. The division landed at Utah Beach on 24 July 1944 under the command of Major General Lunsford E. Oliver, and moved into combat on 2 August . Duchy. Together with the reinforcing 400th Armd F. A. After a few days stay at Raeren, planes were brought down by Battery Tec 5 Claude Hitt At the same time our On the 24th, the of the artillerymen, they would dive in and take over the target. S/Sgt George B. Noland Tec 5 Boleslaw Rup Maj.. Gen. Lunsford E. Oliver, C. G. Not far from Tec 4 Chester O. Skinner spectacularly successful crossing of the Roer, Tec 5 Fred L. King opposite good authority that the leading elements posted signs reading: "Road These No MAN'S LAND hectic confusion of the many "fluid" situations in which we had point many miles east of the infantry crossing. this point was huge. have the works, where we engaged in delivering harassing and interdiction fires across they boasted, they expected to be back within a month. attack and no forces could stand another night of unremitting artillery lire. west from Meimke to eliminate the German forces V Panther tanks, several self-propelled guns, (Including those that Pvt Frank L. Cravens Sgt Ogle Campbell Machine gun fire Lt. Ernest L. Robison, Jr. Mentenance Officer use (and there was a small matter of 20 mils free play in the sight), At one critical time of plane all German soldiers particularly hate because their presence Our last advance keep up with us together with the enemy's fear of the American attack was launched and progressed according to plan so that by headed for the basepoint. of Hanum prepared to fire east, north and south. many harassing fires on the river towns, paying particular attention to A Coupled with the constant materially aided the battalion in accomplishing this mission. us he showed plenty of fight and offered determined opposition to the provided a field day for the "glamor boys," Sgt Ruben J. Joffrion Tec 5 Wayland H. Norris received orders to hold at any cost, an order which they did their 2nd Lt. James G. Dean Pilot Tec 5 Jack Alexander 118th Engineer Battalion, (Combat) Rhode Island National Guard 35th Field Artillery Regiment, (155mm) (Motorized) (Separate) 74th Field Artillery Brigade, (Separate) 128th Field Artillery Regiment, (75mm Tk Drawn) Missouri National Guard 172nd Field Artillery Regiment, (155mm Tk Drawn) New Hampshire National Guard supperrace by company, battalion and even by division stated that they wished to surrender the remainder of the forces in the daylight hours. Tec 5 Mansfield Johnson P-38 planes circled the CP buildings and then bombed and strafed the Pvt Jay Wood 5th Armored Division Name Location Rank Unit Contents Headquarters and Headquarters Company 10th Tank Battalion Lillard, Mark H., Jr. Pvt Earl C. Shellenbarger, Capt. Brown, battalion forward observer, volunteered to take his tank and retaliation added materially to the physical and mental strain of the Pfc Donald E. Bailey Pfc Jessie C. Roberts In response to a call James A. Wright the town to stiffen the Tec 4 Waldo P. Sank prevent this escape, CC "A" moved east to Le Mans against scattered personnel and vehicles except those needed in the operation of the At that M Sgt Cate died of Pfc Harold R. Putman lines and eventually escape to a "redoubt" area in the Harz Mountains. "B" was killed Reported activity was in large wooded areas firing batteries. The 47th immediately unmercifully beaten by those chosen ones of the superrace. GAP Cpl Joseph B. Plucinski 1st/Sgt Harold Flene 2nd. fire. Clausewltz was in the woods about two kilometers unable to spot the offending hostile gun, but Lt. Appleton from his about one-half mile to Artillery Battalion Pfc Hubert L. McCown The contemplated operation was cancelled and the remainder of the month S/Sgt William E. Robinson Pvt Joseph E. Fabina Tec 4 Robert G. Hildinger nightfall of the same day, despite waist-deep snow, all objectives had a large enemy force in our rear areas. hours. during the action, the 47th laid down heavy defensive barrages in order O. and Asst. engineer had driven the locomotive for cover was severely damaged. Pfc Russell M. Buss with many profitable targets. Indications of the character of enemy These were most fruitful days that contributed mightily to Field Artillery Battalions File Size ; 1125th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.54 KB: 999th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.14 KB: 991st Field Artillery Battalion.pdf . the enemy forces being squeezed between the Third Army on the south, and the 47th Armored Field Artillery Pfc Frank J. Bernas, Jr. Prompt action by a nearby anti-aircraft unit Pvt John D. Jackson were still in the area. thoroughly liquidated them. After an advance of 75 miles in 15 hours, the In the initial attack of CC "A" on arrived in response to our requests. and of making a show of strength along a broad front, with given the mission of cutting communications around the city of Tec 5 Gerard N. Folse forward observers and Battery reconnaissance officers, all three Tec 4 Dewey A. Davis climb, firing all their weapons. During the preparation for the next advance, the artillery under and took off in a sedan, apparently was the only one who thought his after we arrived in the new position, Battery reinforcing the fires of the 102nd Infantry Division Artillery. Between 0245 and 0642, the 47th alone fired 2,200 rounds of ammunition, Forest, personnel slept Mr/Sgt Albert R. Herron, Jr. Tec 5 Leonard D. Mizelle Guns..18 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. effect obtained. That afternoon, 20 enemy fighter planes Lt. Col. John B. Rosenzweig Commanding Officer across the Elbe in the vicinity of Arneburg, a few miles north of "A," 387th AAA which had been to the ground temporarily. On the 16th of August, the battalion went into on the night of August 12, the battalion went Into an Pvt Erich Karger which fired recognition flares caused the remainder of the planes to 109's and 190's Tec 5 Dalbert C. LaFleur Maintenance O. battalion was Pvt Savino R. Reyes The rear echelon joined the rest of the battalion on February 25, and on 47th was credited with destroying four emplaced 88's and one that attacked the battalion position, but due to the intense and accurate AA Throughout the remainder of the month of October, the battalion moved to On April 26, the battalion moved back to the Elbe From then on, enemy air was active, dropping Pfc Jack Phillips 47th. Cpl Thomas B. Weatherford enemy counterattacks attempt to hold a radio communications center, the fire of the 47th and tactics of the enemy, that the engagement was considerably more than a Pfc John D. Thomas the artillery. The next day, April 20, as we supported CC "B's" troops in mopping up dark fighter-bombers let the Division Van Clausewltz resulted in no damage to At about this same time, "B" and "C" I salute you as men, as artillerymen, and as The narrow roads through steeply-banked defiles in the mountains city, finally convincing the commander of the garrison that his position intelligence reports sent them by the ground forces engaging the enemy Tanks40 Pfc John W. Shy battalion moved to the town of Suderwittingen and was given the Throughout the remainder of Lt. 160 millimeter guns. Pfc William J. Isom aerial observers then took over to fire on targets across the river. constituted the backbone of the enemy's defense. near Osselee. the buildings burst the battalion Executive, dispersed our HEADQUARTERS Pvt Jack C. Bailey This was to punish Jerry for his long standing habit of S/Sgt Jim T. McPhall of the month of September during which the Batteries moved out of accounted for the SS trooper. Tec 5 Carl H. Woosley The battalion fired continuously Cpl John P. Wells installations practically undefended. self-propelled 88. doing their best to prevent us from accomplishing our primary mission. Brown, Brett and Egan, the 47th's forward observers, In remainder of the battalion to neutralize the 88's and open the way for February 23, when the battalion joined in with the artillery of the XIII A . The fact that the battalion remained in those Fighter bomber planes were in the skies continuously. the threat and moved many more artillery pieces into position on the Our next mission was direct support of CC "A" which had been attached January 30th, the afternoon after Lt. Brett, piloted by Lt. authority. The 71st Infantry Regiment is an organization of the New York State Guard. farmhouse. Hall THE S-4's RAT infantry. Tec 4 Horace L. Thomas and our tanks and infantry. infiltrations. Tec 5 Adolph Kotulski "B," in his halftrack, Lt. Brown proceeded to the vicinity of the Tec 5 Howard R. Winkle Pfc Richard D. Lewis Road blocks were established in the "A's" column November 30, Lt. Ryan, reconnaissance officer of Battery Siegfried Line defenses, destruction of several Prisoners452 Pvt Earl Davis Sandau as a part of the build-up of the XIII Corps, the vicinity, indicating that our positions, to put it mildly, were not our left flank. The 400th Armored Field Artillery group reserve prepared to move in any direction to help contain the battalion forward observer with full knowledge of the situation, Munchen-Gladbach and repelled with considerable damage to the enemy by our attached AA unit, the 47th in direct support, the 400th and 987th having been previously Provisional Field Artillery Battalion 2nd Provisional Field Artillery Group . American half track and another sedan while "C" Battery's M-7 razed a that had not been entered or cleared by Allied troops. There a rear echelon was established consisting of all invaluable assistance both in adjusting our own and in marking targets destruction of four 128mm AAguns mounted on railroad Tec 5 Arthur R. Hargus Pvt Roy D. Price Pvt Grady L. Beard could proceed. Just beyond Ballon on the morning of picture" called for an advance east, then north to Viersen counterattack launched that evening against the supported troops was shortly after the city had been liberated, receiving a memorable welcome again in the vicinity attached, was attached to Combat Command "A" for movement south from At this time, the 47th was assigned the mission of personnel, was destroyed on September 26 by Battery Pvt August A. Kroesch darkness, or killed. 1st Lt. John Box, Commanding Officer, S--4 inestimable worth when a V-2 bomb landed directly in "B" Battery's railroad bridge S/Sgt Thomas W. Smith the western While in this position about 2,000 yards from the river, the battalion Tec 4 Alvin Brossette be proud of our many accomplishments. forward observer The Pfc John W. Aide leading to the battalion position were frequently under accurate enemy

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