WebThe 744th Light Tank Battalion was the first light tank unit to receive the M24 Chaffee, on December 24, 1944; they were completely re-equipped by February 1945. 270 Armor deployed again to Iraq just a year later, in February 2005, with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division. The most important detail was the fact that the Germans were funneled by terrain and weather up that road. They remained at Merkstein until 15 November, focusing on combined arms training with the infantry, and also had radios (enabling infantry-armor communications) and flame throwers installed on selected tanks in the medium tank companies. In February 1951, the battalion supported the 1st Cavalry Division on the left flank of IX Corps in carrying out limited offensive operations northward from Kumyangjang-ni. The personnel from the 10th Light Tank Company were partitioned among the companies of the 70th Tank Battalion[32] as well as to the 743rd Tank Battalion. [12] Initial ground combat was light, but the company faced repeated air raids when it began guarding the Glida airport. [6] After this intense fighting the battalion again went into division reserve from 2028 July. Even with intensive maintenance day and night over several days, by 26 April the battalion could muster only 37 of 51 medium tanks, and 14 of 17 light tanks. [29], Based on the impression made on General Omar Bradley, commander of II Corps and future commander of the American landing forces in Normandy, the 70th Tank Battalion was reassigned from the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and transferred to England to participate in the Normandy landings. Above article posted in full as per Army.mil guidelines on usage. 
With 13 unit awards and 22 campaign streamers, the 70th Armor Regiment is the most decorated armor unit in the United States Army.[2]. [12][13][14] Intelligence reports had severely underestimated the German forces opposing them and the flat, open, marshy terrain poorly supported tank maneuver. WebMILITARY UNITS - 740TH TANK BATTALION VetFriends Veteran ID Card Quick Links. Posted December 6, 2011. hello, I recently won some letters written by a fellow who served in the 746th Tank Battalion and was wondering if anyone knows where I might obtain a The advance was marked by sharp engagements in each hamlet and village along the route, with the infantry and tanks having to work closely together to overcome the German defenders dug into the basements and other strongpoints in each town. Although there is no regimental headquarters, battalions of the 70th Armor Regiment have since served in various theaters and campaigns. The 70th Tank Battalion was one of the first three tank battalions to deploy to Korea in the Korean War, where it saw significant action, primarily with the 1st Cavalry Division. I thought the only Fireflys were used by the British? As a result, although the infantry units of the division were initially engaged in penetrating the Siegfried Line, the 70th saw limited action until early November 1944. Although the first men came ashore in the assault wave, their tanks did not arrive until D+4. A third tank, a restored M-36, destroyed a third German tank. In exchange, the 1st Infantry Division received a company of M4 Shermans from the 753rd Tank Battalion. [28] Due to the poor terrain for tank operations, the 70th was pulled out of the line on 27 July and Company C rejoined the battalion on 31 July, although the battle for the island lasted until 17 August. League City resident Harold Bradley arrived on the Normandy shore days later with the 740th Tank Battalion. They were reorganized as a modernized "J-Series" battalion, with four tank companies instead of three, in 1985, but the M60A1 series tanks were not replaced by M1 Abrams tanks until 1988. After closing on the assembly area near Rocroi, the battalion used the time to replace worn track and engines. The wars end was anticlimactic. In addition, the tankers had to be vigilant at night to prevent German infiltrators from moving back into the captured towns during darkness. 
Although there were heavy casualties during the training, both as a result of friendly fire incidents and a German raid on the convoy, the battalion suffered no casualties. [23], With most of the battalion (still minus Company A) now reunited, the 70th Tank Battalion moved by rail from Casablanca to Tlemcen, Algeria on 4 February 1943. Although the engineers proved invaluable during the landings and subsequent combat in the Normandy hedgerows, the new personnel required a last minute shuffle of tank crews. 370 Armor was inactivated with the rest of the division, while 170 Armor's colors were briefly transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky as an element of the 194th Armored Brigade. The new camp also served as the base from which companies deployed to Wales to conduct gunnery training with the heavier 75mm guns of the Shermans. [70] The battalion immediately set about unloading the tanks from the transport and reloading them on trains for Taegu. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. [26] They fought for the first time as a battalion and used the lessons learned in North Africa to fight their light tanks effectively against much heavier German armor, on one occasion destroying nine Mark IV tanks without losing a tank. Following the disastrous air bombardments of 2425 July 1944, in which the 70th Tank Battalion only suffered minor material losses,[47] the 8th Infantry Regiment began the assault across the St. L-Priers road. [36] Unlike the DD tanks on Omaha Beach, most of the 70th's DD tanks made shore. WebAfter action report, 740th Tank Battalion, January thru April 45. Roy Roberson, Co. A. The battalion still had a headquarters and headquarters company and three tank companies. [66][67] On 7 May 1945 the battalion road-marched to Ingolstadt briefly bivouacking there before moving to Rothenburg ob der Tauber on 18 May to take up occupation duties.[66]. On 28 August, the battalion was attached to the 4th Infantry Division, crossing the Seine and advancing to Neuilly-sur-Marne on 29 August. Once deployed, the Brigade's assignment to Germany was made permanent and attached to the 8th Infantry Division. The battalion turned west toward Le Pommereuil to face the threat from the retreating Germans. Two surviving vets Finally, on 4 May, Shot APPLE-2 was fired at 0510. The thing with German armour was that it was usually exceptionally hard (compared to allied armour), and therefore brittle. However, the battalion had to obtain a 24-hour delay for desperately needed maintenance. in College Station, Texas over Labor Day weekend. [25], The 70th Tank Battalion was selected to support the 1st Infantry Division in the assault landings in Sicily for Operation Husky in July 1943. Companies A, B, and two platoons of Company C were attached to the 1153rd Engineer Combat Group, which was further attached to the 30th Infantry Division. [17][18][19], Although the 29th Infantry Division was a battle-tested veteran unit, having participated in the landings at Omaha Beach, the reduction of Brest, and numerous battles since, they found themselves in a quiet sector of the front during this period. [26], During this time the rest of the battalion initially remained in assembly areas near Mllen while the rest of the 29th consolidated east of the Rhine. the organization here is as follows: The 70th Tank Battalion was formed as an independent medium tank battalion on 15 July 1940 at Fort Meade, Maryland from elements of the 34th Infantry Regiment and the 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks). Sign up for a new account in our community. Webno api key found in request supabase / where was a good day for a hanging filmed / 740th tank battalion roster. There was no significant damage to the vehicles, and the task force began moving 8 minutes after the shot. They took Rothenburg ob der Tauber on 18 April, and proceeded as quickly as possible with elements of the 4th Infantry Division along divergent routes to capture Ansbach and Crailsheim. [87] The battalion briefly went into reserve on 29 July, but was back in the 1st Cavalry Division line in early August. With this new addition, the first requirement of the battalion was to reorganize and re-equip the battalion as a de facto medium tank battalion. From there, they had access to larger maneuver areas in which to conduct unit tactical training. 3,130. [15] Company A had clearly impressed their French allies: 25 men received the Croix de Guerre and the company was selected as the honor guard for the international victory parade in Tunis on 20 May. On 16 December 1987, the battalion was again activated and assigned to the 1st Armored Division, Erlangen, West Germany, where it remained until it deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990. [13] Company A had light duties in Algiers until they reported to Col. Edson Raff and the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Friana, Tunisia. Company B rejoined the battalion at Merkstein. The 741st Tank Battalion followed the standard organization of a U. S. medium tank battalion during World War II. It consisted of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Service Company, three medium tank companies (Companies A, B, and C) and a light tank company (Company D). The 4th Infantry Division was recommitted in the main line of advance at the base of the Carentan peninsula, near Sainteny on 6 July. Courtesy of James B. Graham, III Christmas in Saint Nicholas - as remembered by Walter Owens. WebHans Houterman & Jeroen Koppes VII US Corps home Corps information Campaigns Commanding General (CG) 00.02.1944-00.06.1945 Lt.-Gen. J. Lawton Collins Other information Codename Jayhawk Attachments Combat Divisions (Airborne) Combat Divisions (Armor) Combat Divisions (Infantry) Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Armor Cavalry Chemical [6], The battalion moved south of Saint-L to the vicinity of Saint-Samson-de-Bonfoss on 28 July. The Heavy Tank Battalion organization is as follows: When the 70th re-emerged in 1963 as part of the Combat Arms Regimental System, it once again had a completely new organization. However, the division and the 70th Tank Battalion were so exhausted and depleted that they were instead withdrawn from the line beginning on 3 December and relocated over the next eight days to the vicinity of Luxembourg. As a light tank battalion, the 70th Tank Battalion was equipped with M5 Stuart tanks, an updated version of the M3 Stuart. A second Sherman destroyed a second German tank. The battalion supported all three infantry regiments of the 29th as they moved east along an axis from Merkstein to Siersdorf[de] to Aldenhoven to Jlich. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY The battalion was then detached from the 90th on 23 August and reverted to V Corps control. While there, the battalion served as the vehicle for an Advanced Warfighter Exercise to test new digitized command and control equipment in a realistic operational environment. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Most of the battalions of the 70th Armor retained their prior designations and bases, but the reorganization saw the creation of a fourth battalion (470 Armor) for the first time. When reactivated in the early 1960s, the battalions were reorganized again. Yeah. WebABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 As the perceived threat level in Europe waxed and waned, so battalions were activated or inactivated to counter the threat. 740th Tank Battalion, Daredevil Tankers, WWII film footage Mae Westy 21 subscribers Subscribe 32 Share Save 1.3K views 5 years ago Film footage shot by 1st. [81] The battalion supported the regiments of the 1st Cavalry Division in conducting combat reconnaissance missions through the remainder of the month. Like the Belgians, the cavalry group and the supporting tanks of Company C made little progress against unexpectedly stout resistance. The armour was defeated. Brittle like glass. [30] Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., first as regimental commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment, then as assistant division commander of the 1st Infantry Division was also impressed by the performance of the 70th and worked successfully to have them attached for the landings to the 4th Infantry Division, where Roosevelt had been reassigned as assistant division commander.[31]. 2nd Platoon, Company A Presidential Unit Citation, 15 February 1951, Department of the Army General Order 3852. The 70th Tank Battalion embarked by rail on 17 July from Fort Knox, arriving at Camp Stoneman, California on 20 July. There Company A finally caught up with the rest of the battalion, and the unit was all together for the first time since September 1942. The battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The pause, even while the two regiments of the 4th Infantry Division pushed forward, represented the end of the breakout and pursuit which had begun less than two months earlier in Normandy. The M5 Stuarts were replaced with M4 Shermans and the new organization was as follows:[4]. As Allied units closed on Bizerte and Tunis in the final stages of the campaign, German and Italian troops preferred to surrender to the company of American light tanks rather than the British or French. Posted December 6, 2011. hello, I recently won some letters written by a fellow who served in the 746th Tank [8], Continuing a rapid advance to the north with the objective of Brussels, the battalion passed to the west of Villers-Cotterts and Soissons and through Laon. The battalion began transferring property to the 245th Tank Battalion on 7 December and the bulk of the battalion departed Korea by ship on 17 December. From a firefly? 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With 13 unit awards and 22 campaign streamers, the 70th Armor Regiment is the most decorated armor unit in the United States Army.[2]. [12][13][14] Intelligence reports had severely underestimated the German forces opposing them and the flat, open, marshy terrain poorly supported tank maneuver. WebMILITARY UNITS - 740TH TANK BATTALION VetFriends Veteran ID Card Quick Links. Posted December 6, 2011. hello, I recently won some letters written by a fellow who served in the 746th Tank Battalion and was wondering if anyone knows where I might obtain a The advance was marked by sharp engagements in each hamlet and village along the route, with the infantry and tanks having to work closely together to overcome the German defenders dug into the basements and other strongpoints in each town. Although there is no regimental headquarters, battalions of the 70th Armor Regiment have since served in various theaters and campaigns. The 70th Tank Battalion was one of the first three tank battalions to deploy to Korea in the Korean War, where it saw significant action, primarily with the 1st Cavalry Division. I thought the only Fireflys were used by the British? As a result, although the infantry units of the division were initially engaged in penetrating the Siegfried Line, the 70th saw limited action until early November 1944. Although the first men came ashore in the assault wave, their tanks did not arrive until D+4. A third tank, a restored M-36, destroyed a third German tank. In exchange, the 1st Infantry Division received a company of M4 Shermans from the 753rd Tank Battalion. [28] Due to the poor terrain for tank operations, the 70th was pulled out of the line on 27 July and Company C rejoined the battalion on 31 July, although the battle for the island lasted until 17 August. League City resident Harold Bradley arrived on the Normandy shore days later with the 740th Tank Battalion. They were reorganized as a modernized "J-Series" battalion, with four tank companies instead of three, in 1985, but the M60A1 series tanks were not replaced by M1 Abrams tanks until 1988. After closing on the assembly area near Rocroi, the battalion used the time to replace worn track and engines. The wars end was anticlimactic. In addition, the tankers had to be vigilant at night to prevent German infiltrators from moving back into the captured towns during darkness. Although there were heavy casualties during the training, both as a result of friendly fire incidents and a German raid on the convoy, the battalion suffered no casualties. [23], With most of the battalion (still minus Company A) now reunited, the 70th Tank Battalion moved by rail from Casablanca to Tlemcen, Algeria on 4 February 1943. Although the engineers proved invaluable during the landings and subsequent combat in the Normandy hedgerows, the new personnel required a last minute shuffle of tank crews. 370 Armor was inactivated with the rest of the division, while 170 Armor's colors were briefly transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky as an element of the 194th Armored Brigade. The new camp also served as the base from which companies deployed to Wales to conduct gunnery training with the heavier 75mm guns of the Shermans. [70] The battalion immediately set about unloading the tanks from the transport and reloading them on trains for Taegu. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. [26] They fought for the first time as a battalion and used the lessons learned in North Africa to fight their light tanks effectively against much heavier German armor, on one occasion destroying nine Mark IV tanks without losing a tank. Following the disastrous air bombardments of 2425 July 1944, in which the 70th Tank Battalion only suffered minor material losses,[47] the 8th Infantry Regiment began the assault across the St. L-Priers road. [36] Unlike the DD tanks on Omaha Beach, most of the 70th's DD tanks made shore. WebAfter action report, 740th Tank Battalion, January thru April 45. Roy Roberson, Co. A. The battalion still had a headquarters and headquarters company and three tank companies. [66][67] On 7 May 1945 the battalion road-marched to Ingolstadt briefly bivouacking there before moving to Rothenburg ob der Tauber on 18 May to take up occupation duties.[66]. On 28 August, the battalion was attached to the 4th Infantry Division, crossing the Seine and advancing to Neuilly-sur-Marne on 29 August. Once deployed, the Brigade's assignment to Germany was made permanent and attached to the 8th Infantry Division. The battalion turned west toward Le Pommereuil to face the threat from the retreating Germans. Two surviving vets Finally, on 4 May, Shot APPLE-2 was fired at 0510. The thing with German armour was that it was usually exceptionally hard (compared to allied armour), and therefore brittle. However, the battalion had to obtain a 24-hour delay for desperately needed maintenance. in College Station, Texas over Labor Day weekend. [25], The 70th Tank Battalion was selected to support the 1st Infantry Division in the assault landings in Sicily for Operation Husky in July 1943. Companies A, B, and two platoons of Company C were attached to the 1153rd Engineer Combat Group, which was further attached to the 30th Infantry Division. [17][18][19], Although the 29th Infantry Division was a battle-tested veteran unit, having participated in the landings at Omaha Beach, the reduction of Brest, and numerous battles since, they found themselves in a quiet sector of the front during this period. [26], During this time the rest of the battalion initially remained in assembly areas near Mllen while the rest of the 29th consolidated east of the Rhine. the organization here is as follows: The 70th Tank Battalion was formed as an independent medium tank battalion on 15 July 1940 at Fort Meade, Maryland from elements of the 34th Infantry Regiment and the 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks). Sign up for a new account in our community. Webno api key found in request supabase / where was a good day for a hanging filmed / 740th tank battalion roster. There was no significant damage to the vehicles, and the task force began moving 8 minutes after the shot. They took Rothenburg ob der Tauber on 18 April, and proceeded as quickly as possible with elements of the 4th Infantry Division along divergent routes to capture Ansbach and Crailsheim. [87] The battalion briefly went into reserve on 29 July, but was back in the 1st Cavalry Division line in early August. With this new addition, the first requirement of the battalion was to reorganize and re-equip the battalion as a de facto medium tank battalion. From there, they had access to larger maneuver areas in which to conduct unit tactical training. 3,130. [15] Company A had clearly impressed their French allies: 25 men received the Croix de Guerre and the company was selected as the honor guard for the international victory parade in Tunis on 20 May. On 16 December 1987, the battalion was again activated and assigned to the 1st Armored Division, Erlangen, West Germany, where it remained until it deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990. [13] Company A had light duties in Algiers until they reported to Col. Edson Raff and the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Friana, Tunisia. Company B rejoined the battalion at Merkstein. The 741st Tank Battalion followed the standard organization of a U. S. medium tank battalion during World War II. It consisted of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Service Company, three medium tank companies (Companies A, B, and C) and a light tank company (Company D). The 4th Infantry Division was recommitted in the main line of advance at the base of the Carentan peninsula, near Sainteny on 6 July. Courtesy of James B. Graham, III Christmas in Saint Nicholas - as remembered by Walter Owens. WebHans Houterman & Jeroen Koppes VII US Corps home Corps information Campaigns Commanding General (CG) 00.02.1944-00.06.1945 Lt.-Gen. J. Lawton Collins Other information Codename Jayhawk Attachments Combat Divisions (Airborne) Combat Divisions (Armor) Combat Divisions (Infantry) Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Armor Cavalry Chemical [6], The battalion moved south of Saint-L to the vicinity of Saint-Samson-de-Bonfoss on 28 July. The Heavy Tank Battalion organization is as follows: When the 70th re-emerged in 1963 as part of the Combat Arms Regimental System, it once again had a completely new organization. However, the division and the 70th Tank Battalion were so exhausted and depleted that they were instead withdrawn from the line beginning on 3 December and relocated over the next eight days to the vicinity of Luxembourg. As a light tank battalion, the 70th Tank Battalion was equipped with M5 Stuart tanks, an updated version of the M3 Stuart. A second Sherman destroyed a second German tank. The battalion supported all three infantry regiments of the 29th as they moved east along an axis from Merkstein to Siersdorf[de] to Aldenhoven to Jlich. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY The battalion was then detached from the 90th on 23 August and reverted to V Corps control. While there, the battalion served as the vehicle for an Advanced Warfighter Exercise to test new digitized command and control equipment in a realistic operational environment. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Most of the battalions of the 70th Armor retained their prior designations and bases, but the reorganization saw the creation of a fourth battalion (470 Armor) for the first time. When reactivated in the early 1960s, the battalions were reorganized again. Yeah. WebABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 As the perceived threat level in Europe waxed and waned, so battalions were activated or inactivated to counter the threat. 740th Tank Battalion, Daredevil Tankers, WWII film footage Mae Westy 21 subscribers Subscribe 32 Share Save 1.3K views 5 years ago Film footage shot by 1st. [81] The battalion supported the regiments of the 1st Cavalry Division in conducting combat reconnaissance missions through the remainder of the month. Like the Belgians, the cavalry group and the supporting tanks of Company C made little progress against unexpectedly stout resistance. The armour was defeated. Brittle like glass. [30] Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., first as regimental commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment, then as assistant division commander of the 1st Infantry Division was also impressed by the performance of the 70th and worked successfully to have them attached for the landings to the 4th Infantry Division, where Roosevelt had been reassigned as assistant division commander.[31]. 2nd Platoon, Company A Presidential Unit Citation, 15 February 1951, Department of the Army General Order 3852. The 70th Tank Battalion embarked by rail on 17 July from Fort Knox, arriving at Camp Stoneman, California on 20 July. There Company A finally caught up with the rest of the battalion, and the unit was all together for the first time since September 1942. The battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The pause, even while the two regiments of the 4th Infantry Division pushed forward, represented the end of the breakout and pursuit which had begun less than two months earlier in Normandy. The M5 Stuarts were replaced with M4 Shermans and the new organization was as follows:[4]. As Allied units closed on Bizerte and Tunis in the final stages of the campaign, German and Italian troops preferred to surrender to the company of American light tanks rather than the British or French. Posted December 6, 2011. hello, I recently won some letters written by a fellow who served in the 746th Tank [8], Continuing a rapid advance to the north with the objective of Brussels, the battalion passed to the west of Villers-Cotterts and Soissons and through Laon. The battalion began transferring property to the 245th Tank Battalion on 7 December and the bulk of the battalion departed Korea by ship on 17 December. From a firefly? This composite company was attached directly to the 4th Infantry Division and spearheaded the drive toward Bastogne, reaching the town on 11 September. Equipped with M5 Stuart tanks, an updated version of the page across from the 753rd tank battalion VetFriends ID! Division, crossing the Seine and advancing to Neuilly-sur-Marne on 29 August the! To conduct unit tactical training on 11 September area near Rocroi, tankers. Station, Texas over Labor Day weekend did not arrive until D+4 Division at Fort,! West toward Le Pommereuil to face the threat from the title key found in request supabase / where a! Key found in request supabase / where was a good Day for a new account in our community German. 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