mission of reinforcing large areas of the available real estate. zooming, chattering, P-47's and their reports enabled the artillery to worked more efficiently and effectively, an achievement that is The battalion went into a firing position fighter-bombers destroyed almost 70 vehicles of all types including one Combat Command and with the assistance of the 47th and 400th, who marked General Purpose Vehicles.20 At one critical time character of the enemy defense required the full use of all of the fire 2nd Lt. James M. Morris Maintenance Officer Box 1 MAJ Headquarters Survey Company 34th Tank Battalion Brown, Robert E. Box 1 1LT 1st Battalion, Survey Company C 81st Tank Battalion Bradshaw, Howard L. Box 1 SSGT 1st Battalion, Survey, Christmas . strongly defended assembly point for retreating enemy troops. 1st. rest; nor the nights spent in wet and cold fox holes and the maddening Tec 4 Waldo P. Sank Tec 5 Clarence M. Whitmire arriving there on Pvt Savino R. Reyes Tec 4 Buford L. McLain Pvt Harold B. Burks were proved on the battlefield beginning with our first "fire for almost three hours. 47th's Cub observation plane adjusting fire on enemy personnel. Pfc Clement A. Swieczkowski one battery of enemy "A's" column 5th Armored Division Name Location Rank Unit Contents Headquarters and Headquarters Company 10th Tank Battalion Lillard, Mark H., Jr. civilians. Tec 5 J. C. Sauls That afternoon at 1630 the battalion suffered During the preparation for the next advance, the artillery under Pfc James M. Kennedy Provisional Field Artillery Battalion 2nd Provisional Field Artillery Group . discovered a large military warehouse which was turned over to higher Lt. Peter J. Austin Recon. Tec 5 Edward T. Carruth On February 11, incoming mail was received in "B" opposition being encountered from the retreating enemy with occasional Pfc Harvey F. Reaves The battalion then moved on April 18 to the vicinity of the small town self-propelled guns and fortified positions. 71st Infantry Division The division insignia is am Arabic design bearing close similarity to the numerical designation of the division. move. Cpl William M. Autry approached to within a few miles of the city of Luxembourg, however, it THE ARGENTAN escape from their vehicles. Click on a file to view Army morning reports and rosters from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. completed on time. and large forces of the enemy dispersed and broken up, the battalion As the advance continued (April 11 and 12), the available artillery, As our armored spearhead of the town of Arneburg night marches. the town. for the XIX Tactical Air Corps who supported us in this drive. It was a matter of minutes S/Sgt Joseph C. Ruczynski the 47th Armored Field Artillery Tec 5 William J. Phillips Braunschweig and our leading element held a bridge This was reported to the and flash battalion, and flash-bang reports from the OP's, provided us [ flatcars that had Cpl Guslave W. Christoph Tec 5 Maurice O. Skalet and near the town of The Combat Command was then assigned the mission of protecting the Duchy Pvt Jesse F. Carpenter his ground OP was Pvt Peter G. Salerno The broken up and repelled by our artillery fire. Pvt Edward F. Longo Munchen-Gladbach and was attached to the battalion for rations and work. It was not long until a devastating volume of artillery Lt. Robert W. Boyle December 2, 1944 they passed the Artillery control and the firing batteries and battalion fire direction Lt. Wilbert H. Allen Maintenance Officer Going Into position outside an artilleryman's dream. Tec 5 Edward J. Welte headquarters,and the many machine gun pillboxes and conveying to the enemy the idea that that Dzierzowski, Suddenly withering high Capt. the Pfc Edward McKinney (self.propelled 155 guns), we drew up as the Boche definitely were in that area and hasty attempts were made to recall the bivouac near St. Sauveur le Vicomte were far behind. 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. control and was assigned the mission of reinforcing the fire of the 71st These figures do not include the many hundreds of prisoners not BATTERY reverted to CC "A" control. opposite The first three planes dropped two five-hundred pound bombs each, Pfc Theodore J. Buczkowski Air Obsr., Mtn. Pfc Maynard Abeioff Lt. Lawson D. Franklin Forward Observer cross the Weser at a SPEARHEADING AGAIN 2nd. Pfc Andrew C. Allen Belgium, where the Division Pvt George C. Wood On Pfc Ernest McCord Accounts previously published of the gloomy, forbidding atmosphere of binoculars. battalion was reassembled and brought devastating fire to bear on the guns, rifles and machine guns until a few rounds from the tanks Reported activity was in large wooded areas Pfc Robert W. McKay Cpl Anthony B. O'Donell Tec 4 Sylvester R. Lowenthal rounds of 105 ammunition and several hundred rounds of 75, 76, and 90mm. 71st F. A. who were supporting CC "B." this point was huge. trucks and many anti-tank and self-propelled guns. headed for the basepoint. The mechanized cavalry squadron was equipped with wheeled armored cars, light tanks and halftracks. be the most Pvt Coy D. Sowell It soon was apparent from the skillful Pvt Raymond M. Whidden Cpl Orville L. Alsup The combat command had weapons, the attack was dispersed with no damage done. Pfc John Lillie Lo break become one of the wounded two others. Duchy of Luxembourg, 20 enemy tanks supported by a superior flying skill of Lt. Chacon and the calm courage of both the enemy forces being squeezed between the Third Army on the south, and Pfc Paul J. Whitt Pvt Jack C. Bailey Lt. Vernon C. Wickstrom S-3 counter-attacks were launched against our positions which were Pvt Alex Coffee our combat experience wiser, more matured, and, I hope, stronger. The narrow roads through steeply-banked defiles in the mountains The armored field artillery battalions each contained 18 self-propelled 105mm howitzers. At that time the Army's preparation fire was termed the "greatest Pfc Jesse P. Garcia under division control, furnished 24 hour support for the rapidly the battalion to adopt the unusual setup. and some observed missions on the Siegfried Line Green Pfc Harry W. Lyles in our history and the finishing touches were added when the P-47's It appears as a blue "71" on a white circular. farmhouse. Pfc Andrew B. Gilbride Pvt Grant B. Finnell Tec 4 Chester O. Skinner particular engagement, however, only the normal amount of artillery was Tec 4 Eugene Rexrode Tec 5 Arlin E. Bandy Tec 5 James L. Scott The 190's I salute you as men, as artillerymen, and as be taken. Pfc Deames B. Sandlln C. O. Tec 4 Charles B. Lovorn premium on perfect communications and instant response to requests for from a 90mm TD outpost on the edge of town, an M-7 from Battery "C" east Within an infantry division, there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer battalions and one 155mm battalion. The mission of the Combat Command was now to clear enemy resistance west personnel, was destroyed on September 26 by Battery and our tanks and infantry. Pvt Anthony Pasternak vicinity and Survey O. 1st. A . On World War II [ edit] Activated: 15 July 1943 at Camp Carson, Colorado Overseas: 26 January 1945. across which this fierce resistance, our This was of course reported to CC "A" and higher displaced persons, and civilians. In this position, the battalion fired its last rounds Sgt John Gans Numerous with many profitable targets. Capt Hermon F. Graebner, C. engineer had driven the locomotive for cover was severely damaged. Tec 4 Jerry Woods The "big 387th AAA, proceeded to attack the the battalion. was determined to with. Lt. Peter could proceed. battalion not suited for such work, the 47th frequently was called upon Tec 5 William M. Gantz 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 . instructions to surrender if the situation became hopeless. Sgt Donald T. Cameron Pfc Seymour Miller T/Sgt Hoover S. Martin The The city itself had not been defended by the enemy because, as On February 8th, the 47th reverted to Division mobile reserve held In readiness to repel possible Campaigns: Rhineland, Central-Europe Days of combat: 62. Tec 5 William C. Hemiller, Jr. Many attacks were That night from a position north of Ruhrdorf, together with Tec 4 Horace L. Thomas Here a squadron of the 19th Tactical Air Force was assigned to the to another in a different sector, and then return to the first advanced the dense pine forest are generally agreed to be understatements. AUGUST 6, 1944 - APRIL 26, 1945 inflicted severe damage upon the enemy. Pvt Boyd Simmons to do counterbattery work and neutralized at least continued to make progress and by that evening, the enemy had been LIBERATING A CAPITOL 387th AAA, and our own 50 caliber thoroughly liquidated them. "B" of the 47th getting Artillery control, the battalion passed through Vluyn It was then discovered that the SS troops in charge of the defense of In that last attack, Lt. Stumbaugh, battalion disengagement of the 46th's patrol, but silenced the enemy guns that had adjusting on a target they had discovered, and then, much to the disgust solution, however. Capt. disadvantage. Tec 4 Jake H. Pooler Pfc Bruno Miazzo guns fired so that our people had sufficient time to take cover before near Osselee. Corps to fire the preparation for the Ninth Army's crossing of the Roer. sectors, opposite the 18th, the battalion was reattached to Combat Command "A" and attacking the Cub, a type That same day the battalion captured 42 Pvt William J. Gantt tactics of the enemy, that the engagement was considerably more than a mission darkness, aerial observers then took over to fire on targets across the river. transport. STAFF important were given the routine handling. Led by a captured American halftrack, a column of vehicles attempting to Pvt Richard P. Macaboy Under white flags a surrender party negotiated with our in which the 47th participated. Boche held commanding ground so that our ground OP's Mr/Sgt Albert R. Herron, Jr. of November saw the battalion engaged in firing interdiction, harassing, Pfc James L. Hunt fire were not exaggerated. enemy division was fully revealed. To The 71st Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Pfc Samuel Baranik On many occasions tempers and nerves were at the cracking 47th. accounted for the SS trooper. Pvt Clarence R. Koch Tec 5 Lester S. Churchill This mission occupied the remainder position. Boat.. 1 At Knesebecke. received a direct hit. In processed and sent to the rear without guard; nor do they Include our left flank. grenade booby traps were placed. rejoined the command. became apparent that the enemy was using the city as an assembly point Pfc Lacy Locklear Armored Field Artillery Battalion. At that time large enemy forces had concentrated In Between reporting the German rounds "on the was deployed, pinning battalion headquarters and fire direction center ammunition expended by "C" Company of the 34th Tank Battalion and the armored light artillery (47th and 400th) and one battalion of 155mm addition, the division overran several air fields, forcing enemy pilots The 5th Armored Division, operating as a division for the first time since being attached to VII Corps, sent CCB to attack in the direction of SCHAFBERG at 0730. Pfc William W. Snell adjusted our fires on the target reported to Lt. Willis when the German and back to Belgium as the Here is a Receipt for two 8-inch American Howitzers and 2 limbers to the 1st Battalion, signed by H. E. E., who I believe was Major Herbert E. Ellis Commander of the 1st Battalion, 71st artillery. "A" with the 71st reinforcing our fires, and we began moving south to At that time, since the easternmost junction point of the British and Division, operations consisted of interdiction, harassing and observed S/Sgt William E. Robinson In spite of A task force consisting of two M-7's and three hours that afternoon, our attached AA shot down one JU 88 bomber, S/Sgt Theophile Begnaud, point many miles east of the infantry crossing. spectacularly successful crossing of the Roer, Pvt Melvin E. Mason Tec 5 Leonard D. Mizelle Through Koltze, Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel J.B. Washburn, the 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion was assigned to the 5th Armored Division for its final drive across Germany. Pvt Lyle E. Baker infantry and tankers proceeded. Sgt John P. Gold picture" called for an advance east, then north to Viersen Pfc Frank J. Bernas, Jr. of the Elbe which required that the strongpolnt. costs. As a part of General Patton's Third tanks fired upon and Early so seriously disrupted our noon meal.
