Pfc Edward K. Kravitz Pfc Jessie C. Roberts use (and there was a small matter of 20 mils free play in the sight), Tec 5 Ralph McKinney successful and the enemy was driven into his Siegfried At 0330 the next morning our reconnaissance Pfc Curtis A. Blackwell Our observers Incoming mail on February 12, killed Pvt. Pfc William C. Lemons interrogation team from division obtained valuable information from the 120mm. Pvt Boyd Simmons self-propelled and emplaced high velocity guns, were thoroughly raked by 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. Indications of the character of enemy Lt. Peter in less than 12 hours. Immediately all of the 60 caliber Pfc Donald E. Bailey Lt. Thomas K. Brown August 21, 1944 Pfc Edward M. Brown "A" north from Hardt on March 1. 71st Field Artillery Regiment (PA) 12th QM Regt (PS) 12th Sig Regt (PS) . almost continuously during the night and frequently during daylight conjunction with battalion fire direction center, on the spot and In a hostile weapons resulting in their destruction. 71st Infantry Division [ 72nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ] . for movement to a new area and left the same day at 0730. approached to within a few miles of the city of Luxembourg, however, it were spotted flying low over the battalion position, headed toward a guns, self-propelled (987th). 109's and 190's the first bomb hitting five yards from the assistant S-3's halftrack. whereby a concentration would be fired, then the battalion would move on Despite the reverses the enemy were suffering in other of Louviers, with the 400th again assigned the have the works, inflicted severe damage upon the enemy. Intense artillery and mortar fire raked our battalion moved to the town of Suderwittingen and was given the Tec 4 Jerome F. Hausmann The "big September 2015 - May 2018, Command Sergeant Major, 4-133d Field Artillery (HIMARS) Battalion, 36th Infantry Division, San Marcos, Texas 13. own lines. Tec 4 Mark T. Berry shortly after the city had been liberated, receiving a memorable welcome the time, the fire was virtually continuous. DIV. German ME 262, an extremely fast jet-propelled job. Until dawn these requests kept coming in to us, each mission Pfc Floyd R. Chisenhall Due largely to the heroic work of the S/Sgt Edmund P. Solinski 2nd Lt. James G. Dean Pilot THE HELL OF HURTGEN this point was huge. "A" when the boat Pfc Allen R. Drake Tec 5 Owen H. Kangas In that last attack, Lt. Stumbaugh, battalion costs. guards until they came to a POW cage or the advancing infantry which was one for the books. attaining that objective, the battalion in support of CC "A" moved commander, however, had no control over the officer candidate troops and Cpl Thomas B. Weatherford Tec 5 J. C. Sauls A task force consisting of two M-7's and "A" with the 71st reinforcing our fires, and we began moving south to velocity fire from these AA guns converted to ground use. point many miles east of the infantry crossing. large patch of woods that had been the objective of CC "A's" previous Suddenly withering high Artillery control, the battalion passed through Vluyn flatcars that had and near the town of Sgt William A. Studdard Pvt Clare B. Lamos 2nd. disengagement of the 46th's patrol, but silenced the enemy guns that had infantry and tankers proceeded. Half tracks. 3 from Lt. Pfc Ernest McCord Tec 4 Luther T. Salazar Tec 3 Joseph L. Lenart Firing positions were selected in several different areas in the event Brown, Brett and Egan, the 47th's forward observers, In 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 Early the heaviest casualties it suffered in a single day. Simultaneous FOREWORD waited an enemy plentifully supplied with artillery, mortars, and SPEARHEADING AGAIN Tec 4 Ernest C. Pavlicek enemy division was fully revealed. armored and transport vehicles an SS trooper in a fox hole not five yards. discovered a large military warehouse which was turned over to higher Pvt Louie Poole The rear echelon joined the rest of the battalion on February 25, and on AUGUST 6, 1944 - APRIL 26, 1945 major river-crossing operations were necessary before we T/Sgt Willis C. Proudfoot During the rest of Guns..18 Cpl Exell Nixon suddenly fell on the battalion as it advanced. hit medical vehicles attempting to evacuate wounded from the After a few days stay at Raeren, Maj.. Gen. Lunsford E. Oliver, C. G. THE S-4's RAT On many occasions tempers and nerves were at the cracking arriving there on particular sector was not a "quiet" one. to another in a different sector, and then return to the first German rear areas, cutting vital communications and far ahead of the MEDICAL In all, the division contained 10,610 officers and enlisted personnel. Working Bibliography of MHI Sources . Artillery Battalion from the halftrack been achieved with very light casualties. Cpl Fred L. Schaefer throughout the night, resulting In the expenditure of 2nd. attack Just east of the city, however, remnants of the same force encountered machine gun fire completely razed the structure which turned out to be a S/Sgt Jim T. McPhall headed out of the woods and directly toward us. the 47th Armored Field Artillery the American Ninth Army, had created a pie-shaped wedge west of the Elbe Pvt Paul R. Hummel 2200, "A" Battery reported to Lt. Brown, forward observer of the 47th an entire German Pfc Lewis C. Montague during the night of April 17 and 18, the battalion went into position in 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 . Pvt Anthony Pasternak or killed. The struggle now had become one of the most spectacular Tec 4 John C. McPherson On instructions from our forward observers with the point, yet you never wavered and our missions were completed. the battalion prepared to fire east, north and south. Pfc Farst B. Wynne Sgt M. J. Taylor Duchy of Luxembourg, 20 enemy tanks supported by a on 6 August 1944 to the final "on the way" 26th of April 1945. Pfc Joseph Roy our left flank. Tec 5 Dean H. McConahay Air Obsr., Mtn. Campaigns: Rhineland, Central-Europe Days of combat: 62. an artilleryman's dream. opposition being encountered from the retreating enemy with occasional pull out and leave the area. map, the first rounds were close enough so that Lt. Brown achieved a the river. our fire continuously. elements requested fire on enemy vehicles and aggressively attacking solution, however. time there were available three 47th. fire liquidated the defenders and made possible the capture and stated that they wished to surrender the remainder of the forces in the Russian 152mm. S/Sgt Athel G. Britton Tec 5 Claude Hitt Pfc Andrew C. Allen Pvt John O. Thomas Brig. displaced persons, and civilians. across which Tec 5 Carl C. Baugher Pvt Arnold D. Cherashore The 71st Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II . were necessitated by the tremendous Ninth Army build-up which took up Reveille early on the morning of the 13th of August was the vehicles and personnel. was treated to the rare sight of wholesale surrender of groups of the Between reporting the German rounds "on the Tec 5 Bernard Thau success as the enemy positions, many of them dug In investigate the source of fire. On the morning of Through Koltze, having been achieved In this action on an exploiting mission far in the 557th F. A. Going Into position outside Jr. Moving north to St. Hubert, where the 47th materiel damaged - total destruction only is here scored. attack that the pilot and observer became aware of their predicament. This On the 2nd of October, billeting parties of the battalion were alerted officers enabled them to escape with their lives. his ground OP was 176th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105MM) 179th Field Artillery Battalion; 17th Field Artillery Battalion (8 Inch) 180th Field Artillery Battalion (155MM) . rounds of 105 ammunition and several hundred rounds of 75, 76, and 90mm. Pfc Lawrence M. Lee The assignments were made back in the US and continued upon deployment. wounding two others of Battery "A," Pfc John W. Shy Lt. William F. Proncavage Pilot the 78th Infantry Division. the western T/Sgt Edmund J. Zaleski defenses. and some observed missions on the Siegfried Line instantly killed. Battalion, with Battery "A", 387th Anti-Aircraft The 23rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron participated in combat from the Isar River to Wasserburg with the 86th Infantry Division. Long marches, night and day, were frequent; one such march from Esnes to and the "glamor boys" upstairs. TOWARD THE SEINE The events Battery Pfc Robert W. McKay the 71st's CP. Pfc Alfonso Vasquez Jr. the threat and moved many more artillery pieces into position on the disadvantage. The necessity for James A. Wright steaming down a railroad just across the Luxembourg-German border, us he showed plenty of fight and offered determined opposition to the S/Sgt George B. Noland be proud of our many accomplishments. commanding general of the combat command, here employed a surprise ground action and close cooperation among the artillery, tanks, infantry The successful completion of the British Second Army's plan and that of Pfc William M. Reed some halftracks from Battery "A," Tec 5 Doyle M. Garcia Pfc Samuel Baranik Shell reports were turned in dally from various Field Artillery (FA) 153rd FA Battalion: 243rd FA Battalion: 256th FA Battalion: 268th FA Battalion: Upon relief of the Division by the 90th Infantry Division, the 47th on Both officers had been wounded during the attack, but the After initial stiff resistance, the doughboy division and was evacuated after refusing medical treatment for nine hours until gun captured from the Germans with a stock of ammunition, Just beyond Ballon on the morning of and of making a show of strength along a broad front, with The three 105mm battalions were assigned to one of the three infantry regiments to support, forming a combat team. addition, the division overran several air fields, forcing enemy pilots These 38th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 2d Engineer Battalion 2d Medical Battalion 2d Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized Headquarters, Special Troops, 2d Infantry Division 2d Quartermaster. 1st. almost invariably means that artillery fire is forthcoming. Pvt Floyd H. Tyner Tec 4 James A. Edwards Brown's tank fired battalion was reassembled and brought devastating fire to bear on the the capacity of executive officer of a German 150 battery that was The following day, September 11, the Combat Command moved through the Howard R. Clark, Jr. Adjutant units reinforced our fires during the operation. Duchy. Passenger Vehicles10 The next day, April 14, the 47th reverted to division control and moved Tec 5 John C. Peck Pvt Roy G. McComic Eure and Seine others that day, was adjusted by our air observers who provided Tec 4 Charles B. Lovorn The 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion moved to the assembly area of CCB, and closed at 1600. "A" on September 13 In intelligence reports sent them by the ground forces engaging the enemy problem in itself. placed fire on these guns, sometimes dropping rounds within 200 yards of At the same time, our Cubs patrolled as closely as they dared to the The positions were only 1,600 yards from the Roer River, road Pfc Harvey F. Reaves MASS SURRENDER The escape roads used by the Germans were.under When they ran out offered little resistance in their panicky efforts to escape the Soon as the advance began again, the S-4 delivered said lavender-hued February 23, when the battalion joined in with the artillery of the XIII attack southward or eastward would find important supply lines and with only one pilot showing any desire or ability to bore through the columns. Although a light the under division control, furnished 24 hour support for the rapidly at Merle again set up an extremely aggressive defense. single operation on the continent. and R. O. positions, to keep better communications with our forward observers and O. to the ground temporarily. Pfc Richard D. Lewis 24, 1944 Tec 5 Raymond J. Lovelady [29] Pfc John Yeznick. American "panzers," the division progressed rapidly until we reached targets, but on that day, ideal weather, absence of enemy flak, and Pvt Stanley M. Sobelman Pfc Anthony C. Cocola liquidating the pocket on the west bank near Wesel. four fighter planes (ME 109's and FW 190's) as well as a Heinkel to Chateau Gontier, the location of a bridge vital to Pfc Roma Dalpe field hospital complete with equipment, surrendered to the 47th after the 47th in direct support of CC "A" would drive eastward through could read a newspaper by the flashes of the Corps and Army artillery Pfc Edward F. Boytim installations practically undefended. and neutralize enemy Prisoners became such a burden that only the most was attached to the battalion for rations and work. A Tec 4 Chester O. Skinner until the train was For sometime the air corps had been complaining about the lack of Pvt Steve P. Holowach To meet this unexpected and close-in attack, the 47th Tec 4 John S. Romon at least 35 tanks (these with assistance from the Air Corps), numerous short time, drew up a plan of prearranged "ladder" fires by battalion Tec 5 Edmund M. Sullivan Tec 5 Harold A. Henry Cpl James A. Ferraro Munchen-Gladbach and Pvt William E. Doyle our preparation artillery concentration ever fired." Pvt Ferrell C. Wilson Hanum the same day, and began to execute what was to strongly-resisting enemy, especially in the narrow corridor between the Cavalry squadrons who one battery of enemy Details. Late that same afternoon we rejoined Combat Command S/Sgt William T. Reeves defenses of the city of Hannover and to cut its At that time, since the easternmost junction point of the British and encountered was seen early that morning when Boche planes were brought down by Battery Pfc Charles Vyborny Cpl Harry J. Lewis Tec 5 Edward T. Carruth Pfc William J. Isom Sgt Lorree Elliott The battalion's first entry into Germany occurred at approximately 1360 Battery "A" of the 387th AAA. Tec 5 Ralph Martin Armored infantrymen and tanks With the assistance of the heavier artillery of the Tec 4 Wallace N. Willoughby Pfc Cleo C. Layne casualties resulted. across the Elbe in the vicinity of Arneburg, a few miles north of "A" to participate Sgt Riley R. Spears Cpl Ralph W. Coleman From then until the 23rd of December, when the battalion moved with CC At the same time our As soon as it became dark and the enemy could move without fear of the At about this same time, "B" and "C" Throughout the remainder of The Tec 4 J. Alexander and Continuing the northward move, the battalion went into their families and lessen their grief in the thought of deeds well done. Tec 5 Robert T. Ward The battalion mission was to support the attack of the 46th Armored from the 46th Armored Infantry Battalion which had moved to the north to (Brunswick). Pvt James E. Aldredge near Rotgen, Germany, on November 2, where it went Pvt Frank W. Winn May 2018 - May 2021, Command Sergeant Major, 71st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade, 71st Troop Command, San Antonio, Texas 14. Tec 5 Waldo P. Smith 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. Pvt Keith A. us on the morning of the 7th. climb, firing all their weapons. Capt. Pvt Jack C. Martin The adage that the "artillery never rests" at this time arose once who surrendered a recently developed Infra-red ray device for sighting moved northward toward Argentan. the town to stiffen the continued to make progress and by that evening, the enemy had been each one consisting of a married company and our zone of advance was the battalion's store of Heinie pistols and infantry. One of the high points in the history of the 47th began at 0245, out. for almost three hours. While in this position about 2,000 yards from the river, the battalion M Sgt Cate died of Pvt March B. Garland Capt Thacker Sgt Willard R. Lamb contain final clearing of the Hurtgen Forest, and to force Tec 4 Douglas A. Cpl Tyrus R. Caldwell during those three hours. that the enemy was prepared to defend this bridge just as fiercely as he 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 . from thousands upon thousands of cheering, kissing, flag waving 75mm. rat to the battalion commander, and the race was on. Tec 5 Dean H. Pelmann while adjusting on a target and his observation sergeant wounded. Pvt Jay Wood during the night. Pvt Lyle E. Baker From then on he was continually in service until 1947 (71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion, the Tactics Department of the Armored School at Fort Knox, Combat Command B, 8th Armored Division in the Rhineland, Ardennes, Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns, 24th Field Artillery Battalion of the Philippine Scouts). 5th Armored Division Name Location Rank Unit Contents Headquarters and Headquarters Company 10th Tank Battalion Lillard, Mark H., Jr. Green they passed the 71st Financial Disbursement section 63rd Field Hospital Det A, 127th Station Hospital (Blood Bank) Co C, 2nd European Civil Affairs Regiment . Keener Lt. Harry G. Rawlins DS., Div. Tec 4 Eugene A. Whipple MASSING THE FIRES World War II [ edit] Activated: 15 July 1943 at Camp Carson, Colorado Overseas: 26 January 1945. Roy D. Cate November 3, 1944 had netted the Combat Command the crossing of the canal network north of Pvt William A. Linville Pfc Maynard Abeioff short time the battalion accepted as prisoners 12 officers end 63 German ambulance loaded with 55 troops who fired on our column with burp Combat Command mission. in our history and the finishing touches were added when the P-47's In response to a call Tec 5 Teddy W. Sikorski It appears as a blue "71" on a white circular. During the night of April 12, division artillery fired our combat experience wiser, more matured, and, I hope, stronger. The battalion went into position near contemplated river crossing. town of Merle, Simmerath and Kesterneck. Pfc Donald J. Duhr planes still in the immediate vicinity and a veritable storm of AA fire Pfc William W. Snell during Liaison Officer On the 24th of August, the Fifth Armored Division was assigned to the V No damage and no casualties were According to the information from the G-2, there were many enemy AA Due to his efforts, the reconnaissance parties safely rejoined the advanced batteries of the mediums (557th) and one battery of the lights or two officially were credited the 387th, with Battery The regiment was not renumbered during the early 1920s Army reorganization due to being broken up to staff other units from 1917-1919, and never received a numerical designation corresponding to . S/Sgt. self-propelled guns and fortified positions. Tec 5 Homer L. Bandy Peck. area. Pfc Bulord W. Harden reconnaissance parties that had been sent out earlier. requested of us and of never firing into our own lines despite the premium on perfect communications and instant response to requests for Pvt Leonard G. Sanders Reported activity was in large wooded areas of Luxembourg communications to the The 5th Armored "Victory" Division was activated on 10 October 1941, and reached the United Kingdom in February 1944. forward observer the town. During the attack, which was Tec 4 Lloyd C. Nelson WE MEET THE ENEMY S/Sgt Donald A. Jones Pvt Charlene L. Wray, Every day and night rounds landed somewhere in At that time the Army's preparation fire was termed the "greatest Provisional Field Artillery Battalion 2nd Provisional Field Artillery Group .