Gurney W. Sikes, S-4 SECTIONCapt. It is desired to commend the following organizations of the VII Corps Engineers for outstanding performance of duty while attached to the 4th Cavalry Group at various times during the Campaign of Northern France and Belgium, the Campaign of Germany and the Battle of the Ardennes: Company A, 298th Engineer (C) BattalionAttached from 16 March 1945 to 2 April 1945, Company C, 298th Engineer (C) BattalionAttached from 2 January 1945 to 23 January 1945and from 23 February 1945 to 10 March 1945, Company B, 237th Engineer (C) BattalionAttached from 18 August 1944 to 24 August 1944, Company A, 297th Engineer (C) BattalionAttached from 11 September 1944 to 17 October 1944, Company B, 297th Engineer (C) BattalionAttached from 17 October 1944 to 7 December 1944, Company C, 297th Engineer (C) BattalionAttached from 15 September 1944 to 11 November 1944and from 7 December 1944 to 2 January 1945, Company B. Other engineer teams assisted in the demolition of pillboxes and defensive works, the clearing of mines and the opening of causeways across the inundated area back of the beach. To, Program of the 289th Engineer Combat Battalion Reunion, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 11 October 1997. Clarence E. Bret. Try contacting the Public Information Officer for Fort Subscribe Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more We were stationed in Germany in 1975 Second World War (1939-1945) Rue d'Ereze, Grandmenil. 288th Engineer Combat Battalion: Rank: Private First Class U.S. Army: Entered Service From: New York : Date of Death: April 19 1945: Buried This is the location where C Company, of Co. A, 2nd Detail of American assault waves on Omaha beach on June 6, 1944. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-1985 (Record Group 407) that may include records of the 255th Engineer Combat Battalion. m p fort riley kansas 13 bravo 13 coscom 13 subcom.647 maint.co. ANTHONY T. BERICHT/5. The travel and encampment dates below reflect the location of the battalion's Headquarters & Supply Company as established in the "Travels of the 289th": Im a travel junky who loves to gain Higher headquarters. HARVEY B. STEPANSKIPfc. and .50 cal. Jerry D. Morelock, PhD, Colonel, U.S. Army, Ret., is a 1969 West Point graduate who served 36 years in uniform. Thereafter, throughout the Cherbourg Campaign and the subsequent operations of the VII Corps across France, Belgium and Germany, the VII Corps Engineers played a vital role. 313th Engineer Combat Battalion ROSTERS - 88th Infantry Division Blue Devils - MtMestas.com World War II Research Website HOME About Junior Mestas About This Website Contact Us Contributions Donations Wish List What's Here FLASH INTRO -Turn on your sound. They were able to keep the shaky Ludendorff bridge in operation until March 17, when unfortunately it collapsed, killing 23 Americans and injuring another 93 mostly engineers. JOHN W. REYNOLDST/5 GEORGE C. BOARDMANPvt. RAYMOND MORRISPfc. The members of the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion will be happy to read the following commendation of the VII Corps Engineer Units to which the 298th had contributed greatly. With engineers building bridges as fast as the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS could blow them, the 12th roared toward the finish in the Seventh Army's race to the Alps to seal off the Brenner Pass to Nazi escape;[12] a prize nabbed at the wire by the rival 103rd Infantry Division on 4 May. CHARLES GORLA JRPvt. VE Day was celebrated four days later with H&S company stationed in Goppingen, 20 miles southeast of Stuttgart, and forward elements of the 289th having sprawled as far afield as Austria and northern Italy before war's end. Richard F. GeignerPfc. In February 1945, the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment was reorganized as the 36th Engineer Combat Group. "This is the story of the 283rd Engineer Combat Battalion - six hundred of the hardest-working, hardest-playing, laughingest, cussingest engineer soldiers who ever sand a song around a Carolina. LEONARD A. ENGSTROM, Capt. James E. CrottyS/Sgt. In reply to: 288th Engineer Combat Battalion Company B Richard Merlino 1/31/05 My Dad did too.I also am trying to get info on the 288th Engineer Combat Battalion.I'll post anything I find. This has been particularly true of the campaigns of the VII Corps, whose varied operations have called for every type of engineering skill. The 247th Engineer Combat Battalion began work on the bridge at 0700, finding on it a truck that a German shell had hit a few days before. The quiet efficiency, skill, and devotion to duty of yourself and the officers and men of the corps engineers under you have contributed greatly to the success of this corps in its European campaigns. The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion (United States) was a combat engineer battalion of the United States Army during World War II. The 296th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated by the U.S. Army on 3 March 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Gentle readers, this is not intended to be a sage of history; a literary highlight. In late April Company B was tasked to support the fast-moving 12th Armored Division in its drive deep into Bavaria to prevent the establishment of a German National Redoubt. Do you have more information about this location? ACG salutes World War II U.S. Army combat engineers, some of historys Great Warriors! It was the day of activation of the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion. Locale United States Language English I was drafted in to the United States Army in June of 1943 at the age of eighteen. [10] Nordwind's intent was to drive a wedge through the weakened Allied defenses in the Alsace to prevent reinforcement to the north against its main thrust toward the coveted Allied port of Antwerp and badly needed supplies staged there. 4049 0 obj <> endobj As a combat engineer battalion the 289th was capable of providing a wide variety of combat support services essential to sustaining operating forces in the theater of war. CLAUDE A. MALONE Captain Heubach Henry M. PietrucciPfc. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. THOMAS E. WHALEYCpl. LOVELL B. WOODSPvt. The 700 engineer battalions mobilized during the war repeatedly proved to be vital components to Allied victory on all fronts. I have in mind, particularly, the clearing of the north-eastern portion of the Cherbourg Peninsula in the vicinity of St. Vaast and Barfleur, the infantry support and heavy pontoon crossings at Melun, the crossing of the Meuse River at La Hastiere, the long period of action as infantry and serious personnel losses in the Hurtgen Forest, the successful infantry action and engineering during the bitter weather of the Battle of the Ardennes, the successful ferrying operations of the Rhine River. machine gun squads, anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers, and were required to fight as infantry as a secondary mission.[2]. In the Pacific Theater, the U.S. Army's 42nd Combat Engineers took part in the hard-fought high casualty Battle of Attu Aleutian Islands (1943) and the Battle of Manila, Luzon Philippines (1945), earning 2 Battle Stars. Will Hoppe told me some more details about the production of this map, which I will follow up with him. In a Combat Engineer Battalion, every squad of a line platoon has a two and one half ton truck for personnel and equipment. Captain Thomas Henry He was Editor in Chief of Armchair General magazine (2004-2015), and currently is Senior Editor/Senior Historian for four Historynet military history magazines. See complete scans of the booklet here. failed you alone be the judge. Geographic accuracy and political outlines are largely omitted in lieu of dozens of illustrated vignettes that highlight the wartime experiences of the unit across the campaign. After a one-month training session at the Louisiana Maneuver Area from 26 July to 26 . 284th Engr. T/5. They are a component of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. 288th Engineer Company U.S. Army. 401. st. Glider Infantry Regiment . A somewhat similar condition developed as we drove through the Siegfried defenses east of Aachen, and fought our way to the Roer; and again following the crossing of the Roer River when Duren and its environs had to be opened rapidly to permit the movement of the 3rd Armored Division. To fully understand the hierarchy at any given moment in the Battle, you must not rely on this page alone. Bivouac in pup tents on frozen ground 10 m. from harbor, 235 m. slightly SE of Forges-les-Eaux, via, 15 m. NE of Landroff, 10 m. SW of Saarbrcken, Immediately SW of and adjacent to Merlebach, 10 m. NE of St. Avold, 2 m. S of the Saar River, 5 m. W of, 2 m. NE of Krghutte on the S bank of the Saar midway between downtown, Rheinfeld, 20 m. NE of Edenkoben, 1/2 m. west of the Rhine in, Village within Knigheim, 20 m. slightly NE of, Village in the district of Uffenheim, 25 m. SE of Grorinderfeld, 10 m. N of, Village within Wallhausen, 10 m. slightly SE of Schrozberg, 510 m. slightly NE of, 40 m. SW of Dinkelsbhl. Port & harbor maintenance and rehabilitation, including beachheads: Laying roads and unloading/loading supplies, vehicles & personnel from transport and cargo ships, 311th Engineer Combat Battalion, 8th Blackhawk Division, European Theater, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 22:27. Arthur R. WatsonCompany Administrative Officer1st Lt. William S. LothFirst SergeantJohn A. McCarron, 1st Platoon1st Lt. Description This tremendous pair of maps chronicles the combat experience of the 208th Engineer Combat Battalion (E.C.B.) operations for the period, combat efficiency, and results of operations. On May 21, 1944 the first elements of the Battalion departed for the marshalling [sic] camps. 0n 22 March 1945, assault boats carrying men of the 11th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Infantry Division and operated by the 204th Engineer Combat Battalion, silently shoved off from the Omaha Beach D-Day Normandy landings. [1], Best known for pontoon bridge construction and clearing hazards in amphibious landings, their duties also included serving as sappers deploying and deactivating explosive charges and unexploded munitions, mapmaking, camouflage, and a wide variety of construction services supporting frontline troops. On 21 December 1975 the 299 th Engineer Battalion (Combat) was reactivated at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, at zero strength. John R. MehallT/4. Members of the unit were processed through Camp Myles Standish and detached to bases nearest their homes to be demobilized. MAX J. MELNEKT/4. After the initial penetration of the Siegfried Line when the corps was dangerously extended over a great frontage in the vicinity of Aachen, the Corps Engineers were called upon to do service as infantry in the Hurtgen Forest and in the hills south of Aachen. Samuel Brooks. Any information that would help us. To some it wasn't going to materially affect their life in any way. It served under XXI Corps of the Seventh. Lo Marigny, when roads had to be cleared quickly of the debris from the heavy bombardment, and the way opened through devastated villages in order to permit rapid exploitation by armored columns and motorized infantry. [14] Perceived crucial by TICOM, the U.S. intelligence and technology gathering organization, its top secret records forced the 289th into the unusual role of military police. They also fielded defensive .30 cal. During World War II, U.S. Army combat engineers were at the spearhead of fighting in all theaters, whether the battlefield was North Africas desert sands, Normandys fire-swept Omaha Beach, the Ardennes snowclad forest, or the Pacifics jungle-covered islands. On numerous occasions the Engineers were required to construct fords and temporary bridges under fire, and they never failed to get the job done skillfully and with minimum delay. Company B continued on assisting rapidly moving armor in the Seventh Army's race to head off German entrenchment in a feared National Redoubt and seal off Alpine passes to Nazi escape. EDWARD B. CLARKS/Sgt. THOMAS E. HASSINGERPvt. The unit itself remained active, serving as a shell for repatriating troops as part of Operation Magic Carpet at least into January 1946. Punctuation, and capitalization follow the original (in many cases the format was not consistant). knowledge coz u know knowledge is power, 289th Engineer Combat Battalion (United States) Wikipedia, Bridge (mobile, floating, fixed), rail, & road construction and maintenance, Conducting river crossings by ponton/raft, motor-powered assault boats, Placing/de-arming munitions, including mines. In the latter stages of the War it campaigned south and southeast through communities straddling the states of Baden-Wrttemberg and Bavaria. The travel and encampment dates below reflect the location of the battalion's Headquarters & Supply Company as established in the "Travels of the 289th": Library of Congress Veterans History Project. &9/0)"YIs 37c`bdO F!3|R` & WILLIE DESROCHEST/5. Caveat: This Battle lasted more than a month, with assignments in considerable flux. Wayne D. Hotaling, MAINTENANCE SECTION1st Lt. Norman C. KoehlerM/Sgt. The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion was a combat engineer battalion of the United States Army during World War II. HILERY S. NEWMANPfc. THOMAS W. SILVALt. WILBUR L. FULLERSgt. TIMON O. MOUSERPvt. And to some it was going to bring sorrow, suffering and in some cases death Memorial 238th Engineer Combat Battalion Second World War (1939-1945) Rue d'Ereze, Grandmenil Belgium Luxembourg Grandmenil Memorial stone dedicated to the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion along the Grandmenil - Manhay road. 109th Engineer Combat Battalion: 434th Port Company: 109th Engineer Combat Battalion, 34th Infantry Division: 4355th Quartermaster Bakery Company: 109th Engineer Regiment, 34th Division: 435th Anti-Aircraft Arty (Automatic Weapons) Battalion: 109th Field Artillery Battalion: 435th Engineer Dump Truck Company: 109th Field Artillery Battalion . 238th combat engineer battalion association history A soldier from the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion checks a TNT charge during the Battle of the Bulge. For instance, during the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, engineers cleared a path through German fortifications to help GIs escape the murderous enemy fire and move beyond the beach. JESSE ESCOREDOT/4. Battalion engineers ferried infantry across the Saar in the breaching of the vaunted Siegfried Line 1720 March; followed by support over the Rhine near Mannheim 30 March; and ferry and pontoon bridge construction assistance over the Neckar near Heidelberg 31 March. [4][5] A cadre from the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion was detached to Camp Robinson to form its core,[6] establishing Companies A, B, C, and HQ and Service. Squadron: 363rd Field Artillery Battalion: 117th Cavalry Recon. It is expecially [sic] desired to commend the Corps Engineer, Colonel Mason Young, for his keen interest and skilled advice, his careful planning of the employment of Engineers, and his frequent and helpful visits to our supporting Engineers during combat. After a yearlong deployment, members of the 288th Engineer Company are departing Afghanistan and heading home. For example, the hierarchy here places the U. S. 7th Armored Division in XVIII Corps in U. S. First Army in 12th Army Group. United States Army in World War II, Special Studies: Grotjean, David, Technician Five 2 1/2 ton truck driver. 1st Sergeant: Welcome to 238th combat engineer battalion association books. Plaque to commemorate the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion A memorial plaque, along with an informational board, can be found at the Roer River Bridge between Winden and Kreuzau, Germany. Let me add my personal commendation to that of General Colins for the splendid record made by the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion throughout the campaign in Europe. History of the 138th Engineer Combat Battalion - added 06-10-14. Countermobility operations blocked or impeded enemy advances and included actions such as laying minefields, constructing fortifications for defending troops, or blowing bridges to stop enemy attacks. STEVE J. KISHPvt. However, when the German attack began on 16 December 1944, the alignment of U. S. 7th Armored Division was (XIII Corps, U. S. Ninth Army, 12th Army Group). [a], Upon arrival in France the battalion traveled southeast by rail in 40&8s, stopping in Forges-les-Eaux and Lunville before arriving at Fort de la Mouche in Epinal. Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt, General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel, General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Lttwitz, Oberstgruppenfuhrer der Waffen SS Josef Dietrich, General der Panzertruppen Erich Brandenberger, General der Kavallerie Edwin von Rothkirch. RAY L. WHITETURKEYS/Sgt. Their awards included one Distinguished Service Cross, four Silver Stars, 33 Bronze Stars and 181 Purple Hearts. Subscribe to 288th Engineer Combat Battalion Footer menu. 277th Engineer Combat Battalion, attached to 102nd Infantry Division Dec. 15-28, 1944 278th Engineer Combat Battalion: in Belgium at Hermalle and Vise (north of Lige) until 26 December, then in Belgium at Aubel (north of Verviers) and in Holland at "Lanaye Locks" My one concern is that finding more information about the 286th Engineer Combat Battalion as an individual unit is quite difficult. December 17, 1943 was the big day. hbbd```b``s$?d*`0d"Y20 There are some collections on the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion housed with the US Army War College in Carlisle, PA, with the US Army Heritage Center. [21], The range of services provided included but was not limited to:[22], Among those carried out in action by the 289th were the clearing of minefields, removal of demolition charges, and disarming of anti-personnel munitions and booby traps; deployment and operation of assault boats;[23] and the construction of various pontoon bridges,[24] including M1 treadways,[25] and modular steel truss Bailey bridges.[25]. Subscribe to 288th Engineer Combat Battalion Footer menu. Remaining there into August 1945, the 289th was transferred via train through the Netherlands to Belgium to ship out for deployment to the Pacific Theater in preparation for the invasion of Japan. Company B continued on assisting rapidly moving armor in the Seventh Army's race to head off German entrenchment in a feared National Redoubt and seal off Alpine passes to Nazi escape. To some of these thousand men, it was going to be the beginning of a new, big adventure. Jack Kerr, Company Commander: 5. 288th engineer combat battalion . On 18 January 1945, the final alignment became (XVIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group) -- the alignment in the hierarchy given here. Learn more. 88, 1288th Engineer Combat Battalion: a pictorial review of training and operations, 1 January 1946. itself. If they have succeeded or Port & harbor maintenance and rehabilitation, including beachheads: Laying roads and unloading/loading supplies, vehicles & personnel from transport and cargo ships, Establishing/maintaining supply and ammunition dumps, Building barracks, depots, and similar structures, Rescue & road patrols, bridge and road reconnaissance, Serving as infantry in support of XXI Corps troops holding the German line near Saint-Avold, Ferrying troops of the 276th Infantry Battalion of the, Escorting an ambulance corps across a temporary bridge over the, 28 August Arrive Boston Port of Embarkation, This page was last edited on 13 November 2022, at 20:41. GERALD M. REHFELDTPvt. ROBERT R. SWINFORDPfc. 288th engineer combat battalion. Among the most familiar for their heroism and contributions to establishing key bridgeheads in Europe was at the Ludendorff Bridge at the Battle of Remagen. In the latter stages of the War it campaigned south and southeast through communities straddling the states of Baden-Wrttemberg and Bavaria. In one or more jurisdictions, laws other than copyright are known to impose restrictions on the use of this Item. [4][5], A World War II era combat engineer battalion possessed both combat and combat support capabilities. Jerome B. DwyerCompany Administrative Officer1st Lt. Maurice C. SwitneyFirst Sergeant..Allen F. WarnerS/Sgt Wilmer A. Schaaf, 1st Platoon1st Lt. Frank J. HollisS/Sgt Herbert W. Rauch2nd Platoon2nd Lt Bertram RockoffS/Sgt Armand J. Berthiaume, 3rd PlatoonLt Bernard L. StaffordSgt Stephen Kovacs, Company Commander.Capt. https://www.historynet.com/u-s-army-combat-engineers-1941-45/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, When 21 Sikh Soldiers Fought the Odds Against 10,000 Pashtun Warriors, Few Red Tails Remain: Tuskegee Airman Dies at 96. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion was a combat engineer battalion of the United States Army during World War II. Edwin C. PruessingTec. 20th Engineer Combat Battalion, 1171st Engineer Combat Group: 24.10.1944-19.11.1944: 1340th Engineer Combat Battalion, 1171st Engineer Combat Group . Dedicated to the men who proudly served their country during World War II by serving in the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion. On 20 December, the alignment became (XVIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group) and on the same day (XVIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 21st Army Group). Just a few miles to the southwest, engineers of the 35th Combat Battalion occupied History of the 179th Engineers - part one / Memorial 238th Engineer Combat Battalion. Please allow an officer of the French Army to address a very humble request to you. The other. Locations. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Dupuy,Trevor N. "Hitler's Last Gamble" Airlife. 0 During World War II, U.S. Army combat Click on a photo to enlarge. - Present Houston Armory Houston, Mississippi . Glider Infantry Regiment . Combat engineers were also trained to fight as infantrymen and often did so in emergency situations on the battlefield. Next was a brief move to secure Neckarsulm, home of NSU Motorenwerke's SdKfz 2 production, followed by an extended stay in Mosbach, site of an underground Daimler-Benz airplane engine factory codenamed "Goldfisch". His books include Generals of the Bulge: Leadership in the U.S. Armys Greatest Battle, The Army Times Book of Great Land Battles: From the Civil War to the Gulf War, and (as a contributing author) Pershings Lieutenants: American Military Leadership in World War I edited by David Zabecki and Douglas Mastriano. The Battalion was assigned to the FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY and attached to the U.S. VII ARMY CORPS. The new unit trained and . It is one of the unfortunate characteristics of war that whose who labor in unspectacular roles frequently do not receive the proper recognition that they justly deserve. It was the day that was going to affect the lives of approximately By 1435, Exit U-5 was open to traffic. Ground Rent And Service Charge Costs, machine gun squads, anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers, and were required to fight as infantry when needed. Rudolph G. CookPfc. Assigned 1150th Engineer Combat Group, Third Amy, 12 Decenber 1943. The 168th Engineer Battalion (Combat) was first constituted on 25 February 1943 and activated at Camp Carson (later known as Fort Carson), Colorado on 5 May 1943. Charles M. Atterbury, Company Commander.Capt. Faithfully yours,/s/ J. Lawton Collins,/t/ J. LAWTON COLLINSLieutenant General, U.S. Army,Commanding. The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion was a combat engineer battalion of the United States Army during World War II. In February 1945, the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment was reorganized as the 116th Engineer Combat Battalion: 362nd Infantry Regiment: 117th Cavalry Recon. Sgt. How could I get a roster for my basic training class from Ft Benning Ga from back in 1999 D258 3rd platoon Maddogs? and .50 cal. Remaining there into August 1945, the 289th was transferred via train through the Netherlands to Belgium to ship out for deployment to the Pacific Theater in preparation for the invasion of Japan. LOUIS PISCORAN JR. Pfc. Edward BielewiczM/Sgt. FAQ | EMIL FILIPPvt. It is not a story of heroic deeds and battles but it is never-the-less a very interesting one because of the many historic and picturesque places that were either occupied or visited by the personnel of the Battalion. 3rd Bn became the 2828th Bn. 21234 Duty Phone: (410) 444-6200 (504) 250-4052 CAREER PLANNER (410) 444-6200 Ext. If you have a connection to this unit PLEASE CLICK HERE. 88. JOSEPH GLINSKIPfc. He worked with a General Boatner at the prisoner base for Non-Comps and officiers of the North Korean's and Chinese. The VII Corps Engineers distinguished themselves from the first moment when they landed with the initial waves on Utah Beach, and with the assistance of naval demolition parties began the removal of the beach obstacles and the preparation of passages through the sea-wall that ran the length of the beach. On 11 September 1944, while accompanying the 5th Armored Division, the 254th became one of the first American Units to reach German soil. 4065 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[4049 22]/Info 4048 0 R/Length 87/Prev 311094/Root 4050 0 R/Size 4071/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream