81st chemical mortar battalion

Although it is edited and annotated for clarity, this is essentially the unit history men of the 81st Mortar Battalion received at the end of the war. Sgt Raymond Nicoli, T/R Felice Savino, Pvt McLaren, and Pvt Benton L. Porter were wounded while rescuing this equipment and refused medical aid until this was accomplished. The battalion arrived at Camp Shanks on Friday, October 15, 1943. The next day German infantry halted the 4th Division's advance in this sector just beyond the first line of steel and concrete bunkers. The glare of the fire was seen miles away in Luxembourg by the company on returning from a trip to the company rear. In December 1965 the 170th Aviation Company joined with the 119th to create the 52nd Aviation Battalion. This was one day that A Company received more than it gave. All along the route of march, evidence of gratitude, welcome, and good will prevailed among the French people. When the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive on December 16, much of the Third Army began moving north toward Bastogne, leaving some units such as Company A to hold the line. Captain Gaffney, company commander, was instantly killed when the craft in which he was riding struck a mine. Catalina flying boats and naval blimps escorted us for several days until we got well out to sea. The assistant division commander of the 28th visited the mortar positions personally to commend the company for its fine support. On the 27th, near Les Planches, and again on the 29th, near Rouxville, two shells from a German "170" landed in the mortar position, but failed to explode. The mess personnel had taken a wrong turn, found themselves in enemy territory, and were forced to abandon the vehicle. The 81st was formed when the country was faced with the necessity of creating a highly trained, efficient army in a minimum of time. This country was in sharp contrast to the northern plain of France on which the company had been traveling. There was no let-up in enemy resistance and on two occasions the company narrowly missed having numerous casualties. When two LCVPs in which part of the battalion was landing sank from enemy shell hits, the men of the 81st Chemical Battalion transferred their mortars, ammunition, and equipment from their own landing craft to an LCM, and under constant shelling managed to land the equipment. To Lt. Bundy (then M/Sgt) goes the credit for devising that phrase. Lt Costello later received the Silver Star for his gallantry. Direct hits had been obtained on mortar position. An ammunition dump was blown up, scattering small arms ammunition in all directions. Souvenir collecting was engaged in by one and all. Underwater and beach obstacles were encountered as the landing craft approached the shore and in the advance from the landing craft to the beach. The FFI had already cleared up most of the city, but it was not officially liberated until August 27. At this time, night air attacks were more frequent than ever before, and parachute flares continuously illuminated the battle areas. Badly needed replacement officers and men joined the companies at this time. AbeBooks.com: Unit History of the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion in World War II: A+ Customer service! The roads leading to the assembly area, near St. Sauveur, were littered with enemy dead, vehicles, armor, dead horses, and broken material. During the first few days of August, D Company moved on to Le Breui, and thence on to Le Perron, near Torigny-sur-Vire, where it was attached to the 23rd Infantry, 2nd Division. The residual elements were moved to Bournemouth, Hants at this time, to join other residual elements of the 1st Division. The preceding wave of infantry was lying only a few yards from the water, pinned down by the fire raking the beach. The company was then attached to the 377th Infantry. They were armed with 4.2 in (107 mm) chemical mortars. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. The forward CP group, consisting of the battalion commander, S-2 and S-3 sections, had been moving with the V Corps CP. Near Rossingnel, on September 9, the company fired on an enemy troop column, inflicting many casualties and causing it to take off for the woods. A copy of the citation is given below: GENERAL ORDERS No. The acquisition of these vehicles solved the immediate transportation difficulties. Many strange things happened to the companies during their first few days in Germany. Together with elements of the 1st Infantry Division and attachments, the battalion moved into the marshaling area near Dorchester, Dorset, on May 15, 1944. Infantry reported several direct hits on pillboxes being assaulted and were highly complimentary in praising the effectiveness of HE shells. All during this time the promised air support passed overhead, wave after wave, and faces lifted to see it were filled with gratitude. The day that Col James assumed command the cadre was assigned to the various companies, thus creating the framework upon which the four letter companies and headquarters were built after the arrival of additional personnel. Battleships and cruisers fired salvos into the Nazi defenses, destroyers steamed offshore battling 88s emplaced solidly in the bluff, while smaller vessels sprayed the beach defenses with rockets. The Battalion had placed a memorial monument to its men at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Ontdek ook andere producten en koop vandaag nog je the 758th tank battalion in world war ii met korting of in de aanbieding. Russell, is rampant on a golden background. Ansel Adams Hauntingly Beautiful Images: Photographing the Despair of Japanese-American Internment. The battalion gained much experience in the reconnaissance, selection and occupation of mortar positions and in the tactical employment of mortars in support of an infantry division. Has a few areas where the back coloration is showing some age. These two divisions and their attachments were two of the several fingers that were thrust across France and Belgium to the Siegfried Line. 21 tall by 17.5 wide. In all, the assault groups spent 96 hours on the choppy waters of the Channel. Russell for duty. On the very first day the company fired on the town of Roscheid, destroying 24 enemy personnel and a small ammo dump. The unit was atBranau, Germany at the end of World War II (August 15,1945 location). Several batteries of enemy 150mm artillery, firing from the vicinity of Pointe du Hoc, pounded the center of town and the road leading to the beach. staging area at Camp Shanks, New York. The companies rendezvoused that morning in the Bois de Boulogne and prepared to take part in the official march of the U.S. They gave us two handcarts for mobility, one for the mortar and the other for ammo. A concentration of HE completely neutralized the installation. There was nothing left for the Germans to do except surrender or die. Originally, our mortar was designed for firing chemical shells. Fallschirmjger-Division History: As if to forecast the coming events, the weather, which had been reasonably warm and dry in France, now turned cold with continuous rain. The truck, loaded with 150 HE and 150 WP shells, caught fire, the WP going off in bursts of two or three rounds at once. H-Hour was to be at 0630 hours, June 6, 1944. By this time the Germans had built up sufficient strength to half V Corps advance for a while. Close support was given to the attack on Brandscheid, a strongpoint of the Siegfried Line in this sector. On October 20, 1943, the battalion embarked on the Capetown Castle, a British ship formerly used on the South African run. Since this was essentially a dairy country, many cattle were killed, and in the hot June and July sun the odor soon became almost unbearable. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. On July 25, all in the vicinity watched in amazement the all-out bombing of St. Below the shield is a scroll bearing the battalion's motto, "Equal to the Task," picked from many submitted to Col. James. Constituted 12 March 1942 in the Army of the United States as Company B, 81st Chemical Battalion Activated 25 April 1942 at Fort D.A. It was truly to be a "battle of the giants.". On February 15 the battalion was attached to V Corps of the First United States Army. The following day the rear echelon rejoined the 2nd Division CP. This was the initial air and sea bombardment laid down on Omaha Beach early that day in an effort to neutralize or soften up the enemy's prepared positions. As a last measure the wave moved down the beach to the mortar fire. The battalion disembarked on November 3 and entrained on the curious little English railroad cars that were to carry us to Penkridge, Staffordshire, arriving that afternoon. This was the time of the Big Sweep, as the British Second, the American First, Third and Seventh Armies, raced across France and Belgium on a 500-mile front. The battalion rear echelon rolled through Paris on September 1, northeast towards Soissons, making stops at Longperrier, Ermemonville, and Haramont. The second platoon changed position on June 14 to cover a bridge crossing and, while registering with WP, burned down fortified houses known to contain machine guns. On September 16, the enemy was still being engaged by our infantry in the woods a few hundred yards from B Company's position. ACTIVATION: April 24, 1942 CAMPAIGNS: Normandy, Central Europe, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland The 81st Chemical Battalion (Motorized), later designated the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion, was activated on April 24, 1942, as one of the small specialized groups being raised quickly to fill gaps in the burgeoning U.S. Army. In view of the successful initial penetration, the enemy expected a major breakthrough attempt and so threw many fierce counterattacks, massed many big guns, and threw terrific artillery concentrations at the attacking Americans. One of the most outstanding missions was completed on September 16 when the company burned down the town of Roscheid, for many days a strong point and supply base for the enemy. The Army closed that post on September 15, 1999, and all six (2nd, 3rd, 81st, 83rd, 86th, 91st) chemical mortar battalion monuments were moved to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, along with other Chemical Corps monuments including that of the 1st Gas Regiment. The immensity of this mighty invasion fleet was awe-inspiring to everyone who participated in General Bradley's "greatest show on earth." So we toted a 4.2" mortar from the beaches of France to the heart of fortress Germany. He was drafted and on duty in this vicinity for the last four years. Surprising as it may seem after three years and the usual drifting, transferring, and evacuation of personnel, a fair number of the original cadre were still with the battalion at the end of the war in Europe. At 0530 hours, on June 8, D Company aided in the bloody attack on Grand Champs les Bains and was credited with another enemy machine gun nest. Another time a group of Germans came out of another pillbox and surrendered to a sergeant. The battalion had been tactically attached to the 4th Infantry Division on the 26th of August. By March 16, the attack was moving with regularity again, and the German retreat turned to a rout, causing Company A to move several times a day to keep pace. C Company, 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division 535 . The front lines were advancing so rapidly at this time that B Company was seldom in one position for more than a few hours at a time. All these problems were considered rough, but it was found later that they were child's play compared to actual combat. The unit was originally formed on September 14, 1942 as the 56th Coast Artillery Brigade and has been reorganized and . The din of the battle came closer and closer, and to the sides and rear could be seen spouts of water where enemy shells were landing. In one harassing mission, Company A was given credit with wiping out half a company of enemy infantry located in a road cut. 6-8th Field Artillery Battalion: 24 M198. It is for each man to remember the fervor of the welcome received in Paris, for it was tremendous. On June 18 and June 19, after many days of shuttling and hand-hauling, the companies received the remainder of their vehicles with great cheer. One day 36 Germans, the entire complement of a pillbox, surrendered to PFC Sklarew, a medic from B Company who was armed with only a mess kit. It was with the men of the Ivy Division that Company A reached the Meuse River. 9396 (sec. Here heavy artillery and mortar counter-battery fire was received, the heaviest since the hedgerows. Click any thumbnail image to view a slideshow, Craig Criger, Superintendent Lt Fisher had only joined the company about five hours earlier. More rugged fighting took place, many missions were fired, and several small towns set on fire. 31 mortars commanded by Capt. Entdecke Bastard Battalion: A History of the 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion in World War in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! The first brush with the retreating enemy took place at Compiegne Forest, famous for being the place where the Armistice was signed during World War I, and where Hitler did his famous jig after bringing France to her knees in the early stages of this war. This is the unit history of the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion in World War II. Artillery observers poured withering fire on the slightest movement. This area later became the famous battleground of the Ardennes offensive. In September the mortar carts arrived, but still no mortars. Alles voor veel leesplezier! The 81st Chemical Battalion arrived at Camp Polk, Louisiana, on April 5, 1943, where it participated in maneuvers in conjunction with the 85th Division until May 4. It demonstrated our limitations and possibilities, and the things that must be accomplished before the peak of efficiency could be reached. The targets were enemy troops which were dispersed. To them, Paris was so near and yet so far. On October 8, the company was moved south of Hagondange to assist the 357th Infantry in taking Maizires-les-Metz. A good deal of time was spent in mortar drill, bringing the squads, platoons, and companies to a high degree of efficiency. Elements of the First Army, including the 81st Chemical Battalion, took part in the forming of the lower half of the great Falaise trap where the Germany Seventh Army was encircled. That really hurt. Company B was attached to combat team "Taylor," which spearheaded the 4th Division drive to the Belgian border. During the night Jerry planes came over and bombed. During this time, the unit was re-equipped with all its organizational equipment and was kept in shape by a varied program of exercises and many hikes to nearby Cannock Chase. The specific orders were to break through and advance regardless of losses. Several spearheads drove out fanwise into Britian, to the south toward Rennes and the Loire River, and in a half-circle to the southeast, swinging back up towards the towns of Falaise and Mortaine. The bow section was lost, but the stern section made it back to New York. During the first three days of these attacks, B Company kept pace with the infantry and was credited in one mission, fired late in the evening of August 11, with having knocked out two enemy tanks, killed or caused the surrender of a large number of the enemy, and with having forestalled a large-scale counterattack in the process of forming. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the regimental OP group and on a field artillery battalion coming from the beach. Many English friends were made, and two men asked for and received permission to marry English girls. The original cadre of the battalion was specified in a special order from Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, dated 19 April 1942, ordering five officers and 76 enlisted men to report to Fort D.A. A military band from the airfield nearby serenaded the train as it left the station. Major Johnson (then Captain), being the senior officer ashore, took command of the assault echelon until the rear echelon arrived. This company was often in one position for many days at a time waiting for the infantry to take the stubbornly defended hedgerows being moved forward. B Company had an unfortunate incident occur while attached to the 38th Infantry, 2nd Division. During that time, the battalion was trained in the use of the Springfield rifle, the carbine, and the BAR, firing for record in all these weapons, and the old Enfields were finally turned in. The 81st had made a wonderful impression on them and had gained many friends. During this engagement, the popular Lt Mann was killed, Roach and Jones captured, and Harris luckily managed to escape. The 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion (Motorized) was one of four Chemical Warfare Service units to land on Utah and Omaha beaches, Normandy, on the morning of 6 June 1944. Casualties for this period were 11 killed (five officers and six enlisted men), 25 wounded, and one captured. The really big event of the firing in Texas was the battalion shoot at Turner's Ranch in February 1943, when the outfit was given permission to fire up all ammunition on hand. A spouting volcano, a replica of Cathedral Mountain, which is the outstanding landmark for miles around Fort D.A. IV. This website is only in its very early stages, aiming to give a full spectrum of data on World War II fighting units, including details on organization, commanders, and literature. By now the 3rd Armored Division had opened its drive along the roads leading to St. The first phase of our military career was over, and ahead of us lay the task of preparing ourselves for combat by vigorous operations in the field. It was through this section that the German blitz gained momentum to roll through France in 1940, and here also, where later, the famous Ardennes offensive broke through in December 1944. It afforded a good deal of amusement to have to drag the carts over hill and dale for miles just to "get the feel of it." On D plus 3 the attachment was changed to the 2nd Division. About this time, men began to be sent back to the battalion rear for two-day rests and cleanups. The path of advance was lined with dead animals, horses, cows, sheep and hogs, offering mute evidence of allied artillery and air bombardment. The following day a 25-minute concentration from its mortars was credited with stopping a company of enemy infantry attacking up a draw near the gun position. American D-Day pays homage to those young soldiers who fought 6 June 1944 in Normandy: Testimonies, maps, pictures, ceremonies. He was later awarded the Silver Star. At 2200 hours the company moved northwest along a sea wall 800 yards inland through les Moulins to St. Laurent-sur-Mer, arriving at 2400 hours. At the time, B Company was supporting the 5th Ranger Battalion in an attack to clear out the coast fortifications. Despite the defilade, Jerry constantly sought to shell the position with fire from high-angle artillery, mortars, and "screaming meemies." The Vire River was crossed. See picture if th The 4th Division, with A and B Companies attached, wasted no time in attacking the Siegfried Line. On the 19th the Germans were at the Rhine under heavy aerial attack. Heavy seas and the fact that some craft hung up on underwater obstacles made it impossible to make a dry landing. To him and to the able officers and men aiding him is due the credit for bringing the organization to the peak of combat efficiency and morale it attained by the time it was first committed to battle. AN AIM-9L Sidewinder is mounted on the left wing. On this date also, the regimental commander of the 116th Infantry instructed his battalion commanders to call on the 4.2s as much as possible for close support because they could get twice the fire of the artillery out in the same amount of time. Cpl Morrison received shrapnel wounds during this period, which later led to his death. At 0720, D Company's craft beached on Easy Green in support of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry, under an incessant hail of machine gun, mortar, and artillery fire. The 81st Chemical Battalion arrived at Camp Polk, Louisiana, on April 5, 1943, where it participated in maneuvers in conjunction with the 85th Division until May 4. Within 10 minutes, 40 had been wounded and three killed. The long hard pulls, and hand-carrying the mortars up those steep mountains, taxed the energy of everybody, but a different method of moving equipment was learned. First Sgt Radakovitz was truly loved by the men; his leadership and advice will never be forgotten by those who served with him. Everyone lined the rails and started throwing cigarettes, chocolate, money, and sundry articles to the ATS girls, but in many cases, the aim was poor and it afforded a great bit of amusement to see the mad scramble for it. V Corps attached two companies to the 80th Infantry Division and two companies to the 90th Infantry Division for this mission. On June 11, Company D caused the withdrawal of advance enemy mechanized units by maintaining intermittent fire on routes of approach. Hardly a day passed that HE or WP missions were not fired. The attacked commenced during a blizzard with a smoke barrage laid on the approaches to Sinz from a platoon from the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion. The following day the infantry confirmed the destruction of two machine gun nests by the 4.2s. . On June 9, B Company, seriously handicapped by the loss of its vehicles, acquired two 6 x 6 trucks from the field artillery. During the sweep, Companies A and B were attached to the 4th Division, and C and D to the 28th Division, with whom they remained until the end of this period. The 386th arrived during the German second assault on the city, which began on December 17. C Company, 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion 472. Returned to the United States in September, 1945. via the New York. The trip was a long one, taking in all 11 days. Russell, the birthplace of the 81st and where it experienced its growing pains, is situated just outside of Marfa, Texas, in the heart of the Big Bend Country. Lt Costello assumed command of the platoon and, knowing that too much longer on the beach was certain death, reorganized the squads and infiltrated them off the beach amidst the heavy fire impacting there. B Company, attached to the 29th Division, fired a highly successful smoke mission on June 20, west of Couvains, to cover the withdrawal of friendly tanks. It was "good mortar country," and well-defiladed positions could usually be found. This company made mad rushes throughout Vire by day and night. It then traveled 32 miles across the front to take up positions near Caumont where it was attached to the 33rd Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Division, V Corps. The history was edited, annotated, and illustrated by Master Sergeant Walt Cross, U.S. Army Retired. A huge crowd welcomed them to the city, but as usual the column did not tarry long. How prophetic those words were will be proven in the pages to follow. About 500 men from the land of turnip greens and cornbread were assigned to the battalion without any previous basic training. These were retaken after a short battle. In gasoline alone, allied armies were consuming over one million gallons daily. Enemy rifle and machine gun fire came into the area from Soulet, a little town about 50 yards from the company area, where the enemy had been successful in capturing two American half-tracks. Heavy seas had caused much of the companys equipment to sink to the bottom of the English Channel, though a handful of intrepid soldiers had done what they could to recover some of it. From then on the bulk of the time was spent in mortar drill, care and cleaning of the mortar, and the tactics and technique of firing. American troops had crossed the Seine above Paris by August 23. It was up to the battalion to write its own history and these pages will show how well the job was done. on September 14 for its first set-up in Germany. These positions were so well concealed by the terrain and foliage that the forward observer and his party, in order to observe and pinpoint the fire, took a squad of infantry as security and infiltrated 200 yards ahead of the infantry outpost to within 45 yards of the enemy; they were so close, in fact, that they could hear the enemy talking. A sunken road with its high, banked hedgerows provided adequate protection and no one was injured. When fired upon, Captain Panas ordered the two men to disperse, which they did, escaping to a nearby wood; Cpl Raub returned later to send a radio message. Trips to Tallahassee, beach parties, and other extra-curricular activities took the curse off this particular period, but no one was sorry when orders came to leave the place that Winchell had dubbed "The Alcatraz of the Army." From December 1943, through April 1944, each company of the battalion, including parts of headquarters, participated in intensive amphibious and assault exercises at the ATC and along the western and southern coasts of England. When the company joined this outfit at Les Hautes Vaux it was shocked to find very few of the old officers of this regiment left. He explained he and three other United. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. The AA guns on each ship and from shore installations, put up a tremendous barrage of flak, and fragments falling on the decks sounded like an ominous hailstorm. Marfa itself was a little cattle town with a big sense of hospitality and a bit of Old Mexico. 715th Field Artillery Battalion: 24 M198 5-15th Field Artillery Regiment: 24 M198 7th ID Discom: 13th Combat Engineer Battalion: 18 M728 CEV, 6 ACE 2 -62nd Air Defense Battalion: 18 Towed Vulcan, 40 AN/TWQ Avengers. The battalion was attached to the 28th Division for administrative purposes during its stay there. Since the unit was alerted shortly after arrival at Shanks, it was restricted to the immediate area for the duration of its stay there. One of these was loaded with American nurses. Then came the long-awaited breakthrough at St. "It comes in three parts. The spout of smoke and flame was added to signify our future mission of smoking and burning the enemy. C Company moved through Colleville-sur-Mer and St. Honorine des Pertes, still supporting the 1st Division. Helmut B tther, the assault . 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