This is a request from Don, one Wartime veteran from 1st Squad, 2nd Plat. (Sgt Hanlon), 2nd Bn., G Co. (Capt Evans), 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (101st A/B Div). This very precise informations and request about a Belgian Family was sent to me yesterday from Kevin Brooks, a Facebook friend in the UK.
The question is : you do have the farm location. Do you know the place ?
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Jul
30
2009
Chapter 3 – Troops and Terrain & The Order of the Battle
During the long-drawn debate over the extent of the counteroffensive, the objective, and the attack form to be employed, the order of battle for Wacht am Rhein took form. This also led to differences of opinion and interpretation.
- How should the armies be aligned ?
- What forces, missions, and zones should be assigned to each particular army ?
- How many divisions, armored and infantry, would be available for use in the attack ?
The answers to these and like questions turned on the Solution adopted and the maneuver employed but will be set forth independently in an attempt to bring some order out of the confused interplay between Hitler, Jodl, Rundstedt, and Model.
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Jul
13
2009
CHAPTER II
Planning the Counteroffensive
Details of the Plan
About 25 September Generalorberst Alfred Jodl was ordered to begin a detailed analysis of the Hitlerian concept, the only function now left to the great General Staff. Some latitude remained to the individual staff officers and those favored few in the high echelon of command who retained access to the Führer in kneading and shaping the very general outline handed down by Hitler into an operations plan. The outline as it now had taken shape contained these major points :
- (a) the attack should be launched sometime between 20 and 30 November;
- (b) it should be made through the Ardenne in the Monschau – Echternach sector;
- (c) the initial object would be the seizure of bridgeheads over the Meuse River between Liège and Namur;
- (d) thereafter, Antwerp would be the objective;
- (e) a battle to annihilate the British and Canadians would ultimately be fought north of the line Antwerp, Liège, Bastogne (1);
- (f) a minimum of thirty divisions would be available, ten of which would be armored;
- (g) support would be given by an unprecedented concentration of artillery and rocket projector units;
- (h) operational control would be vested in four armies and two panzer armies abreast in the lead, two armies composed largely of infantry divisions to cover the flanks;
- (i) the Luftwaffe would be prepared to support the operation;
- (j) all planning would aim at securing tactical surprise and speed;(k) secrecy would be maintained at all costs and only a very limited number of individuals would be made privy to the plan.
Apr
23
2009
FEBRUARY 1945
Original Unit
Designation : 505th Engineer Light Ponton Company
Date of Organization : May 15 1942
Place of Organization : Camp Gordon, Georgia
Authority of Organization : General Order #15, Hq. Eastern Defense Command and First Army, dated May 15 1942
Sources from which original personnel were obtained : Third Reinforcement Depot.
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Feb
27
2009
The 4th Armored Division was activated on Apr 15 1941 at Pille Camp, New York and moved to Camp Forrest, Tennessee Oct 2 1942 for the 1st Corps Tennessee Maneuvers. On Nov 17 1942, the unit arrived at Camp Young, California, where it participated in the Desert Training Center, #1 California Maneuvers. The Division was then transferred to Camp Bowie, Texas Jun 13 1943, staged at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts Dec 20 1943 until departed Boston Port of Embarkation 9 days later and arrived in England on Jan 11 1944. The 4th Armored Division landed in France Jul 13 1944, crossed into Luxembourg Feb 9 1945 and entered Germany Mar 9 1945 where it was re-designated 1st Constabulary Brigade on May 1 1946.
4th Armored Division Casualties
KIA : 1143 – WIA : 4551 – DOW : 213
