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Iron Knights: The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment in World War II
Iron Knights: The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment in World War II
Iron Knights: The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment in World War II
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Iron Knights: The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment in World War II

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This WWII combat history vividly recounts the exploits of the US 66th Armored Regiment from its initial formation to D-Day and the Race for Berlin.

The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment was the only American heavy tank unit to see combat in World War I. By the time America went to war in Europe a second time, it was on the cutting edge of armored warfare. From its baptism of fire in the mud of the Western Front in 1918 to its triumphant march into Berlin in July 1945, Iron Knights tells the story of this legendary regiment.  

When the Great War ended, the 66th Armored Regiment served as a laboratory for new ideas and equipment. After training under Gen. George S. Patton, the 66th distinguished itself in numerous battles during World War II, earning six battle streamers for the unit and a Medal of Honor for one of its officers.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 14, 2023
ISBN9781461751175
Iron Knights: The U.S. 66th Armored Regiment in World War II

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    Iron Knights - Gordon A Blaker

    Preface

    William Rape, a platoon sergeant in Company H, 66th Armored Regiment, poignantly remembered his unit’s first day of fighting in the hedgerows of Normandy:

    We went down to Carentan about D plus 8 to rescue the 101st Airborne Division, who were cut off by the Germans. Those paratroopers were very grateful when we got there. We gave them food, ammunition, and anything we had that they wanted. I hope I never see anything like that again. When it was over we drove up the road a ways. The road had a high bank on either side. The German soldiers were marching in columns on both sides of the road. We caught them with artillery and machine gun fire. I had never seen as many dead in all my life. Some were leaning on the bank and looked like they were still alive. I saw the 29th Infantry boys go over and take their guns and shake them to see if they were alive. Trees were blown down, and many cows and horses were killed. I remember pulling out into a field, stopping, and getting out of my tank and sitting on a log. I said aloud, I believe everything and everybody but us is dead.

    Tech. Sgt. William Rape, 17 June 1944

    The purpose in writing this history of the 66th Armored Regiment is to provide the first narrative account of the United States Army’s most senior and distinguished tank regiment. The overall approach of this history is to juxtapose the accounts of the soldiers with the historical narrative drawn from the official reports and journals of the regiment. Many veterans from mechanics and tank drivers to company commanders and staff officers have provided interesting personal accounts of life in the regiment. These accounts have provided the important human dimension to the regiment’s history. From these soldiers’ words came a sense for the excitement, fear, and devotion these men felt in peace and war.

    The history of the 66th Armored Regiment is a microcosm of the history of the U.S. armored force. It is the oldest tank regiment in the U.S. Army as indicated by the heraldic symbol for the eldest son displayed on the shield of the regimental crest. The regiment has played a vital role in the development of American armor from the beginnings in World War I through the present.

    The direct ancestor of the 66th Armored was the first American heavy tank unit formed in World War I and the only one to see action during the war. The 301st Tank Battalion, as the 66th Armored Regiment’s ancestor, was designated in September 1918, and fought its first battle at the formidable Hindenburg Line. This battle, in which the 301st suffered heavy casualties, taught the new American tankers valuable lessons which they were able to use in subsequent actions in the autumn of 1918. The 301st Tank Battalion had helped prove the value of the tank in combat and contributed to the defeat of Germany on the Western Front.

    After the war the 301st was the larger of the two tank units to survive the military reductions that followed The War to End All Wars. Converted to a light tank unit in the 1920s, it trained on a shoestring budget through the Inter-War Years. During this period the army leadership struggled with the problem of how tanks should be used and who should control them. After enduring several redesignations, the unit was designated the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks) in 1932. During the late 1930s the 66th served as a test for new ideas in the employment of tanks.

    All doubts about the usefulness of the tank and its importance on the battlefield ended in September 1939 when German tanks crushed Poland using Blitzkrieg tactics built around a fast moving armored force. As the only fully formed and active tank regiment in the army in 1939, the 66th took the lead in developing and testing new tactics, weapons, and equipment. Under the bold leadership of George S. Patton the regiment trained hard for the war that Patton and many other professional soldiers were certain would soon touch the United States. The 66th played a leading role in the great army maneuvers of 1941, which served as a test of the army’s tactics, leadership, and equipment, especially the tank. The newly created 2nd Armored Division, with the 66th Armored Regiment’s light tanks, showed that there were few places a tank could not go to crush the opposition in record time.

    The regiment entered the war by landing on the shores of North Africa in Operation Torch, where a part of the regiment fought its first action against a Vichy French tank force four times its size. After a period of amphibious training, the 66th Armor landed in Sicily and fought from the beach north to Palermo. After the Sicilian campaign the regiment moved to England to prepare for the invasion of Normandy.

    The 66th, having gained battlefield experience in the Mediterranean theater, landed on Omaha Beach in the second week of June 1944. In Normandy the regiment was heavily involved in some of the bloodiest hedgerow fighting before the St. Lo breakout. While fighting in the encirclement of the ancient German capital of Aachen, Capt. James M. Burt, a tank company commander in the regiment, earned the Medal of Honor. During the Battle of the Bulge the regiment marched seventy miles one night to attack the north flank of the German salient. After the Battle of the Bulge the 66th returned to Germany and fought across the North German plain against often fanatical resistance, ending the war on the Elbe River.

    My thanks to the hardworking and always helpful staff of the following institutions: The National Archives, Washington D.C. and Suitland, Maryland Branch; the Patton Museum of Armor and Cavalry and the U.S. Army Armor School Library, Fort Knox, Kentucky; the U.S. Army Military History Institute and the Army War College Library, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; the Army Center of Military History, Washington D.C.; and the Second Armored Division Museum, Fort Hood, Texas.

    My respect and thanks to the following veterans of the 66th for contributing their letters, diaries, memories, and photographs: Edmund Bedat, Chaplain Luke Bolin, Lt. Fred Brems, Ralph Brill, Sgt. Patrick Burke, Capt. James Burt, George Campbell, Maj. Curtis Clark, Capt. Donald Critchfield, T/5 Edward Cuthbert, Lt. Foster Davis, Chief John Derden, 1st Sgt. Thomas Domarecki, Don Evans, Sgt. Jack Fabian, Peter Facelli, Sgt. Arden Gatzke, John Gedney, Lt. John Getsinger, Cpl. Kenneth Grogan, S.Sgt. Herbert Gwinn, Lt. Col. Lindsay Herkness, Jr., Sgt. David Hetherington, Vince Hooper, M.Sgt. Bernard Hylinski, Sgt. Ben Kulig, George Lincoln, Sgt. Harry Martin, Lt. Lennie Mathews, Sgt. John Mayo, Capt. Coulter Montgomery, Cpl. Louis Morett, Lt. William Page, Maj. Norris Perkins, Henry Raab, S.Sgt. Bill Rape, Capt. John Roller, Lt. Lamar Russell, Lt. Lewis Sasser, Lt. Finis Smith, T/5 Frank Stanley, Cpl. Randall Steady, Maj. Cameron Warren, Henry Williams. This is their story.

    Thanks also to the ladies of the regiment who contributed to the story. Mrs. Amzi R. Quillian, Mrs. Sally Q. Gates, Mrs. Celeste Sasser Springer, Mrs. Luke Bolin, Mrs. John Roller, Ms. Pat Collins, Ms. Mary Lynn Pete, Mrs. Beverly Warren-Leigh.

    A special thanks is owed to the following veterans who helped and contributed a wealth of material and assistance: Dr. Norris H. Perkins, who collected the memories of fourteen members of his company and provided me with constant support and encouragement; Capt. James Burt, recipient of the Medal of Honor, for writing the foreword and being a generous contributor of his memories; the late Cameron G. Warren whose support and faith in my work has made this book possible.

    Thanks to my proofreaders: Sheri Edvalson, Tamara Miles, and my wife, Karen. Thanks to my map-makers: Mark Thomson and Stacy Booth. Thanks to my photographers: Dr. Norris Perkins and Danna Johnson. Special thanks to Dr. Mary Lou Ruud and Dr. Jane Dysart for their guidance and endurance.

    The greatest debt of gratitude I owe to my friend and fellow tanker (retired) Mark Thomson who single-handedly entered the entire first draft into the computer while also proofreading and providing armor-wise comments on the manuscript. Once again, Mark, I could not have done it without you.

    My wife, Karen, has given up much to help me in writing this book, and I deeply appreciate it.

    Overall, the history of the 66th Armored Regiment is the history of the American armored force. No other American tank unit has existed as long and as continuously as the 66th Armor. The history, development, and tactics of the U.S. armored force are reflected in the history of the 66th Armor. The 66th’s history lies in the story it tells about the American soldiers who served in the regiment. The soldiers’ letters and diaries and the accounts of the veterans can provide a sense of what it was like to serve in the tank unit that was always on the cutting edge of the American armored force.

    Always Into the Enemy

    Introduction to American Military Organization

    The purpose of this section is to provide those readers unfamiliar with military organizations with the basic knowledge necessary to understand armored (tank) units.

    The rank structure of the United States Army is very similar to that of almost every army in the world. This structure, as it evolved through history from its beginning in the Roman Army, is divided between officers and enlisted men. Officers generally enter the army with a college education from West Point or a civilian college or university. The officers are responsible for leading and commanding the men of their units in peace and war. They generally plan the training and movements of the unit. Officers are expected to serve as an example to their subordinates at all times. American army officers have a long tradition of leading their men personally and sharing the hardships.

    The enlisted ranks are made up of two groups: the noncommissioned officers and the enlisted men or troops. The noncommissioned officers (NCO) are the professional soldiers who form the backbone of the army. The NCOs handle the daily training and duties of the enlisted men. In an armor unit, the NCOs hold the two senior positions on a tank crew: those of tank commander and gunner. The more senior ranking NCOs also occupy key positions in each unit from platoon through army. The NCOs generally train and tutor new officers as they learn the skills necessary to lead their units. All officers, from lieutenant through general are usually wise to listen to the advice and counsel of their experienced NCOs.

    The lower enlisted men, also known as troops or soldiers, are the primary fighters and workers of the army. These men are the newest members of the army with up to four years in service. Many of them are not professional soldiers and will return to civilian life after serving their enlistment period of three to six years.

    The organization of the units in the United States Army underwent several changes during the period 1918–1945. The following section is generalized to provide a basic knowledge. The details of organizational changes will be addressed as they occurred in the text.

    The most basic element of an armor unit is the tank crew, in World War II generally five men. The senior man on the tank is the tank commander (TC), normally an NCO in the rank of sergeant or staff sergeant. He is responsible for the training, safety, welfare, and performance of his crew and the tank. The next man is the gunner, normally an NCO with the rank of sergeant or corporal. The gunner is responsible for the aiming and firing of the tank main gun and coaxial machine gun (mounted next to the main gun) at targets directed by the TC. The driver, bow machine gunner, main gun loader, and (on the M3 Lee) the radio operator round out the crew; all of these men are enlisted soldiers.

    The next level of organization is the platoon, which consists of five tanks and is led by a lieutenant, who also commands one of the tanks (in armor units, all commanders up through battalion also command the tanks on which they fight). A platoon sergeant, who also commands one of the tanks, assists the platoon leader. He is the senior NCO, normally a technical sergeant.

    Three platoons and a headquarters section make up the tank company. Commanded by a captain, with a lieutenant as an executive officer (second in command), and assisted by a first sergeant, the company is really the basic armor element. There are two tanks in the company headquarters section, one of which is used by the company commander. The other tank normally carried the field artillery forward observer attached from the supporting artillery battalion (he directs the supporting artillery fires). Other parts of the headquarters section provide support in the form of maintenance, supply, and food (termed mess). There were approximately 100 men in a World War II tank company. The field artillery equivalent to the company is a battery, and in the cavalry, a troop.

    The tank battalion is generally the lowest echelon capable of independent operations. The battalion consists of three tank companies and a large headquarters company and is commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The strength of the battalion runs to about 39 officers and 700 enlisted men, and mans 59 tanks and 180 other vehicles. The commander is assisted by a major serving as the executive officer and a staff that works in the functions of personnel, intelligence, operations, and logistics (modeled after the French system, these positions are S1 through S4, respectively), with additional specialists in maintenance and communications, all in turn supported by teams of specialists. The S1 (also referred to as the adjutant) is usually a captain, and he controls all the personnel functions for the battalion, including orders, transfers, promotions, correspondence, and awards, to name a few. The S2 section is also led by a captain and handles all matters related to intelligence gathering and analysis. The S3 is the senior staff member, usually a senior captain or major, who is responsible for planning the battalion’s operations and training, as well as helping the commander control the battalion’s activities in peace and war. The S4 section, led by a captain, handles all of the logistics for the battalion, covering a wide range from ammunition and fuel, to food, water, repair parts, and any other supplies needed. The staff is but one part of the headquarters company. The bulk of the company consists of specialty platoons: maintenance, communications, reconnaissance, mortar, and others.

    The armored regiment, commanded by a colonel, was composed of three tank battalions and a number of specialized companies, to include reconnaissance, machine gun, and maintenance. The approximate strength was 130 officers and 2,200 enlisted men. The brigade was of similar strength and organization but made up of battalions from different branches, usually a mix of armor and infantry.

    A division usually consisted of three regiments, supporting artillery (four battalions, referred to as the Division Artillery or Divarty), and a number of specialized battalions. The division commander was a major general (two stars) assisted by two brigadier generals, one of whom was the assistant division commander and the other the artillery commander. The corps was a flexible structure that could have from two to five divisions, with the number varying over time, and several specialized battalions and brigades (tank destroyer for example). Corps were commanded by major generals for the most part during World War II.

    ARMY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Abbre-Years in Rank viation Service General Position Officer General Gen. 28–40 Theater Commander Lieutenant General Lt. Gen. 26–40 Army Commander Major General Maj. Gen. 24–35 Corps/Division Commander Brigadier General Brig. Gen. 24–30 Assistant Division Commander Colonel Col. 18–26 Regimental CommanderAbbre-Years in Rank viation Service General Position Lieutenant Colonel Lt. Col. 10–20 Battalion Commander Major Maj. 8–15 Battalion Executive Officer/S3 Captain Capt. 3–10 Company Commander/Bn Staff First Lieutenant 1st Lt. 1–4 Company Executive Officer Second Lieutenant 2nd Lt. 0–2 Platoon Leader Enlisted First Sergeant 1st Sgt. 10–24+ Company First Sergeant Master Sergeant M.Sgt. 10–24+ Battalion Staff NCO Technical Sergeant T.Sgt. 8–15 Platoon Sergeant Staff Sergeant S.Sgt. 6–12 Tank Commander Sergeant Sgt. 3–9 Tank Gunner/Commander Corporal Cpl. 2–5 Tank Gunner Private First Class Pfc. 1–3 Tank Crewman Private Pvt. 0–1 Tank Crewman

    PART I

    The Beginnings 1918–38

    CHAPTER 1

    Join the Tank Corps!

    Dawn broke over the Western Front trenches near Flers on 15 September 1915 just like most other autumn mornings in France with a light ground fog. Attacks often began at dawn and the British Somme offensive was now three months old. The German infantry were on full alert but nothing could have prepared them for the gigantic steel monsters that crawled slowly towards them that morning. The British army was using tanks for the first time in an effort to break the stalemate of trench warfare. Faced with something new and terrifying, the German infantry fled and the tanks reached their objective. A new age of warfare had begun and American soldiers would soon learn about the tank first hand.

    The lineage of the 66th Armored Regiment began when its ancestor, the 1st Separate Battalion, Heavy Tank Service, 65th Engineers, was formed in February 1918.¹ Since April 1917 when the United States entered World War I, the United States had been struggling to create a new and much larger army. The United States Army soon realized it needed to follow the other warring powers by creating a tank force.

    The tank was born of the need to break the stalemate of trench warfare. A vehicle was needed that would cross wide trenches, crush barbed wire entanglements, and destroy machine gun nests. The tank was a combination of the track-laying tractor that could cross or crush almost anything and the successful armored cars in use since the beginning of the war. The very traditional British army intially rejected the concept of the tank. After rejection by the army, First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston S. Churchill, directed development of the first British tank by the Royal Navy in 1915. The reason many parts of the tank have naval names to this day is a result of this early sponsorship of the land ships.

    By January 1916 the first British Mark I tank, known as His Majesty’s Landship Centipede, or more commonly, Mother, underwent trials.² This first tank weighed about twenty-eight tons and moved along at just over three miles per hour. Measuring approximately thirty-two feet in length, fourteen feet in width, and eight feet high, it was an impressive sight. The first tanks and all the later World War I British versions were made in two basic types. The male type was fitted with a six-pound cannon in each of its side sponsons. The female carried machine guns instead.

    This new and very secret weapon was shipped to the Western Front labeled as a tank because, covered by a tarpaulin, its size and shape resembled a giant water container. The first tanks entered battle at Flers-Courcelette during the Somme offensive in September 1916. Although few of the nearly fifty tanks reached their objective, those that did proved their worth.³ Equipped with two cannon and four machine guns, these monsters were able to cross an eleven-foot trench and crush through yards of barbed wire. The race to build more and better tanks followed.

    In February 1918 the U.S. Army began recruiting soldiers for the formation of the first tank units. High quality men were sought for this new and fascinating branch of the army.⁴ Men were recruited from army camps around the country. The first heavy tank battalion was formed at Camp Meade, Maryland. By the last week of February enough volunteers had arrived to organize four companies. The first three companies, A, B, and C, became the 1st Separate Battalion.⁵

    The recruiting poster of the Tank Corps portrayed a fierce black panther lunging forward with bared teeth and claws beneath the motto Treat ’Em Rough.⁶ In the background heavy tanks were fighting on a battlefield of trenches and barbed wire. The bottom of the poster read Join the Tank Corps.

    The volunteers from every branch of the army spent most of their first month undergoing what seemed like endless drill and inspections. The schedule was lightened somewhat by drill competitions and baseball games. On 16 March the unit was redesignated as the 1st Heavy Tank Battalion, Tank Service.⁸ Awakened by reveille at 0445 hours on 20 March the battalion had a full physical examination, an inspection, and a march with full field packs.⁹ This long day was the battalion’s final exam before departing Camp Meade.

    The battalion marched out of Camp Meade on the morning of 23 March and boarded a train. After a brief rest stop in Philadelphia, the men spent the night in the old day coaches of the train halted in the Jersey City rail yard. After arrival and a very brief stay at Camp Merritt, New York, the battalion boarded a ferry on the Hudson River at Hoboken and was carried to the largest ship in New York Harbor, the White Star Liner, Olympic. The massive vessel was crowded with thousands of soldiers who were trying to navigate around the ship’s interior with the assistance of small cards bearing instructions similar to this:

    Keep this card No. 75

    Your Quarters are on Deck F

    Compartment E

    You will occupy

    ONE BERTH

    You will mess in Compartment X

    At mess No. 31 – 2nd Sitting¹⁰

    At 1030 on 28 March 1918 all soldiers were ordered below, so as not to give German spies any information as the Olympic set sail. When the men were allowed back on the deck, the Statue of Liberty was already lost over the horizon. That first afternoon the soldiers watched the British crew prepare their six-inch guns for action against the dreaded German U-boats. As darkness fell, all portholes were covered, lights were masked, and the soldiers ordered below as the convoy blacked out.¹¹

    On Friday, 5 April, the Olympic arrived safely in the harbor of Brest, France. As the new American tankers watched, all the other American troops disembarked. The next afternoon, with only the 800 men of the battalion left as passengers, the Olympic departed France. That night while en route to Southampton, England, the men experienced a real U-boat alarm when a nearby freighter was torpedoed.¹²

    The battalion disembarked late in the morning on Monday, 8 April, and marched three miles to a temporary rest camp in the beautiful countryside near Southampton. On their first evening in England the battalion was treated to a band concert at the American YMCA. The next morning the tankers marched back to Southampton and boarded a train for the town of Wareham in Dorset. All the residents of Wareham turned out to give the Americans a rousing welcome. A local band led the battalion through the town, and the village schoolmaster led the children in giving the Americans three cheers.¹³

    On 9 April 1918 the battalion arrived at Camp Worgret where they were billeted in six rows of one-story barracks. The British beds consisted of three long boards stretched across two small trestles topped with a straw-filled sack. These were quite a surprise to the Americans, but the adventurous Yanks were delighted to discover that they shared the camp with the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, known as Waacs.¹⁴

    After a full day of rest and exploring the local pubs, the men began their training on 11 April. They were under the leadership of the white-sweatered instructors of the British Army Physical Training Corps. After being issued rifles and bayonets, neither of which were a part of a tank soldier’s equipment, the men began learning bayonet drill. Other training included semaphore signaling, British army drill and marching, and physical training (P. T.).¹⁵

    In late April the battalion was redesignated for the second and third time since February. On 16 April the unit became the 41st Heavy Battalion, Tank Corps. Shortly thereafter the unit designation was again changed, this time to the one it would retain throughout the war, 301st Tank Battalion.¹⁶

    On 7 May 1918 the Americans began their first tank training. The three companies of the battalion rotated from Camp Worgret through the different courses of training at Sanford, Lulworth, and the main tank training camp at Bovington. At Bovington the British Tank Corps had created a training area to look just like the Western Front, with trenches, craters, and shattered trees.¹⁷

    The U.S. tankers were very impressed by the competence of their British instructors and the thoroughness of the course.¹⁸ The maintenance courses covered all aspects of the tank, its engine and track. The instructors patiently and thoroughly explained all the workings of the heavy tank, assisted by detailed charts and models. The classroom instruction was followed by days of hands-on work in the heat, grease, and grime of the huge vehicles.

    The tank on which the battalion was trained was the Mark IV. This tank, introduced in the summer of 1917, was an improvement over the previous Marks. It had thicker armor (12mm) and many other modifications that added to the efficiency of the crew. The tank crew on these vehicles consisted of eight men. The tank commander, generally an officer, sat beside the driver in the front turret. Two gearsmen were located near the rear of the tank and had to change the gears and use the brakes to help the driver steer the tank. All four crewmen were required to drive the tank. Two other men manned the six-pound cannon in the front of each sponson, and the last two men fired the machine guns mounted in the rear of the sponsons. Two additional machine guns were on board, one located in the front turret and the other in the rear compartment.

    The Mark IV weighed 28 tons, but, driven by a Daimler six-cylinder engine that produced only 100 horsepower, it was underpowered.¹⁹ Still, the tank moved along at almost four miles per hour. Despite its faults, the Mark IV was the first tank produced in large numbers (1,100).²⁰

    After several frustrating months of training the men were on real tanks:

    we were happy, for what was there more to be desired than a place on the driver’s seat, and the thrill of pulling a monster out a deep trench, nose pointing to the sky with the engine’s deafening roar, the acrid never-to-be-forgotten smell of exploded gas, scorching grease, and hot steel, the quick shutting down of the throttle, the gentle swing to earth, and then the triumphant roaring answer of the engine to the opening of the throttle and the more-the-merry clanking of the track plates.²¹

    The camps at which the battalion trained varied considerably in the quality of their accommodations. Wareham with its wooden barracks was comfortable. At the other end of the spectrum, however, was Sanford, which consisted of a small group of tents at an abandoned pottery.²² Eleven miles away at Lulworth Camp the men could visit the beach or the fine hotels and restaurants of the seaside village. Memorial Day weekend passes allowed the men trips to London, Poole, and Bournemouth.²³

    Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Rockenbach, a cavalry officer, was appointed the first chief of the U.S. Tank Corps in December 1917. In the early summer, Rockenbach made a deal with the British for the 301st to receive British heavy tanks. This was necessary because production problems were delaying the arrival of the new Anglo-American tank until the fall. The British agreed to outfit the 301st in exchange for the battalion to be attached to British forces in France.²⁴

    At Lulworth, and later Hyde Heath, the Americans trained in gunnery with the tanks’ six-pound cannon. After firing from a stationary tank the men took turns firing the gun while the tanks were moving. Throughout the summer the 301st Tank Battalion prepared for the day when they would join the British and French tankers on the battlefield.²⁵

    When Brigadier General Rockenbach inspected the 301st Tank Battalion, he expressed his views about the nonsense of tankers carrying rifles and bayonets. This opinion came much to the delight of the soldiers. A week later Brigadier General Glasgow, commander of the British tank training, also inspected the battalion. These visits gave an indication that the battalion was soon to leave for France.

    On 23 August 1918 the 68 officers and 768 enlisted men of the battalion left Camp Worgret, now called Headquarters 301st Center, Tank Corps American Expeditionary Force (A.E.F.) and boarded a train for Southampton en route for France.²⁶ Upon departure the men wore the olive drab (O. D.) wool uniform, overseas cap, shoes, and wrapped puttees (leggings). Individual equipment consisted of a helmet, pistol with belt and holster, gas mask, first aid pouch, and full infantry pack. The soldiers also carried a small amount of additional clothing, such as an overcoat and two pairs of socks, in squad rolls.²⁷ Each company headquarters brought along a small field desk, typewriter, medical case, a crate of office supplies, and 300 pounds of cooking utensils.²⁸

    The battalion arrived at Le Havre on the morning of 23 August. After a brief stay in some dirty cattle sheds-turned-barracks, the 301st packed into railroad box cars for an overnight trip to the village of Bermicourt. On 30 August a group of officers and noncommissioned officers left for a visit to the front line near Arras. Very early the next morning two sergeants from Company C were killed by German artillery fire while advancing with a British tank unit. The next, happier, event was the issue of the battalion’s own tanks. The men eagerly set to work preparing their tanks for action, realizing that their lives could easily depend upon the mechanical condition of their tanks.²⁹

    The tanks the 301st received were new Mark Vs and Mark V Stars. The Mark V improved on the Mark IV that had been used in training by enabling the driver to control the vehicle without assistance. The Mark V Star was six feet longer than the standard Mark V, allowing it to cross trenches that were up to thirteen feet wide and to carry extra troops and supplies. The more powerful 150 horsepower engine of the Mark V was offset, however, by the Star’s thirty-three ton weight. Both the Mark V and the Star were made in three versions. The male mounted a six-pound gun in the front of each side sponson. In the female edition the six pounders were replaced by machine guns. The composite, or hermaphrodite, had a six pounder on one side and a machine gun on the other.

    The battalion received forty-one tanks and issued them as shown in the chart below.³⁰

    Mark V Mark V Mark V Star Mark V Mark V Mark V Total Star Male Star Female Composite Male Female Composite Co. A 9 2 4 15 Co. B 7 2 3 1 3 16 Co. C 7 9 16

    After a few days of mechanical work and cleaning, the tankers were met with their first challenge. They had to load the tanks onto rail cars, probably the only task for which they had not been trained. The time and labor spent in loading the huge vehicles on the flatcars was an indicator to the men of the large amount of work involved with being in the tank battalion. Once loaded, the train traveled through Arras during a heavy German shelling, giving the battalion their baptism of fire. On the morning of 7 September the battalion detrained at the Achiet-le-Grand railhead and moved to the small village of Bihucourt.³¹

    The village had been totally destroyed, so the 301st moved into the recently vacated dugouts built by New Zealand soldiers. The Americans quickly adapted to life below ground, making the rat-infested, soggy dug-outs as comfortable as possible. Discarded petrol cans were valued because they could serve a wide variety of functions, from cooking pots and wash pans to shelves and pillows.³²

    On Sunday, 8 September, the battalion’s brigade commander, a British general, inspected the unit and promised to treat them as his own. For the next two weeks the men worked on putting their tanks into prime condition. Many of the vehicles had suffered damage from the train ride through the German bombardment on the trip to Bihucourt. They oiled, checked, and sighted the guns. Ammunition was tested and loaded aboard the tanks. In addition the men carefully installed and checked the compasses, an invaluable accessory on the shrouded battlefield.³³

    During this time the men had many new war experiences. They saw a captured German A7V tank and dead German soldiers for the first time. They experienced a night air raid, during which one of the German planes was shot down in flames. The Americans’ dislike of The Hun grew as they saw evidence of German desecration of an old French cemetery and a soldiers’ monument in Bapaume.³⁴

    On the morning of 19 September the battalion commander and company commanders of the 301st held a conference. The commander of their parent unit, the 4th Tank Brigade, outlined the Allied plan for an attack on the Hindenburg Line, a strong German defensive belt established earlier that year.³⁵ For this attack the 301st would be under the command of the 4th Brigade which was to be attached to the U.S. 27th Division, a part of the American II Corps assigned to the British 4th Army.³⁶ The 4th Tank Brigade consisted of the 301st, two British tank battalions (1st and 4th), and the British 4th Tank Supply Company.³⁷

    Unfortunately for the 301st and the 27th Division, their assigned sector was one of the most strongly defended positions of the Hindenburg Line. The American sector was opposite the seven-kilometer long St. Quentin Canal Tunnel. This interesting tunnel had been built between 1802 and 1810 and carried the canal underground through the French countryside.³⁸ It was the place where the tanks could attack the German lines without crossing the canal, an attack the Germans expected and prepared for.

    The battalion moved on four trains from Achiet le Grand to Equancourt on 21 and 22 September. Each of the four trains arrived after dark to prevent German observation.³⁹ The battalion then moved about two miles to a wooded valley near Manancourt where the men spent the rest of the night camouflaging their tanks. Most of the tankers slept under their tanks or beneath tarpaulins hung from the side of the tank. They occupied their days repairing items damaged during the last trip and making further preparations for battle.⁴⁰

    At a planning conference on 23 September, the commander of the 301st was ordered to coordinate at once with the 27th. The following evening the commanders of the 27th Division and the 301st initiated their planning and coordination. One tank company would support each infantry regiment in the attack by crushing the barbed wire and knocking out the German machine-gun nests. The unit commanders met to coordinate link-up of their units, signals to be used, and how the two units could support each other during the attack. The tank companies were allotted to the infantry regiments of the division with Company A (fifteen tanks) to the 107th Infantry and Company C (fifteen tanks) to the 108th Infantry. Ten tanks of Company B were assigned to the 105th Infantry Regiment. The seven remaining tanks of the 301st were allotted to the reserve force of the Australian Corps.⁴¹

    On 25 September the 27th Division headquarters hosted a conference attended by all the officers of the 301st down to the section leader (five tanks). From that conference until the attack date (Z day) the tank officers met daily with their infantry counterparts.⁴² The battle plan was for the 107th Infantry supported by Company C’s tanks to advance on the left side of the division sector. The 108th Infantry supported by Company A would advance on the right in the 27th Division sector. Both infantry regiments would advance with two infantry battalions abreast, followed by one battalion in reserve. One section of five tanks would lead each infantry battalion. The 105th Infantry, as the division reserve with the ten Company B tanks, followed the 107th Infantry utilizing the same formation as the lead regiments.⁴³

    CHAPTER 2

    Into the Breach: The Hindenburg Line Attack

    On the nights of 27/28 and 28/29 September the battalion moved first to Villers-Vancon and then to the

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