World War II 37th Armored Regiment

1 world war ii

1.1 arrival in france, july 1944
1.2 battle of bulge
1.3 ardennes counter-offensive
1.4 task force baum
1.5 war s end
1.6 occupation of germany
1.7 cold war

1.7.1 37th tank battalion
1.7.2 706th tank battalion


1.8 reconsolidation

world war ii

in october 1942, 4th armored division moved camp forrest in tullahoma, tennessee on cumberland plateau maneuvers. in november, moved again, west coast desert training center, first occupying camp ibis near needles, california, california (in mojave desert) , arizona , nevada borders. during time, of lessons learned in combat in north africa 1st armored division , 2nd armored division taught 4th armored division. in june 1943, orders came 4th armored division dismount @ camp bowie, armored division training center near brownwood, texas.

members of 1st platoon, company b, 37th tank battalion @ wiltshire, england in may 1944.

on 10 september 1943, 4th armored division including 37th armored regiment reorganized in new table of organization , equipment u.s. armored divisions. 37th regiment s headquarters , headquarters company , 1st battalion , 2nd battalion (less company d) redesignated 37th tank battalion.

the 3rd battalion reorganized , redesignated 706th tank battalion , relieved assignment 4th armored division. 706th spent war separate battalion. reconnaissance company redesignated , reorganized troop f, 25th cavalry reconnaissance squadron, mechanized, separate element of 4th armored division – hereafter separate lineage. maintenance , service companies disbanded, personnel , equipment distributed throughout 2 battalions. following reorganization, 706th tank battalion deployed san francisco port of embarkation on 22 march 1944 , arrived @ hawaii on 29 april 1944. there, deployed on lsts in support of admiral chester nimitz wing of pacific island hopping campaign. 706th tank battalion on guam 22 july 1944; on philippines 23 november 1944; on ie shima 16 april 1945; , on okinawa 25 april 1945.

the 37th tank battalion (37th tb) now, 35th tank battalion , 8th tank battalion (redesignated 3rd battalion, 35th armored regiment), nucleus of 4th armored division. on 15 november 1943, major general john s. wood commanded 4th armored division, announced 4th armored division deploy overseas. on 11 december 1943, 4th armored division moved northeast train, unloading @ camp myles standish, massachusetts, on 20 december 1943 winter training. 4th ad sailed boston port of embarkation on 29 december 1943. arrived in england more training on 8 january 1944, and – after getting used local environment, , waiting d-day invasion success @ normandy on 6 june, proceeded france on 11 july 1944 part of follow-on force.

arrival in france, july 1944

the 37th tank battalion moved southern england , prepared transport france. on 13 july 1944, 4th ad , 37th tb reached utah beach, of remainder of july 1944, 37th waited in reserve 4th ad relieved elements of weary 4th infantry division.

the 4th armored division ordered combat on 28 july 1944, u.s. first army launched breakout attack. infantry divisions on both sides of 4th ad attacked , pinched out division, 4th ad attacked through infantry divisions lines , began race neck of brittany peninsula. 37th traveling @ forefront of move colonel bruce c. clarke s combat command alpha (cca). next day, coutances fell, , avranches, @ northern edge of neck of brittany, fell on 30 july.

on way across brittany, 4th armored became part of general patton s third army when became operational on 1 august 1944. 9 august 1944 37th approaching lorient, on southern edge of brittany. on 14 august 1944 siege of lorient turned on 6th armored division , 37th turned eastward rest of third army, beginning historic race across france. vii corps southernmost corps of third army, 4th armored division on vii corps southern flank, , 37th tank battalion protecting southern flank of division. there nothing south of 37th except loire river , germans.

the commander of 37th tank battalion, lieutenant colonel creighton w. abrams (who later became commander of u.s. forces in vietnam , army chief of staff), in odd move, detached task force under major edward bautz blow loire river bridges between blois , tours, found upon arrival work had been done wehrmacht. task force followed loire s northern bank, paralleling advance of main body. on 16 august 1944 german column sighted on south bank. major bautz s tankers attacked column, inflicting losses , driving germans river.

the 37th crossed seine on 25 august 1944, , marne on 23 august 1944. marne canal bridged , town of châlons attacked east, consternation of defending garrison, expecting assault on western edge of town.

on 31 august 1944, in quick attack during driving rainstorm, 37th captured bridge across meuse river @ commercy before germans blow up. next day, gasoline ration had run out, , 37th ground halt. time, 37th had advanced 700 miles (1,100 km) in 7 weeks (about same amount of time had taken german wehrmacht conquer of france), crossed 3 major rivers , within 1 day s motor march of german border, seventy miles northwest.

on 13 september 1944, m4 tanks of 37th crossed moselle river. on 14 september 1944 overran rear command post of 15th panzer grenadier division @ arracourt and, in valhey, caught same division s forward echelon command post before retreat. @ valhey, sergeant joe sadowski of company a, 37th tank battalion, become medal of honor recipient. non-commissioned officer perth amboy, new jersey commander of second tank column 37th rolled french town. swinging north around corner, sadowski s m4 tank clattered village square, german armor-piercing round found mark , set sherman afire against town s water trough. sadowski had crew dismounted , took shelter behind building after running gauntlet of machine gun , small arms fire. bow gunner found missing, , quick glance @ burning tank showed gunner s hatch still closed tight. sadowski ... ran tank, clambered smoking front slope plate , tried pry open gunner s hatch bare hands. stood on smoking tank , strained @ hatch until had been hit many times no longer stand. slid medium [tank] , died in mud beside tracks . father , mother given posthumous medal of honor.

from 19 september through 22 september 1944 germans tried push 37th across moselle river. @ moyenvic, 37th saw 1 of largest tank-to-tank engagements of war, losing 14 sherman tanks while claiming have knocked out 55 panther , tiger tanks. german counterattack unsuccessful.

on 22 september 1944 37th s m4 tanks swept south again through coincourt , bures rhine-marne canal. counterattack followed counterattack desperate wehrmacht tried dislodge 3rd army position, toll of panthers mounted, attacks dwindled in intensity , ceased. 37th relieved on 12 october 1944 elements of 26th (yankee) infantry division. tenacity in moselle river valley, 37th awarded (4th ad cited) second french croix de guerre palm (its first when 4th ad cited normandy). 37th s tankers pulled off line rest after 87 straight days of combat.

the 37th moved out in downpour on 9 november 1944 deprive hitler of industrial saar river valley. on 11 november 1944 37th caught on road , lost 6 tanks because not maneuver off-road due bottomless mud. on 8 december 1944 37th passed through old french maginot line , took singling. 2 days later relieved again, elements of 12th armored division, , sent rear rest, although not far elements of battalion not in intermittent contact german forces.

battle of bulge

on 16 december 1944, sherman tanks of company a, 37th tank battalion first 4th armored division vehicles enter germany when chased several german tanks woods near rimling. same day company entered reich, hitler had played last trump north of 4th armored division resting 5 months in action. german 5th panzer army, last of german strategic reserves, spearheaded attack field marshal model s army group b opened battle of bulge . objective port of antwerp , allied depots nearby.

on 18 december 1944, 37th got march order—to move north against german penetration, causing alarm allied high command. on same day, 101st airborne division moved truck establish strongpoint @ key road , rail junction of bastogne, in belgium. time 37th arrived @ south flank of german penetration, 101st airborne cut off on sides enemy drive. 37th became spearhead of 4th armored division s drive relieve paratroopers in bastogne. 37th moved out in feathery snowfall @ 0600 hours on 22 december 1944, attacking northward against german airborne troops. 37th tank battalion , 53rd armored infantry battalion made 4th armored division s combat command-b (ccb). in bloody engagement against german paratroopers wearing american uniforms, ccb took bigonville.

at 0200 christmas morning, ccb marched thirty miles west 4th armored division s left flank. @ 0700 37th jumped off bercheaux , swiftly took bauxles-rosieres, nives , remoiville. @ dawn on 26 december 1944, 37th struck again, taking remichampagne, , seizing high ground near chochiment, 3 miles bastogne. announcing plan relieve surrounded 101st airborne division, ltc abrams, commanding 37th, made undramatic statement, re going in people now. lead vehicle in attack sherman tank nicknamed cobra king , commanded 1st lt. charles boggess jr., of greenville, illinois. boggess commanding officer of company c, 37th tank battalion. there 8 other tanks in company c when move out order came, @ 1515 hours 9 sets of sprockets turned, leading 37th northward embattled 101st airborne division.

two towns lay between 37th , bastogne, clochimont , assenois, , both heavily defended german troops. beyond assenois heavy wood, concealing blockhouses enclosed road bastogne. company c s mission barge through these defenses in high gear, stopping nothing , leaving mopping companies following, supported 53d armored infantry battalion. @ 1645 lt. boggess shook hands 2nd lt. webster of company a, 326th airborne engineer battalion, 101st airborne division , in twenty-five minutes lt.col. abrams , s3, capt. william dwight, reported bg anthony c. mcauliffe, acting commanding general of 101st airborne division.

the fight not over. lt. boggess tank company consisted of 4 m4 sherman tanks, , rest of 37th suffered similarly. 37th joined elements of 26th infantry division in fighting hold corridor open bastogne. counterattack followed counterattack, until on 9 january 1945, german penetration had been pushed east of bastogne. shattered german forces began withdraw homeland. relief of bastogne, 37th awarded presidential unit citation (4th ad cited).

on 10 january 1945, 37th attacking east of bastogne when order came halt. after masterful disengagement , icy road march south luxembourg, 37th again found in third army reserve, ready answer fire call.

ardennes counter-offensive

in rugged country of rhineland, infantry war, 37th followed close behind attackers, ready break through west wall when breach secured. finally, on 22 february 1945, general patton unleashed tanks , outscheid (february 24), mioderwinger, baustert, feilsdorf, , koosbrisch fell 37th, combat command b under command of 80th division.

on 25 february 1945, company b, 37th tank battalion, company b, 51st armored infantry battalion, took bridge on prum @ remesdorf. companies c of 37th , 51st took high ground around rittersdorf , established base of fire while combined companies of 2 battalions took rittersdorf , bridgehead on nims river. more 1,000 prisoners of war taken in action. in 4 days 37th had led 4th ad , third army pierced siegfried line. german counterattack near sefferweich repulsed while 37th rested next venture. farther north, u.s. first army fighting way cologne set stage dash rhine.

on 5 march 1945 37th s m4 tanks attacked through 5th infantry division s bridgehead on kyll river , cut across german combat zones distance of 13 miles (21 km). on 16 march 1945, lt joe liese, commanding officer of company b, 37th tank battalion, captured general von rothenkirch, commanding general of german 53d army corps (liii.armeekorps). general von rothenkirch driving car on inspection tour near putzberg, stumbled on company b. afternoon of day, 37th past german artillery positions. prisoners german 10th woodchopping battalion surrendered advancing tankers. 37th sped on ochtendung, , captured billeting party german seventh army rear command post. when rhine, lt liese s tank company overtook german wheel column and, assistance artillery , light aircraft, shot badly. 37th moved rhine , took positions on watching river.

during night, remnants of wehrmacht tried across rhine. in doing so, numerous enemy vehicles stumbled 37th s position , captured or destroyed. on 7 march 1945 u.s. first army thrust north cologne, pinning left of german seventh army between , 4th armored division. in drive u.s. 9th armored division captured remagen bridge intact. on 8 march 1945, colonel abrams left 37th command ccb , major bautz assumed command of 37th tank battalion. next 2 weeks 37th engaged in cleaning out palatinate, triangle formed saar, rhine , moselle rivers. on st. patrick s day 1945 37th entered spa city of bad kreuznach, , on 21 march 1945 returned banks of rhine @ worms.

on 25 march 1945, u.s. third army crossed rhine. 5th infantry division crossed in united states navy landing craft near oppenheim before germans fire shot. when east bank secure, pontoon bridge constructed, , 0300 on 26 march 1945, 37th across rest of 4th armored division. 37th advanced through 5th infantry division perimeter; noon company d s light tanks , infantry 10th armored infantry battalion captured railroad bridge intact near aschaffenburg on main river. meanwhile, combat command (cca) had secured main crossing near hanau. 37th, rest of ccb, sideslipped west , followed cca across main on 28 march 1945. dusk, 37th s m4 tanks in giessen, 40 miles (64 km) north of hanau. frankfurt-berlin autobahn 4th armored division s axis of advance. 37th reached hersfeld (today bad hersfeld) last day of march. on 2 april 1945, under heavy air attack, 37th crossed werra.

task force baum

in actuality, entire 37th tank battalion did not reach giessen night of 28th, company c , 1 platoon of company d s tanks had been detached special mission called task force baum. reported on 26 march 1945 captain abraham j. baum. besides elements 37th, consisted of company a, reconnaissance platoon, , assault gun platoon hq company, 10th aib – in 313 soldiers , 57 vehicles. mission liberate 1,500 american prisoners of war in oflag xiii-b, pow-camp officers, located @ hammelburg, sixty miles behind german lines. orders came directly general patton, wanted son-in-law, ltcol john k. waters liberated.

at 2100 hours on 26 march, company b of 37th , company b of 10th aib punched hole in german line @ schweinheim. through hole went task force baum (tf baum), in turn found alone in enemy area. on 27 march weak radio transmission monitored reporting enemy troops marshaling @ gemünden. gemunden 3 quarter way hammelburg, indication tf baum on way. messages later afternoon told of losing 4 medium tanks, 2 officers , eighteen men wounded or killed. messages petered out. on 29 march 1945, 4th armored division headquarters reported no news of baum . @ 2000 hours night radio berlin reported great victory had been achieved german army near hammelburg; later reports claimed annihilation of entire 4th armored division, known enemy roosevelt s butchers . on 6 april 1945, time rest of 37th deep in saxony, company c , company d s platoon reported missing in action , replacements them , equipment requisitioned. finally, on 9 april 1945, captain baum returned american lines , fate of task force determined.

according 4th armored division history: ...the task force battled through more 2 german divisions hammelburg stalag. on way, column took 200 prisoners, including general , staff, destroyed enemy troop trains, shot towns, knocked out german tanks, vehicles , uncounted germans [removed racial slur—ed.]. light force suffered. bridges blown in front, both sides , behind onrushing tanks. span blasted american , german infantrymen fought on it. task force smashed road blocks, raced down highways, sneaked on roads , followed compass courses across country.

when reached objective, half of task force baum left in fighting shape. armored infantrymen had not been wounded rode remaining tanks. wounded men lay on gas cans in half-tracks , helped steady each other @ machine guns. wounded left behind dead along side of road.

against ever-stiffening resistance enemy thought entire division had broken through main river defense line, captain baum s decimated column reached stalag near dark on 27 march 1945. after fierce fight, prisoners released, armed, , mounted on decks of company c s tanks ride friendly lines. captain baum directed remnants of force northeastward, area swarming german infantry , armor. morning of 28th task force s vehicles had been knocked out. force broke groups of 4 or 5 , attempted exfiltrate american lines. thirty-five men made it. rest killed or captured. of 313 officers , men of task force baum, 9 killed, 32 wounded, rest prisoners @ 1 time or another. few made lines, tell had happened.

although did not accomplish mission, tankers , infantry of tf baum contributed great deal central europe campaign. no less entire german corps diverted seeking out , achieving destruction of two-company american task force.

war s end

by april 1945 37th had driven deep central germany when relieved elements of 80th infantry division. 37th marched south , drove czechoslovakia, when war ended on 6 may 1945. 37th participated in task of disarming wehrmacht , set shop in bavaria part of occupation forces on 27 may 1945.

occupation of germany

37th tank battalion relieved 1 may 1946 assignment 4th armored division; concurrently converted , redesignated 37th constabulary squadron , assigned 3d constabulary regiment.
inactivated 20 september 1947 in germany , relieved assignment 3d constabulary regiment

cold war
37th tank battalion

converted , redesignated 11 december 1951 37th tank battalion, still inactivated.
assigned 25 february 1953 4th armored division, still inactivated.
activated 15 june 1954 @ fort hood, texas
inactivated 1 april 1957 @ fort hood, texas, , relieved assignment 4th armored division

706th tank battalion

706th tank battalion inactivated 20 september 1946 in philippine islands
redesignated 25 march 1949 71st heavy tank battalion, assigned 1st cavalry division, , activated in japan
reorganized , redesignated 5 august 1950 71st tank battalion
inactivated 16 october 1950 in korea , relieved assignment 1st cavalry division
redesignated 14 august 1951 706th tank battalion
assigned 25 february 1953 12th armored division
relieved 1 april 1957 assignment 12th armored division

reconsolidation

37th , 706th tank battalions consolidated, reorganized, , redesignated 1 april 1957 37th armor, parent regiment under combat arms regimental system. concurrently headquarters , headquarters & service company, 37th tank battalion redesignated hhc, 37th armor.
withdrawn 28 february 1983 combat arms regimental system , reorganized under united states army regimental system.




^ sorley, lewis (1 june 1998). thunderbolt: general creighton abrams , army of times. brassey s. p. 59. isbn 978-1-57488-179-0. retrieved 7 october 2012. 
^ forty, george (23 january 2009). 4th armored division in world war ii. zenith imprint. p. 57. isbn 978-0-7603-3160-6. retrieved 7 october 2012. 
^ toland, john (1 april 1999). battle: story of bulge. univ. of nebraska press. p. 285. isbn 978-0-8032-9437-0. retrieved 7 october 2012. 
^ cobra king led 4th armored division column during battle of bulge , february 25, 2009 [1] retrieved oct. 9, 2014
^ fourth armored division: beach bavaria. hungerford-holbrook. 1949. retrieved 7 october 2012.