Into the Breach: The Life and Times of the 740th Tank Battalion in World War II, Revised Edition by Paul L. Pearson

Author:Paul L. Pearson [Pearson, Paul L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Write Down the Line, LLC
Published: 2017-08-29T00:00:00+00:00

It was cold and pitch black at 4:00 a.m. on February 2 as the B Company tankers moved to the attack with the 325th’s First Battalion. Small arms and mortar fire grew in intensity as the tanks rumbled forward, and the infantry began to stagger and fall in the snow. Suddenly, a self-propelled rocket burst into First Lieutenant Arthur P. Hartle’s tank, creating havoc.

The enemy opened up with anti-tank guns. Sergeant Charles E. Boler’s tank was immediately hit by anti-tank fire and burst into flames. Casualties were staggering. Lt. Hartle was the only person out of the two tanks not evacuated; and although he was slightly wounded, he took command of another of his platoon’s tanks, and went on that day to destroy two Mark IVs and an armored half-track.

First Lieutenant Raymond E. Davies moved up his Second Platoon, destroyed a Mark V Panther tank that afternoon, and the two platoons managed to blast their way through a number of pillboxes zeroed in on the battle area.

Company A rolled in then with two of its three platoons attacking with the 325th’s Third Battalion of infantry. These tanks came under heavy fire, and First Lieutenant Allen C. Christie’s tank took a round from an anti-tank gun, and burned. Fortunately, the crew came out safely.

The advance had been effectively stopped, and the fighting was fierce. After getting off three or four rounds at the AT gun position causing all this trouble, Sergeant J. L. Montgomery’s own gun jammed, and he had to withdraw. He called Sergeant Charles B. Harrell to alert him to enemy gun positions but was unable to raise his tank on the radio. Montgomery dismounted his tank, and in a heavy barrage of mortar and artillery fire, led Harrell’s tank into position to take out the target.

Incredibly, Montgomery was struck and killed by incoming shrapnel.[157] Compounding the tragedy, Harrell’s tank was then hit and burned by that same German gun. Harrell was slightly injured, but the rest of his crew escaped without injury.

Corporal Maurice E. Logan, Montgomery’s driver, described the series of events as one of his darkest hours. When his tank commander was killed, Logan immediately backed his tank behind an old house for cover. But the Germans had them spotted and really opened up—throwing everything they had, concentrating on their position. And with Sgt. Harrell’s tank burning in front of them, and Lt. Christie’s tank burning behind them, he said it was pure hell.[158]

The Third Platoon was quickly pulled back to regroup, being reinforced by crews from the Second Platoon. As events proceeded, Staff Sergeant Hall’s hand was crushed in the recoil of one of the 75 mm cannons, and he had to be evacuated.

Because of the fanatical German resistance at Neuhof, the tanks of both A and B Companies had to be committed to reach the objective.

Late that morning, C Company tanks picked up the attack with the 325th’s Third Battalion of Glider Infantry, rolling north from Neuhof towards Udenbreth. The Third Platoon was in the lead with the First Platoon as backup.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.