The advance continued across the Seine, 19 August. (ibid. The order creating the various units of the 79th Division was issued by the War Department on 3 August 1917, and the 315th Infantry Regiment was provisionally organized on 26 . The 79th Division saw extensive combat in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive area where it earned the name of "Cross of Lorraine" for their defense of France. He was the first men of the 79th Infantry Division to receive the Purple Heart. (p. 55, 57), During the day, the Regiment had lost 3 officers and 9 men killed and 31 men wounded. 25 November 1944: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. The second section arrived on 26 July 1918. Beyond all, far back on the northern horizon, rose the dominating heights of Montfaucon [altitude: 280 meters = 900 feet], which the German High Command had said would never be taken by the Allies. We talked on the phone several times in the last few years, and finally we were able to meet in El Paso, TX for a short visit. Colonel Bernard B. McMahon, Regiments Colonel spoke German very well. (p. 57), Shortly after six o'clock on the morning of 27 September the 79th Division was reorganized into two provisional brigades, one consisting of the 313th and 316th Infantries; the other of the 314th and 315th Infantries, the regiments maintaining their same relative positions as on the preceding day. At the beginning of April 1944, the division reported to the port of embarkation at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. Opposite Montfaucon, in the sector occupied by the 315th Infantry, the artillery was literally lined up hub to hub. Written by Pierre Fallet, Normandy American Heroes. PFC Hall was probably killed (?) The division was inactivated June 1919 and returned to the United States. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 79th Infantry Division Artillery, 79th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized), Headquarters, Special Troops, 79th Infantry Division, Headquarters Company, 79th Infantry Division. ), At eleven o'clock on the night of September 25th, a deep boom far behind the American lines announced the beginning of the six-hour Allied barrage. The first units of the regiment went to their assembly area near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont waiting there until June 16th, 1944 for their band of brothers. ". (ibid. hlj@Wb( Private Henry Gunther, the last American soldier to be killed in action during World War I, served with the 313th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Division. The front line companies, however, made repeated attempts to advance and gradually the line edged forward. ), It had been hoped that Nantillois would he taken before dark, but the strong resistance encountered by the front line troops during the day had so delayed the advance that the occupation of the town before night set in became impossible. It formed part of the XIII Corps (United States), Third Corps Area.[2]. 904th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm Howitzer), Anti-aircraft artillery Participation in World War One]. endstream endobj 392 0 obj <>stream The 315th Infantry Machine Gun Company supported the First Battalion, and Company "A," of the 312th Machine Gun Battalion, supported the Third Battalion. It was then ordered to Camp Phillips, Kansas for training in the winter conditions. We raced volkswagens on our time off and we'd go to the range and shoot all day. Epinal American Cemetery . 2023 Copyright VetFriends.com. Some had been with the division since its activation at, The first units of the regiment went to their assembly area near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont waiting there until, "A" Company was the first to make contact with the Germans near Flottemanville. hMkGJoWWUGLA#Pfy9{UO9$T2G* %'-$u% It was then ordered to Camp Phillips, Kansas for training in winter conditions. As the operational command posts of a theater sustainment command the ESCs plan, coordinate synchronize, monitor, and control operational- level sustainment operations for Army service component commands, joint task forces and joint forces commands throughout the world. Two once pretty Alsatian villages lost in the countryside. June 1st, 1944: Tiverton, England Freedom is precious and many gave their lives for it. Subscribe to 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division Footer menu. He was in the Battle of Cherbourg. (p. 35) Several times daily the soldiers responded to the "Abandon Ship Call" during which they practiced marching quickly and in an orderly way to their assigned stations. (p. 263)] After two days rest, the Regiment was transported to the front on a French camion train [i.e. 315th Regiment Lineage and Honors Information as of 24 Feb 2021 315 th Regiment Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as the 315th Infantry and assigned to the 79th Division. The sector at this time was extremely quiet. Army. The German Army had held this position for nearly four years and within it, in the sector opposite the 315th Infantry, lay the nearly obliterated villages of Haucourt and Malancourt. Food, water and firewood had to be carried on men's backs for a distance of two miles over roads that were ankle deep with mud, and the bread supplied to the soldiers arrived with a coating of mud. It was in the vicinity of Lieusaint that the 315th Infantry Regiment captured its first prisoners of war but to the greatest amazement prisoners were not Germans but Polish, and Georgians! They had arrived in England well before D-Day. Purple Heart. This collection consists of a scrapbook that was compiled for the 58th reunion of the 79th Infantry Division in September 2004. Most of this page is direct quote, but in many places I have edited and paraphrased the text to make it shorter (I have not indicated where). The division arrived in Liverpool on 17 April and began training in amphibious operations. There was an average of one gun for every eight meters of front, and, at certain points in the line where stiff opposition was expected, the average interval was much less. US ARMY WORLD WAR II 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division United States Military Academy Class of 1942 Entered the Service from D.C Service# 0-24723 SYNOPSIS: Captain (Infantry) Alexander McCarrell Patch, III (ASN: 0-24723), United States Army, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) for. (ibid. 391 0 obj <>stream 4th of July 1944: Les Fosses 3/314, 315th Infantry Regiment: Colonel Porter B. Wiggins, replaced on June 23, 1944 by Colonel Bernard B. McMahon and Colonel Robert H. York from July 13, 1944, then replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel John A. McAleer on July 29, 1944 [Training lasted from 5 A.M. to 4 P.M. daily (p. The 79th Infantry Division (formerly known as the 79th Division) was an infantry formation of the United States Army Reserve in World Wars I and II. August 12th, 1944: Saint-Julien-sur-Sarthe U.S. On its right was the 4th Division, on its left the 313th and 316th Infantries, the 313th Infantry on the front line. Major General William D. Frink, Jr. (1 December 2009 8 February 2013), Major General Megan P. Tatu (9 February 2013 4 December 2015), Major General Mark Palzer (5 December 2015 8 December 2018), Major General Eugene J. Leboeuf (8 December 2018 Present), 363d Support Battalion (PETRL PL & TML OP), in, 319th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 373d Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 372d Quartermaster Battalion (Petroleum Support) in, 383d Support Battalion (PETRL PL & TML), in, 155th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 371st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 420th Support Battalion (MVT CTL) (EAC), in, 314th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 469th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 336th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 418th Quartermaster Battalion (Petroleum Support) in, 419th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 329th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 620th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in, 394th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in. (p. 47-49), With this fact assured, speculation became rife as to whether or not the 315th Infantry would be included in the assaulting forces. During February and March 1945, the division mopped up German resistance, returned to offensive combat, 24 March 1945, crossed the Rhine, drove across the Rhine-Herne Canal, 7 April, secured the north bank of the Ruhr and took part in clearing the Ruhr Pocket until 13 April. Posted by The insignia of the 79th Division is a gray Lorraine cross on a blue shield Four months from beginning to end. The 315th Infantry Regiment landed on June 14th, 1944, the first men's thought was the excellent work done by the Engineers, indeed the soldiers were surprised to be able to land out of a boat directly onto a deck without getting one's feet wet! Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. The 79th Infantry Division (formerly known as the 79th Division) was an infantry formation of the United States Army Reserve in World Wars I and II . By six o'clock on the evening of 26 September the first wave of the 315th Infantry had crawled up the hill slopes and into the Hindenburg trench. The weather and the ocean were calm throughout the voyage. Div. The first man ashore was 2nd Lieutenant Lynn K. Copp of the Regimental Headquarters Company. ), At three o'clock, the advance of both the First and Third Battalions had been halted by the overwhelming fire from the German trenches ahead. The 79th beat off German attacks at Hatten and Rittershoffen in an 11-day battle before withdrawing to new defensive positions south of Haguenau on the Moder River, 19 January 1945. Since 2009, it has been active as the 79th Theater Sustainment Command. The trip lasted all night, with the various units arriving at Rampont early on the morning of the 13th. ), The positions of the various companies were changed on the night of September 18th, and it was also at this time that the Regiment first became aware of unusual activity in its sector. Participation in World War One, Roster of Company "K" as it was on 1 September 1918, Hamburg-American liner "Amerika", renamed "America", the 79th Division's sector of the Allied line, French fortress on the Meuse River, Verdun, the Esnes-Malancourt-Montfaucon Road buried under a hopeless jam, https://www.roangelo.net/angelo/overtop.html, Special Units: Headquarters Company, Machine Gun Company, Supply Company, and Medical Detachment. Cemeteries & Memorials; Burial Search; About Us; Education; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Instagram; ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501. July 31st, 1944: The Danerie Having distinguished itself at Montfaucon, in Lorraine, the. But here its advance was held up by a storm of machine gun bullets, one pounder shells, minenwerfers and the fire of a 77-millimeter gun, a sacrifice piece, which was firing over the sights at the advancing troops. Here the Regiment took up positions for the night; Companies "I" and "K" of the Third Battalion, east of the Malancourt-Montfaucon road; Companies "L" and "M" and the First Battalion, west of the road; the Second Battalion in a system of trenches about 400 meters south of the Third Battalion; and Regimental Headquarters one kilometer southeast of Malancourt. (Map based on p. 50), The plan of action, as outlined in Brigade orders, was that the 315th Infantry should support the attack of the 314th Infantry at a distance of 1,000 meters, advancing with two battalions in line and one in support, the latter to serve as a Brigade reserve. Veteran C. Young, After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. After a year of training the division sailed overseas in July 1918. June 20th, 1944: Colomby [Official Division history]. 315th Infantry Regiment walking through the village of Saint-Joseph - CombatReels.com. (p. 54), At 12:30 P.M., an "S.O.S." 315th Regiment Association, 79th Infantry Division WWII (p. 264), [High-Explosive (H.E.) Shell: a steel artillery shell designed to do harm by busting in the air or in the ground. The first address you sent me is my buddy. But the next morning the soldiers marched to Haironville, 27 kilometers [17 miles], where they arrived at 5:30 on 10 September 1918. The division remained on the defensive along the Moder until 6 February 1945. (p. 36-37), But on 21 July 1918 the first movement toward the fighting line began, when at noon the First Battalion and Headquarters Company struck tents and waded through the mud to a railroad siding near the dock, where a train was waiting to move them inland. Do you have 315TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 79TH INFANTRY DIVISION Reunion information you'd like to share Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. (ibid. But that road was now nothing but a shell-pocked waste of earth and stone, the result of the explosion of thousands of French and German shells during the fighting about Verdun in 1916. Veteran L. Prickett, "Dear VetFriends, Thanks so much for your help! 1/313 After training in the United Kingdom from 17 April 1944, the 79th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, 1214 June and entered combat 19 June 1944, with an attack on the high ground west and northwest of Valognes and high ground south of Cherbourg Naval Base. (ibid. The advance was resumed at 7:00 A.M. on September 27th, but we had practically nothing to do this day but follow the 314th Infantry. Throughout its entire World War I campaign, the division suffered 6,874 casualties with 1,151 killed and 5,723 wounded. The front line of the 315th Infantry then ran east and west across the Malancourt-Montfaucon Road, less than half a kilometer south of Fayel Farm, with the Third Battalion lying east of the road, the First Battalion west of the road, and the Second Battalion halted in rear of the Third. The third section [which included the Third Battalion arrived the next day at 11:30 A.M. (p. 263)]. We reached the main line of German trenches about 6:00 P.M. and remained in them overnight. (source Lone Sentry). It was around this time that Corporal John D. Kelly and First Lieutenant Carlos C. Ogden, both of the 314th Infantry Regiment, were awarded the Medal of Honor. Immediately following its declaration of war against the Imperial Government of Germany (on 6 April 1917), the U.S. Government rented some 15 square miles of land in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which the War Department proposed making into a national army cantonment to receive recruits from eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Join Your Unit Today Join VetFriends To: Reunite with Unit Buddies Browse Military Units Post Unit Messages Great Discounts & More! I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. These units were billeted in the surrounding towns, the Third Battalion as follows: Companies "I," "K" and "L" and Third Battalion Headquarters at Chalancey [which was a 10 mile march over hills from the station; Company "K" arrived at Chalancey at 5 P.M. (p. 263)], and Company "M" at Vesvres. HPPnFg^BR [Roster of Company "K" as it was on 1 September 1918], On the map the Captured Territory (indicated by shading lines between the two arrows) is about 9 km x 3.5 km (5-1/2 miles x 2 miles). The Second Battalion and Machine Gun Company followed on the morning of the 22nd, and the same afternoon the Third Battalion and Supply Company also left. An important note about how I have used this book to write this page: what follows is not an exact reproduction. Some had been with the division since its activation at Camp Pickett, Virginia, on June 15th, 1942. This division, also known as the "Cross of the Lorraine" division, was responsible for Cherbourg's capture. Not a single bullet was fired. An occasional H.E. shell was all that marred the manoeuvre. (p. 37-38), The Regiment began arriving at the station in Vaux on July 24th. Several dozen of Germans surrendered but sometimes unusual events happened. What a conversation we had. After training in England, it landed at Utah Beach on June 12 - 14, 1944, about a week after the initial D-Day landings. At that time, word was sent to the troops to dig in. The 315th Infantry (79th Division, United States Army) was a combat unit of the American Expeditionary Forces in France (p. 6). August 21st, 1944: Dennemont 1917-1919, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. On Jan 8th, 1945 the 79th met a German counterattack as the Germans were attempting to establish a bridgehead west of the Rhine at Gambsheim. (p. 51-52), To those who witnessed the artillery barrage the hills guarding Verdun and the country to the west seemed rimmed with flame. 30 June 1944: Third Army, but attached to First Army. WWII Atlantic Wall, (p. 36), This advance guard of the Regiment, after many twistings and turnings, reached its camping ground at midnight and pitched shelter tents in a driving downpour of rain. endstream endobj 394 0 obj <>stream (p. 32). The night was very dark and both steamers were running without lights. The 315th Infantry was made up of three battalions and four special units: First Battalion: Companies A-D Second Battalion: Companies E-H Third Battalion: Companies I, K-M The historical account of any military unit doesn't get any better than when it is given in the first person account. The division was first activated at Camp Meade, Maryland in August 1917, composed primarily of draftees from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Towns of Hardinvast and Tollevast were taken by the 2nd and 3rd Battalions on the 25th of June 1944. 1917-1919 by United States. August 15th, 1944: Ormoy (p. 45), [On 12 September 12 at 6 P.M. Company "K" had marched the short distance from Haironville to the Bar-le-Duc road where a large fleet of motor trucks was waiting. 7 April 1945: XVI Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group. Thence to Loisail and . The first groups left at 2 P.M. [The Third Battalion left at 4 P.M. and there were thousands of cheering or tearful people at the station to see the soldiers off (p. 262)], and by 5 o'clock that afternoon the entire Regiment was on its way to Hoboken, New Jersey. a symbol of triumph since the 15th Century, as its insignia. The insignia of the 79th Division is a gray Lorraine cross on a blue shield with a gray border; it was adopted during World War I. Normandy American Heroes provides custom World War II tours of Normandy and beyond On our blog, we write about World War II, things to do in Normandy and much more. ), Between 10 P.M. and midnight, the German Army let down a heavy, harassing artillery fire on the small plateau lying northwest of Septsarges. to remember that sacrifice, and offer some sacrifice for themselves if Freedom is threatened. who served their country during. The 79th Division consisted of the 313th, 314th, 315th, and 316th Infantry Regiments. The regiments final drive was to take place at Le Bosquet (D-119), a hamlet northeast of Hardinvast to push to the center of Cherbourg. The forward movement of artillery became nearly impossible, and, as the day wore on, the advancing troops were forced to reply more and more on the momentum of their own attack. (p. 46-47), Strong as the German position was by nature, it had been rendered still more formidable by artificial means.