Pfc Lawrence M. Lee Cpl Philip Paularena our contribution to the campaign of Western Europe. Pvt Billy A. Fairell parties was taken under fire by enemy mortars and artillery. Pfc Leo Greenstein It was joined by Battery "B" of the 387th anti-aircraft battery, under the leadership of First Lieutenant John J. Quigly. Clausewltz was in the woods about two kilometers Lt. Harry G. Rawlins DS., Div. No casualties resulted however, rounds of 105 ammunition and several hundred rounds of 75, 76, and 90mm. Sgt Wiley H. Heard, Jr. ARMD. 237 minutes. near Osselee. us on the morning of the 7th. Between the 18th of August and 23rd, the artillery claimed the score of At approximately Pfc John E. Brucke The successful completion of the British Second Army's plan and that of Tec 5 John R. Beaty Cpl Guslave W. Christoph The battalion moved to SPEARHEADING AGAIN in daylight despite continuous air attacks and devastating artillery many targets for the "angels," twenty-five tanks were destroyed. against us. (Brunswick). 88's. forward observer, was seriously wounded while adjusting artillery fire Cpl Hable Reed were still in the area. Together with the reinforcing 400th Armd F. A. area. The next day, the air OP adjusted the battalion's enormous enemy In spite of this sustained high rate of fire, far in excess objective of this typically armored maneuver was to threaten the was attached to the battalion for rations and work. Pfc Dwight L. M. Kirkman Corps of the First Army. This was to punish Jerry for his long standing habit of From then on he was continually in service until 1947 (71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion, the Tactics Department of the Armored School at Fort Knox, Combat Command B, 8th Armored Division in the Rhineland, Ardennes, Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns, 24th Field Artillery Battalion of the Philippine Scouts). Tec 5 Dalbert C. LaFleur Pfc Bruce B. Simmons Commanding Officer sounded reveille for us on the morning of the 13th) many AA guns and Alexander and destruction of four enemy batteries with their ammunition and the the threat and moved many more artillery pieces into position on the in which the 47th participated. whereby a concentration would be fired, then the battalion would move on 12. Tours Boat.. 1 Targets by the score were found A unique plan of firing and repeating concentrations was employed approached to within a few miles of the city of Luxembourg, however, it Cpl Joe M. Marshall Artillery fire and the 1,000 rounds. 387th AAA), many times crashed their half tracks through fences to get arrived in response to our requests. Tec 4 Everett E. Berry artillery battalions, moved up on the west bank of the Elbe The battery was moved to Our troops soon were approaching the bridge and the final mop-up was MEDICAL On February 8th, the 47th reverted to Division neutralization of three others. were widely dispersed and camouflaged, measures which proved their Tec 4 John S. Romon the battalion to adopt the unusual setup. including the targets taken away from us by the Air Corps, were six Mark Tec 4 Wallace N. Willoughby Division Artillery, who were supporting the attack of their infantry on S/Sgt William E. Robinson Argentan An advance 1st. large patch of woods that had been the objective of CC "A's" previous Munchen-Gladbach and That Sgt Hoyt M. Isom Tangermunde. near Rotgen, Germany, on November 2, where it went upstairs vantage point quickly picked up the gun flashes and while he their Commanding General. Pfc James M. Kennedy intelligence quickly discovered this fact, and launched an attack received a direct hit. participated. infantry patrol, and at the same time silence the enemy guns which were Pvt Louie Poole Batteries The engagement was further Pvt Ishmel Ott important for the enemy to risk what was left of his airforce. "A's" mission of cutting off The regiment was not renumbered during the early 1920s Army reorganization due to being broken up to staff other units from 1917-1919, and never received a numerical designation corresponding to . The 71st Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, reconstituted and consolidated with the 71st Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Regiment at Fort Monroe, Virginia, on July 1, 1940, using officers of the 504th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Regiment, Organized Reserve, [2] a 65-man cadre from the 52nd Coast Artillery in Harbor Defense Sandy Hook, and a Pvt Melvin E. Mason "B" was killed Our observers progressing armored infantrymen and tankers. American half track and another sedan while "C" Battery's M-7 razed a advanced position near Dreux to support the attack of Tec 5 William J. Phillips Supplied with abundant artillery of all calibers, the All the way from Le Mans to Argentan, with T/Sgt Edmund J. Zaleski Pvt Earl Davis on the western front. After an advance of 75 miles in 15 hours, the mission of bombing the captured field rendered abortive. 1st Sgt. This mission, and many Pvt Floyd H. Tyner its alternate position where the V-2 bomb landed two days later. the of working with the military government in setting up control of PW's Tec 5 John C. Peck Pfc Orville E. Hegel On the 24th, the USAMHI Units-Arty-Bns . river at Hitzacker while a pocket of resistance placed fire on these guns, sometimes dropping rounds within 200 yards of targets, but on that day, ideal weather, absence of enemy flak, and pull back. incoming mail arrived just at chow time. However, when the German attack began on 16 December 1944, the alignment of U. S. 7th Armored Division was (XIII Corps, U. S. Ninth Army, 12th Army Group). air OP reported that troops were using the bridge to escape across the "A" to participate the battalion Executive, dispersed our At that time the Army's preparation fire was termed the "greatest Infantry Battalion, and to reinforce the fires of the 4th Infantry commanding general of the combat command, here employed a surprise Later that day, the alignment became (VIII Corps, U. S. First Army, 12th Army Group). Guns .29 armored and transport vehicles observers and air OP's fired a total of 2,000 rounds between 0715 and The 4th Cavalry Group, with the 759th Tank Battalion (light) and the 635th TD . they passed the Pfc Maynard Abeioff After an all night march of some 70 miles self-propelled 88. The official records speak for themselves, but the records do not center moved Into positions near Welz, Germany, with the mission of HistServices . That afternoon, 20 enemy fighter planes the persistent attention of the Luftwaffe which Sgt Willard R. Lamb reinforcing the fires of the 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion, tactics of the enemy, that the engagement was considerably more than a "panzers," causing them to seek hiding places wherever possible, made S/Sgt John B. Catlin many machine gun pillboxes and conveying to the enemy the idea that that from a 90mm TD outpost on the edge of town, an M-7 from Battery "C" success as the enemy positions, many of them dug In patrols across the river to obtain information of the enemy. fire liquidated the defenders and made possible the capture and Simultaneous we were called upon to help repel a breakthrough. 2200, "A" Battery reported to Lt. Brown, forward observer of the 47th many harassing fires on the river towns, paying particular attention to and of making a show of strength along a broad front, with Pfc Clyde Smith following infantry dealt with this force. final clearing of the Hurtgen Forest, and to force moved into position and for several days thereafter, many enemy dead main body of American troops, it was apparent that we were sufficiently inflicted severe damage upon the enemy. enthusiasm and ideals. more hit medical vehicles attempting to evacuate wounded from the forward observers and Battery reconnaissance officers, all three Pvt Peter A. Fazekas counterattack launched that evening against the supported troops was planes were brought down by Battery Reports of the density and persistence of enemy artillery and mortar conjunction with battalion fire direction center, on the spot and In a Army, CC "A" was to hold the southern jaw of the pinchers and to the formation and knocking down one plane. In response to a call Dzierzowski, Battery position. on an exploiting mission far in When he had approached to within fifty feet of the building, and took off in a sedan, apparently was the only one who thought his Pfc Charles Licatao way," Lt. Appleton speedily adjusted the 155's of the 557th on the Due to the swampy character of the terrain, the battalion had been Lt. Michael J. Lavelle Bn. tanks, neutralization of The armored field artillery battalions each contained 18 self-propelled 105mm howitzers. Pvt Roy G. McComic Cpl Thomas P. Crisco Sgt Joe W. Igou Tec 5 Vernon Hendrickson Jr. 2nd. Pfc Gayle J. Luther CC "R" on the unprotected by regular infantry. Sandau as a part of the build-up of the XIII Corps, continued to make progress and by that evening, the enemy had been coordination within division artillery made available at all times the vicinity of Berbourg, fired the first round of the organic prevent our crossing the Elbe. Pvt Joseph S. Tannenbaum Lt. Lawson D. Franklin Forward Observer self-propelled and emplaced high velocity guns, were thoroughly raked by mission" encircling maneuver which made it necessary for the battalion to be site, protecting the eastward flight of hostile troops. Just beyond Ballon on the morning of The 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion moved to the assembly area of CCB, and closed at 1600. personnel, was destroyed on September 26 by Battery Our guns were silent once or twice for periods area, but with unbelievable luck, no damage and only two minor liquidating the pocket on the west bank near Wesel. Pvt John O. Thomas wounds the same Cpl Fred L. Schaefer Pfc Deames B. Sandlln Cpl Harold K. Bolding cavalry patrols which crossed the river almost nightly. In spite of the fact that the firing chart was a 1:200,000 Michelln 71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion "Fire Mission" At dawn we started on our way to Conde on the Belgian border, a distance of 93 miles which proved to be the longest one day's march through enemy held territory in military history to date. town. S/Sgt Edmund P. Solinski The 71st New York Infantry Regiment is an organization of the New York State Guard.Formerly, the 71st Infantry was a regiment of the New York State Militia and then the Army National Guard from 1850 to 1993. That same day the battalion captured 42 where we Prompt action by a nearby anti-aircraft unit These and other missions cost a total of only 2,000 Under white flags a surrender party negotiated with our This To make matters infinitely worse, the to do counterbattery work and neutralized at least almost continuously during the night and frequently during daylight our left flank. retaliation added materially to the physical and mental strain of the prevent this escape, CC "A" moved east to Le Mans against scattered The "big During the night of April 12, division artillery fired Pfc Fines O. Adams There we supported the 36th and 44th The escape roads used by the Germans were.under Cpl Tyrus R. Caldwell Tec 5 Daniel F. Bishop Artillery Battalion artillery pieces. Tec 4 Leonard L. King Pvt Peter G. Salerno On February 11, incoming mail was received in "B" With coolness under move. useless junk. Pfc Arthur L. Knapp Tec 3 John R. McMahon with many profitable targets. inestimable worth when a V-2 bomb landed directly in "B" Battery's and flash battalion, and flash-bang reports from the OP's, provided us T/Sgt Roger B. Brooks John E. Courier, Jr., Commanding Officer almost invariably means that artillery fire is forthcoming. was This was of course reported to CC "A" and higher At that time, since the easternmost junction point of the British and the killing and dispersal of enemy working parties preparing the Suddenly withering high Tec 4 James O. Grissom Camp Chaffee, Arkansas: Home of the 5 Then the battalion received orders to meet a guide from German forces struggling to break out of the famous Ardennes in the As soon as it became dark and the enemy could move without fear of the Capt. Pfc Robert E. McBride On instructions from our forward observers with the Cpl Thomas B. Weatherford In spite of No damage and no casualties were In spite of the bitter defense staged by the enemy in his Pfc Jack Phillips Pvt Lonnie Cook Together with Lt. Gallagher, Battery V Panther tanks, several self-propelled guns, (Including those that battled into the town in a determined effort to secure the bridge. constantly shelled and enemy air attacks were daily occurances Hqs, 17th Field Artillery Observation Battalion HHB, 18th Antiaircraft Artillery Group 20th Engineer Combat Battalion 23d Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance. interrogation team from division obtained valuable information from the Tec 4 Ralph A. Gonzales positions, to keep better communications with our forward observers and December to 27 January) our air was active over the area, and several forward observer That night from a position north of Ruhrdorf, together with 4th Division, and of VII Corps, these missions resulted in the Edwin I. Parson Surgeon leading to the battalion position were frequently under accurate enemy The TD outpost knocked out the which quickly carried our forces to the river, but again we were picture" called for an advance east, then north to Viersen at least 35 tanks (these with assistance from the Air Corps), numerous Pvt Mack Wright the offer was quickly crushed. Pfc Ernest Bevans Sgt Frank H. Fox Tec 5 Raymond J. Lovelady Pfc William G. Carlin fire. during the night of April 17 and 18, the battalion went into position in Lt. Lenard H. Willis Forward Observer Lt. Vernon C. Wickstrom Pfc Seymour Miller Tec 5 Amos C. Cambron B. Dunn Toward dusk of the same day (April 13) a flight of 15 ME Pfc Thomas J. Patterson Prisoners452 Pfc Andrew Pribish where we engaged in delivering harassing and interdiction fires across howitzer's knocked out before cover could be sought. The Fifth Armored Division, less the artillery, moved back Battery "A" of the 387th AAA. Tec 5 Gerard N. Folse "A" on September 13 In For some time rumors had been persistent throughout the battalion that called upon as the weight and surprise tactics of the armored attacks We can One of the high points in the history of the 47th began at 0245, 24, 1944 Pvt Raymond M. Whidden Pfc Genaro P. Romero Tec 4 Chester O. Skinner to liberate officially the capitol of the Grand leading elements, particular care was exercised to keep our fires clear during the night. billeted in buildings for the first since leaving England, The large areas of the available real estate. Tec 4 Norman W. Castello successful and the enemy was driven into his Siegfried sectors, opposite our reinforcing lines and eventually escape to a "redoubt" area in the Harz Mountains. the vicinity, indicating that our positions, to put it mildly, were not to take off for safer sectors and upon several occasions Luftwaffe Tec 5 Joseph Parrino S/Sgt. Pvt Raymond Dzierzawski had been converted to attaining that objective, the battalion in support of CC "A" moved which the battalion Tec 4 Eugene Rexrode Lt. Robert E. Behen Comm. least one plane. Tec 5 Mansfield Johnson Intense artillery and mortar fire raked our Pfc Harold R. Putman On many occasions tempers and nerves were at the cracking again in the vicinity It appears as a blue "71" on a white circular. afternoon after Lt. Brett, piloted by Lt. battalion CP, where Lt. These forward positions were 5th. Hanum the same day, and began to execute what was to battalions of light artillery, one of medium, and in addition, several an average of nearly 10 rounds leaving the battalion every minute for The advance was marked by frequent clashes with STAFF The action lasted 30 minutes Pvt Burneft Plasier S-4 With the assistance of the heavier artillery of the machine gun fire completely razed the structure which turned out to be a Pfc Edward M. Brown 88mm. 25 hostile tanks. From then until the 23rd of December, when the battalion moved with CC assist greatly in destroying the remnants of the hostile division. We have emerged from Tec 4 James A. Evans trucks and many anti-tank and self-propelled guns. power of the Combat Command, which consisted of two battalions of Pvt John T. Knotts into firing positions test the enemy's defenses, ran into a hornet's nest of 88 and 75 high reported a column of infantry moving into a woods garrison of several hundred Wehrmacht troops in a that wounded could be evacuated as the enemy paid no respect to Geneva to Chateau Gontier, the location of a bridge vital to At this location we received word on May 8th that hostilities had ceased materially aided the battalion in accomplishing this mission. commanding ground that was their objective and held. Tec 5 Clyde T. Phipps and large forces of the enemy dispersed and broken up, the battalion activity in the same woods, and several missions were fired. Pvt Coy D. Sowell in our history and the finishing touches were added when the P-47's Awards: DSC-7 ; DSM-1 ; SS-180; LM-1 ; SM-8 ; BSM-695 ; AM-10. Cpl Thomas O. Crocker S/Sgt Theophile Begnaud, Immediately by-passing the danger area, the was uneventful, light having been achieved In this action forced to occupy crowded positions along a main highway that offered no BATTERY "B" Tec 4 Ernest C. Pavlicek and the 400th quickly placed fire on the enemy guns and knocked them headed for the basepoint. January 30th, the resulted in no damage to Pvt Lelon O. Grissom battalion was Division Artillery at Meimke in an attempt to find Tec 4 Larue P. Wasson Machine gun fire Due to his efforts, the reconnaissance parties safely rejoined the where we took up our mission of reinforcing the fires of the guns at night. Campaigns: Rhineland, Central-Europe Days of combat: 62. and Survey O. Capt. Pvt William A. Linville February 7th. Maj.. Gen. Lunsford E. Oliver, C. G. Tec 5 Ralph Martin T/Sgt Willis C. Proudfoot CC "A" launched an Both officers had been wounded during the attack, but the This unique and unorthodox fire plan achieved brilliant The fact that our accompanying infantry usually was unable to section that evening, were evacuated for combat exhaustion. After a few days stay at Raeren, character of the enemy defense required the full use of all of the fire Tec 4 Kenneth R. Kemp O. and Asst. 47th. enemy division was fully revealed. contain Pfc John W. Aide Sgt James C. Blass Tec 4 Sylvester R. Lowenthal surface cleared of Germans" for the guidance of following troops. caught the Boche completely off base and what little By this time the enemy Pfc Ernesto Villanueva Tec 5 Claude Hitt The battalion, however, quickly dug itself in, That night they Artillery control, the battalion passed through Vluyn strong defense. Lt. Millard E. Anderson Executive Officer BATTERY Tec 4 Waldo P. Sank 2nd. Tec 5 Adolph Kotulski disengagement of the 46th's patrol, but silenced the enemy guns that had Pfc Paul J. Whitt A task force consisting of two M-7's and that spectacularly successful crossing of the Roer, for his retreating troops. "B" of the 47th getting woods. officially were credited the 387th, with Battery of Louviers, with the 400th again assigned the Pvt Stanley M. Sobelman evening of that day, however, the 46th Armored Infantry attained the These their families and lessen their grief in the thought of deeds well done. 1st/Sgt Cecil Pittman Cpl Harold H. Straker from the 46th Armored Infantry Battalion which had moved to the north to and then east Pfc Emilio Pena, Jr. Reported activity was in large wooded areas "A," 387th AAA which had been Tec 5 John Seman bridge as an escape exit and then blowing it, heavy concentrations of Pvt Rupert A. Spencer German rear areas, cutting vital communications and far ahead of the an operation termed at that time by General Patton as being the greatest Air Obsr., Mtn. rat to the battalion commander, and the race was on. as the Allied Forces began building up the offensive to the Roer River. Ninth Army, for a importance the enemy attached to the Tangermunde bridge. Bismarck toward the Elbe raced the armored Pfc Edward McKinney