612th Tank Destroyer Battalion
Encyclopedia
The 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion was a unit of the United States Army
during World War II
. It played an instrumental role in defending Hofen during the Battle of the Bulge
. The twelve 3 inch guns
of Company A were integrated into the defensive positions of the 395th Infantry Regiment
and were key to keeping the attacking Sixth Panzer Army from gaining essential objectives in the first days of the offensive.
. All of the tank destroyer battalions used the same logo, that of a panther eating a caterpillar tread. The logo was widely used at Camp Hood where Tank Destroyer forces were trained, on uniforms, equipment, and official U.S. Army publications.
The Battalion received its men and moved to Camp Bowie
, Texas, on 4 December 1942, where they received basic training
. Major Joseph M. Deeley assumed command of the battalion on the 27 February 1943.
For advanced training as a self-propelled
unit, the battalion first moved to Camp Hood, Texas, on 3 March 1943. The battalion moved back to Camp Swift on 14 June 1943 and participated in the Third Army Maneuvers in Louisiana from September to November 1943, then returned to Camp Swift. On 20 December 1943, the battalion was reorganized as a towed battalion utilizing 3 inch guns
and on 26 March 1944 traveled to Camp Kilmer
, New Jersey, arriving on 29 March 1944. The battalion embarked on the Ile de France
, on 5 April 1944, at the New York Port of Embarkation, and sailed on 7 April 1944.
From 20 June to 10 July, the battalion protected the division from anti-mechanized attack, with elements harassing the enemy with high velocity interdiction fire. All during this time the enemy was looking down on the U.S. positions from Hill 192, and kept the U.S. units covered with continual harassing mortar, artillery, and long range machine gun fire.
On 25 June the rear echelon arrived from England, which completed the battalion's presence in Normandy
. On 3 July the battalion lost its first member in a combat death.
During August 1944, the battalion participated in the siege of Brest
helping to breach the old city walls. The unit was credited with destroying multiple pill boxes, dugouts, machine gun emplacements, an ammunition dump, anti-aircraft guns, large caliber artillery pieces, houses and a large hotel. In destroying these enemy installations and material, the Company inflicted more than four hundred casualties upon the enemy.
The battalion then participated in the attack on St. Marc, and although subjected to exceptionally heavy 88mm fire, found it necessary to move to positions fully visible to the Germans so they could place direct fire on German installations. Two platoons entered the city of Brest
on 11 September, following closely on the heels of advancing infantry. During the engagement, they received intense sniper fire. Gun crews abandoned all cautionary measures as they knocked out a pill box and several enemy observation posts during the day.
Despite heavy counterbattery and sniper fire on all gun positions during the final five days of the siege, the second platoon of Company B fired approximately 200 rounds per day and eliminated a number of pill boxes and other reinforced positions, enabling units of the 29th Infantry Division to steadily move forward. To be effective, Tank Destroyer guns operated within the front line rifle platoons.
On 15 December the Battalion observation post was moved to Wirtzfeld, Belgium to prepare for the attack on the Rohr River
Dams.
At 5:30 am on 16 December, after a 30 minute cannon and rocket barrage, the 3rd platoon of Company A was attacked by a strong German force which had penetrated the infantry lines. This became one of the decisive actions of the Battle of the Bulge
. The battalion's actions during this action resulted in it being recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation
. The enemy was driven off by vigorous counterattacks by Company A, fighting as infantry, and the U.S. lines were restored. Many enemy dead were piled up in front of the lines and 21 POW
s were taken.
On 17 December, Company B with the 1st Reconnaissance platoon attached, was detached from the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, and attached to the 99th Infantry Division. It was moved to the vicinity of Honsfeld, Belgium. The Germans attacked from the southwest with tanks and armored infantry and the platoons were surrounded. Three officers and 110 men being reported as missing in action, along with one officer and 18 men of 1st Reconnaissance platoon.
The morning of 17 December, Company C was attached to the 99th Infantry Division, but on the same day at 2:00 pm was reassigned to the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, and took up defensive positions at Butgenbach
, Belgium. Later this day the remnants of Company B were relieved from attachment to the 99th Infantry Division and placed in direct support of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
Company A was again attacked at Höfen by an enemy force estimated to be about one regiment in size, but they were successfully beaten back. Company C was relieved from attachment to the 26th Infantry Regiment and placed in support of the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division, and took up defensive positions east of Wirtzfeld on 19 December. In Höfen, Company A was attacked by strong enemy forces, and again they repulsed the attack. Eleven men were reported missing in action.
The battalion forward moved to Elsenborn Ridge
to the 99th Division Advance Command Post, where Lt. Col. Deeley took command of anti-tank defenses of the 99th Infantry Division on 20 December. On 21 December, Company A had engaged German paratroopers, part of a failed German reinforcement plan. At the end of the year Company A and Company B were relieved from their positions and were converted to self-propelled M-18
tank destroyers in the vicinity of Verviers
, Belgium. Company C continued to maintaining its position east of Berg.
dams they encountered little resistance, most in the form of road blocks and scattered mines. There were isolated instances of stubbornly defended towns where machine guns, Panzerfaust
teams, and Hitler Youth
, along with some Volkssturm
, slowed down the drive until the infantry dismounted and cleared the towns while the tanks and destroyers covered them with fire.
Continuing the pursuit along the Roer River
valley to the Rhine, the companies targeted retreating columns of Germans, often overrun by speeding U.S. troops. On 11 March the battalion reached the Rhine in the vicinity of Sinzig
. The companies deployed to protect the famed Remagen Bridge
from enemy attack from the water, firing at boats and floating debris suspected of containing demolitions, and boat loads of enemy escaping across the river. Guns were sited to engage enemy targets across the Rhine. Company C was with the 38th Infantry protecting the south flank of the First Army against an enemy thrust at the bridge from the south.
Company A, Company C and Headquarters crossed the Rhine on 21 March, and the battalion command post was established at Honningen
. Company C further attached to Combat Command A of the 9th Armored Division drove along with the combat command up the Rhine and then eastwards through Langscheid
, Rechtenbach
, Bernfeld, and Homberg
. The U.S. 2nd Reconnaissance platoon acted as advance point for the spearhead on the drive to Paderborn
, closing in the Ruhr Pocket
.
However, on 2 May the battalion began a 209 miles (336.4 km) march into Czechoslovakia, where they relieved elements of the extended Third United States Army in the vicinity of Waldmünchen
, Germany. The entire distance was covered in one day through a May snow storm, traveling on the Autobahn to Bayreuth, and east toward the Czechoslovakian border.
. They had expended 40,149 rounds of 3-inch ammunition, traveled 1936 miles (3,115.7 km), taking 742 enemy prisoners and killing 1145. They were credited with knocking out 57 machine gun nests, 65 vehicles of all types, 11 tanks and 27 guns from anti aircraft to 6 inch Naval guns. U.S. units held like a stone wall at Höfen, assisting in stopping the German breakthrough in the Ardennes, and fought across Germany on the spearhead.
The battalion was authorized to wear five Bronze Stars on its European Theater of Operations Service Ribbon, signifying our participation in the five major campaigns on the Continent, namely: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It played an instrumental role in defending Hofen during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. The twelve 3 inch guns
3 inch Gun M5
3 inch Gun M5 was an anti-tank gun developed in the United States during World War II. The gun combined a barrel of the anti-aircraft gun T9 and elements of the 105 mm howitzer M2. The M5 was issued exclusively to the US Army tank destroyer battalions starting in 1943...
of Company A were integrated into the defensive positions of the 395th Infantry Regiment
395th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Regiment—at times virtually surrounded by Germans—was one of the few units that did...
and were key to keeping the attacking Sixth Panzer Army from gaining essential objectives in the first days of the offensive.
Organization and training
The 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion was activated as a light battalion at Camp Swift, Texas, on 25 June 1942, under the command of Lt. Col. W. A. Hedden. The cadre of two officers and seventy-three enlisted men were from the 631st Tank Destroyer Battalion631st Tank Destroyer Battalion
The 631st Tank Destroyer Battalion was a tank destroyer battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War.The battalion was activated on 15 December 1941 as part of the general reorganisation of the anti-tank force...
. All of the tank destroyer battalions used the same logo, that of a panther eating a caterpillar tread. The logo was widely used at Camp Hood where Tank Destroyer forces were trained, on uniforms, equipment, and official U.S. Army publications.
The Battalion received its men and moved to Camp Bowie
Camp Bowie
Camp Bowie is a United States National Guard training center located in west central Texas near the cities of Brownwood and Early.-History:Camp Bowie, in honor of the Texas patriot James Bowie, was a military training facility during World War II, and was the third camp in Texas to be so named...
, Texas, on 4 December 1942, where they received basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
. Major Joseph M. Deeley assumed command of the battalion on the 27 February 1943.
For advanced training as a self-propelled
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
unit, the battalion first moved to Camp Hood, Texas, on 3 March 1943. The battalion moved back to Camp Swift on 14 June 1943 and participated in the Third Army Maneuvers in Louisiana from September to November 1943, then returned to Camp Swift. On 20 December 1943, the battalion was reorganized as a towed battalion utilizing 3 inch guns
3 inch Gun M5
3 inch Gun M5 was an anti-tank gun developed in the United States during World War II. The gun combined a barrel of the anti-aircraft gun T9 and elements of the 105 mm howitzer M2. The M5 was issued exclusively to the US Army tank destroyer battalions starting in 1943...
and on 26 March 1944 traveled to Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New Jersey, arriving on 29 March 1944. The battalion embarked on the Ile de France
SS Ile de France
The SS Ile de France was a French ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire, France for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. The ship was the first major ocean liner built after the conclusion of World War I and was the first liner ever to be decorated entirely with designs associated with the Art Deco...
, on 5 April 1944, at the New York Port of Embarkation, and sailed on 7 April 1944.
Arrival on the continent
After arriving in England, two platoons of Company B were the first elements to sail from England aboard a LST on 12 June, arriving in France on 14 June. They immediately moved into positions on the line in the 2nd Infantry Division sector, with the mission to provide anti-mechanized protection for the Division. The remainder of Headquarters Company, Company A, elements of Company B and Company C arrived on 16 June.From 20 June to 10 July, the battalion protected the division from anti-mechanized attack, with elements harassing the enemy with high velocity interdiction fire. All during this time the enemy was looking down on the U.S. positions from Hill 192, and kept the U.S. units covered with continual harassing mortar, artillery, and long range machine gun fire.
On 25 June the rear echelon arrived from England, which completed the battalion's presence in Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. On 3 July the battalion lost its first member in a combat death.
During August 1944, the battalion participated in the siege of Brest
Battle for Brest
The Battle for Brest was one of the fiercest battles fought during Operation Cobra, the Allied breakout of Normandy which began on 27 July 1944, during the Battle of Normandy during World War II....
helping to breach the old city walls. The unit was credited with destroying multiple pill boxes, dugouts, machine gun emplacements, an ammunition dump, anti-aircraft guns, large caliber artillery pieces, houses and a large hotel. In destroying these enemy installations and material, the Company inflicted more than four hundred casualties upon the enemy.
The battalion then participated in the attack on St. Marc, and although subjected to exceptionally heavy 88mm fire, found it necessary to move to positions fully visible to the Germans so they could place direct fire on German installations. Two platoons entered the city of Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on 11 September, following closely on the heels of advancing infantry. During the engagement, they received intense sniper fire. Gun crews abandoned all cautionary measures as they knocked out a pill box and several enemy observation posts during the day.
Despite heavy counterbattery and sniper fire on all gun positions during the final five days of the siege, the second platoon of Company B fired approximately 200 rounds per day and eliminated a number of pill boxes and other reinforced positions, enabling units of the 29th Infantry Division to steadily move forward. To be effective, Tank Destroyer guns operated within the front line rifle platoons.
Defense in the Battle of the Bulge
On the morning of 27 September, the battalion began a 692 miles (1,113.7 km) motor march across France and Belgium to Germany. On 13 December 1944, Company A was attached to Regimental Combat Team 9 and moved to Höfen, Germany to support the planned attack of the 9th Infantry Regiment with direct fire on Rohren, Germany.On 15 December the Battalion observation post was moved to Wirtzfeld, Belgium to prepare for the attack on the Rohr River
Rur
The Rur , — not to be confused with the Ruhr — is a river which flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse...
Dams.
At 5:30 am on 16 December, after a 30 minute cannon and rocket barrage, the 3rd platoon of Company A was attacked by a strong German force which had penetrated the infantry lines. This became one of the decisive actions of the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. The battalion's actions during this action resulted in it being recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
. The enemy was driven off by vigorous counterattacks by Company A, fighting as infantry, and the U.S. lines were restored. Many enemy dead were piled up in front of the lines and 21 POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s were taken.
On 17 December, Company B with the 1st Reconnaissance platoon attached, was detached from the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, and attached to the 99th Infantry Division. It was moved to the vicinity of Honsfeld, Belgium. The Germans attacked from the southwest with tanks and armored infantry and the platoons were surrounded. Three officers and 110 men being reported as missing in action, along with one officer and 18 men of 1st Reconnaissance platoon.
The morning of 17 December, Company C was attached to the 99th Infantry Division, but on the same day at 2:00 pm was reassigned to the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, and took up defensive positions at Butgenbach
Bütgenbach
Bütgenbach is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Bütgenbach had a total population of 5,574. The total area is 97.31 km² which gives a population density of 57 inhabitants per km². The official language in this municipality is German....
, Belgium. Later this day the remnants of Company B were relieved from attachment to the 99th Infantry Division and placed in direct support of the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
Company A was again attacked at Höfen by an enemy force estimated to be about one regiment in size, but they were successfully beaten back. Company C was relieved from attachment to the 26th Infantry Regiment and placed in support of the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division, and took up defensive positions east of Wirtzfeld on 19 December. In Höfen, Company A was attacked by strong enemy forces, and again they repulsed the attack. Eleven men were reported missing in action.
Elsenborn Ridge
The Elsenborn Ridge is a ridge line east of the town of Elsenborn, Belgium in the Ardennes forest that was the blocking line on the northern shoulder of the Battle of the Bulge. Their area was the main line of advance for Hitler's prized 12th SS Hitlerjugend. Units of V Corps of the First U.S...
to the 99th Division Advance Command Post, where Lt. Col. Deeley took command of anti-tank defenses of the 99th Infantry Division on 20 December. On 21 December, Company A had engaged German paratroopers, part of a failed German reinforcement plan. At the end of the year Company A and Company B were relieved from their positions and were converted to self-propelled M-18
M18 Hellcat
The 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 was an American tank destroyer of World War II. The manufacturer, Buick, gave it the nickname "Hellcat" and it was the fastest tracked armored fighting vehicle during the war with a top speed up to 60 mph. Hellcat crews took advantage of the vehicle's...
tank destroyers in the vicinity of Verviers
Verviers
Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
, Belgium. Company C continued to maintaining its position east of Berg.
Central Europe campaign
On 6 March, the battalion jumped-off on the drive for the Rhine. Traveling from the Roer RiverRur
The Rur , — not to be confused with the Ruhr — is a river which flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse...
dams they encountered little resistance, most in the form of road blocks and scattered mines. There were isolated instances of stubbornly defended towns where machine guns, Panzerfaust
Panzerfaust
The Panzerfaust was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, operated by a single soldier...
teams, and Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
, along with some Volkssturm
Volkssturm
The Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard.-Origins and...
, slowed down the drive until the infantry dismounted and cleared the towns while the tanks and destroyers covered them with fire.
Continuing the pursuit along the Roer River
Rur
The Rur , — not to be confused with the Ruhr — is a river which flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse...
valley to the Rhine, the companies targeted retreating columns of Germans, often overrun by speeding U.S. troops. On 11 March the battalion reached the Rhine in the vicinity of Sinzig
Sinzig
Sinzig is a town in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Rhine, approx. 5 km south-east of Remagen and 25 km south-east of Bonn, and it has approximately 20,000 inhabitants .-History:...
. The companies deployed to protect the famed Remagen Bridge
Ludendorff Bridge
The Ludendorff Bridge was a railway bridge across the River Rhine in Germany, connecting the villages of Remagen and Erpel between two ridge lines of hills flanking the river...
from enemy attack from the water, firing at boats and floating debris suspected of containing demolitions, and boat loads of enemy escaping across the river. Guns were sited to engage enemy targets across the Rhine. Company C was with the 38th Infantry protecting the south flank of the First Army against an enemy thrust at the bridge from the south.
Company A, Company C and Headquarters crossed the Rhine on 21 March, and the battalion command post was established at Honningen
Hönningen
Hönningen is a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
. Company C further attached to Combat Command A of the 9th Armored Division drove along with the combat command up the Rhine and then eastwards through Langscheid
Langscheid
Langscheid is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, Rechtenbach
Rechtenbach
Rechtenbach is a community in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Lohr am Main.- Location :...
, Bernfeld, and Homberg
Homberg
-In Germany:*Homberg , administrative seat of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Hesse*Homberg , in the district of Vogelsbergkreis, Hesse*Homberg, Westerwaldkreis, in the district of Westerwaldkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate...
. The U.S. 2nd Reconnaissance platoon acted as advance point for the spearhead on the drive to Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, closing in the Ruhr Pocket
Ruhr Pocket
The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclement that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War II, in the Ruhr Area of Germany. For all intents and purposes, it marked the end of major organized resistance on Nazi Germany's Western Front, as more than 300,000 troops were...
.
However, on 2 May the battalion began a 209 miles (336.4 km) march into Czechoslovakia, where they relieved elements of the extended Third United States Army in the vicinity of Waldmünchen
Waldmünchen
Waldmünchen is a town in the district of Cham, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Czech Republic, 18 km north of Cham, and 18 km southwest of Domažlice....
, Germany. The entire distance was covered in one day through a May snow storm, traveling on the Autobahn to Bayreuth, and east toward the Czechoslovakian border.
Post-war occupation duty
The war ended for the battalion after 10 months and 23 days of fighting across Europe – from Normandy to Plzeň, CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. They had expended 40,149 rounds of 3-inch ammunition, traveled 1936 miles (3,115.7 km), taking 742 enemy prisoners and killing 1145. They were credited with knocking out 57 machine gun nests, 65 vehicles of all types, 11 tanks and 27 guns from anti aircraft to 6 inch Naval guns. U.S. units held like a stone wall at Höfen, assisting in stopping the German breakthrough in the Ardennes, and fought across Germany on the spearhead.
Presidential Unit Citation
Company A wore the Presidential Unit Citation for their stand at Höfen, Belgium in the battle of the Ardennes.The battalion was authorized to wear five Bronze Stars on its European Theater of Operations Service Ribbon, signifying our participation in the five major campaigns on the Continent, namely: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe.