JOUR-J - UNITES

746th Tank Battalion (Utah Beach)

 
The 746th embarked in New York on 29 January 1944 aboard the RMS Aquitania and arrived at Gourock, Scotland on 9 February 1944. Upon arrival in Great Britain, it shipped by train to Fairford, England. It then moved in March 1944 to Castlemartin Range, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, where it conducted live fire and maneuver training at the company level and below. Following live fire and tactical training, the battalion moved to the south of England where they participated in training for the amphibious assaults in Normandy. It was during this time that the 746th was assigned to support the 4th Infantry Division for the invasion. They participated in Exercise Beaver without incident and although they also took part in Exercise Tiger, the unit suffered no casualties as a result of the German raid in the early morning darkness of 28 April.
By May, the 746th Tank Battalion marshaled in their staging area at Lupton Park, Brixham and from 31 May to 2 June loaded aboard LCT’s at Dartmouth and joined the invasion armada on 3 June.
Although not one of the three tank battalions that would land with the first assault wave on D-Day, the medium tank companies and the command elements of the battalion nevertheless landed ashore on Utah Beach attached to the 4th Infantry Division before noon of 6 June. The tanks’ landing craft landed about 2,000 yards from their planned locations, but once ashore the battalion immediately went into combat and was parceled out to the various infantry units they were to support.
 
      
 
Commanding Officer: Lt. Colonel Clarence G. Hupfer  [voir le dossier]
  Headquarters Company: Captain Thomas J. Hoshell  [voir le dossier]
  Service Company: Captain William P. Kennedy  [voir le dossier]
  Medical Company: Captain Alex Hochman  [voir le dossier]
  A Company: Captain Loveaire A. Hedges  [voir le dossier]
  B Company: Captain Asher K. Pay  [voir le dossier]
  C Company: Captain James A. Crawford  [voir le dossier] (KIA 9 June 44)
  D Company: 1st Lieutenant Eugene M. McDonough  [voir le dossier]