CHAPTER II
The 746th Tank Battalion in support of the 9th Infantry Division
The first American unit involved in the HURTGEN FOREST fighting was the 9th Infantry Division. Early in the morning of 14 September 1944, elements of the division, supported by the 746th Tank Battalion under Lt. Col. Clarence G. Hupfer, started across the Belgian-German border at ROETGEN (K915285) and MONSCHAU with the mission of penetrating the defenses of the German WEST WALL and seizing the road centers in the vicinity of DÜREN. Within three days the 47th Infantry completely penetrated the WEST WALL at SCHEVENHÜTTE (F006422), while the 39th Regiment was through the first line of defenses at LAMMERSDORF (K968267) and the 60th Regiment was through the first line near HÖFEN (K950165). Well organized German resistance halted the division with the capture of these objectives; thus ended the long march through FRANCE and BELGIUM; the tough fighting for limited objectives, characteristic of combat in the HURTGEN FOREST, began.
Probing attacks all along the division's front failed to achieve substantial gains despite heavy losses; the forces were spread too thinly for effective action against the organized German positions. So, on 4 October, the 4th Cavalry Group relieved the 39th and 60th Regiments, in the LAMMERSDORF and MONSCHAU areas, and the two regiments assembled northwest of GERMETER (F026334) for an attack on that town and on the road south and west of there. This attack was successful, but its continuation toward VOSSENACK was halted by a German counterattack from the north, which threatened to isolate the 39th Infantry on 12 October. Thereafter the seriously depleted forces of the 9th Division held their gains until the 39th and 60th Regiments were relieved on 28 October by the 28th Infantry Division. This relief was made possible by the regrouping of the First US Army forces following the fall of AACHEN on 21 October. It marked the opening of a new phase of operations — the coordinated First Army attack to seize the ROER RIVER dams and crossings of the ROER RIVER.
The 746th Tank Battalion was first attached to the 9th Infantry Division 12 June after entering combat six days earlier with the 4th Infantry Division in amphibious landings in NORMANDY. Most of the battalion's practical tank-infantry training was in preparation for these landings. Previously trained in doctrine that called for use of tanks in mass, the tankers soon learned that infantry support meant fighting in small teams with the infantry. Seldom were they used in greater mass than a platoon.
The 9th Division attached the three medium tank companies to the three regimental combat teams:
Company A to the 47th Infantry Regiment
Company B to the 60th Infantry Regiment
Company C to the 39th Infantry Regiment
The medium tank companies were further broken down to give each infantry battalion one tank platoon. Most often this platoon was allotted to the assault company of the battalion. The company headquarters normally operated near the infantry regiment command post.
Company D, the light tank company, was attached to the 9th Reconnaissance Troop and had one platoon constantly at the Division CP on guard duty. The other two platoons were used at various times:
- in division reserve
- to reinforce road blocks established by engineer combat battalions attached to the division
- to protect the flanks of the infantry regiments.
The assault guns of the battalion were organized into three two-gun sections to cooperate with the cannon companies of the infantry regiments. This reorganization, which took place late in September, was an improvement over the prior employment, which had seen the assault guns used as tanks. The tables of organization and equipment called for an Assault Gun Platoon of three guns in Headquarters Company and one assault gun in each medium tank company.
The Mortar Platoon of Headquarters Company was used throughout the period to reinforce the road blocks set up by the attached engineers.
The Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Service Company operated generally in the vicinity of the Division headquarters.
The following brief description summarizes the actions of the 9th Infantry Division in the battle of the HURTGEN FOREST without specifically mentioning the supporting tanks of the 746th Tank Battalion, which were organized for combat as indicated above. The method of tank employment, will be discussed in detail following the narrative of events.
