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17th Armored Engineer Battalion
The 17th Armored Engineer Battalion was a part of the 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels". During World War II, they were active in North African Campaign, and Western Europe Campaign. 17th Armored Engineer Battalion was founded on 1 October 1933 as part of the US Army. First called 17th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Ponton), Motorized. It was renamed on 10 July 1940 to 17th Engineer Battalion (Armored) and assigned to the 2nd Armored Division. The unit became active and started training 15 July 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Renamed again on 8 January 1942 as the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion. The Battalion is now based at Fort Cavazos, Texas. The battalion's motto was We pave the way. Tasks of the 17 included construction and demolition under combat conditions, constructing and breaching trenches, tank traps and other fortifications, bunker construction, bridge and road construction, and building destruction bridges and other physical work in the battlefield whenever needed. They also laid and cleared land mines. The 17th facilitated the movement and support of friendly forces while slowing down the enemy's forces.
Training started at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia.
After organizing the new battalion, training in engineering skills started. The battalion average age of the enlisted men was 22 years. Then men had two and a half months of basic training behind. Training included: M1 carbine Rifle marksmanship, mines, minefields, Demining fixed dry gullies bridge construct, floating Pontoon bridge construct, road repair-making, Military engineering vehicles-DUKW use, and other field combat problems. Training include Live fire exercise and live mine exercises, to make the men battle ready. Colonel George S. Patton was in charge of training the new 2nd Armored division.
17th Armored Engineer Battalion moved with the 2nd Armored Division to North Africa, Sicily, England, France, Belgium and Germany, under the command of the First Army.
As part of the North African Campaign, and Operation Torch the 17th took part in landing French North Africa's Algeria and Morocco. The major task in North Africa was landing clear and mine removal. 17th landing were early morning on 8 November 1942. In Morocco the landing was in Safi as part of Operation Blackstone.
As part of Operation Husky order of battle in the Sicily Campaign, the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion with the 2nd Armor Division landed in Gela, Sicily in south-central Sicily, on 11 July 1943. Before the landing the 17th used M4 Sherman tanks with Scorpion Mine flail exploder to clear the way. The operation captured Butera and participated in the Battle of Mazzarino, then moving on to Palermo. After Sicily the 17th moved to England to train and prepare for D-Day.
On 9 June 1944, D-day plus 3, along with other battalions, the 17th battalion landed on Utah Beach in Normandy as a part of the Normandy landings and Operation Overlord. They cleared lanes for landing craft by destroying the mine-bearing steel structures that the Germans had implanted in the intertidal zone. They bulldozed roads up the narrow draws through the cliffs lining the beaches. 17th Armored Engineer Battalion were issued new camouflage uniforms for D-Day. These uniforms are the same one used by US Marine Corps in the Pacific. To clear barricades, mine fields, fill in caters and break through thick hedgerows the 17th used M4 Sherman Tanks mounting with M1 bulldozer. Also used was Caterpillar D7 with armor plates added to the engine and cab. The tank bulldozer broke through the hedgerows in France. Germans learned to wait until the tanks cross with infantry following on foot then fire on both. To counter, forces started with their main guns loaded with canister and pointed to the rear and to the flanks. As the tanks crossed they fired parallel to the hedges, inflicting enemy casualties, this became known as "Roosevelt's Butchers,". From Omaha Beach the battalion pushed through the Cherbourg peninsula and built bridge across the Seine river in France.
As part of aftermath of the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael, the 17th and 82nd Armored Engineer Battalion work build a Bailey bridge across the Albert Canal at the village of Kanne. The first try failed as the bridge fell into the canal. On 15 September 1944 with the help of a boat for support the bridge was completed. Albert canal functioned as a defense line for the retreating enemy.
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17th Armored Engineer Battalion
The 17th Armored Engineer Battalion was a part of the 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels". During World War II, they were active in North African Campaign, and Western Europe Campaign. 17th Armored Engineer Battalion was founded on 1 October 1933 as part of the US Army. First called 17th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Ponton), Motorized. It was renamed on 10 July 1940 to 17th Engineer Battalion (Armored) and assigned to the 2nd Armored Division. The unit became active and started training 15 July 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Renamed again on 8 January 1942 as the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion. The Battalion is now based at Fort Cavazos, Texas. The battalion's motto was We pave the way. Tasks of the 17 included construction and demolition under combat conditions, constructing and breaching trenches, tank traps and other fortifications, bunker construction, bridge and road construction, and building destruction bridges and other physical work in the battlefield whenever needed. They also laid and cleared land mines. The 17th facilitated the movement and support of friendly forces while slowing down the enemy's forces.
Training started at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia.
After organizing the new battalion, training in engineering skills started. The battalion average age of the enlisted men was 22 years. Then men had two and a half months of basic training behind. Training included: M1 carbine Rifle marksmanship, mines, minefields, Demining fixed dry gullies bridge construct, floating Pontoon bridge construct, road repair-making, Military engineering vehicles-DUKW use, and other field combat problems. Training include Live fire exercise and live mine exercises, to make the men battle ready. Colonel George S. Patton was in charge of training the new 2nd Armored division.
17th Armored Engineer Battalion moved with the 2nd Armored Division to North Africa, Sicily, England, France, Belgium and Germany, under the command of the First Army.
As part of the North African Campaign, and Operation Torch the 17th took part in landing French North Africa's Algeria and Morocco. The major task in North Africa was landing clear and mine removal. 17th landing were early morning on 8 November 1942. In Morocco the landing was in Safi as part of Operation Blackstone.
As part of Operation Husky order of battle in the Sicily Campaign, the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion with the 2nd Armor Division landed in Gela, Sicily in south-central Sicily, on 11 July 1943. Before the landing the 17th used M4 Sherman tanks with Scorpion Mine flail exploder to clear the way. The operation captured Butera and participated in the Battle of Mazzarino, then moving on to Palermo. After Sicily the 17th moved to England to train and prepare for D-Day.
On 9 June 1944, D-day plus 3, along with other battalions, the 17th battalion landed on Utah Beach in Normandy as a part of the Normandy landings and Operation Overlord. They cleared lanes for landing craft by destroying the mine-bearing steel structures that the Germans had implanted in the intertidal zone. They bulldozed roads up the narrow draws through the cliffs lining the beaches. 17th Armored Engineer Battalion were issued new camouflage uniforms for D-Day. These uniforms are the same one used by US Marine Corps in the Pacific. To clear barricades, mine fields, fill in caters and break through thick hedgerows the 17th used M4 Sherman Tanks mounting with M1 bulldozer. Also used was Caterpillar D7 with armor plates added to the engine and cab. The tank bulldozer broke through the hedgerows in France. Germans learned to wait until the tanks cross with infantry following on foot then fire on both. To counter, forces started with their main guns loaded with canister and pointed to the rear and to the flanks. As the tanks crossed they fired parallel to the hedges, inflicting enemy casualties, this became known as "Roosevelt's Butchers,". From Omaha Beach the battalion pushed through the Cherbourg peninsula and built bridge across the Seine river in France.
As part of aftermath of the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael, the 17th and 82nd Armored Engineer Battalion work build a Bailey bridge across the Albert Canal at the village of Kanne. The first try failed as the bridge fell into the canal. On 15 September 1944 with the help of a boat for support the bridge was completed. Albert canal functioned as a defense line for the retreating enemy.