BAPTISM OF FIRE:
Having landed on Utah Beach in Normandy, France, on 30 July 1944, this Battalion was peacefully bivouaced in an apple orchard near LeValdecie, France until 1730 hours, 2 August 1944, when word was received that the Battalion was assigned to the 5th Armored Division, XV Corps, Third Army, and would prepare to move at once. At this time the Battalion was Assigned the Code name "Victory" which was used throughout the period of combat.
It was for this moment that the Battalion had trained since 10 July 1941, and once tactically committed on 2 August 1944, there were very few days when some members of the organization were not on a combat status n France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany, until the unconditional surrender on 9 May 1945.
Initially the entire Battalion was kept intact, however, as orders were receive to commit one company after another, it became normal operating procedure to attach one Reconnaisance Company Platoon to each of the Tank Destroyer Gun Companies, which in turn were attached to each of the three Combat Commands, Co. "A" to CCA, Co. "B" to CCB, Co. "C" to CCR. Battalion Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Medical Detachment and Reconnaissance Company Headquarters, with Pioneer Platoon, being attached to Headquarters 5th Armored Divison Artillery. The Battalion Personnel Section was attached to Administrative Center in Division Rear Echelon.
The initial mission of the 5th Armored Division, given after the Battalion arrived in the Division rendezvous area at 2145 hours, 2 August 1944 in the vicinity of Perier, France, was the taking of Fougeres, with the main objective of Laval. Battalion route of march went thru Noirpalu via St. Martin to St. James. On 4 August 1944, Lt. John J. Devine, Jr., Platoon Leader, Co. "A", went on a Reconnaissance mission in vicinity of La Pelerne, France, and made the first contact by a member of this Battalion with an enemy force. Lt. Devine subsequently died of wounds received in the Argantan, France on 12 August 1944.
The Battalion left bivouac near St. James, at 0930 hours, 6 August 1944 and proceeded thru Fougeres, Vitre, Meral, Crosse-Le-Vivien to Houssay, France. Near Meral the column was fired on with small arms by enemy snipers and three German prisoners were captured by the Reconnaissance Company, in vicinity of Cross-Le-Vivien. The following day the march was through Poille, where an enemy machine gun nest was encountered and subsequently knocked out by direct fire from two M-10's from Company "A". From Poille, France, the column proceeded thru Louplande, Arnage, Maingne to Les Sommeres, in vicinity of Le Mans, France. At Arnage sniper fire and enemy 88 mm Artillery fire was directed against the column, and Maigne was the first of many towns to be seen completely on fire. Thus, at this early stage in its progress across Europe, did the Battalion receive its baptism of fire in combat, a baptism which continued in an ever increasing crescendo until the banks of the Elbe River in Germany were reached.
