WW2 buffs- I need info on anti tank companys.

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Tokugawa

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Hopefully, some of you folks out there can clue me in - My father in law, who I never got to meet, served in the 97 Div., 303 Infantry Regiment, in the Anti Tank co. I am trying to put together some info for the family, as few of them seem to realize what a hell our soldiers went thru. My wife says from all accounts, he was never the same after the war. So do you know exactly what an anti tank co, does? Is this infantry armed with bazooka's, or anti tank cannnon? The only picture I have of him in the field is standing in front of a tent holding an Stg 44 assault rifle.
I am trying to contact some members of his unit, but surviving WW2 vets are rarer on a daily basis. So any info will be much appreciated. Thanks.
 
Anti-tank companies were generally armed with towed anti-tank guns. They are apart from Tank Destroyers which are motorized and light skinned vehicles with open topped rotating turrets that mount a large caliber gun. Bazookas were standard issue to infantry units and not your father-in-law's unit. You might want to write the National Archives to get his service record.
 
There was also an anti-tank mine platoon in the anti tank companys. They often fought as infantry.

Here's one of the best WWII novel's I ever read. The author was in an antitank platoon during the war. The novel is little known, but is well worth reading.

"Infantry Solider" by W. Y. Boyd (sometimes credited as Bill Boyd)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...102-1010637-6575351?s=books&v=glance&n=283155


Edit: Ok, I see that "Infantry Soldier" was reprinted as "The Gentle Infantryman." Here's the link to the current edition that is is print.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15...102-1010637-6575351?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
 
I lifted this information about a reunion from a DAV site:

ANTI-TANK CO. 303RD INF. 97TH DIV. WWII - September 14-16, 2000, Contact Fred Kempski, Phone (631) 667-2952.

Mind you, this was 5 1/2 years ago, so this gentleman might be deceased, but it is worth a shot.

I will keep looking, I have made this kind of sleuthing a hobby, and if I might say so, I have had pretty good luck. I chased down a diary account of a Japanese aircraft strafing and killing an ensign on a landing ship (LSM) for the ensign's sister. Even arranged for four B-25 vets to get another ride on a B-25 after 60 years (two pilots, a mechanic, and a photo guy, the pilots "officially" never got to fly it;) .

Please let me know if it leads anywhere. Don't delay in calling!
 
37mm and 57mm towed AT guns early on, with a few 3". Also 37mm that could be dissassembled into man or animal pack loads.

Later on 3" and 90mm.

Early tank destroyers were halftracks with 3" and 1 ton trucks similar to a pickup (might have been 1 1/2 ton?) with 57mm pintle mounted in the bed.

Have to be sneaky with towed AT, once the enemy finds you that lack of mobility is really bad...
 
NMshooter said:
Have to be sneaky with towed AT, once the enemy finds you that lack of mobility is really bad...
Click to expand...

this is part of the reason that a few units of the british army in N. Africa starting using "portee cannons" in other words take the largest anti-tank gun you have, throw it into the back of a Ford flatbed/pickup type truck (think the ones used were in the 1-1/2 ton range) with the barrel pointed over the tailgate. Concept was hide in the brush, use a small unit of tanks to bait a german panzer column into a cross fire, take your pot shots and then run like a rabbit with the gun toward the enemy, if enemy follows take up second position and repeat last two steps.
 
Hey Tokogawa,

My uncle was in one of the tank-destroyer "Black Panther" units. He took part in many European campaigns and was part of a crew on a light "tank destroyer" which looked like a tank with an open turret and barely any armor. I guess the idea was that you sacrificed armor for mobility and hoped you could out-maneuver the Panzers.

I'm not sure if the 97th Div, 303 Infantry Div was similar or more like Infantry with bazookas but I did find this roster from WWII for the 97th Div if it helps. Perhaps it would be possible to track down some of these gentlemen.

WWII 97th Div Roster

Ha! Wait, I just found this description online:

WWII Infantry
Regiments and Battalions
During World War II a U.S. Infantry Regiment consisted of 3,257 men, organized as follows:

Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Canon Company with six 105 mm Howitzers
Antitank Company with nine 57 mm antitank guns
Service Company:
1st Battalion with A, B, C, D Companies
2nd Battalion with E, F, G, H Companies
3rd Battalion with I, K, L, M Companies


The U.S. Infantry Battalion consisted of 836 men, organized as follows:

Top Level: Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Antitank Platoon with the 57 mm antitank guns
Mine Platoon
Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon
Ammunition and Pioneer Platoon
Heavy Weapons Platoon with 166 men, eight heavy machine guns, and six 81 mm mortars
Three Rifle Companies of 193 men: each company had three rifle platoons of three squads each and a weapons platoon with two .30 caliber light machine guns and three 60 mm mortars.

So it looks like an anti-tank platoon attached to an infantry regiment would be armed with 57mm anti-tank guns...

- SalukiFan
 
BTW, the 57 mm AT gun was adopted from the British 6 pdr anti-tank gun. The Russians also had it (via Lend Lease). It has a rather distinctive shield.
 
I have a copy of that book sitting on my desk at the office, I think, I would gladly send it to you. PM me your address....


that is if it is still at the office...
 
Trebor, thanks for the book reccomendation- I finished it last night, what a story!
And Bowfin, I got hold of Mr. Kempski- THANK YOU ! Turns out he was with my father in laws platoon! They were in the mine platoon of the anti tank co, just as in the book mentioned above, "The Gentle Infantryman". Mr. Kempski informed me my F I L was awarded the Bronze Star for clearing mines under fire at the Sieg River, April 6, 1945.

Thanks for the help again, this means a lot to me.
 
We were glad to help. I'm glad you got more info on your father in law. Fantastic that that contact actually served with him. What where the odds?

I'm also glad you enjoyed the book. It's one of my favorite WWII novels. I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in the war.
 
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