V Corps attached two companies to the 80th Infantry Division and two companies to the 90th Infantry Division for this mission.

Web81st Chemical Mortar Bn "The 81st Battalion was the chemical unit most adequately prepared for the D-day operation." Machine gun bullets ripped into the belts on several of the carts, however, deflating them and causing the carts to sink. The A Company commander placed a shell on the roof of the house, and to check the lay of the guns, fired another round. This one was a German, but had sense enough to surrender without a fight. Murphy, one of the ships in the convoy, had collided with another ship, resulting in the Murphy being cut in half. By this time, the artillery had come to know and respect the power of the 4.2 mortar, particularly because of the better support it could give the infantry in the hedgerow terrain. It was in Louisiana on Easter Sunday that the battalion held its first anniversary and Col. James presented to the unit, in a colorful ceremony, its battalion colors on which was portrayed its insignia and motto. After spotting the Germans digging in, it fired nine rounds of high explosives and laid a smokescreen for others crossing behind them. The specific orders were to break through and advance regardless of losses. Eight months were to go by before they rejoined the battalion. It was not until late in the afternoon that part of the company was able to move to a bluff overlooking the beach and fire its first mission. On June 11, Company D caused the withdrawal of advance enemy mechanized units by maintaining intermittent fire on routes of approach. Pvt Domenic Sanna of D Company was killed on June 18 when two jeeps carrying up the companys first batch of mail and a load of ammunition took a wrong turn and ran into a strong enemy party. That night at the Caumont "hot spot," D Companys sector was subjected to a strong counterattack, preceded by an artillery, mortar, and Nebelwerfer preparation. The attack on Schicklgruber village with live ammunition furnished plenty of excitement and firsthand experience in street fighting and battle sounds. It was then redesignated as the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion on 22 February 1945. He claimed that he had never fired a shot on American troops. WebThe 81st Chemical Battalion arrived at Camp Polk, Louisiana, on April 5, 1943, where it participated in maneuvers in conjunction with the 85th Division until May 4. Russell for duty. To give a thorough account of the accomplishments of the Eighty-First Chemical Mortar Battalion would take thousands of pages. Badly needed replacement officers and men joined the companies at this time.

For this reason they were also called the "Four-deucers".

The mortars were called on more and more as the infantry learned of their accuracy and effectiveness.

Company A was given nightly harassing fire schedules, as well as supporting infantry attacks on Hill 192, during which it fired 500 rounds in a 14-hour period. By September 11, Luxembourg had been liberated and the German frontier crossed. 22, ED, 1943), superseding Executive Order No. IV. The infantry, taking advantage of this concentrated shelling, moved in as the fire was lifted and succeeded in securing the ground. The FO party had left the night before with an infantry patrol, and at 0230 hours, as one platoon moved up with an infantry, the route of approach was shelled incessantly. WebThe 81st Chemical Battalion (Motorized) was activated by GO #22, 25 April 1942, Hq Fort D.A.

Insofar as antiquity and tradition are concerned, it is conspicuously new, but the few years since its activation have been packed with accomplishment, heroism, and battle experience in keeping with the highest traditions of any unit in the United States Army. Company A also was attached to the 175th on August 12. Lo, the rear CP moved on to Berigny, and then to Vieux Calnes. In early September, Companies A and B were attached to the 4th Division. Thanks to deep foxholes and overhead cover the casualties were few. Though numerous casualties were suffered, men of the 81st Chemical Battalion were not deterred from the accomplishment of their mission, and upon reaching shore with the loss of only one mortar, continued in support of the infantry for twelve days without relief. In early August, the 81st reassembled for its first formal rest period. On June 12 an OP party, consisting of Lt Mann, Cpl Roach, and PFCs Jones and Harris, accompanying an assault company, was pinned down for two hours and then overrun by a strong German counterattack. In early August, the 81st reassembled for its first formal rest period. WebThe 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion (Motorized) was one of four Chemical Warfare Service units to land on Utah and Omaha beaches, Normandy, on the morning of 6 June 1944. Company A at this time was in an assembly area near Argentan, and C Company had their mortars set up south of Chambois. WebABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum Carrabelle FL. Company A was attached along with Company C to the 16th Regimental Combat Team. The companies landed in the following order: Companies A & D: H plus 50 minutes Company B: H plus 90 minutes Company C: H plus 9 hours. 81st chemical mortar battalion. At 0350 hours on November 14, Company A crossed the Moselle River and proceeded to Valmestroff, enduring heavy fire and suffering several casualties. On the 28th of July, another honor came to D Company when S/Sgt Loren E. Weaver received a battlefield commission as second lieutenant. Later the lead echelon was moved to Falmouth for embarkation and the initial build-up (overstrength) was moved to Tiverton for shipment so as to arrive in France and join the forward echelon on D plus 5. The Chemical Warfare Service: Chemicals in Combat.

The Chemical Warfare Service: Chemicals in Combat. The Stokes mortar could fire twenty shells per minute and had a range of 1,100 yards (1,006 m) and in this way was capable of overwhelming enemy trenches. It was nearly three hours later when the company landed on the Easy Red sector of Omaha Beach beside the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry. The great attack on Hill 192, the gateway to St.

A West Pointer and a Regular Army officer of wide and varied experience, he immediately set to work organizing the battalion. During this short breathing spell, August 5 to 12, a thorough inspection of all equipment was accomplished, repairs made, and replacement parts obtained. At this time only a small section of the beach was held by American troops, and enemy fire was still inflicting heavy casualties. The battalion also assisted in bridging the lower half of the Falaise pocket, which helped seal the fate of the German Seventh Army. The following day a 25-minute concentration from its mortars was credited with stopping a company of enemy infantry attacking up a draw near the gun position. On April 2, 1943, the first contingent of the battalion left Fort D.A. In driving the enemy from the coast of Normandy and across northern France, the mortars had expended a total of 31,949 rounds. Enemy artillery and mortar fire was fierce, and bombings were more frequent.

During June 15 and June 16, D Company did considerable effective firing in the vicinity of Moon-Sur-Elle. Approximately 600 rounds were fired that day. To them, Paris was so near and yet so far. Several mortars and carts were carried away by the heavy seas. Thus was born the 81st, without fanfare, but with quiet purpose. Many of the personnel found accommodations in nearby towns and brought their wives there to be near them. B Company was again on the line on August 9, attached to the 9th Infantry, 2nd Division. 1873 Highway 98 West After having been reattached to the 116th Infantry, B Company assisted in the attack on Bois de Bretel (Bretel Wood). Shortly after, the infantry commander reported the enemy completely routed, and his men had taken the position without firing a shot. From December 1943, through April 1944, each company of the battalion, including parts of headquarters, participated in intensive amphibious and assault exercises at the ATC and along the western and southern coasts of England. There was nothing left for the Germans to do except surrender or die.

Equipment and training aids were scarce and inadequate in those days, but American ingenuity at improvising when equipment was lacking paid dividends. Company D, which had left in August, was fortunate to be sent over in the Queen Elizabeth which traveled alone, without escort of any kind, due to her speed; she made the trip in five days. In October the mortars arrived and everyone's morale went up. Marfa itself was a little cattle town with a big sense of hospitality and a bit of Old Mexico. The two men were assisted during the night by the FFI and Belgian patriots and were rescued the next morning by a reconnaissance unit. Eight days after crossing the Meuse, Company A finally set foot on German soil. An infantry patrol reconnoitering the town of La Meauffe was badly cut up by enemy fire coming from emplacements and buildings near the edge of town. Sgt Raymond Nicoli, T/R Felice Savino, Pvt McLaren, and Pvt Benton L. Porter were wounded while rescuing this equipment and refused medical aid until this was accomplished. D Company remained in position near Cormolain until July 29, in support of the 50th Field Artillery Battalion, 5th Division. Finally, with a last surge of power and a lurch that sent the unprepared hitting against the bulwarks, the craft grounded, and the ramps flew down spilling men, guns, and equipment on to the hell that was the shore of France. This was a battle for the roads, a period of vigorous pursuit and wide open warfare, with many divisions acting on their own. This was a long high ridge, held by the Germans, which blocked the allied advance along the all-important St. Lo-Bayeux highway.
The attack was a great success and a series of short, hard-won advances followed. H-Hour was to be at 0630 hours, June 6, 1944. The battalion gained much experience in the reconnaissance, selection and occupation of mortar positions and in the tactical employment of mortars in support of an infantry division. Sort By.

In September the mortar carts arrived, but still no mortars. WebU. Email. It was with the men of the Ivy Division that Company A reached the Meuse River. (Preparation for Overseas Movement). On the 19th the Germans were at the Rhine under heavy aerial attack. The next day, its 4.2-inch mortars joined with those of Company B in shelling the Siegfried Line, as 4th Division GIs made their first assaults on that formidable defensive belt. The first contingent of the outfit was on its way. The "rat race" was on, and was gaining momentum every day. Captain Gaffney, company commander, was instantly killed when the craft in which he was riding struck a mine.

Thus was born the 81st, without fanfare, but with quiet purpose. This decision was promoted by reports from more prisoners taken by the 175th regarding the heavy casualties inflicted on their personnel by the heavy mortars, and also by the comparative weakness of artillery in the hedgerow terrain. Probably the biggest problem during these operations was that of supply and mess. The Germans had just left, leaving thousands of dollars' worth of supplies and equipment. The battalion had been tactically attached to the 4th Infantry Division on the 26th of August. WebThis booklet is dedicated to the forty-one officers and men of the Eighty-First Chemical Mortar Battalion who made the supreme sacrifice. What a decision to rest on the shoulders of one man! The company was credited with stopping several of these attacks unassisted. After World War II, the U.S. War Department transferred the operations and development of chemical mortars to the Ordnance Department, in this way making the mortar an official infantry weapon.

After the five-hour bombardment on the 25th of July, Company A was given a schedule of fire to support the infantry attack the next morning. Col. James was evacuated to England later that day in a hospital ship. For this reason they were also called the "Four-deucers".[1]. The immensity of this mighty invasion fleet was awe-inspiring to everyone who participated in General Bradley's "greatest show on earth." The battalion also assisted in bridging the lower half of the Falaise pocket, which helped seal the fate of the German Seventh Army. Web81st Chemical Mortar Bn "The 81st Battalion was the chemical unit most adequately prepared for the D-day operation." The overall results of this action completely eliminated the German Seventh Army as a fighting organization. 34 memorials. When the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive on December 16, much of the Third Army began moving north toward Bastogne, leaving some units such as Company A to hold the line. In 1942, General George Marshall ordered the formation of five additional chemical mortar battalions equipped with the mortar (the 3rd, and the 81st through 84th) Later, the mortar was developed to be capable of instantly firing shells from a mere 565 yards (517 m) at minimum propellant charge, to a range of 4,400 yards (4,023 m) by having propellant-charge disks of powder added that by then were being manufactured as square disks with a hole in the middle, strung together, fitted into cartridges and sewn together into bundles of various thickness. A German self-propelled gun firing only a few rounds into the position, near Pont St. Maxence, was the only resistance encountered until after St. Quentin was liberated on September 2. Up to this time, the battalion had expended 31,352 rounds of ammunition. It is believed the history is concise, yet shows the battalion to have lived up to its motto, "Equal To The Task.". The German border was crossed by B Company at 1313 hours on the 13th of September. On September 15, the 109th Infantry credited the 4.2s with one enemy mortar, several machine gun nests, and another ammunition dump. B Company was unfortunate enough to have one of the vehicle personnel killed and two others and an officer wounded.

The rumors flew wide and free from every latrine in the area, especially after a showdown inspection in which all equipment was brought up to combat strength and serviceability, but "we cooled off" for a while. The attack on Schicklgruber village with live ammunition furnished plenty of excitement and firsthand experience in street fighting and battle sounds. B Company had an unfortunate incident occur while attached to the 38th Infantry, 2nd Division. A spouting volcano, a replica of Cathedral Mountain, which is the outstanding landmark for miles around Fort D.A. On the 27th of July, A Company entered Saint-Jean-des-Baisants, a town utterly destroyed by artillery and mortar shells. On June 12, 1943, the 81st Chemical Battalion arrived at Camp Pickett, Virginia, where it was stationed until October 14 of that year. By April 5, Company A had passed Kassel.

Gunner examinations followed soon after, and the results were excellent. WebThis booklet is dedicated to the forty-one officers and men of the Eighty-First Chemical Mortar Battalion who made the supreme sacrifice.

By March 1945, the drive for the Rhine was underway, and Company A moved on the 12th to an area five miles east of Saarburg to support the 80th Division. Page 1. Casualties for this period were 11 killed (five officers and six enlisted men), 25 wounded, and one captured. By August 29, after two days of firing, which helped to clear the last Germans from the city, B Company was already moving on the roads that were to lead in less than a month to the Siegfried Line.

In mid-May, the battalion was sent to its marshaling area in Dover, where it was divided into separate companies to support specific units. A huge crowd welcomed them to the city, but as usual the column did not tarry long.

The United States chemical mortar battalions were army units attached to U.S. infantry divisions during World War II. Join Our Newsletter.

All during this period, D Company was at the famous ATC (Assault Training Center) near Ilfracombe, North Devon, acting as school troops. The next day the commanding officer of the 175th Infantry issued instructions that all targets within range of the 4.2s be assigned to them. So near and yet so far! The mortar position, of necessity on a forward slope to the left of town, was continuously subjected to grazing rifle and machine gun fire coming from the adjacent hill. It was characterized by long road marches and occasional short, sharp encounters with enemy pockets of resistance.

How prophetic those words were will be proven in the pages to follow. In another instance, when their landing craft sank, the men, by their fierce persistence in the face of great odds, swam ashore, towing with them two mortars and two mortar carts which previously had been made buoyant by life preservers. In A Company's sector, the platoons moved forward in separate, parallel thrusts through a fluid front. During one such barrage, T/5 Fix was killed and T/5 White was wounded while attempting to give him first aid. Here the fighting was as fierce as the hedgerows, with the added advantage to the enemy of having prepared positions and strategically placed pillboxes with walls and roofs of steel-reinforced concrete six to 10 feet thick. Company B was attached to combat team "Taylor," which spearheaded the 4th Division drive to the Belgian border. Infantry reported several direct hits on pillboxes being assaulted and were highly complimentary in praising the effectiveness of HE shells.

During the Allied invasion of Sicily in the summer of 1943 - the first time the mortar was used in wartime - 35,000 rounds were fired in 38 days, of which more than 90% were high explosive. Sign up to receive timely, useful information in your inbox. In May, approximately 75 men joined the battalion, coming from all over the country, and on June 9 approximately 250 men came from Fort Dix. One day 36 Germans, the entire complement of a pillbox, surrendered to PFC Sklarew, a medic from B Company who was armed with only a mess kit. Redesignated 28 June 1951 as the 46th Chemical Smoke Generator Company and allotted to the Regular Army. As the boats were running along parallel to the beach, about 1,000 yards offshore, two of the LCVPs were hit and disabled by artillery. Company A then moved to Camp D4 and D8, B to D1, C to D10, D to D1, and battalion headquarters to D5. 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After Metz fell, Company A moved into the Saar Basin. On this date, three members of a forward observation party were killed by direct fire from enemy artillery. The entire assault echelon was moved to Camp D-11, where it remained as a battalion until Sunday, May 28. Pinned to the beach under a hail of machine gun fire, Captain Thomas Peter Moundres, the company commander, was mortally wounded. Cemetery Visibility: Public. His body was recovered the next day near Vresse. The low-velocity shells were totally silent in transit and gave no warning of their powerful explosions (the M2 mortar's M3 high explosive shell contained 3.64 kilograms of explosives, placing it midway between the 2.18 kilograms of the 105 mm howitzer M2A1's M1 shell and the 6.88 kilograms of the 155 mm howitzer M1's M102 shell), which tended to create panic among enemy forces who were unexpectedly subjected to their firepower. One particular incident stands out: a Scottish officer wearing kilts walked down the dock, and the clamor of the catcalls, whistling, and yoo-hoos was deafening. During that operation, Company A remained in Saarlauten. The monuments are now emplaced in a Memorial Park at Leonard Wood near For this reason they were also called the "Four-deucers". The pace became faster and more prisoners began to come in than ever before. Dry run followed dry run and now everyone wondered if we were ever going to fire a live round.

On D plus 3 the company was detached from the 16th Infantry, 1st Division, and attached to the 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division. The same day, S/Sgt Toole received a battlefield commission as second lieutenant for outstanding leadership under combat conditions. Both the OP party and the communications section suffered casualties that day. On May 2, the company crossed the Enns River.

Underwater and beach obstacles were encountered as the landing craft approached the shore and in the advance from the landing craft to the beach. The cultural points of interest were Penkridge Church, Litchfield Cathedral, and Hatherton Hall. The 1st platoon left Clervaus at 0630 hours and moved into position near Sevenig, Germany at 0700 hour in support of the 2nd Battalion. On the morning of June 7, D Company fired its second mission near St. Laurent-sur-Mer at a machine gun nest only 800 yards from the gun position. On May 2, the company crossed the Enns River. Russell, Texas, pursuant to GO #39, 14 April 1942, Hq Third Army, San Antonio, Texas, and War Department letter, 25 March 1942. Change of targets and constant calls on the mortars by the infantry sometimes involved a back azimuth, or complete shifting about of mortars. It was here that the infantry reported to C Company that the bursting WP shells had sent hundreds of Germans screaming into the river to ease their burning flesh where particles of flaming phosphorous had struck them. Here the company guarded Radio Luxembourg, the most powerful transmitter in Europe.

The first round was fired by Sgt Florio's squad at 1700 hours at a machine gun nest in the woods near St. Laurent-sur-Mer. Lt Sabbione directed the fire from the mortar position. The mortar was called the "grass-cutter" by German troops because its high explosive shell exploded and fragmented just a few inches above ground level. When two LCVPs in which part of the battalion was landing sank from enemy shell hits, the men of the 81st Chemical Battalion transferred their mortars, ammunition, and equipment from their own landing craft to an LCM, and under constant shelling managed to land the equipment. Carrabelle, Florida 32322 It had been an artilleryman's paradise. In late April 1944, the 81st was attached to the 1st Infantry Division. Two days later, after an all-night push, the company rendezvoused with the 71st Infantry Division at Bamberg. Redesignated 28 June 1951 as the 46th Chemical Smoke Generator Company and allotted to the Regular Army. Approximately 15 miles from shore the larger craft hove to, and at 0430 all companies transferred their men and mortars to LCVPs. Companies C and D set up on the night of the great parade in the outskirts of Paris. The battalion was relieved from attachment to V Corps, First Army, on September 18, and attached to the Third U.S. Army, now to be known as Patton's men.

The original cadre of the battalion was specified in a special order from Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, dated 19 April 1942, ordering five officers and 76 enlisted men to report to Fort D.A. Unit History of the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion in World War II Paperback August 10, 2016 by Walt Cross (Author) 2 ratings See all formats and editions Paperback $24.95 2 Used from $32.51 9 New from $24.95 This is the unit history of the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion in World War II. This was also the battalion's first experience with C and K rations, and actually we thought they were good.