70th Tank Battalion
Joe Peckerwood- The mascot of the 70th Tank Battalion, and motto- "strike swiftly" on distinctive unit insignia.
Activation and early service
The 70th Tank Battalion was formed as an independent medium tank battalion on July 15th,1940 at Fort Meade, Maryland. This made the 70th Tank Battalion the only tank battalion not assigned to an armored division. Despite its initial designation as a medium tank battalion, the 70th was organized as a light tank battalion and received only light tanks.
From its inception until Operation Torch in November 1942, the battalion was broken up into company sized elements for training and minor operations. In February of 1942, C Company was detached from the 70th Tank Battalion, renamed as the 10th Light Tank Company, and assigned to defend Iceland. In late 1942, the 70th Tank Battalion deployed overseas in preparation for the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch).
Operation Torch
The 70th Tank Battalion landed in North Africa on November 8, 1942 in support of various units of the 9th Infantry Division. The battalion did not serve together; instead, it was tasked organized out into three separate assault elements. The battalion headquarters and "residue" initially remained in the United States.
In February 1943, the Battalion Headquarters and other “residual” elements were reunited with B and C companies and assigned to train Free French soldiers on the M-5 Stuart Tank. The battalion was made whole again in May 1943, when A-Company rejoined the battalion.
Operation Husky
The 70th Tank Battalion was selected to support the 1st Infantry Division in the assault landings in Sicily for Operation Husky in July 1943. The battalion fought with distinction throughout the campaign and assumed they would participate in the upcoming invasion of Italy. Much to their surprise, the battalion embarked aboard SS Monterey on November 11, 1943 headed for England.
Operation Overlord
Based on its impressive battlefield performance, in both North Africa and Sicily, the 70th Tank Battalion had caught the attention of both General Omar Bradley and Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr.. The latter requested that the 70th Tank Battalion be attached to support the 4th Infantry Division in the upcoming invasion of France. The SS Monterey docked at Liverpool, England on November 28th, 1943. After arriving in England, the 70th was transformed into a medium tank battalion. M5 Stuart Light Tanks were traded for the M4 Sherman Medium Tank. Replacements from the United States and the 10th Independent Tank Company from Iceland arrived to fill out the ranks of the 70th. Throughout the spring of 1944, the 70th Tank Battalion familiarized themselves with their new amphibious tanks, crews, and tactics in preparation for the D-Day landings.
On June 6th, 1944 the 70th Tank Battalion landed on Utah Beach to support the assault elements of the 4th Infantry Division. Unlike the DD tanks on Omaha Beach, most of the 70th's DD tanks made it ashore. All of Company B's tanks made it to the beach, and all but five of Company A tanks successfully landed. Four tanks were destroyed when their LCT triggered a magnetic mine and one DD tank was swamped on its way to the shore. The 70th Tank Battalion continued to support the 4th Infantry Division throughout the hedgerow fighting that characterized the Normandy Campaign, the Breakout at St. Lo, and the liberation of Paris in August 1944. In early September, the battalion found itself just inside the border of Germany at Winterscheid.
The 70th Tank Battalion saw limited action in the fall of 1944. Shortages of fuel, badly needed maintenance and limiting terrain contributed to a period of relative inactivity. In November 1944 the 70th was ordered into fighting in and around the Hürtgen Forest. Hard fighting took its toll on the battalion such that it was withdrawn from the fight in early December and relocated in the vicinity of Luxembourg.
The End of the War
Shortly after relocating to Luxembourg, the 70th Tank Battalion found itself back in the thick of the fight when the Germans launched their winter offensive. This battle became known as the Battle of the Bulge. After successfully participating in the defense of the southern shoulder of the bulge, the 70th was withdrawn from combat operations on December 25th, 1944 to rest and refit.
From January 1945 until the end of the war, the 70th fought alongside the 4th Infantry Division except for a few weeks in March, when they were attached to the 63rd Infantry Division. The 70th also fought in several major actions in Germany, including the crossing of the Rhine River in late March. The 70th Tank Battalion ended the war in southern Bavaria near the Austrian border.
Activation and early service
The 70th Tank Battalion was formed as an independent medium tank battalion on July 15th,1940 at Fort Meade, Maryland. This made the 70th Tank Battalion the only tank battalion not assigned to an armored division. Despite its initial designation as a medium tank battalion, the 70th was organized as a light tank battalion and received only light tanks.
From its inception until Operation Torch in November 1942, the battalion was broken up into company sized elements for training and minor operations. In February of 1942, C Company was detached from the 70th Tank Battalion, renamed as the 10th Light Tank Company, and assigned to defend Iceland. In late 1942, the 70th Tank Battalion deployed overseas in preparation for the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch).
Operation Torch
The 70th Tank Battalion landed in North Africa on November 8, 1942 in support of various units of the 9th Infantry Division. The battalion did not serve together; instead, it was tasked organized out into three separate assault elements. The battalion headquarters and "residue" initially remained in the United States.
In February 1943, the Battalion Headquarters and other “residual” elements were reunited with B and C companies and assigned to train Free French soldiers on the M-5 Stuart Tank. The battalion was made whole again in May 1943, when A-Company rejoined the battalion.
Operation Husky
The 70th Tank Battalion was selected to support the 1st Infantry Division in the assault landings in Sicily for Operation Husky in July 1943. The battalion fought with distinction throughout the campaign and assumed they would participate in the upcoming invasion of Italy. Much to their surprise, the battalion embarked aboard SS Monterey on November 11, 1943 headed for England.
Operation Overlord
Based on its impressive battlefield performance, in both North Africa and Sicily, the 70th Tank Battalion had caught the attention of both General Omar Bradley and Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr.. The latter requested that the 70th Tank Battalion be attached to support the 4th Infantry Division in the upcoming invasion of France. The SS Monterey docked at Liverpool, England on November 28th, 1943. After arriving in England, the 70th was transformed into a medium tank battalion. M5 Stuart Light Tanks were traded for the M4 Sherman Medium Tank. Replacements from the United States and the 10th Independent Tank Company from Iceland arrived to fill out the ranks of the 70th. Throughout the spring of 1944, the 70th Tank Battalion familiarized themselves with their new amphibious tanks, crews, and tactics in preparation for the D-Day landings.
On June 6th, 1944 the 70th Tank Battalion landed on Utah Beach to support the assault elements of the 4th Infantry Division. Unlike the DD tanks on Omaha Beach, most of the 70th's DD tanks made it ashore. All of Company B's tanks made it to the beach, and all but five of Company A tanks successfully landed. Four tanks were destroyed when their LCT triggered a magnetic mine and one DD tank was swamped on its way to the shore. The 70th Tank Battalion continued to support the 4th Infantry Division throughout the hedgerow fighting that characterized the Normandy Campaign, the Breakout at St. Lo, and the liberation of Paris in August 1944. In early September, the battalion found itself just inside the border of Germany at Winterscheid.
The 70th Tank Battalion saw limited action in the fall of 1944. Shortages of fuel, badly needed maintenance and limiting terrain contributed to a period of relative inactivity. In November 1944 the 70th was ordered into fighting in and around the Hürtgen Forest. Hard fighting took its toll on the battalion such that it was withdrawn from the fight in early December and relocated in the vicinity of Luxembourg.
The End of the War
Shortly after relocating to Luxembourg, the 70th Tank Battalion found itself back in the thick of the fight when the Germans launched their winter offensive. This battle became known as the Battle of the Bulge. After successfully participating in the defense of the southern shoulder of the bulge, the 70th was withdrawn from combat operations on December 25th, 1944 to rest and refit.
From January 1945 until the end of the war, the 70th fought alongside the 4th Infantry Division except for a few weeks in March, when they were attached to the 63rd Infantry Division. The 70th also fought in several major actions in Germany, including the crossing of the Rhine River in late March. The 70th Tank Battalion ended the war in southern Bavaria near the Austrian border.