The WWII 300th Combat Engineers
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| Bridge built by the 300th engineers at Carentan, France | |
| History of the 300th Combat Engineers, 1943 to 1945 | |
| By Brad Peters and Jan Ross | |
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Camp White, Oregon Fort Belvoir, Virginia On To Europe Normandy Invasion Liberation of Normandy Towns Moving Toward St. Lo Paris and into Belgium The Siegfried Line Battle of the Bulge Germany Ruhr Pocket The End is Near Reports From the Field Appendices |  |
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Normandy Invasion Allied leaders planned the invasion of Europe under the direction of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was known as Operation Overlord and would include 45 divisions, two-thirds American and the remainder British and Canadian. With additional artillery, tank and engineer units, the invasion would include 1,000,000 fighting men and another 1,000,000 ready to provide supplies and support operations. Still another nearly 1,000,000 made up the naval and air forces. It would be the largest, most ambitious invasion ever planned before or after. Operation Overlord was scheduled to begin on June 4, 1944. On June 2, the 300th engineers were loaded onto LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) for the English Channel crossing. All of their building, demolition and support equipment as well as supplies and personal gear were packed on their vehicles and loaded on the LSTs with the men. The vehicles included; jeeps, two and a half ton cargo trucks (one per squad) called a Jimmy or Deuce and a half, command cars, weapons carriers, water tank trucks, bull dozers, Sherman tanks and tank-retriever trucks (to haul the bull dozers). It was with mixed emotions that the 300th learned they would not participate in the first landings in Normandy. Their service, however, would soon begin. In England, they were split up into three groups, referred to as Echelons, with each Echelon made up of men from each of Companies A, B & C, Battalion Headquarters, Headquarters & Service Company and the Medical Detachment. The First Echelon was composed of Detachment "A" of Headquarters and Service Company and Companies A, B and C (less Detachments "A" and "B"). The Second Echelon was composed of Detachment "B" of Headquarters and Service Company and Detachment "A" of Companies A, B and C. The Third Echelon was composed of Headquarters and Service Company (less Detachments "A" and "B") and Detachment "B" of Companies A, B and C. The daily Morning Reports submitted by each of the companies described the details of movement of the 300th as they left England heading to the shores of Normandy and their first few days of battle in France. June 8 & 9: The First and Second Echelons of the 300th left the camp at Chisledon, England to move to the bivouac area at Haley Wood Wiltshire by motor convoy. June 14: The First Echelon moved to the marshalling area in Portsmouth, England. June 15: The First Echelon left Portsmouth at 0900 arriving at Weymouth at 1200 hours. LST 87 left Portland Harbor, under cover of darkness, at 2130 hours. June 16: The First Echelon arrived on the coast of France near Carentan, at 1000 hours. They sat off the coast the rest of the day. Meanwhile, the Second Echelon left their camp in England and arrived in the marshalling area at 1405 hours. June 17: At 0145, the First Echelon began to disembark from the LST at Sugar Beach (part of Utah Beach) and travelled by motor truck to the bivouac area eight miles north of Carentan. June 18: The Second Echelon arrived at the marshaling area at 0130 hours. At 0830 hours, they began loading aboard LST 523 and left Portland Harbor at 2100 hours headed to France. About a mile off Utah Beach, LST 523 struck a submerged enemy mine around 1250 hours. LST 523 had struck an acoustic-magnetic mine planted by the Germans in the vicinity of Iles St. Marcouf. The blast broke the LST in half sinking it. At least 90 men were killed in the explosion and more than 35 wounded. Survivors were picked up by several ships and put aboard the U.S.S. Hayfield and the U.S.S. Atlas. The 300th soon received replacements for the lost personnel with most of the men from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. June 29: The Third Echelon moved from the marshalling area in England and at 1700 hours began loading aboard LCT 59. (One Army record shows it as LCT 435.) They departed Portland Harbor in Weymouth at 2200 hours and arrived at Utah Beach at 1100 hours. They began disembarking at 2315 proceeding by motor truck to the bivouac area of the 300th located at Picauville, France. Tomme Elliott trained at Camp White as a member of the 300th Combat Engineers. He was transferred to the 276th ECB before the Normandy Invasion. He is one of the few original 300th men who went ashore on June 6, 1944. Here is his account of that day:
300th Engineer Lester Aumann, aboard LST 523, described how he survived the explosion:
Marie Wood Doud: I am the daughter of Forest M. Wood, who was a member of the 300th Engineers of WWII. I can tell you about my father's experiences in the Normandy Invasion. Part of the 300th was in Convoy L3, Force B on LST 523 headed onto the north coast of France [Utah Beach] on June 19, 1944, when LST 523 was hit a mine. My dad was on LST 523 and told his hair-raising story many times during his last few years. That experience seemed to be one of the most vivid memories he held onto. He recalled flying into the air and coming back down to land on a piece of the LST's deck, which was still floating. The landing broke a hip and three ribs which punctured a lung. Being wounded, and not being a swimmer, he frantically searched the sea for something to keep him afloat. A large wooden box floated by, he grabbed the box and somehow hoisted his body onto the box. He floated in the freezing water for over an hour when he saw several of his fellow-soldiers' bodies floating by. He almost gave up the possibility of being rescued when out of the fog (as he described it) came a person in a small boat with a rope which he fastened into a lasso and threw to my dad. In western cattle-roping fashion, he was hauled into the boat. He does not remember what happened next until he found himself in a hospital in Birmingham, England. Following his recuperation of approximately seven months, my dad was sent to eastern France. I understand British diver surveys of the harbor located LST 523 and gave the following information. It lays apparently ne/sw with the stern intact, but upside down. The bow is badly smashed. Since it had been carrying Sherman tanks, several small tanks are still lying in the hold. When the 300th landed on Utah Beach they were heavily burdened for the trip from the LST to shore. Each engineer carried most of the following: bag of Hagensen (explosive) packs; wire cutters; gas mask; ammunition cartridges; inflatable life belt; canteen; rations; and first aid pack. They carried either carbines or Garand rifles and bazooka torpedoes. Some carried mine detectors or heavy wire reels for communication lines. Over all this was a fur-lined jacket. By the time the 300th landed at Normandy, Allied forces had gained some foothold on the German-occupied coast of France. Even with the strength of nearly three million Allied forces (all services of American, English and Canadian troops), German resistance, although somewhat surprised by the landings, inflicted huge Allied losses. The expansion of the Allied beachhead from June 6 to 12 involved bitter fighting around Caen and Carentan. British forces pushed toward Caen while U.S. forces moved from the coast westward to the port of Cherbourg that was taken after fierce resistance. The Germans completely demolished the port so, initially, it could be used for nothing more than beach unloading. It was the skill and determination of the engineer battalions that put Cherbourg Port back in operation in less time than even the most optimistic predictions. Although at less than half strength and within a week of landing, the 300th had laid a three-mile minefield in front of the 101st Airborne Division while under mortar and small arms fire from the 6th German Parachute Regiment. The 101st was instrumental in the success of the earlier June 6 primary invasion force facing grave dangers and suffering terrible casualties. Cpl. Clarence Pilkington, Co. C of the 300th, was killed while laying this minefield as he replaced the sod on a mine he had just planted. A few days after completing the minefield, the 238th Combat Engineers were assigned to clear these same mines. Although under enemy fire, they removed 12,000 mines in two days. The After Action Report of the 1110th Engineer Combat Group provides details of action in France in the days immediately after the engineers arrived in Normandy. The 300th was attached to the 1110th at the time. The following are excerpts from the report section titled "Enemy". The time period is 11 June through 20 June. Principal enemy action was received in contact with elements of the 6th Parachute Division of the 21st SS Panzer Division and the 1075th "Ost Bn." The 1110th Engineer Combat Group was supporting the 101st Airborne Division in the vicinity of Carentan, France, and during this time the 300th Combat Engineer Battalion came in close enemy contact while laying minefield southeast of Carentan in front of the 101st Airborne Division's main line of resistance. [June 19 Report 300- Minefield laid forward of 101AB Div. 90% complete. 1 EM {Cpl. Clarence Pilkington} killed by premature explosion of land mine due to artillery fire. Contact with elements of the 6th Parachute Division was made constantly and mortar and small arms fire were received throughout this period.] When the Group moved to Picauville, France, the only contact made was by reconnaissance units near Barneville, France. In the VIII Corps advance from St. Sauveur le Vicomte towards Le Haye du Puits, France, numerous abatis and mine roadblocks were encountered. Most of these were laid by the [German] 345th Infantry Division Engineers and were protected by that unit. However, two unknown OST battalions (elements) were encountered and numerous prisoners were taken by the 82nd Airborne Division. Information concerning these mines was learned from these prisoners. The enemy fought a tenacious delaying action and our attack was made with Infantry-Tank-Engineer Teams. The morale of the enemy units contacted during this phase was very high, and in no case was there a riot on their part. All [enemy] withdrawals were carefully planned and executed, and strong holding units which slowed our advance. 300th Engineer Hubert Reinke describes laying the minefields:
300th Engineer Randy Hanes describes his work in the minefield:
The 300th bivouacked at Blosville, France, eight miles north of the town of Carentan. They built bridges, made road repairs and removed mine fields and obstacles - most of the time under fire from the Germans. On June 18, the first bridge was built by Company C of the 300th. It was a small, temporary Treadway bridge across the Douve River at Pont L' Abbe which was about four miles southwest of Saint-Mere Eglise. Don Ross described the environment:
Carentan was a small town less than three miles from the beaches at Normandy. The military strategic value of the town was clear. The roads that passed through the town went to the critical towns of Cherbourg to the north and St. Lo and Caen to the south and east. The main rail line between Cherbourg and Caen ran right through Carentan. The 300th worked out of this area for nearly six weeks as the Allied troops slowly gained control of Normandy. The geographic features of the Carentan region resulted in some of the most intense and difficult fighting for the First Army. The marshy area around Carentan had been flooded by the Germans to slow the invading troops. The hedgerows, massive embankments with vines and brambles on top, formed natural dikes up to 10-feet high that provided protection for the German defenses while slowing the advance of the Allies to a few hundred yards each day. This was a much slower pace than the original objective plan to get to the high ground of St. Lo. Carentan was enveloped in fierce fighting and changed hands several times. At Carentan on June 20, the 300th built their first permanent bridge. It was a fixed, Class 70, 80-foot wooden bridge constructed under heavy enemy fire. At times during its construction, the bridge was under heavy and accurate enemy artillery firs requiring numerous reconstructions of sections of the bridge. While encouraging and working along side his men, the commanding officer of the 300th, Major John Tucker was killed by enemy shell fire and 15 others were wounded including Sevando Varela of Co. B. The bridge was named The Tucker Bridge and remained in service for more than 50 years. (It was replaced in 1996 by a stone and concrete structure but it remains the Major John Tucker Bridge.) Major Tucker was replaced with an interim commanding officer, Colonel Daniel Spengler, Commander of the 1110th Combat Engineers, until a replacement could be named. 300th Engineer William F. McAlexander mentions the bridge at Carentan:
300th Engineer William Lakey describes the death of Major Tucker:
The day following the death of Major Tucker at the bridge at Carentan, the following message was sent to the 300th as reported in the Unit Journal. Have a sign painter make a sign of sufficient size with white background to have the full 2" letters - Tucker Bridge - in honor of Major Tucker killed 27 June 1944 while in charge of construction of this bridge. (Capt. Haberkorn) The duty fell on the engineers to open gaps through the hedgerows. Prongs were welded to the front of tanks enabling them to slice through the hedgerows and cut an opening for other tanks and equipment. Often, where the hedgerows were so thick that the cutter tanks could not break through, the tank driver forced the barrel of its gun into the hedgerow and the engineers packed the hole with explosives. The blast created a breach that tanks or dozers widened. Official government documents (handwritten Unit Journals) of 27 and 30 June reported the circumstances surrounding the death of Major Tucker on 27 June. Under heavy artillery fire at 1600 BN CO killed, 7 men injured from "A" Co., 4 men in hospital, 3 men treated by 1st Aid. Sgt. Dougherty in hospital wounded slightly. Under fire for 45 minutes. Continuing with bridge. (Capt. Swartz) Maj. Tucker was killed. Some men went back to work immed. after shelling eased. Send names of those men now. (Lt. Dray).... These men returned: Capt. Falvey, Tec 4 Brock, Tec 5 Beckham, Pvt. Gentry, Pvt. Bowdle. The After Action Report of the 300th for the month of June 1944 reported the following casualties on June 27 or 28 at the bridge construction in East Carentan (all were wounded in action except Major Tucker who was killed): John E. Tucker, Major; Leslie C. Gates, Capt.; William E. Dougherty, M/Sgt.; Don E. Geiser, T/Sgt.; Cecil L. Hignite, Pfc.; Thomas E. Hinyup, Jr., Pfc.; Sydney L. Kalina, Pvt.; Earl M. Wood, Pvt.; Robert L. Benfield, S/Sgt.; Servando Varela, Pvt.; Jerrel Eidson, Pfc.; Roy L. Bridges, Tec 5. The same After Action Report also noted that Private First Class Cecil L. Hignite, Co. A, 300th Engineer Combat Battalion was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received from enemy artillery fire while working on a bridge on the 27th June, 1944, in Normandy, France. The official History of the 1110th Engineer Combat Group praised the 300th for their actions in late June in Normandy. The 300th was attached to the 1110th at the time. The principal mission was to open Highway 14 through Carentan as soon as possible. One of the attached units of Group, the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion, despite constant mortar and small arms fire from the 6th German Parachute Regiment succeeded in laying a minefield southeast of Carentan in front of the 101st Airborne Division's main line of resistance. Another important achievement of the Group during this phase was the construction by the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion of a Class 70, 80 foot timber trestle bridge East of Carentan, France. At all times during the construction, the bridge site was under heavy, accurate artillery fire, which necessitated frequent reconstruction of sections of the bridge. During the construction, in addition to numerous casualties among the work parties, Major John E. Tucker, commanding the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion, was killed by enemy shell fire at which time Colonel Spengler took over and personally supervised the construction of the bridge. He stayed on the site until the job was completed. In the Combat Diary of Captain Arnold Maeker of the 989th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company, he described his work providing technical support to the 300th building and repairing bridges while under fire in the Carentan region. (The diary was shared by David Armstrong whose Grandfather was 1st Lt. George Edgar, Commander of the 2nd Platoon of the 989th.)
Norman Webb recalls an incident prompted by the enemy shell fire:
While commanding the 300th, Col. Spengler was wounded by enemy fire. Warren Chancellor, 300th medic recalled the incident:
While in Picauville, the 989th Treadway Bridge Company provided technical support to the 300th. Both were attached to the 1110th Engineer Combat Group at the time. An example of training despite combat conditions and the interactions of engineer units are described in the Unit Journal of the 300th in a message received on 30 June 1944. You will have 60' tread from Treadway Bridge attached to your unit 1 July 44 from 989 plus 2 trucks. You will practice laying it over craters, etc. for speed in laying on ground. Appendices German Mine Destroys LST 523The 300th in France, June, 1944 | |
I landed D-Day on Omaha Beach, Easy Red section, as part of the 16
Right after we got off of the boat, around the 101
Due to my drawing and mapping ability and my reconnaissance school training, I was assigned the plotting and recording of each mine for 2½ miles on the outskirts of Carentan. At 2200 hrs., I took a detail of five men on an advance party into the hedgerow/orchard (bocage) area. Orders were not to shoot even if we were fired on so as not to give our position or mission away. This is scary damn stuff! There was to be no talking, no hurried moving about - "The silence is golden" idea.
June 24, 1944 [France] - Those damn Germans sure make a mess of a place. Their stuff is scattered all over creation. We don't touch it though, afraid of the booby traps. What few towns I do see are wrecked, completely. Can't find a whole building anywhere.
We built a bridge at Carentan, France and went through La Haye-du-Puits where Col. Spengler, [Interim Commander of the 300
We helped build the Tucker Bridge where Major Tucker was killed. It was rough because the Germans were shelling us all the time we were building this bridge. As they were shelling us, we would try to find a hole to get in. That's the reason Tucker was killed because he had got on the bridge and told us that the next man who left the bridge [while the Germans were firing] would be court-martialed. That's when the shell hit him and killed him. It was pretty rough - it was bad.
One incident at Carentan Bridge is that of a Lt. gathering a few men and making an invasion, so to speak, on a two story home located not far from the bridge site. It seemed that every time there were quite a few men concentrated on or near the bridge construction area the Germans would start lobbing in artillery shells. This caused some to believe there could be a spotter informing the Germans who were obviously so far away with their artillery that they could not know when the activity was occurring. I happened to be one of those the Lt. grabbed to go with him. It is my recollection that we did not find anything at the home except some nervous civilians.
Col. Spengler came into the aid station one day after being hit by a sniper's bullet. The bullet hit the upper part of his helmet and some way, spun downward along his arm, ripping open part of the sleeve of his jacket and slicing a few inches of his arm. Hoyt Neill treated the wound and Spengler went on his way. Pretty evident that the sniper was aiming for Spengler's head. Lucky day for him.