US 3d Armored Division in the Ardennes

Earthican · Dec 9, 2013

It's not just maps that motivate my creative impulses, I also dabble in "info-graphics"....

The unique organization of the 2d AD and 3d AD make them a rich source of challenging discovery. Beside their "heavy" armored division T/O and their odd re-organization in Normandy --where tank battalions consisting of two medium tank companies and one light tank company were established-- the constant changes in the composition of the Combat Commands and task forces have lead to many errors in the printed material. One must be extra careful when reading any account of their combat record.

Since I sorted out the assignment of tank companies in the tank battalions, I have read a number of unit reports and veteran accounts to verify my "work". This often required sorting out the composition of Combat Commands and task forces which were also unevenly documented and had many gaps. Unfortunately I cannot resolve all issues, particularly those of the support units of engineers and medical. These units just don't get enough mentions to verify their location and assignment.

The attached graphic only covers the major combat elements of the Combat Commands and task forces formed by the 3d AD starting 18 December 1944.

(I like to "click" the SAVE button on the Attachment Viewer, which opens the file in a separate tab/window, then I can flip back and forth as I read the posts)

The graphic illustrates the evolution of the Task Forces from the time the 3d AD received the order to move south to their early commitment to battle. While not clear from the many texts, the graphic shows the orderly dividing of each command into three or two -- generally equal -- parts.

The 3d AD had two Combat Command HQ's (A and B) plus they could hold a division reserve though they had no formal HQ for it. With only orders to make three forces and move south, they sensibly made each with two tank, one infantry and one field artillery battalion(s) -- left side of the chart.

Upon reaching their area of operations they further divided to accomplish their orders given the terrain and enemy situation (which was generally unknown) -- middle column.

With the battle joined the task forces were further modified as reserves were switched to recover from defeats or fill-in the gaps -- right side of chart.

Organic and Assigned Units of the 3d AD (my best guess)

HHC, 3d Armored Division
Service Company, 3d Armored Division
-- Military Police Platoon, 3d Armored Division

HQ Det, Combat Command A
HQ Det, Combat Command B

36th Armored Infantry Regiment
32d Armored Regiment
33d Armored Regiment
83d Armored Reconnaissance Battalion

23d Armored Engineer Battalion
143d Armored Signal Company

HQ Det, 3d Armored Division Artillery Command
391st Armored Field Artillery Battalion
67th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
54th Armored Field Artillery Battalion

HHC, 3d Armored Division Trains
Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
Quartermaster Supply Battalion
45th Armored Medical Battalion

Earthican · Dec 14, 2013

I wanted to include this report from a US Army "field" historian. These were US Army officers who may have been academic historians or journalists before the war. From this sample it is hard to say if they got any different information than a unit after-action report.

http://home.earthlink.net/~crcorbin/Orr.html

sketch map:
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Ardennes/maps/USA-E-Ardennes-3.jpg

Interview with:
Lt Col William R. Orr, CO 1st Bn, 36th AIR
Major James T. Owen, Jr., S-3, 36th AIR
1st Lt Nick Latkovic, CO Co B 83rd Armd Rcn Bn

Havelange, Belgium, 31 Dec 1944; Terwagne, Belgium, 1 Jan 45
2d Lt George E. Moise, 3d Info & Hist Sv (VII Corps)

Task Force Orr was one of the three task forces of CCR (Howze) of the 3rd Armored Division dispatched from Hotton (369878) 20 December 1944 to intercept the German drive northward toward Liege or Huy from the vicinity of Houffalize.

Commanded by Lt Col William R. Orr, CO of the 1st Battalion, 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, the task force consisted of:
Co A & Co C, 36th AIR
Co H, 33rd AR
Co B, 83rd Armd Rcn Bn
Btry B, 54th AFA Bn

Attached troops included one platoon of the 486th AAA Bn and a detachment (13 EM) of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regt.

Co B and Co G, 32d Armored Regiment, and Co B, 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, originally part of the task force, were detached 20 December to form part of the CCR reserve in Hotton.

Co B, 83rd Armd Rcn Bn, and Co H, 33rd AR, were not incorporated in TF Orr originally, having been dispatched from Hotton 201215 Dec under the command of 1st Lt Nick Latkovic, CO Co B, 83rd Rcn Bn, along the route later taken by TF Orr.

TF Orr moved from Hotton at about the same time, but closed in an assembly area in the vicinity of Erezee (450903) at 201500 Dec, while the Rcn Co and the Tk Co moved south through Amonines (449875) toward Dochamps (495873) and Samree (502812).

Proceeding south on the Erezee-Samree road, the two companies, with the Rcn Co in the lead, 1st platoon on the road, 2d platoon on the left flank and 3rd platoon on the right flank, advanced as far as Dochamps, which was reached at 1600. The town was held by strong enemy forces, both infantry and tank, and no effort was made to enter it.

The first platoon of B Co, 83rd Armd Rcn Bn, with a platoon from Co H, 33rd AR, bypassed Dochamps on the west and proceeded south to Samree. The second platoon of Co B, 83rd Armd Rcn Bn, moved east to Odeigne (586862) and made no further contact with the company. (The platoon eventually found its way to Fraiture (586862) and joined Task Force Kane, another CCR task force.) The third platoon, with the remaining tanks and company headquarters engaged the enemy just north of Dochamps and was forced to withdraw when all but three of the tanks were knocked out by enemy tank and AT fire.

The remaining three tanks, the third platoon and Co Hq of the Rcn Co moved back toward Amonines, fighting a delaying action over the entire route as enemy infantry, supported by tanks, moved north from Dochamps.

The 1st platoon, Co B 83rd Armd Rcn Bn, encountered strong enemy forces in Samree, and it was necessary to abandon the tanks of Co H 33rd AR, mount the tank personnel on the rcn vehicles and withdraw to the west. This group moved through Marcouray (439816) and RJ (419829) to Hotton and eventually rejoined TF Orr at Amonines.

Meanwhile TF Orr, in assembly near Erezee, was alerted at 202130 Dec and at 202230 was ordered to proceed to Amonines to meet the enemy threat from the south. Just north of Amonines, elements of the force withdrawing from Dochamps were met and added to the column.

(According to Lt Latkovic, these forces moved north only as far as Amonines. Evidently those men met by TF Orr north of this point were stragglers.)

Arriving at Amonines shortly before midnight, Lt Col Orr met Lt Latkovic and ordered him to set up a roadblock at (482849), 450 yards north of a hairpin turn in the road (481845) and about a mile northwest of Dochamps. The enemy apparently had withdrawn to Dochamps, as no opposition was met by Lt Latkovic's detachment as it moved south and set up the roadblock at the designated point.

The task force CP was set up at Amonines and a perimeter defense organized. At 210530 Dec TF Orr was ordered to attack and capture Dochamps and move further south to seize Samree. With the infantry companies, dismounted, as a striking force, the attack moved off at 0700, moving southeast on the axis of the Dochamps road, A Co on the left and C Co on the right.

The companies moved with negligible opposition as far as the roadblock manned by elements of Co B, 83rd Rcn Bn, where further forward movement was halted by intense small arms fire from infantry dug in on the high ground to the right (472848) and tanks and small arms fire from the edge of the woods at (491850-496896).

Forced to withdraw by this fire, the infantry moved back on foot, and a roadblock, covered by 57 mm AT guns was set up at RJ (475864). The withdrawal was covered by the three assault guns of the reconnaissance company.

During the afternoon of 21 December the enemy infiltrated through the woods to the right, or west, and up the draw to the east of the roadblock, making its position untenable. Contact was broken with the enemy and all units of the task force fell back to Amonines, where perimeter defenses were set up. Apparently the enemy believed the withdrawal to have been greater than it was, because just before dark a Volkswagon drove through the task force outposts and into Amonines. Captured, the occupants of the Volkswagon declared they believed their own regimental CP was in Amonines.

At 212200 Dec a column of enemy vehicles moved north from Dochamps on the road, and was driven back with the loss of two tanks and nine armored cars when it ran into the southern defenses of Amonines. During the night the enemy was active with patrols in the vicinity of the village, but no further attack was made on the task force position.

Ordered to attack again the next morning at daylight, Lt Col Orr decided to use A Co, 36th AIR, as the attacking force, spearheaded by the three medium tanks left to the task force and three light tanks of the 83rd Armd Rcn Bn Co C; 36th AIR remained in Amonines as reserve, while the third platoon of Co B, 83rd Armd Rcn Bn, moved southwest from the town to provide another attacking force and to give flank protection.

At RJ (462869) the armored spearhead of the main attack, with a tank-dozer as the lead vehicle, met an enemy column of armored cars and infantry and was forced to halt. The enemy column also stopped when the tank-dozer knocked out the lead armored car with 75 mm fire. While this action was taking place, an enemy force of infantry, supported by tanks, moved on to the high, cleared ground at (471878) and stopped.

Although this was obviously an attacking force, it never moved forward from this position for unknown reasons. (Lt Col Orr said it was possible that the enemy was puzzled by his tactics in attacking that morning and was led to believe he had greater forces at his disposal.)

Meanwhile, the advancing platoon of B Co, 83rd Armd Rcn Bn sighted an enemy column of trucks and armored vehicles at RJ (445858), and this threat, plus the enemy forces to the south and east, caused the task force to withdraw again to positions at Amonines. All defensive positions were occupied by nightfall. Constant enemy pressure was exerted from the southeast, along the Dochamps road, all night 22-23 December, and 12 separate attacks were repulsed by TF Orr's defenses on that side of Amonines. The column that had been seen to the southwest by the reconnaissance platoon offered no direct threat to the positions in Amonines, however, moving north over roads to the west of the village throughout the afternoon and night of 22 December. This column succeeded in cutting the Hotton-Soy road, but was attacked and destroyed by reserve forces of CCR.

On 23 December TF Orr was informed that it was to hold its positions until relief by elements of the 75th Infantry Division. As a result, defensive positions were strengthened and dug in. There was no intense enemy action in the vicinity for three days, as the main force of the enemy attack in that direction apparently was spent.

On 27 December, guided by officers from TF Orr, the relieving elements of the 75th Division moved into positions on either side of Amonines and the task force withdrew to the 3rd Armd Div assembly area.

In order to man the defenses around Amonines adequately, Lt Col Orr was forced to use tankers of the 33rd AR dismounted as infantry, and roadblocks in the eastern and northeastern sections of the defense, at (464883) and (454891) were manned by cooks, and drivers of the infantry half tracks.

Enemy units identified during the period 19-28 December included elements of the 116th Pz Div; 2th SS Pz Div, and 560 VGR Div. Prisoners taken during the period totaled 14, while enemy dead were estimated at 150 and enemy wounded at 100. (Estimates by Maj James T. Owen, Jr., S-3 36th AIR.)

The task force suffered seven EM killed, three officers and 45 EM wounded and 12 EM missing.
Click to expand...

Earthican · Dec 18, 2013

Personal stories for the 3d AD in the Ardennes that I found interesting:

CCR in Hotton
http://home.earthlink.net/~crcorbin/Hotton.html
"Task Force Brewster"
http://www.battleofthebulgememories.be/fr/stories/us-army/563-what-really-happened-belle-haie-belgium.html

Closing the Bulge

NCO's story
http://home.earthlink.net/~crcorbin/Cullen1.html
Officer's story
http://home.earthlink.net/~3adspearhead/Stallings1.html

Smudger Jnr · Dec 19, 2013

Earthican,

Thanks for the links, they make for intersting reading.

Regards
Tom

Fred Wilson · Jan 27, 2014

US 3rd Armored Division websites of note:

http://3ad.com/

Veteran Interviews: (Vimeo Channel)

Photos: http://www.soldiersmuseum.com/pages/ww2/shreck-gallery/

https://www.facebook.com/3ADduringWW2

https://www.facebook.com/pages/3rd-Armored-Division/38138170876

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US 3d Armored Division in the Ardennes

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