736th FABn History page 3

736th Field Artillery Battalion WWII Reunions Web Page

HISTORY of the 736th FABn Courtesy of Ken Roll (Page 3)

Chronology of the 736th across Europe

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7 August 1944:	The battalion except for “SV” battery, which had disembarked the previous afternoon, began disembarking from the LST’s and LCT at 0450 and completed unloading by 0915. At 2020 Major Boatwright of XII Corps Headquarters ordered the battalion Exec. to prepare for action. After a short stay at transit area “B”, the left for Negreville France closing at 2330.
8 August 1944:	The battalion left Negreville and arrived at a bivouac area at 0600 and left the bivouac area at 0107. Battalion Headquarters set up temporarily at Eclardiere.
9 August 1944:	The battalion arrived at a new position 1 kilometer east of Damalian where we were attached to the 195th Field Artillery Group. Battery “A” 551st AAA was attached to us for anti-aircraft defense. The battalion left Damalain at 0030.
10 August 1944:	Arrived at new bivouac area 10 miles east of Laval at 0830 in a town called Nuille-Sur- Ocewette. At 1600 the battalion left this area and occupied firing positions 2 1/2 miles northeast of Vaiges.
12 August 1944:	The battalions first German prisoner was taken by “B” Battery.
13 August 1944:	At 1720 the battalion left Vaiges and passed through LeMans on the way to its new position at Sceaux, closing at 0135.
14 August 1944:	The battalion experienced it’s first enemy air attack. Two German planes strafed the area with no casualties or damage to material. The attack caused a remarkable phenomenon, the bottoms of many slit trenches which had seemed deep enough, now caused rapid and earnest digging. Both planes were shot down, but not until one of them had peppered an observation CUB plane taking off from a nearby air strip. Battery “A” of the 551st AAA was relieved of attachment and Battery “D” 551st AAA was attached to us.
15 August 1944:	At 1330 the battalion proceeded to the St.Germain area where it went into firing positions. No firing was done from this position.
16 August 1944:	At 1020 the battalion left St. Germain and arrived at St. Georges at 1130 and took up firing positions. At 1845 “B” Battery was displaced 5000 yards east. The battalion was visited by Gen. Walker and Gen. Slack from Group Headquarters.
17 August 1944:	At 0715 the remainder of the battalion joined “B” Battery and went into firing positions at Querray, France. Here the battalion fired its first rounds at the enemy. First round was fired by “B” Battery at 1533. The target being an enemy infantry assembly point in the woods.
19 August 1944:	At 1430 the battalion left Querray and went into firing position 3 miles north of Chartres. Friendly infantry attacked the enemy, moving up through “A” and “B” batteries, which provided accompanying machine gun fire from their 50 calibers.
21 August 1944:	At 1425 the battalion departed from its position 3 miles north of Chartres, and closed into a bivouac area at 0007 near Yermoneville where the battalion stayed overnight.
22 August 1944:	The battalion resumed the march and closed into a bivouac area 5 miles west of Dourdon at 1317.
23 August 1944:	The march was resumed at 2103 and the battalion closed into a bivouac area 1 mile east of La Ferte Alais. at 0725. At 1103 the battalion left this rendezvous area and marched closing at 2210. Here many brought blow torches to heat up C rations. The battalion stayed here for two to a new position 6 miles west of Melun. Here the battalion took up firing positions in general support of the Corps bridgehead operations on the Seine river. At 1500 “B” battery fired on a German anti-aircraft battery and again at 1550. At 1815 fire was placed on another anti-aircraft battery. At 2100 the battalion participated in firing a Corps Serenade.
24 August 1944:	At 1655 the battalion fired on another AA unit and again at 2050, neutralizing them. Observers in a Cub plane drew fir e from a battery of German 88’s while flying over the base point. No hits.. The City of Melun was saved by a hairline decision. Infantry found the going hard, Group ordered a swath 400 yards wide and 600 yards long flattened in the heart of the town. Firing data was figured and all batteries alerted, the mission was sent down to the firing batteries and gun crews awaited the “Fire”. Then came the command; “Cease Fire” the infantry had broken through.
25 August 1944:	The battalion had marched to a bivouac area in a forest 4 miles southeast of Fontainebleau nights.
27 August 1944:	At 1122 the battalion left its bivouac area at Fontainebleau and crossed the river Seine on a pontoon bridge and went into a march rendezvous 9 miles east of Fountainebleau closing in at 1310. The march was resumed at 1745 and marched to a bivouac area near Herme, 10 miles west of Nogent. “A” Battery reported German snipers and captured two. Battalion stayed overnight here.
28 August 1944:	The battalion was informed by French civilians that Germans were in a small town 2 miles away. “B” battery brought in 2 POWs, “A” battery captured 41 POWs. At 1401 the battalion Headquarters sent out it’s first patrol commanded by Col. Stocks and brought in 17 prisoners. At 1900 the battalion commenced a march to a bivouac area 2 miles east of Montmort closing at 0113 the next morning.
29 August 1944:	At 1055 the battalion left this area and occupied firing positions 2 miles east of Avize closing at 1305.
30 August 1944:	At 0930 the battalion left this position and marched across the Marne river into a rendezvous area 12 kilometers south of Reims. At 2249 the battalion left this bivouac for a position 6 miles west of Verdun. The battalion received a letter of commendation from General Walton Walker, Commander of the XX Corps.


Crossing the Seine River 27 August 1944	Crossing the Marne River 30 August 1944

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