November 11, 2023

Today marks the seventh anniversary of my website. It’s also Veterans Day, and I’m honoring one particular soldier, Captain Naubert Simard of the 78th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (2nd Armored Division). He posthumously received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism on July 30, 1944. I’ve added his DSC recommendation to my archive.

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Simard DSC Recommendation
Simard newspaper clippings

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October 15, 2023

 

Picking up on last month’s theme, my online archive now includes two more original Ordnance Department drawings for the M4A3E2 “Jumbo” assault tank plus another drawing for the T32 heavy tank.

 

M4A3E2 Turret Drawing, 6 Mar 44 (1)

M4A3E2 Turret Drawing, 6 Mar 44 (2)

T32 Heavy Tank Turret Drawing, 7 Mar 45

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September 10, 2023

Two years ago, I created a miscellaneous section in my archive, a catch-all for documents that don’t fit within the established subject groups. One such item was a turret drawing for the M4A3E2 “Jumbo” assault tank. I’ve since located additional drawings. Two more of these Ordnance Department documents are now in my archive plus technical notes on the M4A3E2 written by the Executive Officer of the 743rd Tank Battalion.

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M4A3E2 Hull Drawing, 27 Jan 44
T32 Heavy Tank Gun Mantlet Drawing, 7 Mar 45
Technical Notes M4A3E2, 26 Oct 44

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June 18, 2023

Today, I’ve also uploaded four memorandums written by Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Brown, Assistant Armored Officer, 12th Army Group, who visited armored units in the field and documented his findings. That’s it for now. I’m taking a break for the summer but will be back in September with new documents.

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Visit to 5th Armored Division, 12 Nov 44
Visit to 21st Army Group, 25 Nov 44
Visit to First and Ninth Armies, 15 Mar 45
Visit to Ninth Army Armored Units, 10 Oct 44

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May 14, 2023

While digging through archival material from the Armored Section, 12th Army Group, I discovered a fascinating document revealing that the U.S. Army considered providing German Fallschirmjäger helmets to American tank crews. The document is now in my archive along with three other records from the TAG Armored Section.

Utilization of German Paratrooper Helmets, 5 Oct 44
Notes on Separate Tank Battalions, 18 Aug 44
Special Maintenance Difficulties, 5 Nov 44
Tank Inventory, 12th Army Group, 8 Aug 44

 

April 29, 2023

Among the records of the Armored Section, 12th Army Group, I found an accounting by unit of First Army medium tank losses in December 1944. I’ve uploaded it to my archive along with two other documents.

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Exterior Telephones on Tanks, 12 Aug 44
First Army Medium Tank Losses, Dec 44
Notes on Separate Tank Battalions, 13 Aug 44

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March 19, 2023

 

Here are three more documents culled from the records of the Armored Section, 12th Army Group. One is a three-page memorandum with commentary on test results regarding the effectiveness of American tanks and antitank weapons against the German Panther. 

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Battle Experiences, 11 Oct 44
Distribution of M4 Tanks with 76-mm Guns, 6 Aug 44
Effectiveness of Tank and AT Weapons Against Panther, 10 Aug 44

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February 12, 2023

This month, I’ve created a new subject area in my online archive. It contains records from the Armored Section of 12th Army Group. Here are the first three documents:

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Allotment of Tanks from British Sources, 30 Dec 44
Armored Force Replacement System, 11 Dec 44
Arrival of first M26 Tanks in First Army, 8 Mar 45

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January 22, 2022

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Picking up on a theme from last spring, I’ve uploaded three more map overlays pertaining to the 2nd Armored Division in April 1945. I’ve superimposed them on topographic maps.

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Overlay, CCB, 3 Apr 45
CCB, Security Plan, 3 Apr 45
Overlay, CCB, 21 Apr 45

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