Our Liberators: The Combat History of the 746th Tank Battalion during World World War II
W. J. Blanchard, Jr.
hardcover, 6x9 in, 216 pages, Illustrated, Bibliography
Wheatmark, August 2007
ISBN: 9781587368103
Description
Our Liberators: The Combat History of the 746th Tank Battalion during
World War II recounts the combat history of one of four independent tank battalions
of the U.S. Army armored forces to land in Normandy on D-day. Overlooked in other
accounts of the war, their story is finally told in day-by-day detail from the battalion
records and personal interviews compiled by the author. The battalion's history in combat
starts with their close support during D-day of the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions to
clear the Normandy peninsula of German occupation. This is a revealing story of brave
young men in their Sherman tanks thrust into combat against a stubborn foe. Their
bravery and fighting skills, developed during the first few days of the invasion, guided
them through the rest of the war and forged the unit into a decorated fighting tank
independent battalion.
Shortly after D-day, they partnered with the Ninth Infanry Division and supported
elements of the V and VII Corps of the First Army. They then proceeded through France,
Belgium, and finally Germany. They engaged in combat against their foe with the First
Infantry Division during the campaign for the Roer River dams. They were part of the
rapid-pace drive across France with the Ninth Infantry Division. In the Rhineland
Campaign, they helped pierce the West Wall, and then, with the Ninth Armored Division,
they became the first independent tank battalion to cross the Rhine River at Remagen and
establish a bridgehead. They helped seal the Ruhr Pocket, and then proceeded across
Central Germany to clear a path so that the Allied forces could come together at the Elbe
River to end the war.
The author takes the reader through combat with the battalion, using maps and
pictures to capture the many faces of the tanker-soldiers of World War II in the European
Theater of Operations.
About the Author
W. J. Blanchard, Jr. received his PhD in physics from the Louisiana State
University at Baton Rouge in 1971. In August 1971, he moved to Huntsville, Alabama,
where he works on missile and space programs for both the government and private
industry. He maintains contact with the Battalion veterans through annual reunions and
emails and letters. He has visited many of the places mentioned in this book.
Excerpt
They hit the shores of Normandy on D-day, June 6, 1944. Starting from the
bloody beach on the coast of Normandy designated as Utah Beach, the 746th Tank
Battalion advanced with the speed of infantry across the continent through the forests,
villages, and cities in France, Belgium, and Germany; and to the Elbe River at war's end.
As an independent tank battalion, they were doled out to a platoon here and a company
there to undertake the war's dirtiest mission: prying enemy troops from hardened
positions to support the U.S. Army's corps divisions and infantry units. The bold and
brave men of the 746th Tank Battalion, using Sherman tanks, were cast against a
stubborn and determined foe. With tactics developed during training in the states and in
the English countryside, they overcame tremendous odds to support and fight a
coordinated effort with the infantry forces to win the day. The true details of their
fighting and sacrifices have never been told until now. Our Liberators describes what
these soldiers endured day by day until they reached the Elbe River and the war's end.
Our Liberators includes the battalion roster for the D-Day invasion
force that began the quest to liberate Europe. In addition, you will find a detailed list of
all the casualties sustained by the battalion during its heroic effort.
