Unit Movement

Record of Battalion Assignments/Locations
26 Dec 44-Landed at Cherbourg, France, debarked and continued via motor convoy to a bivouc area in the vicinity of Barneville, France, arriving about noon same date and were attached to the 156th Infantry Division.

30 Dec 44-Moved via motor convoy from present location at Barneville, France to new location near Periers, France, about eight miles from Coutances, France, where company bivouacs were established in chateaus in the vicinity.  The Battalion was given the primary mission as mobile reserve in support of the 156th Infantry Regiment and a secondary mission of patrolling the coast of the Normandy peninsula for possible hostile landings and protecting the oil pipeline from molestation and sabotage,

6 Jan 45-The Battalion was relieved of assignment to 12th Army Group and Ninth US Army and attached to 6th Army Group and Seventh US Army with orders to proceed from its present location to Luneville, France.  Due to lack of organic vehicles it was necessary to move the battalion via motor convoy and train, both sections leaving the same day.

9 Jan 45-Both the train and motor convoy arrived at Luneville, France and proceeded via temporary bivouac area in the woods outside of Luneville.  Troops were enroute from train to bivouc area were halted and interviewed by General Patch, 7th Army Commander.  The Battalion remained in the bivouac area for a period of two days procuring supplies and awaiting area.

12 Jan 45-Battalion attached to Xv Corps and 1109th Engineer Combat group for operations.  Moved from bivouac area at Luneville to Siewiller, France, arriving the same day and established Battion Headquarters there.  Company “A” remaining and establishing company headquarters at Sieweiler, Companies “B” and “C” proceeding to Ottwiller and Schalback respectively and established headquarters and billeting in private homes.

14 Jan 45-Battalion was given the primary mission of constructing defensive portions for the elements of XV Corps in the rear of the existing front lines.  Demolitions were due to the frozen conditions of the soil; some demolition work, done at night, necessitated the use of coordinated artillery fire to mask the explosions.  As second priority the Battalion was given an area of responsibility for the maintenance of roads, the responsibility of guarding bridges and obstacles, which had been prepared for demolition in the assigned area and the maintenance of an airstrip at Buhl, France.  Water points were established, operated, and maintained in the area of responsibility.

1 Feb 45-Received orders from 1109th Engineer Combat Group to move to vicinity of Drulingen, due to change in corps boundary.  The Battalion moved from Siewiller, Ottwiller, and Schalback to Drulingen, closing gin bivouac at 1730 hours the same day.  Established headquarters in an old hotel with troops billeting in buildings and homes in town.  The Battalion was given the mission of organizing the ground for the elements of XV Corps, both forward and to the rear of the existing front lines.  One company was assigned mission as bridge demolition guards in XV Corps area.

3 Feb 45-Due to the almost overnight melting of the winter’s snow and the increased movement of troops, it became necessary to change the priority from defensive positions to road and bridge maintenance.  One company was assigned the mission of laying new matting over the existing damaged matting and constructing a taxiway and hardstanding at the XV Corp airstrip at Buhl.  Material was procured and work on the airstrip was started at 2200 hours, 3 February and was completed at 1800 hours, 4 February, BRC Improved matting being used.

4 Feb 45-Conditions of roads in assigned area of responsibility continued to be a twenty-four hour maintenance problem, as they had begun to break up and rut deeply, due to the frost heaving, the ground and the unusual amount of heavy traffic.

10 Feb 45-Work continued on roads and a stone quarry was opened, one kilometer southwest of Goerlingen and a crusher was put into operation to supply the large demand of stone for the necessary road repair.  Work was again resumed on the defensive positions.

17 Feb 45-Given mission of repairing existing timber trestle bridge at Fenetrange.  Work completed the same day.

18 Feb 45-Received order from 1109th Engineer Combat Group to move Battalion to vicinity of Mittersheim and concentrate efforts on maintenance and repair of highway GC 35 from Fenetrange west to RJ D 126, 3.5 kilometers west of Loudrefing.  Battalion less one company, moved from Drulingen to Mittersheim, closing in bivouac  there at 1800 hrs the same day, establishing headquarters in an old barge repair shop, the troops moving into filed under canvas.

9 Feb 45- Mines were reported in the hospital area at St. Jean de Bassel and a mine sweeping detail was dispatched to clear the area.  Field at hospital was swept, but no mines were found.  Repaired road at hospital entrance.

21 Feb 45-A new assignment of areas of responsibilities for Battalions under the 1109th Engineer Combat Group relieved this Battalion of responsibility of Highway GC 35 and orders were received to move back to Drulingen and take over new mission.  Battalion less one company moved from Mittersheim to Drulingen, closing in bivouac at 1450 hrs the same day.  Established headquarters in old hotel, with troops billeting in buildings and homes.  Battalion was relieved of assignment to ETOUSA and attached to 6th Army Group, relieved old attachment to 7th Army and assigned to 7th Army, effective 16 February 1945.  Procured an eight ton road roller from French contractor at Mohrange.

23 Feb 45-In addition to normal road repair and maintenance, a stretch of road beyond repair, approximately 715 yards in length, between Drulingen and Bettwiller was torn up and a new road laid, crushed rock with a clay binder being used.

28 Feb 45-New roadway between Drulingen and Bettwiler was reported completed at 1700 hours.

4 Mar 45-Received order from 1109 Combat Engineer Group to dispatch a detail to repair roads leading to hospital at Q 453230, vicinity St. Jean Bassel and to sweep the area to be used as a hospital motor pool for mines.  No mines were found.

6 Mar 45-Built two timber trestle bridges, the first at Q 64264300, which replaced existing Bailey bridge.  The bridge was open for traffic the following day at 0830.  The second one was Q 713533 replacing an existing Treadway bridge.  The bridge was open for traffic at 2400, the same day.

6, 7, & 8 Mar 45-Battalion was given assignment of filling holes at Buhl airstrip and straightening out the mats.  Work was completed on the 8th of March.

7 & 8 Mar 45-Mines were discovered in the vicinity of Bettwiler, Q 59303154.  Area was swept and five German prepared charges were blown in place.

10 Mar 45-Battalion was given assignment to erect one-way signs on Highway GC from Moyenvic to Fenetrange, to expedite the movement of troops over this highway.

12 Mar 45-Discontinued operation of stone quarry one kilometer west of Goerlingen (Q52602105), and returned stone crusher and other equipment to lessee.  Returned eight ton road roller to French lessee at Mohrange, France.

13 Mar 45-Relieved of operations and security of one mine dump and two demolition dumps.
16 Mar 45-Company “A” attached to 106th Cavalry Group, per VOC, 1109th Engineer Combat Group.  Company “A” moved from Q59300730, vicinity of Drulingen and closed in new bivouac area at Q393502, Holbach.  One platoon attached to 106th Cavalry Squadron.

17 Mar 45-Battalion moved to Drulingen to vicinity of Demieringen due to change in Battalion boundary.  Company “A” moved to Eschviller.  One platoon relieved from attachment to 106th Cavalry and attached to 121st Cavalry Squadron.  Due to the tactical situation and the campaign, subsequent moved were frequent, the remainder of the month.

18 Mar 45-Battalion moved near Aachen.

19 Mar 45-Relieved of attachment to 1109th and attached to 1101st Engineer Combat Group.  Battalion received orders from 1101st to close in bivouac area at Bebelsheim, Germany.  The Battalion was assigned a new area of responsibility with main mission of clearing debris, maintenance of main supply route (MSR) and the filling of crates.  Company “A” moved near Loutzviller.

21 Mar 45-Orders were received from 1101st to take inventory and place guards on a German steel mill at Q670738, a German engineer depot at Q717730, and a German tool warehouse at Q695707.  Company “A” moved near Saalstadt, Germany.

22 Mar 45-One company swept area near Q640705 for mines.  Six Holz mines were found and blown in place.

23 Mar 45-Battalion moved to vicinity if Eisenberg.  A new area of responsibility was assigned for the maintenance of roads.  Company “A” moved to vicinity of Bechtheim.

25 Mar 45-Orders were received from 110st to establish assembly area for 1019th Treadway Bridge Company at vicinity of Grundstadt.

26 Mar 45-Battalion moved to vicinity of Westhofen.  One enlisted man wounded in action near the Rhine River as a result of enemy air action.

27 Mar 45-Battalion moved to vicinity of Hahnlein, crossing the Rhine River enroute to Rhein Durkheim.

28 Mar 45-Guards were relieved at steel mill, engineer deport and a tool warehouse.  Company “A” was engaged in skirmish in vicinity of Gumpen and one enlisted man was killed in action.
29 Mar 45-Battalion moved to vicinity of Stockstadt (Aschaffenburg).  New area of responsibility was assigned with main mission being road maintenance, including the main supply route.

30 Mar 45-Relieved of responsibility of guards on German dump at M585283.

1 Apr 45-Constructed 384 feet of Treadway bridge across the Main River near Aschaffenburg.  Due to the tactical situation, it was necessary to post guards on several dams upstream for security of several bridges.

3 Apr 45-2nd Lieutenant Alfred C. Toups and one enlisted man were captured by the enemy while investigating a road block.  One ¼ ton truck was also lost due to enemy action.  Later in the month, while the Battalion was bivouacked near Nurnberg, the enlisted man was discovered to have been released from a Prisoner of War camp near Nurnberg.

5 Apr 45-Battalion moved near Pfaffenhausen.  Battalion work included filling in of holes, repairing shoulders and improving drainage on the main supply route near Weiberhof to near Florsbach.

6 Apr 45-The Battalion reinforced a timber trestle bridge on the main supply route near Jossa by adding more cribbing and one extra bent.  Two underpasses were cleared of debris caused by the bridges being blown by the Germans.  Thirteen prisoners were captured.

7 Apr 45-Battalion moved near Gersfeld.  Filled in shell holes near Bronnzell to near Wisselrod.  Cleared log road blocks near Bruckenau to Schnainau.  Captured twenty-one prisoners.

8 Apr 45-The Battalion removed three road blocks and abates in the vicinity of Dalherda.  Bailey bridge material was hauled to bridge dump at Gersfeld.  Five Germans were captured.

9 Apr 45-Due to heavy traffic, a 24 hour patrol was put on the main supply route.  The Battalion repaired approaches to a Treadway bridge at N528971 and did general road maintenance on the MSR.  Captured two prisoners, one of whom was wounded.

10 Apr 45-Battalion moved near Saal.  Due to the scarcity of bridge material in the immediate vicinity, a detail was detached to Aschaffenberg to get some steel I-beams for bridge stringers.

11 Apr 45-Captured a German warehouse consisting of Engineer supplies, which was inventoried and placed under guard.  One 2.5 ton poletype trailer was lost due to enemy action.  Sixteen prisoners were captured, seven of whom were wounded.

13 Apr 45-A ferry was constructed at )-289648, limited to ¼ ton and ¾ ton vehicles.  120 feet of double-double Bailey bridge was erected at O-323739.

14 Apr 45-Battalion moved to vicinity of Rattelsdorf.  A 71 foot timber trestle bridge was constructed and a 107 foot timber trestle bridge was constructed.  At another location, one thirty foot span of a reinforced concrete bridge was replaced with a wooden roadway and bent.  Four Germans were captured.

15 Arp 45-Nineteen trucks and six trailers were dispatched to the Engineer Depot at Wurzburg to haul Bailey bridge equipment to Fischheim.  Enemy vehicles and debris were removed from the roadway.

19 Apr 45-Replaced mines blown by enemy action in a hasty mine field which was used as security near Rednitzhenbach.  Complied with orders from 1101st to dismantle an eighty foot double-double Bailey bridge and haul it to the bridge dump at Rothenbach.  One squad was left at the bridge dump for security.  A 117’ steel-stringer bridge was constructed over the Main River at Bamberg.

20 Apr 45-Battalion moved near Nurnberg, Germany.  A by-pass was constructed around mined abates and road blocks were removed.  While on a recon mission at Bamberg, one enlisted man was missing in action and four enlisted men were wounded in action, caused by a carload of German explosives detonating.

22 Apr 45-The autobahn leading into Nurnberg was cleared of wrecked vehicle, craters were filled and the shoulders were swept for mines, with none being found.

23 Apr 45-The Battalion was moved to the vicinity of Roth.  Two men from Company “A” were killed in action near Nurnberg while trying to run an ambush.  A thirty-six foot Treadway bridge was removed.  1101st ordered twenty-eight assault boats to be hauled from bivouac area t T4474.

24 Apr 45-Battalion was moved near Unter-Wurmbach.  A forty-two foot timber trestle bridge was constructed in the vicinity of Wassermungenau.  A sixty-foot double-single Bailey bridge was dismantled and transported to the 529th Bailey bridge dump.  A mined abates was swept and six German prepared charges and ten Holz mines were blown in place.

25 Apr 45-Battalion was moved to vicinity of Doekingen,

27 Apr 45-Road blocks and fallen trees were removed from the road in the vicinity of T215347.  A railroad overpass was repaired by adding two thirty foot spans over the existing bridge.  A by-pass around the bridge was built and maintained during construction.  Road shoulders were swept for mines near Wemding to Monheim.  Twelve-hundred pounds of enemy demolitions were found and destroyed.  A railroad underpass was cleared of debris at T189610.28 Apr 45-Battalion moved to the vicinity of Buchdorf.  Constructed a double-single Bailey bridge near Fassenheim on the main supply route.  Complied with orders from 1109th to operate a ferry at bridge site near T292180 and to widen the streets in Donoworth with a bulldozer.  Enemy vehicles were destroyed as they were blocking the road near T530172.

29 Apr 45-Battalion moved near Munich where it was assigned to the 20th Armored Division.

2 May 45-Battalion closed in a new bivouac area near Munich where a detail was detached for security and maintenance of a Bailey bridge.

3 May 45-Battalion closed in a new bivouac area in the vicinity of Edling.  Destroyed enemy vehicles were removed from the roadway between Haag and Reit-Mehrig.  Guards were furnished for the 10th Evacuation Hospital near Lamperthausen where enemy fire was received.  Twelve Germans captured.

4 May 45-Battalion moved to vicinity of Buchburg.  Destroyed enemy vehicles were removed from the roadway between Reit-Mehrig to Rimsting.  Due to the large amount of traffic, one company was put on the MSR for twenty-four hours a day from Munich to Wasserburg to expedite the faster movement of convoys.

4 May 45-Battalion assigned main mission of maintaining the main supply route from Wagin to Salzburg.

8 May 45-Battalion maintained main supply route from Petting to Salzburg.  Potholes were filled and shoulders widened and filled.

9 May 45-Battalion was given the main mission of repairing and maintaining the main supply route from Petting to Salzburg.