My Father's Unit - The 204th Engineers
#3

Hello Beth, welcome to the forum. If you post or email me a copy of the separation documents i can compare the info on the docs to what i have on the 204th Combat Engineer Battalion.

 

204th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated 25 Feb 1943, at Fort Devens, Mass.;

The 204th Engineer Combat Battalion was commanded by Lt. Colonel W.J. Peters.

The unit departed the New York Port of Embarkation on January 2, 1944 on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, arrived at Gourock, Scotland, January 8, 1944.

The 204th Engineer Combat Battalion arrived in France July 2, 1944, (D-Day + 28)

Campaigns (5):

Normandy, 2 Jul 44 / 24 Jul 44;

Northern France, 25 Jul 44 / 14 Sept 44;

Ardennes-Alsace, 16 Dec 44 / 24 Jan 45;

(Battle of the Bulge)

Central Europe, 22 MAR 44 / 11 May 45;

Rhineland, 15 Sept 44 / 11 May 45.

Occupation Duty 2 May - 19 Sept 45, Germany

Location at war's end (ETO):

Burglengengeld, Germany.

Arrived NYPE, 26 Oct 45;

inactivated Camp Kilmer, NJ, 27 Oct 45.

--------------------------------------------------

In Annex 9a. to Operations Plan, Neptune, List of Engineer Troops, pg 16, the 204th was under the 1103rd Engineer Combat Group.

1103rd Engineer Combat Group Hq. & Hq. Company

150th Engineer Combat Batalion

204th Engineer Combat Batalion

206th Engineer Combat Batalion

623rd Engineer Light Equipment Company

____ Engineer Dump Truck Company

Neptune Operations Plan page 25,

c. Army Engineer Operations

(1) 1103RD Engineer Combat Group (Army), upon arrival, will support the V Corps Engineer Operations by execution of engineer work in the forward zone of the Army area immediately in rear of V Corps. (See Annex 9b. 7.)"

At the activation of the Third Army, 1 August 1944, the 1103rd ECG with the 204th was assigned to the XX Corps, Third Army.

On December 21, 1944 the 204th was re-assigned to XII Corps, Third Army under operational control of the 1135th Engineer Combat Group. That assignment continued to August 5, 1945.

--------------------------

In September 44, the 204thECB supported the Moselle River Crossing by 5th Infantry Division, XX Corps, Third Army.

The book: Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt by Charles B. McDonald & Sydney T. Mathews, page 70 gives an account of the Moselle River Crossing by the 5th Infantry Division supported by the 1103rd Group.

Attached to 5th Division

1103d Engineer Combat Group

150th Engineer Combat Battalion

160th Engineer Combat Battalion

204th Engineer Combat Battalion

551st Engineer Heavy Ponton Battalion

989th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company

537th Engineer Light Ponton Company

623d Engineer Light Equipment Company

-----------------------------------------

Later with XII Corps, Third Army, it appears the 204th was under operational control of the 1135th Engineer Combat Group in support of the 5th Infantry Division for the crossing of the Rhine.

the document "Crossing of the Rhine by the US Third Army", Part of After Action reports of thrd Army gives accounts of the crossing.

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My Father's Unit - The 204th Engineers - by SonofaMP - 03-04-2013, 02:53 PM

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