Retracing the 110th Infantry Regiment's history

Hi Earthican. I know he went into France in July of 1944. If I remember correctly, he enlisted in March or April of 1944.

 

Entering the Army in March of 1944 and being with the 28th ID when they landed in France in July 1944 is possible but seems unlikely. Perhaps you meant March or April of 1943?

It could take three or four months to process and train an infantrymen. Then there were the usual delays in getting overseas and finally to a combat ready unit. You could try entering his name in the NARA Enlistment records online:
http://aad.archives.gov/aad/fielded-search.jsp?dt=893&tf=F&cat=all
If you don't find a record that fits, try different criteria, such as last name and home state, add birth year etc


I hope you contacted Tom (aka SKYLINEDRIVE) on the offer for a guide to the battlefields. The trip to Europe sounds like a fantastic opportunity to connect.
http://www.ww2f.com/topic/53299-retracing-the-110th-infantry-regiments-history/#entry584567

The group photo of "Able Battery" is very rare and valuable to an archive. Perhaps the 28th ID Association and CEBA(Tom) would welcome a quality scanned copy.


I hope we are filling in the picture, let us know if you see any gaps.

 

Thanks Earthican. I have made contact with Skyline and will attempt to get out there next month. In looking through NARA I found some information but I'm not sure how accurate it is. They Spelled his name wrong and show him enlisting in the 2nd week of January 1941. But I know he did not enter the war until july of 1944 when the 28th crossed the Channel. I also am unclear what the difference is between a cannon company and an artillery unit.

 

There are errors in those NARA records and there are the usual problems with common names. All you can do is set that information aside until it is confirmed or discounted. Keep an open mind. You might not be looking at the right record and his real record could contain unexpected information that keeps you from finding it.

But it is possible that an individual volunteered (service number starts with 1 or 2) or was drafted (SN starts with 3) in 1941 and does not enter combat until 1944. The mobilization and expansion of the US Army was a long and often tedious process to those at the bottom. The 28th ID, the Pennsylvania National Guard, was inducted into Federal service in February of 1941. Before that date they likely experienced a surge of volunteers that wanted to serve with their hometown friends.


By the end of the war there was not much difference between the Cannon Company and a field artillery battery. The principle difference was the short barreled howitzer they used which, early on, was thought more suited for the direct fire cannon missions intended. Late war, as they fired almost exclusively indirect fire missions, reorganizing as two 3-gun batteries made them more similar to the 4-gun batteries of the field artillery.

By tradition the basic unit of the US Army is the regiment which was further divided into companies (Infantry) or batteries (Field Artillery). Both are commanded by a Captain.


I believe the convolutions of military science and military tradition was a major obstacle for veterans to describe their wartime service. I don't feel bad if you can't get it straight. We will ignore your errors and, mostly, only correct you if it can help your search.

Keep'em coming, no one has found my limit to explain GI lore. And if I'm too slow somebody here will pitch-in.

 

The American infantry division had three infantry regiments, artillery support was lent by the divisional artillery units: three 105 mm howitzer battalions for direct support and a 155 mm howitzer battalion for general support. In practice one infantry regiment and one artillery battalion worked together as the nucleus of a regimental combat team.

In adition each infantry regiment had its own organic regimental Cannon Company equipped with short-nosed 105-mm howitzers to give immediate direct artillery support to the regiment when required. However, in practise so quick to provide was divisional artillery support that regiments had no need to carry their own direct artillery support with them.

 

So in the 110th's cannon company there would have been about 250 GIs to man 4-6 short nosed cannons? Where would these men have been when the 110th regiment was fighting in the middle of the Hurtgen Forest? Were they always attached to their cannons or sometimes up from with the infantry in a fox hole?

 

You are one of the most fortunate searchers. The 28th ID's ordeal in the Hürtgenwald is almost as researched as its defense of "Skyline Drive" in the Bulge.

This map from the official history shows the attack plan and start positions for the infantry regiments and field artillery battalions.
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-SS-Three/maps/USA-SS-Three-VI.jpg

Look for the 'fish hook' shaped ovoid(?) labeled "110th Inf (-)". That is the front line in the zone of the 110th Infantry. The Cannon Company should be located just to the west. Notice the 109th FA Bn locations (circle with the three 4-pronged "E's"). The Cannon Company of the 110th Infantry should be east of their location in the zone of the 110th Infantry.

Since the 110th Infantry did not advance much, the Cannon Company may have stayed in one location or moved within the zone to avoid counter-battery fire (German artillery searching them out).

That is the location of the firing "batteries" (gun positions, Fire Direction team, and company command post). They sent Forward Observer teams to the headquarters of the infantry battalions and rifle companies. The headquarters or CP of a rifle company is just a few foxholes within the voice range of the company commander.

Hope that helps some.

 

I noticed that the map has an error. It shows Company B, 707th TD in the 110th Infantry area (just under the word "ROTGEN"). The problem is that there was no 707th Tank Destroyer Battalion. There was a 707th Tank Battalion, so it may be that it is the symbol that is incorrect. After doing a bit of checking, it turns out that Company B, 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion was attached to the 110th RCT on 2 Nov 44. So, it could also be that it was meant to indicate B/630th TD Bn instead. At this point in the War, it was not unusual for TD units to provide indirect fire in coordination with artillery units and infantry cannon companies.

 

Fellow map-reader -- we don't just glance...

Doing a quick check the 707th Tank Bn was part of the 5th AD which had a planned part later in the operation -- if all went well -- from that general area.

I did notice C/630th TD Bn set-up to fire indirect on the very top of the map.

 

So, if I understand you correctly, you concur with the second explanation I mentioned - that it is actually the 707th Tank Bn and the TD symbol is in error. Or did you have another scenario?

BTW, I also noticed the C/630th TD Bn. They were supporting the 112th RCT, so that position makes sense.

 

Hi everyone,
Here is the photo I had mentioned earlier.

View attachment 21010

 

I agree it is most likely the 707th Tank Bn but leave open the possibility of it being another unit entirely.

I was surprised to find the 707th Tank Bn was also in the Kall Trial struggle. It has been awhile since I read about this action.
http://home.scarlet.be/~tsc94696/707th_28th.htm

 

It is just a matter of a wrong symbol on the map, the 707th TBn was on attachment to the 28th ID 6th of October 1944 to the 8th of January 1945.

 

My mistake, the 707th Tank Bn was not part of the 5th AD in 1944. Lazy me for not double-checking before posting.....

 

That is not the photo with the "Able" battery flag but is still interesting...

Actually a guidon:
RTC - Replacement Training Center
[Infantry crossed rifles]
191A - 191st [Training?] Battalion, A Company(?)

I have searched for: 191st "replacement training" battalion - and found nothing.

So far the highest RTC battalion that I have found is the 59th at Camp Wolters, Texas. If they numbered them across the country that might point to Camp Roberts, California for the 191st -- just my hunch. Then again, late in the war, Fort McClellan, Alabama was changed over from Branch Immaterial training to Infantry so anything is possible.

Notice there is a lot rank in the photo. Officers up front and the First Sergeant on the left of the second row. This looks like the training staff or 'cadre' of A Company, 191st Bn.

Other training battalions photos at Camp Croft:
http://www.schistory.net/campcroft/group/group.html

A little mystery here...

 

I had only slightly better luck. I found the following on a message board:

Not real solid, but may be worth trying to verify.

 

Slight evidence but a solid lead....
By Googling "192nd infantry" blanding, "193d infantry" blanding, "194th infantry" blanding, ...
I get hits for obits, family research, letters and alike.
I think this adds up to solid evidence that the 191st Infantry Training Battalion was at Camp Blanding, Florida.

The only first hand information I found was:
http://scottsvillemuseum.com/wwii/veterans/schermaninterview.html

 

I will try to find the picture of Abel Battery. I found a few more in a small album but the scan was too big a file to upload. I don't know how to make the jpg file smaller. I have included one that has a local girl in front of a road sign; I have no idea where this is. But you are right about Camp Blanding, Fla. I found an Enlisted Man's Temporary Pass dated 30 Oct 1943 for a 1-day visit to Jacksonville. He also had a piece of paper in the album that read "CPL. George Kusanovich 1st CAV. SCH. DET 773 Fort Riley Kansas U.S. Army"
Heading to Munshausen in a few days- wish me luck! And a sincere thank you to all of you for steering us in the right direction!

 

I think the sign behind the young lady in the photo may be for the 45th Evac Hospital.

 

Here is one more. The others are all just a little too big.