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The 191st Tank Battalion was a 5th Army unit often attached to the 45th Infantry Division in Italy in 1943 and 1944 and a 7th Army often attached to the 45th in France and Germany in 1944 VE Day in 1945 in Germany

Campaigns: Naples-Foggia with Assault Landing, Anzio with Assault Landing, Rome-Arno, Southern France with Assault Landing Ardennes-Alcace (Battle of the Bulge), Rhineland, Central Europe,

Occupation of Germany

Awards: Service Company: Meritorious Unit Commendation for 14 August to 8 November 1944 awarded by the 45th Infantry Division.

Dates of Attachment to 45th in France y from  the 15 August 1944 Landing in Southern France to VE Day May 9, !945
in Germany:

15 Aug 44-28 Nov 44   

29 Nov 44-21 Dec 44  (- Co A & 3d Plat, Co D)

22 Dec 44-27 Dec 44

28 Dec 44-31 Dec 44(- Co B)

1 Jan 45-16 Feb 45

4 Mar 45-9 May 45 March 27:

1943 - 1944

Italy


History August 15 September 30, 1943: Bizerte, Tunisia to Salerno, Italy


Navy Document: Landing the 191st at Salerno September 9, 1943

The 191st in the Fifth Army History

1944

France


October 1944: Official History

1945

Germany

March 27, 1945: Tanks of the 191st in support of the 45th in Aschaffenburg, Germany
 
April 29: Liberation of Dachau

 Elements of the 191st Tank Battalion which part of Task Force Sparks, 45th Infantry Division along with units of the 20th Armored Division and 42nd Infantry Division liberated Dachau.

Companies A & C, 191st Tank Battalion appear to have been in Task Force Sparks.

The Dachau concentration camp was on the east side of the Amper River.

The Nazis had blown the bridges over the Amper River which prevented the tanks of Companies A and C from crossing.

Elements of "I" and "L" Companies of the 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment of Task Force Sparks crossed an Amper River footbridge to enter first the Dachau SS training compound then the concentration camp.

Soldiers of  Companies A & C, 191st Tank Battalion are mentioned in the histories of the liberation of Dachau.

They may have crossed the Amper River footbridge and entered the concentration camp at a later time before finding another Amper River crossing and proceeding to Munich.

WWII Photos from the website of our sister group the 45th Infantry Division World War II Reenactors and Venturing Crew.

Reunion, September 6-9, 2006, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Facebook Groups

191st Tank Battalion, WW II

191st Tank Battalion

Blog

The 191st Tank Battalion during WWII

Personnel

1st Lt Wade Hampton Saunders Co. C

Private John J. McHugh: Letter to his father about his son's death in action on January 7, 1945.

All material not in the public domain Copyright2020 - 2022
T
he 45th Infantry Division in World War II: An Unofficial Guide to Resources


Leonard H. Cizewski
and Judy Erwin Branham
Last Major Update: December 25, 2022
Minor Revision:
Posted: December 28, 2020
Last Reviewed:

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Many volunteer researchers at their own expense obtained many of these public domain items from sources such as the National Archives.


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