General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

sliite of the almost continuous dismounted combat, no essential engineer functions
were neglected. An extremely cold Ardennes wiilter provided ice conditions
which madc tank operalion impossible, and heavy snows mhieh completely
blocked the few inadequate arteries of trnllic, covered mines, and made
their removal additioualiy hazilrdons. The superhuman cfforts of the 17th
Amnored Jhglneer Battallon, together with the daring and determined spirit
which knew no limitations des~ite extreme exhaustion and battle weiuiness of
the individual engineer, culminated in the encirclerneut and virtual annihilation
of the German 2d Panzer Division and in the advance south to line ng with the
Third Army south of Houffalize, thus eut:ting tile German salient in half. (General
Orders 79, Headquarters 2d Armored Division, 31 October 1'345, as approved
by tllc Commanding General, United States Army Forces, European Theater
(Main) .)
5. Ouinneny A, 532d Wngineer Boat and S'kors Ecyirnmlt, is cilrd for extraordinary
heroism at Nassau Bay, New Guinea, from 20 Junc to 2 July 1913. After
a haaaldaus midnight innding in treruenaous surf, the boat crews of Cmwany A,
who had been chargcd with placing a combat team asiiore in emy territory,
left their wrecked craft and prepared tl~enselveu for the ineritable fight for
the beachhead. With rifles and will1 machine guns torn from their lauding cmft,
thcy joined in a desperate 12-hour battle and, sniliering henry casualties, hcld
the portion of the perimeter n~hich korc the bnmt of the enemy nttoelc. In the
grim fight which at tinlcs invoired hand-to-hand combat, the amphibian engineers,
as individuals arid as a group, displayed extraordinary resolution and
coniaae. As a unit comprising one fifth of the American forces on Nassau
Bencll, their courageous action nms the factor which mired the entire forcc from
destruction by n superior ruemy force. In ihe adaptability, determination, and
~villiOmess to SaCPific1, which they disl,iayed, MmpLI1Ly A, 553d Znyinew Rout
and Shore Regiment lived cp to the highest combat ttrnditlons of their corn
and of the Army of the IJnited States. (Gcuerol Ovders 272, IIendqnarters
Sixth Army, 2 December 1945, as npproued by the Commander in Chief, United
Slates Almy Foxes, Pacific.)
6. The Boat Battalion, 5826 Engineer Boat and Shore Repinze+zt, is cited for conspicuous
and heroic action agninst the cuemy at Leyte, Philippine Islands, from
5 Norcmber until 10 December 1944. The boat Imttalion, then opemliug 170
sm:rll craft unloading ships at ?Wit? Beach, 1,os Negros, Admiralty Islands, and
landing combat patrols at various points nn Leytc and Sumar Islands, mas called
upon to supply front-line troop6 by lancing sunplies at Pinnmoponn Point. H'or
4 days, the officers and men of this lluit determinedly landed on the rocky beach,
in the facc of the direct fire of a machine gguo which the infantry could not
locate. Each day, ns the mmps of the LChl's were lowered onto the bench, the
maclline ,Tn mould open fire directly into the well deck of the craft. Despite
the fact that the boat crews were not rcsuonsible for nnloadinr. their craft. thev
the unit partieirated in tire assault landing at Ipil, carrying troops and supplies
for the final attack on Ormoe. Althoogh the landing was made against only
nioderate enemy shore resistance, a fiercc encmy air attack developed later in
the day, which furcell all crnft off the beach. Thc JXhf's of the battalion re-
mained close inshore drspitc the desperate attempts of the enemy pilots, and
furnished Supportin&! fire which destroyed two enemy planes and helped &is
AUO 2836B