General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

cent courage and distinguished heroism of every officer and man of the Sd Bat
talion. 143d Infantrv - Reoiment. - a malor disaster was inflicted uwn the enemy
in hisattempt to advance to the north (General Orders 398, ~eidquarters 33th.
Infnlltr~ Division. 12 Sentember 1945, as avuroved . by the Commanding General,
36th Infantry Division.)
7. 111th Engineer Combat Battalion with 283526 Engineer Combat Companv
(attached), for heroism, esprit de cor~, and extraordinary achievement in combat
from 23 October to 11 Kovember 1944 near Bruyeres, France. When it was decided
to attack through the Foret Dominiale De Champ and outflank the German
forces in the Laveline-Corcienx Valley, this unit was called upon to build a su~ply
road out of a mountain trail whielr rosc 1,000 feet above the valley floor and
progress through a dense forest to the di5ision objective. Working directly be.
hind the assault elements, the men of this unit labored unceasingly to build and
maintain this road. Artillery flre crashed into the trees, showering shrapnel on
the engineers, who had no protectlon as they worked. Enemy snipers infiltrating
hehind our lines caused casualties and some of the engineers engaged these
Germans in a Ere flsht - while the others cantinned to work. Tanks were called
up and, though these heavy vehicles tore the bottom from the trail, the engineers
were able to kee~ it open so that the constant flow of supplies to the nine infantry
battnlioos engaged in the action and the constant evacuation of dead and wounded
was never interrupted. Corduroy and planking were used, hundreds of enemy
mines were removed, and gravel and paving stones were hauled from the surrounding
country side. At no time during the 19 days of this action did the work
cease. Even though the engineers sustained 57 casualties in dead and wounded,
thev . caDtured - 27 German nrisaners and killed many more as thw worked. Almost
continuous rain and snow made their task more difficult, and yet by sheer determination
and grit, these men accomplished thiy magnihcant feat of engineering.
Without this road, the divibion operation eouid not have succeeded and it is due
to the extraordinary achie~ement of the 1llthEfigineer Cornoat Battalion with the
2S%d Baoineer Combat Comaanu - - (attached) that the 30th Division was able to
outtlank the enemy farces in the Laveline-Corcieux Valley and parsue a disorganized
enemy to the banks of the Meurthe River. (General Orders 425, Headquarters
30th Infantrg Division, 1 October 1W3, as approved by the Oommandlng
General, 36th Infantry Division.)
BY OIWXE OF TELE SECBETAEY OF WIIL:
OFFICIAL: DWIGBT D. EISEEHOWEB
EDWARD F, WITSELL Chief of Staf/
dlajor General
Z'he Adjutant General
".I. G"YIRNUZNT .RlYTlli 0TliCEi 0.
AGO 3924B