General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

O~EEAL OED-
No. 137
W.4R DEPARTDlENP
Wnsmmwox 25, D. C., 14 Nouember 1846
Section
MILITARY ESTbBLISHMmXT-Cre880na Sub~Uepot, Letterlcenuy OrdllencC Depot,
CTPSBODR, Pennsylvania, discontinued -----~~....--.-----.....-
1
BATT1.I: HOBORS-Citation of unit -.---------.-.------......-----....
I1
I..MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT.-Zffectice as of 31 October 1946, the
Cressona Sub-Depot, Letterkenny Ordllance Depot, Cressona, Pennsylvania, is
discontinued as a military establishment.
[A5 802 (1 Xov 4811
IILBATTLE HONORS.-As autiloriaed by Executive Order 9306 (see. I, WD
Bul. 22. 1943), superseding Executive Order 9076 (sec. 111, WD Bul. 11, 1942),
,-..citation of the following unit in the general orders indicated is confirmed under
rathe provisions of section IV. WD Circular 333, 1943, in the name of the President
.'?of the Unitcd States as public evidence of deserved honor and distlnclion. The
- - citation reads as follows:
. The Sd Battalion, @Slh Infnntf-li Reginmni (Reinforoed), is cited for extraor-
' dinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the
enemy during the period 23 to 25 February 1945 in the vicinity of Duren, Germany.
The Jd Battalion, 418th Znfantrg Regiment (Reinforced), forced a crossing of
the Roer River and. mlthout deia~, advanced across partially inundated and
well-mined terrain in the face of de~astating fire from well-prepared defensirl?
Do~itions. TWO companies mad? the initial crossing. When several boats ooerturned,
the men swam to the enemy side and, though wet and cold and some of
them without ammunition or weapons, rent into action. A ferry was swiftly
constructed by supporting assault engineers. Badly needed su~plies, upp port in@
weapons, and ammunition were ferried across and the wounded and prisoners of
war were evacuated. The two companies advanced immediatel~ against ilugr
factory buildings, secured their initial objective, after a fierce hand-to-hand
battle, and repelled two enemy eolmterattseks, after quickly argnnizillg a defense.
At this point, the plan of attack was altered and the battalion was ordered
to assault and caviure an insane asslum. which was the dominatinp - terrain
feature in the city of Duren. Quiclrly resupplying ammunition and weapons and
formulating a plan of attark, which was delivered to subordiuate commanders
without recourse to radio, the battalion subdued fierce resistance in adjacent
factories and launched its amnult on schedule, capturing the objective in a furious
asmult. At 0300, 24 February 1945, a counterattack, supportPd by devastating
artillery fire, was launched by the enemy. The attack was repulsed by the men
of the battalion by quick and effective coordination of machine-gun, artillery, and
mortar lire, inflicting 40 casualties on the enemg farce of over 100 men and
capturing the Emn& of the force. The aggressive actions of the Sd Battaliol~.
413th Infantry Regiment (Relnfomed), successfully established and secured a
bridgehead into Duren, penetrating 3,000 yards into enemy-held territory. The
penetrntioD of Sllecessi~e Axed positions broke the enemy's defenses, which had
been prepared for over 3 months, and secured observation enahling the placing
of obserred flres on enemy positions, contributing greatly to the caufueion and
disorgnniZaLiou of the enemy and facilitating the assault across the plains of
Cologne toward the Rhine Riper. Large quantities of enemg cq~ipment were
taken, 178 Prisoners c.aptured, and 20 enemy killed by the b~ttaiion in this action.
Throughout the action, the officers aud men of the 3d Battalion, 415th Znfantr~
Regiment (Reinforced), distinguinhed tl~emeeives by great determination, outstandtng
agfircssiveness, and superior combat discipline, gaining exceedingly dif~
AGO 1027B-Nov 716108'-48