When my father, Hubert Paul, returned from World War II, he had numerous photos of his time spent in Europe with A Company, 27th Tank Battalion, 20th Armored Division and I want to share them along with photos of men he served with. The 20th was activated on March 15, 1943 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and left Boston on February 5th and arrived in Le Havre, France on the 18th of February, 1945. After a month of preparation and training, they moved through Belgium to Germany and on April 4-9th, the Division saw combat as they moved up the west bank of the Rhine River in support of the 101st Airborne near Delhoven, Germany and the 82nd Airborne Division across the river from Hitdorf, Germany. On April 23rd, General Omar Bradley reassigned the unit to XV Corps, Seventh Army at Wurzburg, Germany.
The 27th was attached to the 42nd( Rainbow) Infantry Division and led the attack to capture the town of Donauworth on the 25th. The river was crossed on the 28th of April. The success of the operation led Lt. Col. Donald E. Downward, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Infantry(42nd Infantry Division) to state:" I have never seen a more aggressive armored unit." Elements of the 20th seized the bridge over the Paar River at Schrobenhausen, and secured crossings over the Ilm River.
Along with elements of the U.S. Seventh Army's 45th(Thunderbird) and 42nd(Rainbow) Infantry divisions, elements of the 20th participated in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp on the 29th of April, 1945. There were also troops from the 9th Tank battalion, 8th and 65th Armored Infantry Battalions, the 412th and 414th armored Field Artillery Battalions that took part in the discovery and liberation of the camp. Units of the 45th(primarily the 180th and 157th Infantry Regiments) with the 20th Armored Combat Command( 65th Armored Infantry Battalion, and 413th Armored Artillery Battalion) operated as Task Force 20, and were awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation dated October 3, 1945 and states:
These units, which constituted Task Force 20, are cited for outstanding performance of duty in action during the period 28-30 April 1945, in the vicinity of Neuherberg, Germany. With soldierly courage and irrepressible determination members of Task Force 20 pushed an armored spearhead 45 miles beyond the Danube River to the outskirts of Munich, destroying a supply train, capturing almost 800 prisoners, and securing four bridges over the Amper River intact. Continuing the attack on 29-30 April against an enemy entrenched in elaborately prepared dugouts and behind the thick walls of the SS Training Center and an Anti-tank School which were defended by small arms, machine guns, hundreds of panzerfausts and twelve 88MM guns, our troops killed 700 SS Troops, who fought stubbornly and fanatically. This victory destroyed the defenses of Munich, Germany, removing resistance to the entry of troops into the City.
The 27th remained attached to the 42nd Infantry Division and along with the 45th Infantry Division, captured Munich proper. They pursued the retreating Germans across the Inn River at Wasserburg on May 3rd and entered Traunstein on May 4th, and started moving towards Salzburg, Austria when they received word the hostilities in Europe would cease.
The 27th would move to Camp Lucky Strike in France to prepare for returning to the U.S. in August, 1945. The 20th Division was slated to assist in the invasion of Japan but after the atomic bombs were dropped, the unit was inactivated on April 2nd, 1946 at Camp Hood in Texas.
The names of individuals and locations are taken from the information written on the photos. NOTE: Page 2 are the photos and You Tube links to videos of Dachau, NSFW, and Page 3 is a tribute to my uncles with photos and information, who also served in the war, with one a P.O.W. in China and one that was killed in action in France, and a little bit about the man, Hubert Paul. If you wish to leave a comment, there is a form on the bottom of the page.
The 27th was attached to the 42nd( Rainbow) Infantry Division and led the attack to capture the town of Donauworth on the 25th. The river was crossed on the 28th of April. The success of the operation led Lt. Col. Donald E. Downward, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Infantry(42nd Infantry Division) to state:" I have never seen a more aggressive armored unit." Elements of the 20th seized the bridge over the Paar River at Schrobenhausen, and secured crossings over the Ilm River.
Along with elements of the U.S. Seventh Army's 45th(Thunderbird) and 42nd(Rainbow) Infantry divisions, elements of the 20th participated in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp on the 29th of April, 1945. There were also troops from the 9th Tank battalion, 8th and 65th Armored Infantry Battalions, the 412th and 414th armored Field Artillery Battalions that took part in the discovery and liberation of the camp. Units of the 45th(primarily the 180th and 157th Infantry Regiments) with the 20th Armored Combat Command( 65th Armored Infantry Battalion, and 413th Armored Artillery Battalion) operated as Task Force 20, and were awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation dated October 3, 1945 and states:
These units, which constituted Task Force 20, are cited for outstanding performance of duty in action during the period 28-30 April 1945, in the vicinity of Neuherberg, Germany. With soldierly courage and irrepressible determination members of Task Force 20 pushed an armored spearhead 45 miles beyond the Danube River to the outskirts of Munich, destroying a supply train, capturing almost 800 prisoners, and securing four bridges over the Amper River intact. Continuing the attack on 29-30 April against an enemy entrenched in elaborately prepared dugouts and behind the thick walls of the SS Training Center and an Anti-tank School which were defended by small arms, machine guns, hundreds of panzerfausts and twelve 88MM guns, our troops killed 700 SS Troops, who fought stubbornly and fanatically. This victory destroyed the defenses of Munich, Germany, removing resistance to the entry of troops into the City.
The 27th remained attached to the 42nd Infantry Division and along with the 45th Infantry Division, captured Munich proper. They pursued the retreating Germans across the Inn River at Wasserburg on May 3rd and entered Traunstein on May 4th, and started moving towards Salzburg, Austria when they received word the hostilities in Europe would cease.
The 27th would move to Camp Lucky Strike in France to prepare for returning to the U.S. in August, 1945. The 20th Division was slated to assist in the invasion of Japan but after the atomic bombs were dropped, the unit was inactivated on April 2nd, 1946 at Camp Hood in Texas.
The names of individuals and locations are taken from the information written on the photos. NOTE: Page 2 are the photos and You Tube links to videos of Dachau, NSFW, and Page 3 is a tribute to my uncles with photos and information, who also served in the war, with one a P.O.W. in China and one that was killed in action in France, and a little bit about the man, Hubert Paul. If you wish to leave a comment, there is a form on the bottom of the page.
Hubert Paul home on leave 1943
Ship they arrived on Le Havre, France. USAT Brazil
Headquarters Platoon, Co. A. Hubert Paul bottom row, fourth from the left.
First platoon. Rich Mintz helped with the names of two members, Sgt. Elmer Campbell and Cpl. Warren Stewart.
Second platoon
Captain Diehl, CO from Texas. He used to send a letter around Christmas with an update on everyone and my Dad really enjoyed them. I wish I still had one to share.
Carol Norfleet, Blue Springs, Missouri
Junior Smith, Boonville, Missouri
Junior Smith and Hubert Paul
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Walter Lovelace, John Papernick, Charlie Case, Harold Roberts, Shortie Rayhill on right stacking wood.
I am trying to show the route they took from the research I've done, but I am not sure what route they took to Camp Lucky Strike in France returning home.
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A little fun and games
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Amiens, France
French home with stable and shop attached
Harold Roberts with French boy
Mons, Belgium
Charleroi, Belgium
Unknown Belgium town
On the way to Munich
Herrenchiemsee Palace, Bavaria
Entering Munich
Knocked out German 88MM
German tank out of commission
Bombed unknown German town
German Autobahn
First German prisoners
Captured German office headed to the rear
More German prisoners headed to the rear
German POWs
Bombed railroad yard Germany
Limburg, Germany.
Vegetable fields Wurzburg, Germany. Update: I heard from someone that that fields are now vineyards.
I know the 20th Armor were in areas where art caches were discovered, but I cannot say for sure this is one of the items. It's just strange a tank battalion would have a photo of a monument in a crate.
Bombed railroad Traunstein, Germany
SS Barracks Berchtesgaden
Second photo of Barracks
The next photos are of Platterhof Hotel in Berchtesgaden from different views
Front of what was left of Goering's house
Werfen, Austria
The Alps, Werfen, Austria
Hartenfels Castle
Post card of the inside of the castle
Salzburg, Austria
German Airfield, Salzburg
Company A, Salzburg
Camp Lucky Strike, preparing to head home.
Homeward bound on SS John Ericsson. It was built in Germany and was being operated by the Swedish American Line until it was purchased by the U.S. It left July 27th, 1945 from Le Havre, France and arrived on August 6th at 08:30.
Hubert Paul asleep on the way home.
Being towed into port, New York City, U.S.A.
