614th Tank Destroyer Battalion - Early Service

Early Service

The battalion was activated at Camp Carson, Colorado, on 25 July 1942, under the command of Lt. Col. Blaisdell C. Kennon. The original cadre consisted of 35 officers and 156 enlisted men, with 140 of the enlisted men coming from the 366th Infantry Regiment at Camp Devens, Massachusetts and 16 from the infantry replacement training center at Camp Wolters, Texas. Additional personnel arrived to bring the enlisted strength to 420 and basic training was started at Camp Carson. The battalion was soon ordered to Camp Bowie, Texas, arriving there on 18 December, 1942. It completed basic training there and was ordered to Camp Hood, Texas, arriving on 23 March, 1943. The unit began tank destroyer training with the M3 GMC destroyer but was reorganized as a towed battalion, using the 3 inch Gun M5, pulled by the M3 half-track, on 17 July, 1943. On 18 July, the unit was assigned to the Tank Destroyer Center Training Brigade as school troops; assisting with training of new troops. In October, Lt. Col. Kennon was transferred and Lt. Col. Frank S. Pritchard assumed command on the 16th. Col. Pritchard would remain with the unit throughout their combat time in Europe. The battalion continued as school troops until 20 December, 1943, when training prior to overseas service was started. They were ordered to the Louisiana Maneuvers area next, arriving 2 March, 1944. After receiving a satisfactory rating on maneuvers, they returned to Camp Hood on 23 March, 1944. Another period of intensive training ensued and by 1 June, 1944, all tests had been satisfactorily completed and the unit was qualified for overseas service. The battalion received movement orders in August and after a brief stay at Camp Shanks, New York, they boarded the British ship "Esperance Bay" on 27 August and arrived in Avonmouth, near Bristol, England, on 7 September, 1944.

The battalion deployed into Normandy on 8 October, and moved south to Metz; it first saw action operating against the Siegfried Line on 28 November, relieving the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion which was supporting the 3rd Cavalry Group. On 1 December, the unit's first day on the line, A Company's accurate fire was instrumental in the reduction of several pillboxes and the destruction of a German 88mm gun near Borg, Germany. It was moved to VI Corps on 5 December and then attached to the 103rd Infantry Division on 5 December, deploying in the vicinity of Gougenhiem, France, where Co A was attached to Task Force Forest and Co C to the 411th Infantry Regiment. The 103rd moved into the line on 8 December, and began its attack on the 9th. On the 11th, Co B, less one platoon serving as part of the Palace Guard at the Division CP, was attached to the 411th IR. As with most tank destroyer units by this stage of the war, it only rarely fought against enemy armour; more commonly, it provided fire support against strongpoints and observation posts or indirect fire to support infantry units. Per authority, letter dated 1 December 1944, they received credit for a Battle Participation Award-Northern France Campaign, the first for the unit. On the 13th, Co A, less 1 platoon, was relieved from TF Forest and assigned to the 410th IR.