818th Tank Destroyer Battalion - Demobilization and Later Service

Demobilization and Later Service

Following VE-Day on 7 May, the battalion was tasked with guarding German prisoners, slowly transitioning to more general occupation duties before being withdrawn to Germany in late July to prepare for demobilization. The battalion was eventually shipped to New York three months later, where it was finally inactivated on 30 October. During its 297 days on active service, it had lost twenty-three men killed on active service, along with eight tank destroyers (four M10s and four M36s). In return, it had destroyed twenty-three German tanks (one a Tiger heavy tank) and ten self-propelled guns, along with a large number of light vehicles and fixed positions, this was around average for a tank destroyer battalion, with perhaps lighter than usual casualties. During the war, men of the battalion were awarded nine Silver Stars and seventy-two Bronze Stars, whilst two more men were awarded the French Croix de Guerre. The battalion as a whole was mentioned in the Belgian Army orders of the day for its service in the Ardennes, whilst the Distinguished Unit Citation was awarded to the 1st Platoon, Company A, for its service.

The battalion was redesignated the 323rd Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron in early 1947, and activated as part of the Organized Reserves; it was later reorganized as the 1st Battalion, 300th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and stood down from reserve status in 1950. It was later redesignated the 818th Tank Battalion, and assigned on paper to an inactive armored division in the Regular Army.