607th Tank Destroyer Battalion The 607th Tank Destroyer Battalion was a tank destroyer battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War . They arrived in England during April , 1944 , and entered combat in mid June , landing at Utah Beach . The unit fought across France and into Germany during the summer and early winter of 1944 . In late winter , they were then pulled out and sent to Belgium near the end of the Ardennes Campaign and again fought their way into and across Germany , ending the war near the Czechoslovakia n border . The 607th received credit for the Normandy , Northern France , Rhineland , Ardennes - Alsace and Central Europe campaigns . History . Early service . The battalion was activated on 15 December 1941 with personnel from the 7th Infantry Division Provisional Antitank Battalion . Additional personnel from Washington , Oregon , Idaho and Montana were assigned in March , 1942 . In December , 1942 and January , 1943 , personnel from Indiana , Ohio , Kentucky and West Virginia replaced the losses of the preceding nine months . On 15 December 1943 , it was reorganized , changing from a self - propelled to a towed battalion equipped with the 3in Gun M5 and the Reconnaissance Company being inactivated . Except for four and a half months training at the Tank Destroyer Center , at Camp Hood , Texas , the battalion received all of its precombat training in California at Sunnyvale , Hunter Liggett Military Reservation , Camp San Luis Obispo , Lost Hills , Desert Training Center and Camp Cooke . The unit deployed to the United Kingdom on 13 April 1944 , sailing on the USS Wakefield ( AP - 21 ) and arriving on the 21st . The unit was stationed in Macclesfield , Cheshire , England for one month and then proceeded to Camp Barton Stacey , in southern England , where it made final preparations for the invasion , arriving on the beaches of Normandy , France on 17 June 1944 . Normandy . Two companies ( Headquarters and A ) landed in Normandy at 0130 on 17 June ( D + 11 ) at Utah Beach , with Companies B and C being unable to land due to rough water . Company A was committed to action in the Battle of Cherbourg on arrival , attached to the 9th Infantry Division . During this mission , Co A captured its , and the battalions , first prisoner . The battalion was relieved from attachment to the VII Corps and attached to VIII Corps on 19 June , with Company A attached to the 82nd Airborne Division until 4 July and the battalion , less Co A , to the 90th Infantry Division . The remaining two companies ( B and C ) landed on 23 June , with Co B joining the 357th Infantry Regiment of the 90th ID . Company C moved to the TD ' s secondary mission , indirect fire , in the vicinity of Cretteville and fired the first rounds from a 3 " gun of the battalion on French soil . During the period of 7 to 27 July , the division advanced very slowly , especially in the areas around Foret De Monte Castro on Hill 122 , on the approaches to Seves Island and at Beau Coudray . Following the bombing from St . Lo to the southwest toward Periers and the exploitation of the forced breakthrough , the enemy withdrew from the division front on the night of 27 July . During the month of July , 15 , 424 rounds were fired indirect . A breakthrough to the enemy ' s rear had been made . Task Force Weaver , consisting of the 357th Infantry Regiment , 712th Tank Battalion , 344th and 345th Field Artillery Battalions and Co . A of the 607th , was organized and given the mission of securing the crossing of the Mayenne River , at Mayenne , and then proceed to Le Mans . On 5 August , the task force left La Condonniere , moving towards Mayenne and meeting light resistance . On the 6th the drive continued towards Le Mans , during which Co C destroyed an enemy half track , the first armored vehicle hit by the battalion . The task force arrived in Le Mans on the 8th . On 11 August , units of the battalion began moving north with the 90th as the division sought to close in on the southern side of the pincer which closed the Falaise pocket . The battalion continued to support the infantry regiments , and helped repel several armored and infantry attacks in the areas around Le Bourg - Saint - Leonard , Chambois and St . Eugenie ; between 16 and 21 August , they accounted for thirty - four tanks , twenty - three self - propelled guns , nine halftracks and sixteen artillery pieces destroyed or captured , with over five hundred prisoners taken and fifteen men awarded Silver Star s . Push through France . While the 607th was fighting in the Falaise pocket , other units had pushed far to the east and southeast . With the 90th , the battalion marched to Fontainbleau , a distance of 171 miles on 26 August . Between 27 August and 1 September , the various companies in support of the 357th and 359th IR ' s moved north of Reims and to Ft . de Brimont , a distance of 135 miles from Fontainbleau . Little opposition was met on this drive . On 8 Sept . , the unit participated in fending off a counterattack by the German Panzer Brigade 106 which was attacking in the Mairy / Trieux / Briey area ( Battle of Mairy ) . The attack commenced in the pre - dawn hours but the 607th ' s first contact with the Germans was at 0700hrs when enemy tanks began firing at Mairy . The 3 " guns knocked out two tanks . Around 0800 the Germans attempted to outflank the anti - tank defenses by coming into the town from the south aboard 11 armored half - tracks . Two were knocked out by bazooka fire from the TD platoon and , as they attempted to exit the town to the north , four more were lost to the 3 " guns . The actions against Pz . Brig . 106 by the 607th and units of the 90th ID essentially destroyed one of the four panzer brigades committed to the Lorraine counteroffensive by the Germans . By the 13th of September , the battalion , continuing to support the infantry regiments , had closed up to the Moselle River near Thionville . On this date , a gun from the 2nd platoon , C Company , located 200 yards west of Basse Parth , fired ten rounds into Germany , targeting the church steeple in Perl . These were the first rounds fired by the 90th into Germany , first rounds fired by the XX Corps into Germany and it is believed to have been the first fire to fall into Germany from the Third Army . During the remainder of Sept . and through Oct . , the battalion continued to support the infantry regiments as they closed on Metz , France . The 95th Infantry Division began to relieve the 90th on 1 Nov . and effective 2 Nov . , the 607th was attached to the 95th ID . Attacks toward Metz continued . The first main effort began with the crossing of the Moselle River south of Uckange by the 1st Bn of the 377th IR , the 2nd Bn pushing south from Maizieres - les - Metz and the advance to the southeast and east by the 378th and 379th Infantry Regiments . That same day , bazooka teams of the 607th crossed the Moselle to support the 1st Bn of the 377th . During the week of 12 – 19 Nov . , the battalion re - equipped with the self - propelled M36 tank destroyer , armed with a 90mm gun , and returned to combat just in time for the final attack on the city . Lt . Col . Harald S . Sundt , battalion commander , received the Oak Leaf Cluster to the Silver Star for his success in directing the Battalion in artillery and anti - tank support of the 95th Division from 8 to 20 November during the attack on Metz . The 95th , including the 607th and other attached units , received a commendation letter from General George S . Patton for their part in the battle at Metz . On 23 November , the battalion moved along the Moselle River to the vicinity of Ars - Laquenexy ( six miles southeast of Metz ) . The Saar Battles and Moving to the Defensive . As the 95th ID pushed to the northeast , the Germans fought a delaying action back through the Maginot Line toward the Saar River and the Siegfried Line which bordered on the east side of the Saar River . On the 28th of November , the 1st platoon of Co . C was defending the town of Falck , waiting for the arrival of the infantry , when a barrage of artillery was laid down followed by a German ground attack . Time after time the enemy attempted to take the town but were beaten off at each attempt . Platoon commander , 1st Lt . George King was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership during the defense of the town . For the remainder of the month , the companies , supporting the infantry regiments , moved on a seven mile front to within three miles of the Saar River near Saarlautern . As December began , the battalion continued to close on the Saar and Saarlautern . As the 95th arrived in the outskirts of Saarlautern , two of the three bridges across the Saar were blown with the one in the center of town still being intact . The 379th IR secured the bridge during the night of 2 December , and on the 3rd , the destroyers of 1st platoon of Co . B moved across the bridge to assist with securing the bridgehead . The platoon helped the infantry repulse an enemy infantry / tank counterattack , knocking out four tanks while losing one M - 36 . Two members of the 607th were awarded Distinguished Service Cross ' s , Cpl Eugene L . LaFountain ( WIA ) and 1st Lt . Richard A . Reynolds ( KIA ) , for their actions in the bridgehead area . Attacks continued into Saarlautern - Roden and Fraulautern . With the enemy ' s thrust into the Ardennes , offensive action in the bridgehead slowed and units took up a defensive posture , preparing to counter any potential massed German attacks . Reconnaissance of defensive positions began in earnest throughout the division sector . Routes and terrain were reconnoitered and observation posts established . The 607th recon platoons continued to maintain contact with units of the 106th Cavalry Group on the division ' s right flank . In Saarlautern , actions against the Siegfried Line continued . Co . B was attached to the 94th Infantry Division on 14 January 1945 , assisting in the capture of and then providing AT defense for Tettingen . On the 18th , the enemy attacked and Co . B destroyed five tanks . Co . A relieved Co . B with the 94th ID and on the 24th , they destroyed five enemy tanks . Cos . A and B of the 607th were relieved by the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion while Co . C continued to support the 95th ID in Saarlautern . Against the Siegfried Line . On 27 January , the 95th was relieved by the 26th Infantry Division and was ordered to assemble in Belgium north of Bastogne . The battalion , on the coldest day of the winter , marched 150 miles to the vicinity of Houffalize . On 2 February , they were relieved from attachment to the 95th ID and attached to the 87th Infantry Division , which was closing on the enemy as they withdrew from the Ardennes bulge . For the third time , they were facing the Siegfried Line . Complicated by mud , which made cross country movement impossible , the attack began . Units advanced against numerous pill boxes , neutralizing them and moving to the next . By early March , the key towns of Olzheim , Neuendorf and Ormont were taken and the Siegfried Line was breached . The 87th continued to advance eastward ; mines , blown bridges and artillery frequently holding up movement . The Kyll River was crossed and by 9 March , the area to the Ahr River had been cleared . During the next five days , all 607th units remained in place and conducted maintenance . On 14 March , the Division was ordered to march to a position facing Koblenz . The next mission was to take this town . During the night of 16 March , Co . A supported the 347th Infantry Regiment ' s crossing of the Moselle River and subsequent advance southeast toward the Rhine River . On 18 March , Co . C crossed the Moselle and accompanied the 345th Infantry Regiment into Koblenz . Later that day they fired at Fort Konstantin . Within the next two days Koblenz was captured . Direct fire caused 14 officers and 85 men to surrender the fort , one of the last positions taken . The Rhine Battles . The battalion assembled near Nortershausen , 10 miles southwest of Koblenz . The 347th IR crossed the Rhine in boats against heavy 20mm fire on the 25th , with support provided by Co . A firing at targets near Ober - Lahnstein . Co . C supported the 345th IR ' s crossing at Boppard , Germany . Later that day , Co . C and one platoon of Co . A were ferried across at Boppard and moved to support the expansion of the bridgehead . Two tanks of Co . B , 735th Tank Battalion and two TD ' s of the 2nd platoon , Co . C , were the first armor with the 87th ID to cross the Rhine River . Following the crossing , German resistance decreased and it was necessary to form a fast moving armored unit to reach into the German rear areas to disrupt communications and cut up administrative units and installations . Task Force Sundt was formed , composed of the 607th , less A and C companies , Co . A of the 735th Tank Battalion , the 87th Rcn . Troop , K Co . of the 346th IR , 2nd platoon Co . C of the 312th Eng . Bn and supporting fires from the 335th Field Artillery Battalion . The task force was divided into three companies plus a CP group . The unit assembled at Dachsenhausen , which was the limit of the divisions advance . On 27 March at 0545 , the Task Force moved toward Ruppertshofen , reaching the town by 0830 where it regrouped . By 1300 , Nastatten had been secured and the TF was across the Muhl River . Over the next four days , units of the TF overcame resistance varying from light to heavy , blown bridges and road blocks , all the while collecting hundreds of prisoners , to take numerous small towns and on the 31st the entire TF was continuing to clear the woods west of Butzbach . On 1 April , the Task Force was disbanded , having taken 1485 prisoners and advancing 76 miles . Companies A and C , with combat teams from the 87th ID , had continued to advance along the flanks of the Task Force . Armored thrusts had moved well to the east of the Division ' s advance leaving it in the rear areas . On 3 April , Co . A was attached to the 6th Cavalry Group and joined them at Huhlbach . On the 4th , the battalion with Companies B and C moved to assembly areas in the vicinity of Ronshausen with the 345th and 346th IR ' s . Company A was relieved from attachment to the 6th Cav . Group and rejoined the battalion . The following day the 87th went back on the offensive . All three companies moved to the vicinity of Oberschonau with the infantry regiments . Task Force Sundt was reconstituted at Tambach on the 10th and again divided into three companies . With clearance from the 89th Infantry Division to move thru their area to the north , the TF proceeded northwest thru Ohrdruf and Arnstadt . They then turned south back into the 87th ' s sector , cutting behind the enemy lines . The first opposition , heavy direct and artillery fire , was met at Trassdorf , SE of Arnstadt . Before Trassdorf could be taken , new orders were received directing the TF to head east through Stadtilm to Rudolstadt . Meanwhile , Co . A with the 347th IR was advancing in the southern part of the Division ' s zone , eventually meeting determined resistance at Cottendorf . After a TD was hit and set afire , Sgt . Dominic Karr evacuated a wounded man under small arms and artillery fire . Lt . Grant W . Claymore rescued two more men from the burning TD , earning a Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism . By evening , the TF and the three IR ' s held a line generally from just outside Stadtilm southwest to Angstedt , a distance of seven miles . An attack on Stadtilm was initiated on 12 April by the 1st and 2nd companies of the task force along with units of the 346th IR . The speed of the attack resulted in a bridge across the Ilm River being captured and the town was taken . The two companies continued moving east towards Rudolstadt , where they began meeting resistance , but by nightfall the southwest part of town had been taken . The next day , with the assistance of the 346th IR , the attack continued with the goal of capturing an intact bridge across the Saale River but this was not to be . All bridges had been blown so they raced towards Saalfeld , again finding the same conditions . A bridgehead was established and on the 14th the task force crossed the newly erected treadway bridge and headed east towards Peuschen , meeting resistance a few miles west of the town . After losing an M - 8 and crew to bazooka fire , the town was taken and the task force bivouaced for the night in Wernburg . Meanwhile , 607th Companies A and C continued to advance with the infantry regiments behind the task force companies , with Co . A moving through Schmorda to Moxa and Co . C crossing the bridge at Weissen , then advancing a few miles before darkness . The next day the task force continued to move eastward , passing thru numerous small towns against light resistance . With the 2nd company in the lead , they intercepted a sizeable enemy force moving from Langenbuch on foot and in wagons . Joined by 1st Company , all the enemy were killed , captured or dispersed . The two companies moved east to Thierbach where heavy resistance was encountered and they stopped for the night . The next morning , the Burgermeister was contacted and surrender of the town and garrison was requested on threat of destruction . The request was refused . While directing operations against a heavily defended roadblock in the center of town , Capt . J . Laverne Nicklas , Commander of 2nd Company , was killed by a sniper . The Task Force companies pulled back from the town and 1st Company destroyed Thierbach with direct fire , taking seventy five prisoners , including a colonel . Units of Co . A , with part of the 347th Infantry Regiment advanced through more small towns and were able to seize a bridge over the Weisse - Elster River in Plauen . They then drove through Plauen to Oelsnitz , meeting no resistance but firing on fleeing Germans . Co . C seized the bridge at Elsterberg , destroying an 88mm anti - tank gun , and secured the high ground east of town . On April 18 and 19 , Task Force Sundt remained in place patrolling to the east and on the 20th , the TF , less the infantry company , assembled in the vicinity of Neuensalz . This 2nd TF Sundt had traveled 109 miles and captured 1344 prisoners in nine days . The Germans had pitted the 11th Panzer Division , the so - called " Ghost Division " , in the 87th Division ' s zone to " stem the tide " to no avail . Two tanks , 11 trucks , 4 half - tracks , 3 armored cars , 6 wagons , 3 tractos 3 motorcycles , 3 - 75mm guns and 1 - 105mm gun were destroyed while losing 1 tank , 2 M - 8 ' s , 1 - M - 20 and 1 half - track . During the two - week period of April 23 - May 6 , elements of the Battalion remained in defensive positions , conducting equipment maintenance . To prevent unnecessary casualties , as Russian and American forces closed , limiting lines were established . For the 87th Division it was the Mulde River . On the 6th , the Task Force was dissolved while the 346th and 347th IR ' s , with Companies A and C in support , advanced about 12 miles to the east toward Falkenstein . On May 7 , the Battalion CP , Reconnaissance Company and Company B moved to Friedrichsgrün , four miles southeast of Falkenstein . On the 8th and 9th , Companies A and C assembled with the Battalion . Peace had been signed . The greatest of all wars was finished and the lights went on again all over Europe . Following a period serving as occupation troops , the 607th departed Marseille , France , aboard the USAT George Washington , arriving in the Port of New York , NY , on October 26 , 1945 . The unit was deactivated on October 27 , 1945 , at Camp Kilmer , New Jersey .