TankDestroyer.net

SEEK * STRIKE * DESTROY

809th Tank Destroyer Battalion

Unit History:  Activated 18 March, 1942, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee.  Arrived at Liverpool, England, on 8 December, 1944 and Le Havre, France, on 20 January, 1945, equipped with M18’s.  Supported Roer River crossing in late February, 1945.  Crossed the Rhine on 27 March.  Supported operations against the Ruhr Pocket in April and converted to the M36 that same month.  Helped clear the Harz mountains in late April.  Attached to: 8th Armored Division; 79th, 95th Infantry divisions.  History text from the book The Tank Killers by Harry Yeide.  Used by permission.

Combat Equipment: 2/45 – M18; 4/45 – M36

Commanding Officers:  Lt. Col. Walter R. Lawson

Code Name/s:  Unknown

Campaign Credits:    Rhineland……………………Sept. 15, 1944 to Mar. 21, 1945

                                 Central Europe……………..Mar. 22, to May 11, 1945

Awards:  None

Location August 1945:  Camp Bowie, TX

Additional Information/Materials:

1.)  Unit History – 22 Pages.  Includes casualties and awards (some sections difficult to read).  Courtesy of the Tank Destroyer Association by L. L. Gill, TDA Historian.

2.)  After Action Report/History – Company B of the 809th Tank Destroyer Battalion from Feb. 21 to Mar. 11, 1945.  Information is on the 8th Armored Division website.

3.)  After Action Reports – from the Combined Arms Research Library of the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Javier Tome (*).

            Feb. 1-28, 1945…………..4 Pages

            Mar. 1-31, 1945…………..4 Pages (*)

            Apr. 1-30, 1945…………..3 Pages

4.)  Miscellaneous Documents – from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas.

            General Orders #72, Unit Assignments, July 21, 1943……………….2 Pages

            Troop Assignment #147, June 12, 1945……………………………….18 Pages

5.)  Photo Gallery

6.)  Group Photo – Headquarters Company, taken at Camp Robinson, Arkansas in March or 1944. Carl Konesky is standing in the back row, 9th from the left. Courtesy of Pat Morrison.

7.)  Group Photo – Company C, taken at Camp Robinson, Arkansas in March of 1944. Courtesy of Elaine Scott.

8.)  Group Photo – Company B, also taken at Camp Robinson, Arkansas in March of 1944. It was provided courtesy of Carol Holley whose father served in the unit. You can see him standing in the 4th row from the front, 7th from the right.

9.)  Travel Itinerary of Stations of the 809th in the E.T.O. – Courtesy of Ms. Pat Morrison and Randy Theisen

10.)  Travel Itinerary of Cities while in E.T.O – Compiled by Lt. Myron R. Leonard (A Co.) and provided courtesy of his daughter Karen Alcott.

11.)  Company A, 1st Platoon – Taken while stationed in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany, by their Commanding Officer, Lt. Myron R. Leonard. Page two includes a listing of the men. Photo courtesy of Karen Alcott.