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UNIT JOURNAL, 508TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY
OPERATION ”NEPTUNE”, NORMANDY
28 MAY TO 15 JULY 1944
(5 of 19)
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11 June
(Cont'd) |
0840 hour --- Div CG into CP contacted CO
0910 hour --- CG out
0930 hour --- M/1 to CO. Strength no change -- Co H
1000 hour --- Prot services held for Regt Hq Co and 1st Bn
1045 hour --- Prot services held for 2d Bn
1130 hour --- Prot services held for 4d Bn
1145 hour -- Captured 5 enemy at 350924, sent to MPs at Chef-du-Pont
1200 hour --- Additional signal equipment received.
1250 hour --- CO to Div.
1400 hour --- Orders from Div to plan to move tonight.
1415 hour --- M/2 to S-2. GPS report around St. Mere Eglise false -- Div
1430 hour --- M/3 CO. Situation unchanged -- Co H.
1450 hour ---M/4 to Commo O. Dispense with 300 net change channel 30
for G-2.
1450 hour --- M/5 to CO. Put SOI in effect 1125 -- Div.
1450 hour --- M/6 to G-2 Lt. Brannen killed. Maj Gen Falley, 91st Div., is war
correspondent interested. -- S-2.
1500 hour --- Patrols sent out to intended place of crossing Douve River.
1505 hour --- M/7 to Div. Have started using the SOI -- Commo o.
1530 hour --- M/8 to Co H. Give strength -- CO.
1600 hour --- Received in several promotions, decorations and award
recommendation. started processing these, very difficult due to the conditions
under which we were working. The weather cold and damp.
1645 hour --- M/9 to CO. Co I has taken over the positions held by Co H.
-- Co I to Div.
1700 hour --- Bn commanders to meeting in Div HQ. Mail and morning reports se3nt
to Div.
1707 hour --- M/10 to CO., Recall s-2 from patrol, Regtl CP -- Co 507.
1800 hour --- Ordinance materials received by S-4 to replace those lost.
1925 hour --- M/11 to Div. Tail number 02100819 found--20 bodies burned--307942.
-- CO.
1935 hour --- M/12 to Div. G-3 report -- S-3.
2000 hour --- Patrols reported in.
2200 hour --- Co and Bn COs in from Div.
2210 hour ---. Bn COs in meeting with CO.
2300 hour --- Meeting over, Bn COs returned to their units.
2315 hour --- M/13 to Div. Request 307th help in evacuation of wounded. -- Med.
2318 hour --- M/14 to Div. G-01 report to Div. -- S-1
2400 hour --- All types of enemy vehicles used, cheese and butter from an enemy
train being used by our troops. 3rd Bn mess section prepared stew.
Chap Elder worked all day evacuating dead from the surrounding area. all
KIA evacuated to Div. cemetery. Strength 87 off and 1141 EM. |
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12 June 1944 |
0200 hour --- Quiet, some bombs dropped, quite a distance away.
0800 hour --- Meeting with CG, to include Gen Howell, CO, Bn COs, S-3, CO 507,
CO Co B, 80th Egr, lt Yeisley of B Trp, 4th can Recon Grp.
1000 hour --- Plans drawn up to cross Douve River tonight under artillery
support.
1100 hour --- Meeting over.
1130 hour --- M/1 to Lt Scudder. Close our mess and return to CP -- Ex.
1135 hour --- M/2 o all Bns. Police all areas before move. -- Ex.
1300 hour --- CG intro CP.
1350 hour --- All plans for move tonight completed, mission to be known as Force
Howell.
1500 hour --- S-4 issued all available ordinance to units, this included
water-cooled MGs and new bazookas.
1555 hour --- Everyone to be ready to move at 2145 hour.
1630 hour --- Dive bombers bombed town to our south, name not determined. Fires
started in the town.
1800 hour --- CO 307th Glid FA into CP.
2145 hour --- Troops departed from bivouac areas w mi east of Picauville advance
to Bauzeville [sic] Bridge to cross the Douve River.
2300 hour --- Moved South and West to Douve River.
2400 hour --- Was halted just short of the bridge waiting the artillery barrage
to shell Bauzeville [sic]. |
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13 June 1944 |
0055 hour --- Move forward a about 100 yards [all
sic].
0155 hour --- Artillery stared shelling Bauzeville [sic].
0210 hour --- Terrific barrage lid down across the river.
0248 hour --- Artillery barrage ended, troops proceeded toward the
bridge
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