Combined Arms Research Digital Library

This photograph is getting to be well known, at least in 743rd circles, due to the efforts of Mr. Matthew Rozell, a fellow history teacher and blogger. I just found it on the Combined Arms Research Digital Library. There they have the 743rd Tank Battalion, S-3 Journal. "S" stands for "Staff level" such as a battalion sized unit (usually between 600-800 soldiers) as opposed to something larger like a division (10,000 to 20,000 troops) which would then be designated "G". "3" stands for "Operations" so "S-3" is the battalion level operational journal for the 743rd. In it you have all the After Action Reviews (AAR's). It starts in January of 1945 and goes to the end of the war. You get to read about the "Train Near Magdeberg" where the 743rd liberate an SS train moving Jews out of the death camps so as not to have evidence for the Holocaust. Teaching the Holocaust is a great thing to do as a History teacher and I salute Mr. Rozell for doing what he did. His blog is a must see for anyone interested in 743rd history. I hope I see him at a conference some day. He's become somewhat of a teacher/Rock Star as you can see from his blog, although I'm sure he would never admit it. Good Job Matt!

In the S-3 Journal of the 743rd, you also see the months of AAR's separated by whimsical drawings. I wonder if anyone out there knows who the artist is? Is it the same one who illustrated Move Out Verify?

I know from reading the Normandy Today Message Board that people are out there wanting to read the AAR's and it is good primary source reading. Here are some more month dividers:

This one I messed with a bit in Photoshop:

Happy AAR reading!

From the Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia

743rd Tank Battalion

Company A of the 743rd Tank Battalion, commanded by Captain Vodra Phillips, consisted of 16 M4 Sherman tanks and 8 tankdozers (2 tanks and 1 tankdozer per LCT(A)) and was planned to land on Easy Green, Dog Red, Dog White and Dog Green sectors of Omaha Beach at H-5 Hour (6:25 a.m.).

Companies B and C, commanded by Captains Charles Ehmka and Ned Eldar, consisted of 16 DD tanks each and were planned to land on Dog Green and Dog White sectors of Omaha Beach at H-10 Hour (6:20 a.m.).

743rd Tank Battalion, Company A

Landing Craft	Tanks	Notes
LCT(A)-2227	3	Landed on beach.
LCT(A)-2273	3	Landed on beach.
LCT(A)-2050	3	Landed on beach.
LCT(A)-2124	3	Landed on beach.
LCT(A)-2307	3	Landed on beach.
LCT(A)-2075	3	Landed on beach.

743rd Tank Battalion, Company B

Landing Craft	DD Tanks	Notes
LCT-535	4	Landed on beach.
LCT-586	4	Landed on beach.
LCT-587	4	Landed on beach.
LCT-589	4	Landed on beach.

743rd Tank Battalion, Company C

Landing Craft	DD Tanks	Notes
LCT-588	4	Landed on beach.
LCT-590	4	Landed on beach.
LCT-591	4	Landed on beach.
LCT-713	4	Landed on beach.

The DD Tanks were originally meant to be launched from their LCTs approximately 6,000 yards from the shore, but the rough waters off of Omaha Beach convinced Captain Ned Eldar to take the 743rd's tanks directly onto the beach. The eight LCT's landed on the beach at approximately 6:40 a.m., about 15 minutes later than planned. One LCT of Company B was sunk by an artillery shell just as it was landing.

Although the 743rd had had more success in landing its tanks on the beach than the 741st Tank Battalion, the tanks did not have proper infantry support and had difficulty locating targets due to the positions of the German defenses. The tanks were also easy targets for German artillery fire, and as the tide rapidly rose they quickly lost room to maneuver.

A promotional shot from Saving Private Ryan does show one tank on the beach, but this does not appear in the movie during the opening battle. At one point Miller makes reference to "dozers," which could either have been actual bulldozers or converted Sherman tanks known as tankdozers.

The 743rd Tank Battalion is not mentioned by name in the movie, but there are references to DD tanks that would have been from this unit. Captain Miller erroneously comments that "all of the armor is foundering in the channel." His comments would have been appropriate if he had been referring to the 741st Tank Battalion, but not the 743rd. At this early stage in the battle Miller would certainly not have known what was going on on the other side of Omaha Beach.

http://www.sproe.com/s/743rd-tank-battalion.html

By Their Names: Officers and A Company KIA or Died of Wounds

Submitted by: 

Marcia Soland Davis, Daughter of:  Sgt. Leslie L. Soland, Tank Commander, B Co, 743rd Tank Battalion

SSG John S. DuQoin, A Co 743rd Tank BN

This is a photo of S/Sgt John S. DuQuoin, Company A, 743 Tk Bn, receiving the Silver Star from General Leonard Gerow on June 21, 1944 - this for his actions during the beach head operations on June 6.

John DuQuoin (at age 36) was part of the initial cadre forming the 743rd at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1942.  In late 1942 he completed radio school at Fort Knox, Kentucky and then rejoined the Battalion just in time for the desert training that occupied most of 1943.  He made the Normandy landing (at age 38!), served with the Battalion in the fighting across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, participated in the Battle of the Bulge and was sent stateside on furlough in late January 1945.  Just before returning to the ETO he flunked an Army physical and consequently remained stateside until war's end.  He spent the last six months of his service doing office work at Jefferson Barracks - the processing, transferring and discharging of high point GI's from every theater. 

In September 1944 my uncle, John DuQuoin, sent a letter and photo to his sister (my Mom) as follows:

 "I'm enclosing a photo of a section of the Beach head, found in a magazine in Holland.  It is right in the section we operated in, and gives a good idea of the way debris was littered everywhere.  The tank is one of our own company's which was knocked out."

John was discharged in August of 1945 and resumed civilian life.
Submitted by John Warner

PFC Julius Marvin Helder, A Co 743rd Tank BN

I began looking into family history with a big assist from Ancestry.com (and a cousin who is also into genealogy) a couple years ago. Among other things, I began to piece together the story of my Great Uncle Juke who was part of a unit I had never heard of before. The unit that this blog is created to tell the story of: the 743rd Tank Battalion. I would very much like to provide a place for anyone who would like to share their experiences doing the same thing I'm doing with family history, or for anyone who simply has an interest in this unit. I am soliciting guest bloggers for this site. Just email me the text and any images. I'll even clean them up for you in Photoshop CS5 if you'd like, before I post them. While I was in the Army, I was not a tanker but I must admit I'm enamored by the unbelievable story this unit has. This blog is dedicated to the memory of my Uncle Juke of course, and all those brave souls who came together to form this particular separate tank battalion and part of the highest rated unit in WWII!

In Memorium