13-295 Garand Picture of the Day - Siegfried Line Sept 1944

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3rd Armored Division

Medals and awards earned by division soldiers
Distinguished Service Crosses – 17
Legions of Merit – 23
Silver Stars – 885
Soldiers Medal – 32
Bronze Stars – 3,884
Purple Hearts – in excess of 10,500
Air Medals – 138
Distinguished Flying Crosses – 3 I did not know tanks could fly

Combat statistics

The 3rd Armored Division had 231 days of combat in World War II,

2,540 killed,
7,331 wounded,
95 missing,
139 captured.

Total battle and non-battle casualties came to 16,122.
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The DFCs would have been for the aerial spotters in the Cubs and Champs. Flew low, and slow, and in spitting range of the enemy. They called them "Grasshoppers."

Jerry Liles

Did those dragon's teeth ever stop a WWII tank? I only see pictures of tanks driving through lanes in them.

What was it that Generals Rommel and Patton said? "Static defenses are useless."

Bob

Maybe so, but from my readings, a lot of GI's lost their lives assualting some of those static defenses. In the overall scope of war they might be "useless". But they sure slowed us down some.

It was a strategic assessment, based upon seeing the potential of armored cavalry followed by watching the Maginot Line being pierced like paper.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 13Echo

The DFCs would have been for the aerial spotters in the Cubs and Champs. Flew low, and slow, and in spitting range of the enemy. They called them "Grasshoppers."

Jerry Liles

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The Taylorcraft L2-B was used in the Euopean Theater more than the champ.

In order to avoid the dragons teeth a minefield probably had to be dealt with. Or possibly a great field of fire from a Tiger or Panzer. Danger was everywhere.:yikes:

Yea, such impediments were often meant as something to force the enemy into other avenues of approach that were mined or plotted in by artillery or mortar crews. Just like a mine field might be used to stop someone in their tracks for a few moments in order to rake the stalled troops with machineguns. Actually, I'd think that calling in an artillery or mortar strike on a specific area of such dragons teeth would be the best thing as it would open up an avenue right through it. Its called breech by fire. Mine fields could also be dealt with in a hurry by machinegun fire raking over an area or avenue of approach. Then the first tank, infantryman, or vehicle that made it through (pucker time there) would be followed by the next and the next in line Very quickly and I mean quickly. The last thing I've been taught to do is to slowly pick your way through a minefield while every one waits behind watching. That's when the artillery, mortars, anti tank and machinegun fire can be expected. Later, after the battlefield is taken and held. the Engineers can deal with removing anything and widening and creating avenues of approach.

Or you could do it like the Russians... send a penal battalion straight through at gunpoint. Exploded some of the mines and showed safe pathways to boot.

Ewwwww.

Either way, a lot of people died go up against it. So.... it might not have been all that strategic, and effective, but still deadly on some level. Just like the wall at the beaches. You know, from what I understand, we almost withdrew it was so bad on D-Day at Omaha. Maybe I'm not correct about that, but I thought I read it somewhere. Either way it was a frickin bloodbath so I'm not sure why they would be deemed as "ineffective"