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Engineer Combat Battalion

January 01, 1970

An Engineer Combat Battalion (ECB) was a designation for a battalion-strength combat engineer unit in the U.S. Army, most prevalent during World War II. They are a component of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

World War II recruiting poster for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Also known as "Combat Engineer Battalions", they were typically divided into four companies: A, B, C, and Headquarters and Service (H&S).[1]: Chapter 5 

Best known for pontoon bridge construction and clearing hazards in amphibious landings, their duties also included serving as sappers deploying and deactivating explosive charges and unexploded munitions, mapmaking, camouflage, and a wide variety of construction services supporting frontline troops. With a secondary mission of fighting as infantry when required, they were armed with .30 cal. and .50 cal. machine guns, bazookas and grenade launchers.[1]

Combat engineers played important roles in numerous World War II battles, especially breaching the heavily fortified Siegfried Line protecting the German border and numerous defensive lines established by the Wehrmacht in Italy, including the Gustav Line. Among the most familiar for their heroism and contributions to establishing key bridgeheads in Europe was at the Ludendorff Bridge at the Battle of Remagen.

Combat engineers also played roles in several unconventional operations, including the securing of elements of the German nuclear weapons program in Operation Big[2] and recovery of stolen art and treasure subsequently returned to its original owners by the Monuments Men.[2]

In the Pacific Theater, the U.S. Army's 42nd Combat Engineers took part in the hard-fought high casualty Battle of Attu Aleutian Islands (1943) and the Battle of Manila, Luzon Philippines (1945), earning 2 Battle Stars.

In the early morning of 29 May 1943, the 50th Combat Engineers were the first U S Army unit encountered by the last Japanese troops on the island, making a suicide charge toward artillery atop Engineer Hill. 50th Engineers fought back immediately and kept fighting while nearby combat units arrived.[3][4]

Capabilities edit

 
Combat Engineers ferried infantry and special forces troops in craft such as this M2 assault boat at Dornot-Corny, Lorraine in World War II
 
Infantry support bridge over the Saar River erected by 289th Combat Engineers at Volklingen, Germany

A World War II era combat engineer battalion possessed both combat and combat support capabilities. These included, but were not limited to:[1][5]

  • Laying roads and unloading/loading supplies, vehicles & personnel from transport and cargo ships

US units edit

 
Pontoon bridge built by the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion across the Rhine, upstream from the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen
 
1269th engineers attached to the technology-capturing T-Force of the Alsos Mission dismantle a nuclear pile built by German scientists in Haigerloch, Germany, April 1945[2]

Combat Engineer Battalions in the U.S. military include:

315th Engineer Combat Battalion (WWII)<ref>web|url=http://www.90thdivisionassoc.org/History/UnitHistories/PDF/WW2/315%20Eng%20Bn.pdf

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c United States Government War Department Engineer Field Manual FM-5-5, Engineer Troops, 11 October 1943
  2. ^ a b c . Archived from the original on 29 April 2021.
  3. ^ "History of the 50th Engineer Combat Battalion" (PDF). nps.gov.
  4. ^ Obmascik, Mark (9 April 2019). The Storm on Our Shores: One Island, Two Soldiers, and the Forgotten Battle of World War II. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1451678376.
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on 12 January 2017.
  6. ^ First on the Line: The 35th Engineer Battalion in World War Two and the Evolution of a High-Performance Combat Unit [1]
  7. ^ 50th Engineer Combat Battalion History
  8. ^ 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion History
  9. ^ "84th Engineer Battalion - Army Unit Directory - Together We Served".
  10. ^ Bridge to Berlin
  11. ^ "Normandy - the Technical Services : Corps of Engineers".

External links edit

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion
  • 299th Engineer Combat Battalion
  • IV Corps Combat Engineers

January 01, 1970
engineer, combat, battalion, designation, battalion, strength, combat, engineer, unit, army, most, prevalent, during, world, they, component, united, states, army, corps, engineers, world, recruiting, poster, army, corps, engineers, also, known, combat, engine. An Engineer Combat Battalion ECB was a designation for a battalion strength combat engineer unit in the U S Army most prevalent during World War II They are a component of the United States Army Corps of Engineers World War II recruiting poster for the U S Army Corps of Engineers Also known as Combat Engineer Battalions they were typically divided into four companies A B C and Headquarters and Service H amp S 1 Chapter 5 Best known for pontoon bridge construction and clearing hazards in amphibious landings their duties also included serving as sappers deploying and deactivating explosive charges and unexploded munitions mapmaking camouflage and a wide variety of construction services supporting frontline troops With a secondary mission of fighting as infantry when required they were armed with 30 cal and 50 cal machine guns bazookas and grenade launchers 1 Combat engineers played important roles in numerous World War II battles especially breaching the heavily fortified Siegfried Line protecting the German border and numerous defensive lines established by the Wehrmacht in Italy including the Gustav Line Among the most familiar for their heroism and contributions to establishing key bridgeheads in Europe was at the Ludendorff Bridge at the Battle of Remagen Combat engineers also played roles in several unconventional operations including the securing of elements of the German nuclear weapons program in Operation Big 2 and recovery of stolen art and treasure subsequently returned to its original owners by the Monuments Men 2 In the Pacific Theater the U S Army s 42nd Combat Engineers took part in the hard fought high casualty Battle of Attu Aleutian Islands 1943 and the Battle of Manila Luzon Philippines 1945 earning 2 Battle Stars In the early morning of 29 May 1943 the 50th Combat Engineers were the first U S Army unit encountered by the last Japanese troops on the island making a suicide charge toward artillery atop Engineer Hill 50th Engineers fought back immediately and kept fighting while nearby combat units arrived 3 4 Contents 1 Capabilities 2 US units 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksCapabilities edit nbsp Combat Engineers ferried infantry and special forces troops in craft such as this M2 assault boat at Dornot Corny Lorraine in World War II nbsp Infantry support bridge over the Saar River erected by 289th Combat Engineers at Volklingen Germany A World War II era combat engineer battalion possessed both combat and combat support capabilities These included but were not limited to 1 5 Bridge mobile floating fixed rail amp road construction and maintenance Conducting river crossings by pontoon raft motor powered assault boats Demolition Placing de arming munitions including mines Port amp harbor maintenance and rehabilitation including beachheads Laying roads and unloading loading supplies vehicles amp personnel from transport and cargo ships Camouflage Water supply and sanitation Map production Vehicle maintenance Establishing maintaining supply and ammunition dumps Building barracks depots and similar structures Rescue amp road patrols bridge and road reconnaissance Clearing of debris and wreckage Unit defense and intelligence Fighting as infantry when neededUS units edit nbsp Pontoon bridge built by the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion across the Rhine upstream from the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen nbsp 1269th engineers attached to the technology capturing T Force of the Alsos Mission dismantle a nuclear pile built by German scientists in Haigerloch Germany April 1945 2 Combat Engineer Battalions in the U S military include 1st Engineer Combat Battalion 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion 5th Engineer Battalion 9th Engineer Combat Battaltion 13th Engineer Combat Battalion 14th Engineer Combat Battalion 15th Engineer Battalion 16th Engineer Battalion 19th Combat Engineer Battalion 20th Engineer Battalion 23rd Engineer Battalion 31st Engineer Combat Battalion 41st Engineer Battalion 35th Engineer Combat Battalion 6 42nd Engineer Combat Battalion 50th Engineer Combat Battalion 7 51st Engineer Combat Battalion 57th Engineer Combat Battalion 65th Engineer Battalion 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion 8 84th Engineer Combat Battalion 9 114th Engineer Combat Battalion 135th Engineer Combat Battalion 166th Engineer Combat Battalion 206th Engineer Combat Battalion 207th Engineer Combat Battalion 237th Engineer Combat Battalion 238th Engineer Combat Battalion 244th Combat Engineers 246th Engineer Combat Battalion WW II 248th Engineer Combat Battalion 249th Engineer Combat Battalion 250th Engineer Combat Battalion WW II 254th Engineer Combat Battalion 257th Engineer Combat Battalion WW II 258th Engineer Combat Battalion 283rd Engineer Combat Battalion 284th Engineer Combat Battalion https 284thcombatengineers com 289th Engineer Combat Battalion 291st Engineer Combat Battalion 296th Engineer Combat Battalion 10 298th Engineer Combat Battalion 297th Engineer Combat Battalion 299th Engineer Combat Battalion 11 311th Engineer Combat Battalion 8th Blackhawk Division European Theater 315th Engineer Combat Battalion WWII lt ref gt web url http www 90thdivisionassoc org History UnitHistories PDF WW2 315 20Eng 20Bn pdf 402nd Engineer Battalion 554th Engineer Battalion 864th Engineer Battalion 876th Engineer Battalion 1255th Engineer Combat Battalion 1263rd Engineer Combat Battalion 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion 1288th Engineer Combat Battalion 1695th Engineer Combat BattalionSee also editBailey bridge 1st Combat Engineer Battalion United States Marine Corps References edit a b c United States Government War Department Engineer Field Manual FM 5 5 Engineer Troops 11 October 1943 a b c 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion History Archived from the original on 29 April 2021 History of the 50th Engineer Combat Battalion PDF nps gov Obmascik Mark 9 April 2019 The Storm on Our Shores One Island Two Soldiers and the Forgotten Battle of World War II Simon and Schuster ISBN 978 1451678376 Combat Engineers in WWII What Did They Do Archived from the original on 12 January 2017 First on the Line The 35th Engineer Battalion in World War Two and the Evolution of a High Performance Combat Unit 1 50th Engineer Combat Battalion History 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion History 84th Engineer Battalion Army Unit Directory Together We Served Bridge to Berlin Normandy the Technical Services Corps of Engineers External links editU S Army Corps of Engineers 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion 299th Engineer Combat Battalion IV Corps Combat Engineers Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Engineer Combat Battalion amp oldid 1221516765, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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