Com-Central.net

Dontos · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: M103: Interesting development

You asked about the kissing tanks, well, they are Co D 2nd heavy Tank Bn, 33 armor. 3rd platoon tank 3 on the right and 4th platoon tank 3 on the left.
If my memory serves me, they stopped firing the 120mm there because of ricochets, and after that we moved to Belson for live fire. I was in Co A, 1957 to1960, in Aschaffenburg at fiori barracks. When I got there it was the 899 tk bn. As indicated the 103's arrived in 58, and the 1st thing we had to do was paint the USMC markings off. I was in HQ platoon maint. M51 VTR operator.

My thanks to the source of this information. I pass it on to anyone interested.

"Training has taken place."

CaptCav · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 12

Welll....... it appears my brain cells aren't TOTALLY fried, lol. That fits "fairly closely" with what I remember. Could you please ask your source if he remembers if all the companies were Aschaffenberg; or just his company? Also, ask him if Don Valeska was his company CO - I can't remember which company he commanded, but it was the company that hung out at Kirch Gons for a period of time in '57-'58. Between my memory, your source's memory and the station lists - it appears the 899th was clustered in an area bordered by Frankfurt, Hanau, Kirch Gons and Aschaffenberg. Wonder where the other two line companies were billeted?

The mysteries of the 899th Hvy Tk Bn continue..........

CaptCav · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Aug 20, 2007 Posts: 12

AH HA!!! The plot thickens!!! After much painful "Googling", the following quote is from an un-dated history of Fiori Barracks:

"FIORI KASERNE
At the end of the war, Fiori Barracks, or Pionier Kaseme, served as the Headquarters of United Rehabilitation and Relief Team 610 and also housed displaced persons. It was occupied by USAREUR units in 1949 which included the 1st Infantry Division, 18th Infantry and complete 2nd and 3rd Battalion. In 1955, the 10th Division, 87th Infantry, moved onto Fiori Barracks. Elements of the 87th Inf moved off the kaseme in 1957 when it became the home of the 1st Field Artillery Observation Battalion; Company A, 899th Tank Battalion; 557th Ordnance Company and the 3rd Medical Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Division."

So, it would appear that only one company of the 899th was at Fiori. All the units (with the exception of the 3d Med Bn) were V Corps units.

Hmmmmmm........ 2 companies down, 2 to go.

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

±Recent Visitors

±User Info-big

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big