History
The 978th was activated on 5 November
1943. Trained at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. At least 60 of the compliment
had already served overseas, with men having been at Pearl Harbor and at
Dutch Harbor during Japanese attack and at Guadalcanal in the Pacific.
The company sailed to the U.K. on 19 August 1944 on board the SS SANTA
MARGARITA in Convoy CU-36. The 978th entered the combat zone on 5
November 1944 in Holland. On 29 November 1944, the 978th (minus 2nd
platoon) moved into Germany, setting up shop at the coal mine community
of Mariagrube, Germany.
At this time, the 978th was attached to the 1104th Engineer Combat Group
(2nd platoon with the 1115th Engineer Combat Group. These two groups
were part of XIXth Corps, 9th US Army. The groups provided direct and
indirect support for the infantry and armored division in XIXth Corps,
including the 2nd Armored, 29th and 30th Infantry Divisions and
supporting troops. This was the period of the November Offensive in
which the 9th Army attacked to the Roer River.
On December 1st, the Company was attacked by German aircraft, the first
of a number of attacks throughout December. Two enlisted men were
wounded. The 978th was not a combat unit; they provided direct service
support TO combat units. They were far enough forward to be strafed,
shelled and sniped at, but were far enough back from the front to repair
damaged equipment. At least two additional men were wounded in the
Marigrube Coal Mine area during this period.
The 978th won the Meritorius Unit Commendation for their sustained
support of combat actions, especially during the Battle of the Bulge,
the Roer and the Rhine crossings. During the Bulge, they had been sent
south with XIX Corps to defend the northern flank. XIX Corps took over
the sector and troops of V Corps, including the 8th and 78th Infantry
Divisions and the 5th Armored. The 1104th, with the 978th, supported the
attacks of XIXth Corps. The 978th was set up in a quarry at Waldheim, at
the edge of the Hurtegen forest...then in Stolberg, Germany. Initally,
they were alerted to be part of the defense of the area if attacked.
They set up road blocks etc. as part of the defense during the Bulge.
They often worked 24 hour shifts repairing equipment needed for the
defense of the northern shoulder.
In February 1945, the 978th and XIXth Corps again moved back to Maridorf
area to support the attack across the Roer River. During this attack,
the 978th had repair crews at the river A wrecker was destroyed by
German fire and two enlisted men were wounded. They were again
supporting the 29th, 30th Infantry Divisions and the 2nd Armored.
The 978th received a commendation for its work on equipment used in the
Rhine River Assault in March. The Company set up and repaired all
outboard motors used by the assault craft in the 9th Army's assault. The
978th had emergency crews at the river. The 978th essentially followed
in the tracks of the 2nd Armored Division during the final drive across
Germany. The Company overran at least one slave labor camp, transported
freed allied POW's as well as capturing numerous German troops.
On June 7, the 978th moved from Gedern, Germany to Calais France for
staging to the Pacific. On July 16, the 978th was shipped to the
Pacific, scheduled for the invasion of Japan. The Company arrived in the
Philippines on August 22nd. The Company was then sent to Japan, arriving
in Yokohama on November 5th, 1945. The Company was disbanded
unofficially in January 1946 when the few remaining men were transferred
to another maintenance company. It was inactivated officially on 28
February 1946.
The Company was made up of 189 men and 6 officers when at full-strength.
They were truck mounted, with machine shops, repair trucks, wreckers
etc. Most of the men had originally been either in the anti-aircraft
artillery or some 50 in an armored division. This explains why so many
had already been overseas and had seen some combat when the 978th was
formed.
Above history was provided by Mr.
Theron Snell; "Orphans in the Storm: A Collective Experience of War.
The 978th Engineer Maintenance Company in World War II," Program in
American Studies,
University of Minnesota, March 1997.
Casualties of the Battalion buried in Margraten or KIA in the Netherlands and
buried elsewhere.
The Company suffered 1 casualty
during their time in Europe.