291st Engineer Combat Battalion (United States)
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The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion was one of the most decorated engineer combat battalions of the United States Army during World War II,[1] playing notable roles both in the Battle of Bulge and the Rhine river crossing at Remagen.
291st Engineer Combat Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 29 March 1943-20 October 1945 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Army |
Type | Combat engineer |
Size | Battalion |
Nickname(s) | Damned Engineers |
Engagements | World War II |
Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Colonel David E. Pergrin |
The battalion was activated at Camp Swift, Texas, on 29 March 1943, by the redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, 52nd Engineer Regiment.[2]
Commanded by Colonel David E. Pergrin, it earned a Presidential Citation for its performance in the Ardennes, blowing up bridges and fighting as infantry in helping stunt the German advance towards Antwerp. Scouting parties of the 291st discovered 17 survivors of the Malmedy massacre on 17 December 1944.[3]: 202 After nearly a month of grueling counter measures against the initial Panzer forces led by Joachim Peiper, the battalion's C Company returned to Malmedy to discover the bodies of 86 murdered US GIs frozen under a thick blanket of snow on 14 January 1945.[3]: 202 [1]: 193
The battalion led the construction of the first pontoon bridge across the Rhine at Remagen to take traffic pressure off the severely damaged Ludendorff Bridge before its tragic collapse. The span made a material contribution in facilitating the U.S. Army's drive into central Germany.[1]: 267–287
From an initial force of roughly 600 men, the battalion suffered 93 wounded and 8 killed in action by war's end.[3]: 5, vii, 376 During its tour of Europe, the 291st had constructed 23 timber bridges, 44 Bailey bridges, 7 treadway bridges, constructed 11 bridges under fire, destroyed 6 bridges, made 7 river assault crossings, deactivated 15 bombs, cleared 7000 mines, and taken 8500 German prisoners.[4] The battalion was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, on 20 October 1945.[5]