70th-5-Stopping the Flood - Eagles Strike

Colonel Welborn, dispatch what forces you can from Company A
of your tank battalion to an area that the exec will point out
to you on a map of the Mortain area. A Panzer column is headed
to Hill 317 to reinforce the enemy attack.\\ Your tankers are
to cut off that column and destroy it.\\ I know what you are
going to ask. Yes, you have permission to accompany your forces
to the battle area. Just keep communications open with the 30th
Infantry Division. We may need you elsewhere! Get rolling!\\____________\\Some
History: Following the breakout from St. Lo, while Patton's tanks
of the 3rd Army were rolling through France, the 70th was anticipating
some R and R after the actions at the See River. A USO show in
the battalion area brought the welcome view of young American
women serving coffee and doughnuts through the Red Cross.\\ The
tankers' respite would be cut short on August 7th when urgent
orders came down. 2nd Lt. Carl Rambo, who had just received a
battlefield commission described the scene. "We hadn't been paid
for weeks. This one day we w ere paid and had the day off. All
of a sudden they yelled - 'Go!' - Throw everything together and
move out!" We had tied our tents to our tanks, so we cut the
ropes and jumped into our tanks. I think we were on the road
in three or four minutes."\\ A large counterattack was developing
by remnants of various German Panzer divisions to cut off Patton's
rapidly advancing 3rd Army. The main US defensive stand would
take place around Mortain and Hill 317. There the 30th Infantry
Division and the 70th Tank Battalion would be the units to take
the brunt of the German assault. - WBW\\Sources:\\Breakout and
Pursuit, Blumenson\Strike Swiftly, Jensen\D-Day, Ambrose\Normandy,
Essame\Normandy 1944, Badsey\Duel in France, Blumenson\