638th Tank Destroyer Battalion
Unit = History: Established=20 15 December, 1941, at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Arrived at = Cherbourg,=20 France, 7 September, 1944, equipped with M18's. Entered the line = near=20 Prummern on 20 November and supported operations against the Siegfried=20 Line. Shifted to the Ardennes sector around Rochefort, Belgium, on = 22=20 December. Fought to reduce the Bulge during January 1945. = Supported=20 Roer River crossing in February. Crossed the Rhine River on 1 = April. =20 Advanced across Germany and reached the Elbe River, near Wittenberg, on = 24=20 April. Attached to: 84th Infantry Division. History text = from the=20 book The Tank Killers = by Harry=20 Yeide. Used by permission.
Combat Equipment: = 11/44 -=20 M18
Commanding Officers: = Lt. Col.=20 Harold L. Davis
Code Name/s: =20 Coachman
Campaign Credits: = Northern=20 France...............Jul. 25, to Sept. 14, 1944
= &= nbsp; Rhineland...........= .............Sept.=20 15, 1944 to Mar. 21, 1945
= &= nbsp; Ardennes-Alsace.....= .........Dec.=20 16, 1944 to Jan 25, 1945
= &= nbsp; Central=20 Europe.................Mar. 22, to May 11, 1945
Awards: = None
Location August 1945: = Ft=20 Benning, GA
Additional=20 Information/Materials:
1.) Small photo gallery of the 638th TD = Bn on the=20 84th Infantry Division website.
2.)=20
638th Tank Destroyer =
Battalion in=20
WWII - A book published in January 1992, by "Art" Arthur R. =
Paulin,=20
who served in HQ Company of the unit. I want to thank Dr. Nancy =
McDonald,=20
daughter of the unit's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Harold L. Davis, for providing us =
with a copy=20
of the book. I want to especially thank the Paulin family for allowing =
us to=20
post the book on our site. The book was a labor of love for Art with him =
handling the writing and his wife Anne doing the typing. The text has =
been=20
scanned with O.C.R. so it is searchable. A unit roster is provided =
at the=20
end of the book.
The=20 following documents are from the Combined Arms Research Library of the = Command=20 and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and the Dwight D. = Eisenhower=20 Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas=20 (**).
3.)=20 Operational Reports
&=
nbsp; =20
Nov. 1 - 30, 1944..............3 =
Pages
&=
nbsp; =20
Dec. 1 - 31, 1944...............7 Pages (Includes =
casualties=20
and awards)
&=
nbsp; =20
Jan. 1 - 31, 1945...............9 Pages (After =
Action with=20
casualties)
&= nbsp; =20 Feb. 1 - 28, 1945...............4 = Pages
&= nbsp; =20 Mar. 1 - 31, 1945...............8 = Pages
&= nbsp; =20 Apr. 1 - 30, 1945...............8 = Pages
=20 &= nbsp;=20 May 1 - 31, 1945...............3 = Pages
&=
nbsp; =20
June 1 - 21,=20
1945..............9 Pages (Includes awards)=20
(**)
4.) =20 Awards and Promotions
&= nbsp; =20 December 1944.................3 = Pages
&= nbsp; =20 January 1945....................4 = Pages
&= nbsp; =20 February 1945...................8 = Pages
&= nbsp; =20 March 1945.....................18 = Pages
&=
nbsp; =20
April 1945........................3 Pages (Unit =
and=20
individual)
&= nbsp; =20 April (Late) & May 1945...25 = Pages
5.) =20 Miscellaneous Documents-from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential = Library,=20 Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas and courtesy of the Tank = Destroyer=20 Association by L. L. Gill, TDA Historian.
 = ; =20 Basic Load=20 Recommendation......................1 Page
&=
nbsp; =20
Various Documents,=20
1943-1944..................6 Pages
6.) =20 Photo=20 Gallery