Today in Clarksburg Ohio World War II History: Rittenhouse's 777th Tank Battalion Sherman Tank knocked out by German Panzerfaust

Today in Ohio Military History: Spotlight on Clarksburg Ohio World War II veterans.

April 16, 1943: Bernard Ater returns to Minter Field, CA following a furlough in Clarksburg, Ohio. Carl Dinkler is participating in desert training at Camp Laguna, Arizona. Joe Ater returns to Minter Field, CA following furlough in Clarksburg.

April 16, 1945: Fred Rittenhouse (pictured) is wounded-in-action --- burned when his Sherman tank is knocked out by a shoulder-fired German Panzerfaust rocket/bazooka 1 mile south of Gruna, Germany. Rittenhouse attached to the 777th Tank Battalion, Co A. Jack Ater crosses the Wupper River in Germany and assists in the surrender of Dusseldorf, Germany.

April 16, 1946: Leo Rose's ship docks in the United States.

Clarksburg Ohio WWII personnel on March 27, 1944 serving in the 466th Bomb Group, 389th AAA, 58th Bomb Wing, 2nd Infantry, 777th Tank Battalion

Today in Ohio World War II history: Two Clarksburg Ohio residents Cross the Rhine River in pursuit of German Forces.

March 27, 1944: Corrine Bochard returns to Fort Monmouth, NJ following a furlough in Clarksburg Ohio with her parents. John Brooks arrives India, leaving from Africa with the 58th Bomb Wing, as the group inches closer to Japan. Lt. Lewis Garrison flies his first bombing mission as a Navigator aboard a B-24 Liberator with the 466th Bomb Group, 787th Bomb Squadron. Garrison's B-24 loses one engine over the channel and is forced to return to base. Richard Shanton departs the U.S. bound for the Pacific Theater as part of Battery D, 389th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion. Vernon Bethel's ship arrives Scotand.

March 27, 1945: Fred Rittenhouse crosses the Rhine River near Sinzig, Germany (pontoon bridge built at Sinzig, Germany pictured in this blog) at and rolls into Honningen. The 777th Tank Battalion quickly takes Nassau and Weinahr by 2000 hours.
Jack Ater, part of D Company, 387th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division receives orders and departs Camp Lucky Strike for the German border. Ralph Hawkins, aboard the USS Stack Destroyer joins Task Group 53 and steams to the Ryukyus Islands from Ulithi. Robert Haynes aboard the USS New York supports the assault on Okinawa firing pre-invasion and diversionary bombardments on the island. Willis Cleary crosses the Rhine River near Sinzig, Germany at 1930 hours, and arrives Grenzhausen, Germany the same day ( K Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division).

March 27, 1946: Dwight Casto, part of the 7th Army, is discharged from the U.S. Army at Ft. Dix, New Jersey