HEADQUARTERS 270th ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION
APO 461, U. S. Army

31 March 1945

SUBJECT: Roster of Key Personnel

TO: Commanding General, 70th Inf Div, APO 461, U.S.Army

ATTN: A. G. Historical Section

1. Listed below is a roster of key personnel (Officers) for this command:

Commanding Officer
MATHESON, DAVID M., Maj. 021757

Battalion Staff
SORTINO, JOSEPH E., Maj. 0337881Executive
MURPHY, RICHARD D., Maj., 0325544 Plans and Training (S-3)
OLSEN, BRUCE C., Capt., 0332159 Liaison
BODMER, ERWIN E., Jr., Capt., 0394682, Intelligence (S-2)
CAMPBELL, WILBUR D., Capt., 01107844, Supply (S-4)
MASSEY, ROBERT M., 1st Lt., 01113346, Adjutant (S-1)

Company Commanders

FURMANIAK, HILARY, Capt., 01102248, Company A
MORRILL, KEITH S., Capt., 01102395, Company B
SIEGRIST, KERMIT, A., Capt., 0375002, Company C
ROGERS, ROSS E., Capt., 0340534, Headquarters & Service Co.

Medical Detachment

TRAMBERT, HARRY L., Capt., 0441860, Bn Surgeon
REYNOLDS, JAMES W., Capt., 0527347, Bn Dental Surgeon

For the Commanding Officer:

(signature) Robert M. Massey 1st. Lt., CE Adjutant

NARRATIVE ACCOUNT OF 270TH ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION

Period 1 March 1945 - 31 March 1945

At the opening of the period the Battalion Command Post was located in Merlebach, France (Q3262). Headquarters and Service Company, Battalion Supply and the Battalion Motor Pool were all located in the vicinity of the Battalion Command Post. Each of the Line Companies had its Command Post located within the area of the Regiment it was supporting. The major difficulty encountered in operations was a lack of adequate communications with the Line Companies. Radio communications was not possible with the T/E radio equipment and, due to the distance involved, telephone communication was difficult. The period March 1 - March 12 was, in the main, devoted to road maintenance in the division area, clearing roads of mines, and assisting in preparations of defensive positions for the Infantry. Considerable quantities of fortification materials were hauled from Army dumps forward to Infantry Company areas. In addition to the above major duties, considerable time was devoted to checking and removing booby traps from houses and buildings in Forbach (Q3965), and Stiring-Wendel (Q4167). Large quantities of explosives, connected to J.FEDOR 504 time delay mechanisms, were discovered in University buildings in Forbach. Sewers and culverts were checked also, and large quantities of explosives were discovered. On 12 March 1945 information was received that a crossing of the SAAR RIVER by elements of the 70th Division was contemplated. The period 12 March to 20 March 1945 was devoted to plans and preparations for a river crossing. Liasion was established with the 1150th Engineer Combat Group and it was decided that the 289th Engineer Combat Battalion would be responsible for the assault boat crossing of the river. The 48th Engineer Combat Battalion was charged with the responsibility of building an M2 Treadway Bridge and a Bailey Bridge across the SAAR RIVER. The Division Engineers were responsible for the Infantry Support Rafts and Bridges and for Engineer work on the far shore. During the planning period the Operations section made detailed plans for the crossing of the Infantry in various tactical formations. The Reconnaissance section spent every daylight houralong the SAAR RIVER checking possible crossing and bridge sites. These reconnaissances were made under heavy enemy rifle and automatic weapons fire from the far shore. The S-2 section made a careful map and a photo reconnaissance of the SAAR RIVER, and after verification of the ground by the Reconnaissance section certain sites were recommended to the Division Commander as the best, from an Engineer point of view. Considerable quantities of assault boats, foot bridges, M2 Treadway, and Bailey Bridge were assembled in a forward area along routes of communication to the proposed crossing sites at Volklingen, Germany (Q3673), and Louisenthal, Germany (Q395729). It was planned to put one Infantry Regiment across at each site. During the early hours of 20 March 1945 orders were issued by the Division Commander to cross in the vicinity of Volklingen, Germany and the 274th Infantry Regiment was ordered to cross in the vicinity of Louisenthal, Germany. The crossing was made according to plan and was un-opposed. By the evening of the 20th of March the Division had completely crossed the SAAR RIVER and the following bridges were in place:

1. Bailey Bridge (160') at SAARBRUCKEN (Q4571) (Constructed by 48th Engineers)

2. M2 Treadway Bridge at LOUISENTHAL (Constructed by 48th Engineers)

3. Infantry Support Bridge at VOLKLINGEN (Constructed by 289th Engineers)

4. Infantry Support Bridge at LOUISENTHAL (Constructed by 270th Engineers)

The period March 20 to March 25 was devoted to clearing and maintaining roads in the SAARBRUCKEN area and clearing a lateral road from VOLKLINGEN to SAARBRUCKEN. Sewers and buildings in SAARBRUCKEN were checked for demolition materials. The bridge abutments on the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge in SAARBRUCKEN were checked for demolitions and approximately a ton of explosives was found. Primers were removed. On the 25th of March the Battalion moved its Command Post to SIEGELBACH, GERMANY (Q9696) within the new 70th Division Area. Company Command Posts were located within their respective Regimental areas.