Hellcat News (Garnet Valley, Pa.), Vol. 75, No. 12, Ed. 1 Monday, August 1, 2022 Page: 3 of 24
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August 2022
HELLCAT NEWS
Page 3
23rd TANK (continuedfrom page 1)
‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ armies. Then the Red and Blue armies were
given their missions to accomplish.
For example, problem one was held from September 13-
lS, 1943. The type of problem is described as, “movement to
contact, meeting engagement and aggressive action by both
sides.”
The Blue mission was to advance and seize a general line
around Lascassas through Milton to Auburntown (all of which
are just outside Murfreesboro) and be prepared for further
troop movement to the south towards Manchester (between
Nashville and Chattanooga), and destroy any Red forces
encountered.
The Blue troops consisted of HQ and HQ Company of
IV Armored Corps, 12th Armored Division, 98th Infantry
Division, two cavalry mechanized units, 26th Anti-Aircraft
Artillery Group, 40th Field Artillery Group, 208th Field
Artillery Group, 1107th Engineer Combat Group, and air
support.
Similarly, the Red mission was to advance, seize, and hold
a general line around Watertown to Baird’s Mill (both of
which are also just outside Murfreesboro to the east) and to
destroy any Blue forces encountered.
The Red troops consisted of the 94th Infantry Division,
30th Infantry Division, 13th Tank Destroyer Group, 228th
Field Artillery Group, 1112th Engineer Combat Group, 18th
Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, 11th Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Group, and air support.
This opening problem did not go well for Brig. General
William Harrison, Jr., who was given responsibility to oversee
Maneuvers #3. A few miles south of Cherry Valley in Wilson
County (which is directly east of Nashville, one county over),
the general was captured near midday on the 15th by a young
lieutenant serving as a forward artillery observer for the Blues
forces. The area had seen nearly two days of continuous
combat as Reds near Norene fought to control Cedars of
Lebanon State Park. Blues forces brought in their tanks from
south of Walter Hill to join the battle. As the troops moved
towards Doaks Crossroads, they lost five battalions to the Red
30th Infantry Division commanded by Major General Leland
Hobbs.
The weekend brought additional activity to middle
Tennessee. The first group of the Tennessee Civil Air Patrol
came to Graham Emergency Field, about 11 miles north of
Centerville (which is about 30 miles northeast of where I live),
to conduct training to support the Tennessee State Guard. The
weekend of September 18th and 19th, Civil Air Patrol pilots
flew reconnaissance, liaison, message dropping, simulated
bombing, strafing, and other ground-support missions. Over
the weekend, approximately 40 personnel were involved with
the work, using six light aircraft. The training was overseen
by Capt. John Madden with the State C.A.P., along with Capt.
Paul Turner, Capt. Harry Dyer and Lt. Wesley Dyer.
In Murfreesboro, men of the 12th Armored brought in
tanks and weapons to show what $1.25 million in war bond
purchases (Rutherford County’s quota at the time) would buy.
In addition to the contingent from the 12th Armored, a band
from the 11th College Training Detachment, at Tennessee
State College, provided a demonstration of what they were
learning. The martial festivities that Saturday afternoon had
2022 MEETINGS
The Council reminds all “that no activity shall be authorized which
would conflict with the Annual Reunion date.”
ZOOM LIVE GATHERING EVENT
Sunday, August 14, 2022
STARTS AT: 4:00 PM EASTERN TIME, 3:00 PM CENTRAL
2:00 PM MOUNTAIN AND 1:00 PM PACIFIC
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Preregister at mikereiss@dwt.com
or call Shelly Reiss [L/66-82-495] at 206-484-0702
FINAL REGISTRATION DATE: Aug. 13, 2022
to be wrapped up quickly; the 12th Armored was an active
participant in the Tennessee Maneuvers and its men had to
prepare for the coming weeks’ exercises.
One important note is during all these training activities,
many lives were lost. The actual number is in the hundreds (I’m
totaling the exact number but it’s slow going). I’m researching
how many were lost during actual training exercises, but it’s
easy to forget that many lives were lost due to traffic accidents,
drownings while swimming in nearby rivers, and other such
‘civilian’ activities.
During Maneuvers #3, problem 1, there were two lives
lost. On Sept. 17, 1943, Joseph A. Reixinger, 23, of Lancaster,
PA, was killed in an automobile accident, but not part of the
maneuvers. And on Sept. 18, 1943 (the last day of problem
one), James E. Butts, Tech 5, 21, of McGehee, AR, was killed
by an accidental discharge of a pistol near Cedar Grove. I’ve
not determined what units these men were attached, but they
were not Hellcats.
17TH ARMORED
INFANTRY BATTALION
Nina Donath
1202 Beirne Ave., Huntsville AL 35801
256-651-3227 ninaewd@gmail.com
Greetings to you all! By the time you read this, the 12th
Armored Division Reunion is another one for the history
books. I hope all of you who attended had a marvelous time.
For others not able to make it, I am looking forward to giving
you a report next month.
I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Rose Hechler,
who passed away on May 10, 2022. She and Mark [B/17]
were married for 74 years. She was a proud member of Jewish
Women’s International, Hadassah, Marriage Encounter group
and Temple Israel Sisterhood. She was the mother of Andi
and Mark Weiss and Ellen Hechler, and loving grandmother
of Kevin and Amy Weiss, Kim Weiss, Scott and Elyse Weiss.
She also was a great-grandmother to Eliana, Samuel and
Gwendolyn Weiss. Mark, my thoughts and prayers have been
with you.
A couple of months ago, when I reported the passing of
Alfeo Bari [HQ/17] and Bob Stanton [A/17], I noted that both
of their obituaries mentioned that these men received Purple
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Twelfth Armored Division Association (U.S.). Hellcat News (Garnet Valley, Pa.), Vol. 75, No. 12, Ed. 1 Monday, August 1, 2022, newspaper, August 1, 2022; Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1663338/m1/3/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.