A Combat Engineer with Patton's Army : The Fight Across Europe with the 80th Blue Ridge Division in World War II.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lembo, Lois.

Contributor:

Reed, Leon.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Lembo, Frank T., 1930-2006.

Lembo, Frank T.

United States. Army. Engineer Combat Battalion, 305th--Biography.

United States.

United States. Army. Infantry Division, 80th (1942-1946)--Biography.

Military engineers--United States--Biography.

Military engineers.

World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Western Front.

World War, 1939-1945.

World War, 1939-1945--Regimental histories--United States.

World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (270 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Combat Engineer with Patton's Army

Combat Engineer with Patton’s Army

Place of Publication:

: Savas Beatie, 2020.

Summary:

"An engaging and often frightening story" of a member of the 305th Engineering Battalion of the 80th Infantry Division (Andrew Z. Adkins III, coauthor of You Can't Get Much Closer Than This ). A Combat Engineer with Patton's Army is the untold story of Frank Lembo, one of George Patton's men who helped move the American command in the battle of Argentan in the Normandy Campaign, in the high-speed pursuit of the German Wehrmacht eastward across France, and in the brutal battles waged during the Battle of the Bulge and during the final combats along the borders of the collapsing Reich. Throughout his time in Europe, Lembo maintained a running commentary of his experiences with Betty Craig, his fiancée and future wife. This extensive correspondence provides a unique eyewitness view of the life and work of a combat engineer under wartime conditions. As a squad (and later platoon) leader, Frank and his comrades cleared mines, conducted reconnaissance behind enemy lines, built bridges, and performed other tasks necessary to support the movement of the 317th, 318th, and 319th Infantry Regiments of the Blue Ridge Division-Patton's workhorses, if not his glamour boys. Frank's letters go beyond his direct combat experiences to include the camaraderie among the GIs, living conditions, weather, and the hijinks that helped keep the constant threat of death at bay. His letters also worked to reassure Betty with hopeful dreams for their future together. Including dozens of previously unpublished photographs, A Combat Engineer with Patton's Army offers the rare perspective of what day-to-day warfare at the ground-level looked like in the European Theater through the eyes of one of the men spearheading the advance.

Contents:

Title

Copyright

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Joining the U.S. Army

Chapter 2: The Trip to England and France: July 1-Aug. 6, 1944

Chapter 3: Normandy and the Falaise Pocket: Aug. 6-26, 1944

Chapter 4: The Race Across France: Aug. 27-Sept. 4, 1944

Chapter 5: First Assault on the Moselle: Sept. 5-6, 1944

Chapter 6: The Final Moselle Bridgehead: Sept. 6-12, 1944

Chapter 7: The Fight for the Hills: Sept. 13-30, 1944

Chapter 8: The Silver Star at the Seille: Oct. 1-Nov. 9, 1944

Chapter 9: To the German Border: Nov. 9-Dec. 17, 1944

Chapter 10: The Battle of the Bulge: Dec. 18-31, 1944

Chapter 11: Closing up the Bulge: Jan. 1-31, 1945

Chapter 12: The Sauer Crossing: Feb. 1-17, 1945

Chapter 13: Entry into Germany: Feb. 18-28, 1945

Chapter 14: Across the Rhine: March 1-31, 1945

Chapter 15: Into the Heart of Germany: April 1-20, 1945

Chapter 16: Nuremburg to the Danube Valley: April 21-May 3, 1945

Chapter 17: Austria to War's End: May 4-9, 1945

Chapter 18: Peace Settles In: May 9-June 10, 1945

Epilogue

Appendix 1: Frank T. Lembo Service Record

Appendix 2: Company B, 305th Engineers Locations

Appendix 3: Divisional Casualties

Appendix 4: Mail and the GI in World War II

Appendix 5: Engineer Roles and Missions

Bibliography

Acknowledgments.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781611214048

1611214041

OCLC:

1259591491