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Greetings. Some friends of mine suggested I try this site for some information.
I recently discovered that a member of my church is a veteran of the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company B, during WWII. He was a gunner on an M18 Hellcat. I am going to build the AFV kit for him with some modifications. Moreover, I thought it would be a nice touch if I could put his unit's markings on it, if not his vehicle. He can't remember much about his vehicle's markings.
My question is, is there a site or source that would have vehicle marking information about the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company B, while they were attached to the 4th Armored Division? Any help here would be appreciated.
Thank you from a newbie.
Fred Sirois
Fred- I consulted Shelby Stanton's marvelous World War II Order of Battle to see what the 704th did during the war. Here is what I found out. Formed in December 1941 at Pine Camp, New York, departed US 3 September 1943 for England. They arrived in France 13 July 1944. Credited with Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Normandy,Northern France and Rhineland Campaigns. The 700 series TD battalions had their origin with field artillery battalions, See Harry Yeide's The Tank Killers for some details on their specific actions. The 4th Armored Division served with (although not exclusively) with the Third Army. So, the bumper markings would be 704TD3A on the right front and left rear with the apropriate company (A,B,C) and vehicle number. Generally the First Platoon of a given company is 1 (10,11,12,14) and the second (20,21,22,23,24), etc. If the fellow recalls what platoon and company he was assigned to, add the appropriate vehicle number. These guys also served with the 101st Airborne, 26th, 87th and 94th Infantry Divisions and the 6th Cavalry Group during the war. As you stated they used the M-18 Hellcat during their service.
Trust this assists your efforts.