The 701st Tank Battalion
Campaigns
Central Europe, Northern France, Rhineland
The 701st Tank Battalion was activated 3/28/43 at Camp
Campbell, KY. Here 553 young men and officers began
their journey into history. These men began their basic
training and for many saw a tank for the first time.
The 701st relocated to Fort Knox, for further training
the Battalion received orders on 12/8/43 to relocate to
Camp Bouse, the mysterious secret camp. The men were intro-
duced to the giant tank, a WWI designed tank which now
had a 13 million candlepower light, "The Gizmo" mounted
in the turret. Thus began the Canal Defense Light Project
training.
The 701st left Bouse for Camp Kilmer N.J. on 3/27/44 and
then onto England aboard the R.M.S. Mauretania. The BN
arrived at Liverpool on 5/1/44 and trained at Puncheston,
Wales.
The 701st landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, France on 8/
14/44. Here, most of the Col rant Tanks were replaced by
Sherman Tanks.
The BN moved north through France and Belgium and on
December 21st, moved out from its positions at Heerlen,
Holland and crosed the Siegfried Line into Germany at
Liback. The 701st crossed the Roer River and saw its heaviest
on 2/25/45. The BN crossed the Rhine on 3/29/45 and pushed
through Munster, Bunde and Bismark. At Gardelegen, the
701st, uncovered an atrocity where 1015 prisoners of war
and political prisoners had been murdered by the enemy,
as the wars end neared, orders were received to halt
forward movement, finding the BN on the banks of the Elbe
River, 50 miles from Berlin. This ending the fighting of
701st.
This monument is dedicated to all these young soldiers
and officers who gave of themselves and especially to
those 49 members of the BN who lost their lives in battle
for the freedom of mankind.
Plaque placed by the Lost Dutchman and Billy
Holcomb Chapters of the Ancient and Honorable
Order of B. Clampus Vitus and the 701st Tank
Battalion Association with the co-operation
of the Bouse Chamber of Commerce.
January 10, 1998
