The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was attached to the 3d Infantry Division for so many months that its men and officers felt almost as though their unit was an organic part of the Division-a feeling that was heartily reciprocated by the infantry.
The Battalion was activated August 19, 1941 as a part of the 1st Infantry Division and left the United States for England with the 1st Division on August 2, 1942.
In North Africa the Battalion participated in the battles of Ousseltia Valley, Sbeitla, Kasserine Pass, El Guettar (for which it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying 37 tanks in 24 hours) and Mateur, operating with the 1st, 9th and 34th U. S. Infantry Divisions and the 76th British Division, II U. S. Corps and XIX French Corps.
It landed at Salerno on D-day, September 9, 1943, with the 36th Infantry Division and 1st Ranger Battalion and remained attached until September 30, 1943, when it was attached to the 3d Division, with which it remained until the end of the war.
The 601st went far beyond normal expectation in its performance of duty in combat. The Standing Operating Procedure for tank destroyer units is to destroy enemy tanks. The 601st was called upon, in addition, to engage various other ground targets, such as pillboxes and other enemy fortifications or possible strongpoints in close support of the attacking infantry. Enemy infantry was also considered a prime target.
During the Anzio Beachhead period the 601st destroyed 42 enemy tanks and killed a large number of enemy personnel, at the same time losing only two tank destroyers to enemy fire. During the 16-day battle at Colmar the Battalion succeeded in destroying 18 enemy tanks or tank destroyers and many enemy fortifications.
In the Division's attack against the Siegfried Line the Battalion played an important role, using direct assault fire against enemy pillboxes. During the latter days of the German campaign, the 601st Reconnaissance Company ranged far ahead of the infantry and helped keep the disorganized remnants of the German army within our zone of advance from consolidating and re-organizing.