First Crossing of the Seine River (23 AUG 1944)

Photo By Erin Thompson | Squad from the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion.  

UNITED STATES

08.21.2023

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence

by Michael E. Bigelow, INSCOM Command Historian

23 AUGUST 1944
On 23 August 1944, riflemen from Lt. Col. Richard D. Chappuis’s 48th Armored Infantry Battalion (AIB) crossed over the Seine River just north of Ponthierry, France. A leaders’ reconnaissance conducted by Chappuis and his battalion’s leadership contributed greatly to the successful crossing.

Only nine days earlier, the battalion had moved into France across Utah Beach with the rest of the 7th Armored Division. It then drove 230 miles to reach the front lines near La Ferte Bernard, about ninety miles southwest of Paris. Assigned to Col. Dwight A. Rosebaum’s Combat Command A (CCA), the battalion began “fighting [its] way through innumerable small towns in most of which the Germans had skillfully arranged their forces for a delaying action.” As its half-tracks rattled across the countryside, Capt. Ben R. Freeman, the battalion S-2, worked to maintain situational awareness of the retreating enemy. The 27-year-old lawyer from Georgia sent out and tracked patrols to keep contact with the eastward moving Germans. He also maintained contact with CCA’s S-2, Maj. Joseph F. Ford, a 29-year-old Philadelphian.

While the rest of the 7th Armored Division secured the city of Chartres, fifty miles east of La Ferte Bernard, Colonel Rosebaum’s tankers, riflemen, and gunners continued their advance. On 20 August, the division received orders to advance to and cross the Seine. After travelling fifty-five miles over rough terrain defended by numerous roadblocks, Rosebaum’s command reached the river near Ponthierry, twenty-five miles south of Paris, on the morning of 23 August. Initially the division’s main effort was to be near Melun, but the surrounding terrain gave the advantage to the defending Germans.

Consequently, nine miles to the north, Colonel Rosebaum began to look for a crossing site in his sector. Major Ford found a Frenchman who knew the area and, perhaps with the help of a team of military interpreters from division, pointed out a suitable area to cross the Seine near the small town of Tilly. Around 11 o’clock, the colonel ordered his battalion commanders and his staff officers to make a thorough reconnaissance of the area. Colonel Chappuis brought along Maj. Sydney F. Frazier, his S-3. For the next ninety minutes, they explored the terrain, finding two potential crossing sites for their battalion as well as approach routes and locations for heavy weapons. The terrain favored the Americans with high ground on their side and low treeless ground on the enemy side. In addition, the roads from Tilly offered cover and concealment as the troops moved to the crossing sites. After the reconnaissance, Rosebaum gather his leaders and formulated the crossing plan. Chappuis’s riflemen would cross the river while CCA’s supporting artillery and other fires supported. The operation would begin at 4:40 p.m.

Once the meeting broke up, Colonel Chappuis called his company commanders forward to conduct their own reconnaissance. Meanwhile, Major Frazier brought the rest of the battalion to the designated assembly areas. Chappuis decided to use both crossing sites. Capt. Ronald E. Madden’s Company A would cross the Seine at the northern site while Capt. Philip E. Whitbeck’s Company B crossed to the south. Whitbeck’s company would be followed by the battalion headquarters and then Capt. Harrison S. Forrester’s Company C. Capt. Arthur J. Decker’s Service Company would support the crossing companies with mortar and other fires from the high ground around Tilly.

While the commanders planned, Major Ford, Captain Freeman, and the other battalion S-2s huddled to assess the enemy across the Seine. They estimated one battalion supported by three artillery batteries defended the opposite bank. Freeman pushed that information out to his battalion’s leadership. As the companies crossed, he tracked their progress and quickly examined captured documents and prisoners that made their way back to Major Ford’s section.

Late on the afternoon of 23 August, the riflemen of the 48th AIB became the first Americans to cross the Seine. The crossing was highly successful and met its objectives by that night. The combined arms teamwork, especially between the infantry and artillery, contributed to the operation’s success, as did the initiative shown throughout the battalion. The foundation of the success, however, came with the careful reconnaissance of Colonel Chappuis and his leaders.

----
"This Week in MI History" publishes new issues each week. To report story errors, ask questions, or be added to our distribution list, please contact: [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 08.21.2023
• Date Posted: 08.21.2023 10:59
• Story ID: 451779
• Location: US