But the Americans fought back fiercely, eventually shattering the German defenses and capturing the town. In the town of Sevelen, German defenders attempted to spring a trap on the tankers by blowing a bridge, forcing the Shermans and their supporting halftracks to halt, and then taking them under concentrated anti-tank, mortar and small arms fire. German infantry with panzerfaust anti-tank weapons knocked out American tanks that outdistanced their infantry support, and mines also took a heavy toll. Past Venlo and moving back into Germany, the tankers faced rapidly increasing enemy opposition. Shermans of the 784th Tank Battalion depart Venlo, Holland, for the drive into Germany. Fort Hood, Texas, where the men trained intensively in light Stuart and medium Sherman tanks, seemed like paradise by comparison. In town, though, they were liable to be bullied, beaten up or murdered by racist civilians. It was a far from pleasant place to work, and one of the recruits appropriately described the local town of Alexandria as a “hellhole.” In camp, African American soldiers were subject to discrimination and ill treatment by white military policemen and bus drivers. Activated in April 1943 as part of the 5th Tank Group alongside the African American 758th and 761st Tank Battalions, the 784th trained at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The 784th came late to the fight, but hit the enemy hard when it arrived. One of these was the 784th Tank Battalion, which proved to be one of the finest weapons in the American arsenal in 1945. Others, though, have remained almost entirely forgotten, despite their excellent combat records. ![]() In recent years, some-such as the 761st Tank Battalion, the “Black Panthers”-have rightly garnered some attention. None received the recognition they deserved. Segregated African American units served with distinction in Europe and the Pacific during World War II.
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