The 761st Tank Battalion, the first black armor unit to see combat, toppled enemy strongholds across Europe.

By Gina DiNicolo

Nineteen-year-old Floyd Dade arrived at the 761st Tank Battalion in early 1944. He trained with the Panthers, went to war, fought his way across Europe, and came home like so many other soldiers. He served his country proudly. * As far as his daughter, Shauna Burwell, knew, Dade did not speak of his service. He did not speak of his unit. He kept his memories to himself. Nearly 40 years after the war, Burwell, then a high school senior, read about World War II in a prominent news magazine for a school assignment. The article said blacks had served only in support roles, for the most part, and the few who saw combat had received extra training to do so. She thought it odd and asked her father. Dade was stunned. After all, the 761st had been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation in 1978 for its astounding World War II combat record. Surely by now everyone knew blacks had fought (with distinction!) in the war. He told his daughter of his service. She was surprised; this was the first she had heard of it. Dade dug out a worn copy of Come Out Fighting, the book by war correspondent Trezzvant Anderson, who had been embedded with the 761st.

The 761st Tank Battalion, or Black Panthers as they later called themselves, was the first black armor unit to see combat. It fought across Europe, participating in four major Allied campaigns. For much of its time at the front, the 761st spearheaded portions of Third Army commander Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr.’s advance toward Germany. Enemy strongholds crumbled because of the Panthers’ tenacity and deadly onslaught. Ultimately, they smashed through Germany’s Siegfried Line.

A segregated army

The extraordinary success of the 761st came down to its men and its leaders, black and white, and the great confidence those leaders had in their soldiers.

Not even a world war could loosen the grip segregation had on the United States and its military forces. Before the United States entered the war, the prevailing belief was that blacks were simply inferior to white combat soldiers; they were thus relegated to important, though unskilled, support roles such as construction. One prominent and rare exception to those holding this belief was Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair, chief of Army Ground Forces. To him it seemed foolish to eliminate an entire source of badly needed manpower.

He was not alone. A new generation of black leaders and emerging civil rights organizations were leading the fight for racial justice during the 1930s. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the black press, and the NAACP, to name a few, pressed the Roosevelt administration for black combat troops. Though the Selective Service Act of 1940 stated there would be no discrimination based on race or color, within three months the White House said “the service of Negroes will be utilized on a fair and equitable basis.” Segregation was alive and well, and
a handful of all-black units (save for the few white officers in each unit) was formed, among them the 5th Tank Group with the 758th, 761st, and 784th tank battalions.

Come out fighting

The 761st was activated April 1, 1942, and initially trained at Camp Claiborne near Alexandria, La. Its members were greeted by substandard living conditions, housed in the least desirable areas of the camp. They had to contend with racial tensions on and off base.

On July 4, 1943, then-executive officer of the 761st, Lt. Col. Paul L. Bates, assumed command. Bates was a superb leader. He challenged his men and encouraged them to excel. He remained with the unit until November 1945 and was absent only due to wounds received in action. Though ridiculed by other white officers, Bates remained loyal to his men — and they to him.

In September 1943, the Panthers moved to Camp Hood, Texas. There most of the battalion left the light, M-5 Stuart tank and moved to the M-4 medium Sherman tank. For the year they were at Camp Hood, the Panthers were the aggressor tanks for the tank destroyer units and worked to give those units the best possible combat training. Consistently the 761st outmaneuvered and defeated other units. It was the Panthers’ superior tactical proficiency and genuine pride in their accomplishments that led to their cockiness — real or perceived. This expertise and confidence proved crucial to their combat lethality.

While at Camp Hood, the battalion came up with the ferocious black panther as its insignia. Its motto, “Come out fighting,” was adopted from boxer Joe Louis. When asked how he planned to fight German Max Schmeling in 1938, Louis responded, “I am going to come out fighting.”

The Panthers’ superior ratings at Camp Hood did not go unnoticed. The unit received many letters of commendation for its performance, and it was arguably the best tank battalion left in the United States. Whether or not the 761st was intended to be sent into combat, American forces in Europe needed fresh, proficient tank units.

On June 9, 1944, the Panthers were placed on full alert for deployment overseas. By early October, the 761st had crossed the English Channel and had landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. The scene of carnage just a few months earlier had given way to the hum of a secure tent city. With their new tanks, many the Sherman’s most recent model, the Panthers took six days to roll the 400 miles to the front. They were ready.

To the front

Once the Allies had a foothold on the Continent, it was a race to the Rhine. But Patton first had to break through the Siegfried Line, Germany’s nearly 400-mile-long defensive line. The Westwall, as the Germans referred to it, was built in the 1930s and had thousands of bunkers, tunnels, and tank traps. Patton needed combined arms. He needed the power on the ground that tanks afforded him.

Patton needed the 761st. On Nov. 2, Patton himself addressed the battalion as only he could:

“Men, you’re the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. I would never have asked for you if you weren’t good. I have nothing but the best in my Army. I don’t care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sons of bitches. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you. Most of all, your race is looking forward to you. Don’t let them down and damn you, don’t let me down.”

Tank losses had been heavy since Normandy, due in large part to the inferiority of Allied tanks. The Germans had learned much about maneuvering their tanks on less-than-ideal terrain and had effectively adjusted their design. The Panzers possessed superior armor, firepower, and maneuverability. The Shermans simply were outmatched — some sources estimate the actual combat effectiveness for a battalion of Sherman tanks was three weeks. This figure makes the accomplishments of the 761st truly remarkable.
 
During their 183 days at the front, the Panthers would fight with the 26th, 71st, 79th, 87th, 95th, and 103rd infantry divisions; the 17th Airborne Division; and the 3rd, 7th, and 9th armies.

Baptism by fire

November would prove to be the deadliest month for the 761st. Of the 34 men who died before victory in Europe, 27 lost their lives in November alone. And of those, 15 died Nov. 8-9 in the battles for Morville-les-Vic and Vic-sur-Seille in France.

The 761st was to take Morville-les-Vic primarily for its bridges. The town was heavily defended by the Germans. The area was wooded and the surrounding terrain was muddy, bogging down the tanks. C Company was nearly annihilated after it hit an antitank ditch. The Panthers escaped their damaged tanks and took cover under the tanks and in the tank ditch. Their situation seemed hopeless, until 1st Sgt. Samuel Turley covered their escape, giving his life to save his men — an act that resulted in his consideration for the Medal of Honor.

Heroic acts seemed de rigueur. Staff Sgt. Reuben Rivers, who had been in the thick of the fighting since the first days of combat, continued to lead in the fighting around Guebling. Despite a serious injury Nov. 16, he refused medical attention and would not evacuate. He continued to fight until Nov. 19 and died while covering A Company’s withdrawal and attacking the antitank position that threatened his unit. His final words were reported as “I see 'em! We’ll fight 'em!” Rivers was recommended for the Medal of Honor, and it was presented to his family in 1997, along with Medals of Honor for six other black World War II heroes.

Also during November, Sgt. Warren G.H. Crecy, a mild-mannered fellow by soldiers’ accounts, solidified his reputation as “the baddest man in the 761st.” An outstanding tanker, Crecy reportedly was deeply affected by the death of his closest friend, fellow tanker Horatio Scott. Crecy seemed to fight with a vengeance in retribution for Scott’s death. Crecy received a battlefield commission and went on to fight heroically, in true Panther fashion, during the Korean War, where he was seriously injured. Like Turley and Rivers, Crecy was considered for the Medal of Honor.

Back to the Bulge

Finally, the 761st entered Germany Dec. 14. As the Panthers readied to attack the Siegfried Line, the Germans launched a counteroffensive through the Ardennes. It halted the Allies, causing their line to bulge, but not break. This later-called Battle of the Bulge was actually a series of many battles. One side would lose ground, only to regain it, only to lose it again. The 761st was ordered to move north to the Bulge and to take the town of Tillet, Belgium. Other units had been unable to drive the Germans out. The 761st engaged the superior 15th Panzer Division Jan. 5-9, often dismounting their bogged-down tanks. After five days of combat in the bitter cold, the Germans withdrew.

By the end of January, the Allies were on the move again. By March, the Panthers were again poised to pounce on the Siegfried Line. Bates commanded the roughly 1,800 men and tanks of Task Force Rhine. His objective: Break through the Siegfried Line. And he did just that. Towns fell one by one. Defenses were destroyed and prisoners taken. It was later determined that enemy casualties were in excess of 4,100 and that the Panthers could have faced elements from as many as 14 German divisions. The Siegfried Line was opened at Klingenmunster, and the 761st and other units were able to move across Germany. Even with the end in sight, the battalion still met strong resistance. Germany formally surrendered May 8, 1945, and the 761st commenced occupation duty. The battalion was deactivated June 1, 1946.

By war’s end, the 761st claimed 11 Silver Stars, no fewer than 60 Bronze Stars, four battlefield commissions, and a Medal of Honor. During its roughly 183 days at the front, the battalion of approximately 750 men suffered 34 killed and nearly 300 wounded.