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Alphonse B. URBANOVICH
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Source : Erwin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NUMBER OF SERVICE | 31065989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AGE | 29 yo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DATE OF BIRTH | 9 March 1915 Winslow, Kennebec County, MAINE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ENLISTMENT STATE | MAINE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FAMILY | Parents : John & Olga Spirydowicz Urbanovich Siblings : Mary , Louise, Donald & Sabina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RANK | Private First Class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FONCTION | Tanker crew | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | Farmer |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 18 February 1942 Fort Devens MASSACHUSETTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COMPANY | Company A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BATTALION | 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIVISION | 4th Armored Division | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DATE OF DEATH | 3 August 1944 |
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| STATUS | KIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PLACE OF DEATH | Rennes sector | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CEMETERY | BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James (Montjoie St Martin) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alphonse Bernard Urbanovich was born on March 20, 1915, in Winslow, Maine. He was the son John Urbanovich and Olga Spirydowicz Urbanovich, who had both immigrated to the United States, John in 1903, and Olga in 1910. John worked in the textile mills in Waterville, ME, for approximately 20 years and then bought a farm in Sidney, ME. Olga ran a boarding house for Polish immigrants coming from Europe. Alphonse attended schools in Winslow and Sidney, ME, through the grammar level. After leaving school, he worked on the family farm. Service Time: Alphonse entered the service on February 18, 1942, at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. After his initial training, he was assigned to A Company of the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion. The unit shipped out from the Boston port on February 27, 1944, and arrived in England on March 12th. The 704th was the first battalion in the ETO to receive M18 tank destroyers in May. They boarded transports and landed at Utah Beach, Normandy, France, on July 13th, participating in the Cobra Breakout at the end of the month and advancing into Brittany. They then raced east across France, and on August 3rd, Pfc Alphonse B. Urbanovich was identified as Missing in Action (MIA) and later as Killed in Action (KIA). Alphonse is now honored on the Tablets of the Missing at the Brittany American Cemetery in Saint-James, Normandy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Activated/Activé |
Normandy/Normandie |
| 15 Apr 1941 | Days of Combat/Jour de Combat 230 |
| Casualties/Victimes 6 212 | |
Entered Combat/Entré au combat |
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| 17 Jul 1944 Normandy | |
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Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. H. W. Baird (Apr 41 - May 42) |
Campaigns/CampagnesNormandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) |
CAMPAIGN MAP OF THE 4TH ARMORED DIVISION |
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This vintage map chart the journey of the 4th Armored Division throughout World War II. The map can be zoomed in and purchased at HistoryShots.com. |
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DIVISION CHRONICLEAfter training in England from January to July 1944, the 4th Armored Division landed at Utah Beach 11 July 1944 and entered combat 17 July, driving to and securing the Coutances area, 28 July, The Division then swung south to take Nantes, cutting off the Brittany Peninsula, 12 August 1944. Turning east, it drove swiftly across France north of the Loire, smashed across the Moselle 11-13 September, flanked Nancy and captured Luneville, 16 September. After maintaining a defensive line, Chambrey to Xanrey to Henamenil, from 27 September to 11 October, the Division rested briefly before returning to combat 9 November with an attack in the vicinity of Viviers. The 4th cleared Bois de Serres, 12 November, advanced through Dieuze and crossed the Saar, 21-22 November, to establish and expand bridgehead and took Singling and Bining before being relieved 8 December. Two days after the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive, the 4th Armored entered the fight (18 December 1944), racing northwest into Belgium, covering 150 miles in 19 hours. The Division attacked the Germans at Bastogne, helping to relieve the besieged 101st Airborne. Six weeks later the Division jumped off from Luxembourg City in an eastward plunge that carried it across the Moselle River at Treir, , south and east to Worms, and across the Rhine, 24-25 March 1945. Advancing all night, the 4th crossed the Main River the next day, south of Hanau, and continued to push on. Lauterbach fell 29 March, Creuzburg across the Werra on 1 April, Gotha on the 4th, and by 12 April the Division was across the Saale River. Pursuit of the enemy continued and by 6 May the Division had crossed into Czechoslovakia, established a bridgehead across the Otara River at Strakonice, with forward elements at Pisek. After a tour of occupational duty, the 4th returned to the United States for inactivation, some of its elements, however, remaining as occupation forces after redesignation as constabulary units.
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CHRONIQUE DE DIVISIONAprès une formation en Angleterre de janvier à juillet 1944, la 4ème division blindée débarque à Utah Beach le 11 juillet 1944 et entre en combat le 17 juillet. Elle se rend au secteur de Coutances et le sécurise le 28 juillet. Elle se dirige ensuite vers le sud pour prendre Nantes, coupant la Péninsule bretonne, 12 août 1944. En se dirigeant vers l'est, il traverse rapidement la France au nord de la Loire, traverse la Moselle les 11 et 13 septembre, encadre Nancy et s'empare de Lunéville le 16 septembre. Après avoir maintenu une ligne défensive de Chambrey à destination de Xanrey à Henamenil du 27 septembre au 11 octobre, la Division s’est brièvement arrêtée avant de reprendre le combat le 9 novembre avec une attaque aux environs de Viviers. La 4e a dégagé le Bois de Serres, le 12 novembre, a traversé Dieuze et traversé la Sarre, les 21 et 22 novembre, pour établir et agrandir la tête de pont et a pris Singling et Bining avant d'être relevée le 8 décembre. Deux jours après que les Allemands aient lancé leur offensive dans les Ardennes, le 4ème blindé est entré en combat (le 18 décembre 1944), courant vers le nord-ouest en Belgique, parcourant 150 milles en 19 heures. La Division a attaqué les Allemands à Bastogne, aidant à soulager la 101ème Airborne assiégée. Six semaines plus tard, la division quitta la ville de Luxembourg et plongea vers l'est. Elle traversa la Moselle à Treir, au sud et à l'est jusqu'à Worms, et traversa le Rhin les 24 et 25 mars 1945. La 4e traversa la Main River le lendemain au sud de Hanau et a continué à avancer. Lauterbach est tombée le 29 mars sur Creuzburg, de l'autre côté de la Werra, le 4 avril à Gotha, et le 12 avril, la division traversait la rivière Saale. La poursuite de l'ennemi se poursuivait et, le 6 mai, la Division était entrée en Tchécoslovaquie et avait établi une tête de pont sur la rivière Otara à Strakonice, avec des éléments en avant à Pisek. Après une tournée de travail, le 4e est retourné aux États-Unis pour y être inactivé, mais certains de ses éléments sont toutefois demeurés en tant que forces d'occupation après avoir été redésignés en unités de police. |
| SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Armydivs.squarespace.com |
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| SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | JF PELLOUAIS - Abmc.gov - Aad.archives.gov - Findagrave.com - Erenow.net - Tankdestroyer.net |
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| PROGRAMMER | Henri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |