A World War 2 Historical Site

News and Interest

Major-General George S. Patton June 1941

Major-General George S. Patton June 1941 (Drawing)

This section of the U.S. 2nd Armored "Hell on Wheels" site features news and historical information of interest submitted by former soldiers of the 2nd AD.

Current related WW 2 News, deaths and people associated with the times.

2 February 1999: Riderless Horse Buried. Fort Myer, VA., Buried at this Army post across the Potomac from Washington D.C. is Blackjack , the rider less horse that led President Kennedy's funeral procession in 1963. Blackjack also had served at the funerals of President's Herbert C. Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, and for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Blackjack was buried with military honors after his death in 1976.

Roberts, Jimmy died 6 Feb. 1999. ( Lawrence Welk Show ): 75 years old, featured tenor with the "Champagne" music of the Lawrence Welk Show for 26 yrs. Died Saturday 6 February 1999, at the Largo Medical Center. Mr. Roberts born James R. Heltsley, moved to Clearwater in 1985 from Hollywood , CA. In recent years, he performed at churches and benefits. He and his Stars of Tomorrow were seen in concerts, and he toured as a solo performer. He was to have performed on 11 March 19999 at the Largo Cultural Center. Jimmy Roberts performed at many reunions of the 2nd Armored Division, and is well know by members of that division.

News Clips of the 2nd Armored Division W.W.II Era

These are actual newspaper stories that were printed during World War 2, sometimes the pictures that were with the story. ( Not always )

A Decree by The Belgian Government: 2nd Armored,  1st into Belgium. 

This should lay to rest all the other unfounded claims. 

End Belgium Decree. 


This article below appeared in the Philadelphia Enquirer on the 15th Of April, 1945.

Hunger Causes a Setback: Exhausted Yanks Become Nazi , " Shooting Gallery "

Doughboys Battle 48 hours Without Air Support: Ammunition, By Clinton B. Conger United Press Staff Correspondent. With The U.S. 9th Army, Germany, April 15.

Brig. Gen. Issac D. White's 2nd Armored Division Infantry lost a bridgehead across the Elbe River near Madgeburg yesterday, but today the troops of the same outfit went across the Elbe to pay the Germans back. Elements of the 2nd Armored, " The Hell on Wheels " div.--now are operating in the expanded bridgehead held by Maj. Gen. Robert C. Macon's 83rd Inf., south of where the 2nd Armored foothold was lost at midday yesterday. Infantryman of the 2nd Armored Division were withdrawn in amphibious tanks after being battered and exhausted from enemy pounding by reinforced Germans.

For the first time since the 9th Army broke out from the Dortmund-Ems canal east of the Rhine, the military maps show organized German Divisions ahead. Armored Inf. of the 2nd who crossed late Thursday held their Trans-Elbe bridgehead alone for nearly 48 hours. The Germans hit them with shell fire, mortar bombs, tanks, the bombs and the gunfire of planes and counter-attacks of strength up to a battalion. Enemy artillery, blasting away with the same clear field of fire they would have enjoyed in a shooting gallery, repeatedly knocked out engineers attempts to build the bridge which would have enabled tanks to cross and help the infantry. Lacking air support, fighting on two "K" rations apiece for two days, their ammunition running low, the armored infantry drew back . Toward the end, they had only bazookas to fight off the attacks of German tanks. But the picture on the 83rd Division front is brighter. Both tanks and tank destroyers have reached the 83rd's line. On the southern flank of the 9th Army, holding a wedge in the Hartz Mountains are elements of good German Divisions.

As the present, it appears that the race for Berlin is suspended so far as the Magdeburg sector is concerned. In football talk, the German safety man nailed the 9th on about the 10 yard line, and from here on in the 9th will be bucking an eight -man or nine-man line. In the last 24 hours, enemy troops opposing the 9th have been identified as coming from units probably formed specially to defend the Berlin area. It is impossible to guess at this time whether a flying column could strike to Berlin, if can break loose from the remaining Elbe bridgehead, or whether it must wait until the area west of the river is cleaned out an the 9th Army is massed in straight along its entire length. ( Please note a 41st infantryman who was in the action described above in this article has his story of this action on the 41st AR site)

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