749th Tank Battalion Fear Our Rage

Battle route of the 749 Tank Battalion during World War II.

This interesting and uncommon map of the European Theater of World War II highlights the campaign trail of the 749th Tank Battalion. The unit was assigned to various divisions throughout the duration of the war, the insignia for each are shown at the bottom of the sheet.

The battalion’s motto, Fear Our Rage, and crest, featuring a green dragon, can be seen on the right. The route is highlighted with a red line – various dates are noted for major events. According to the letters of Private Melvin Johnson,

“The 749th Tank Battalion landed at Utah Beach, participated in the St. Lo breakout with the 6th Armored Division, joined Patton’s Army on August 6th and formed part of the southern flank at the Falaise Gap. It was part of the first armored column to cross the Seine River, bypassed Paris on the way to Belgium to help trap the German Army in France, turned to the east and went through Alsace and Lorraine, spending two months clearing out the German Army from the Forest de Parroy near Luneville.

From there, it went through the Saverne Gap to Haguenau and Strasbourg, returned through the Gap, fighting north through and around the Vosges Forest to Rohrbach and Bitche. Forced to retreat to Sarrequemines and Forbach/St. Wendel during the Battle of the Bulge, they returned to Bitche and fought at the breakthrough at the Maginot Line, then helped take southern Germany to end the war.”

Source.