442nd Infantry Regiment (United States) - First Contact

First Contact

The newly–formed Nisei unit went into battle together on June 26, 1944 at the town of Belvedere. Although the 100th was attached to the 442nd, their actions earned them a separate Presidential Unit Citation. 2nd and 3rd Battalions were the first to engage the enemy, in a fierce firefight. F Company bore the worst fighting. A, B, and C Companies of the 100th were called into combat and advanced east using a covered route to reach the high ground northeast of Belvedere. The enemy did not know that the 100th was flanking the German exit, trapping them in Belvedere. C Company blocked the town's entrance while A Company blocked the exit. As this was occurring the 442nd’s 2nd Battalion was receiving a heavy barrage by the Germans from inside Belvedere, and the Germans remained unaware of their situation. B Company stayed on the high ground and conducted a surprise attack on the German Battalion’s exposed east flank forcing the Germans to flee and run into C Company which then drove the Germans to A Company.

All three companies went into action boldly facing murderous fire from all types of weapons and tanks and at times fighting without artillery support…. The stubborn desire of the men to close with a numerically superior enemy and the rapidity with which they fought enabled the 100th Infantry Battalion to destroy completely the right flank positions of a German Army….The fortitude and intrepidity displayed by the officers and men of the 100th Infantry Battalion reflects the finest traditions of the Army of the United States. Presidential Unit Citation Review

The 442nd, along with its first battalion, the 100th, kept driving the enemy north, engaging in multiple skirmishes until they had passed Sassetta. The battle of Belvedere showed that the 442nd could hold their own but showed them the kind of fighting the 100th had gone through in the prior months. After only a few days of rest, the united 442nd again entered into combat on July 1, taking Cecina and moving towards the Arno River. As the 442nd approached the Arno River, on July 5, 2 Battalion engaged in a hard–fought battle to take Hill 140, while on July 7 the 100th fought for the town of Castellina.

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