. 509th  PIB .

Parachute Infantry BATTALION

 

 

 

The 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion went through several numerical designations before it is final number. It was created on Ocober 5, 1941, when the 504th Parachute Infantry Battalion was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Then the 504th was sent to Fort Bragg in February 42 for joining the 503rd Battalion and together form the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 504th becoming the 2nd Battalion in the February 24, 1942.

It is as 2nd Battalion independent as the 2/503 sailed for Scotland in June 1942, becoming then the first paratrooper unit to be engaged. It was attached to the 1st British Airborne Division in its formation.

The final redesignation goes back some day before Operation Torch, as it was called 2/509.

Operation Torch was the first joint military action undertaken by the Allies in World War II. This was the springboard for the Churchillian idea of attacking the soft underbelly of Europe before attempting a cross-channel attack from England. The main objective was to seize French Northwest Africa. For political reasons it would be an American led operation under the newly promoted Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The airborne segment of the operation entailed flying 1500 miles from England to seize two French airfields near Oran.

Major William P Yarborough was selected to plan the logistics of the airborne phase and the 2/509 was chosen to execute it under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edson Duncan Raff. (later was assigned to command the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.)

<- Lieutenant Colonel Edson Raff

 

The airborne phase of the operation was finally executed on November 8,1942 with disappointing results. As the planes approached the dropzone the French signaled their willingness to cooperate. However, not all of the French units were informed and there were last minute changes and decisions that led to confusion. There followed a huge mess in the American ranks as to who were “friends” – who where “enemies”.

A week later, the 15 November, the 2/509 participated in second jump combined operations with the objective the taken Youk-Les-Bains  airfield near the Tunisian border. From there, the battalion conducted operations with the French forces against the German Afrika Corps in Tunisia.

 

From December 1942 to June 1943, the 2/509 was held Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco for the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943.
For the invasion of 
Sicily, the 2/509 was attached to the 82nd Airborne as a reserve unit. It does not fought in this campaign.

 

In September 1943, it was the invasion of Italy to Salerno. 
The 2/509 began as unit reserve to 82nd Airborne Division and stationed in Sicily until the beachhead was in danger. On 14 September, while the 82nd Airborne was parachuted into the beachhead for strengthened, the 2/509 was parachuted behind the lines enemy to cut their supply lines. This was his third Combat jump in Avellino, Italy. Unfortunately for them, their DZ was already occupied by the German 6th Panzer Division. 2/509 of the therefore operated completely independently for about two weeks behind enemy lines with elements of the size of a company or section, were disrupting the German rear. Units sourced Homestay until is finally assembled at Salerno on September 28 1943. Casualties were 123 killed or captured including the commander and all the HQ’s staff.

 

On 10 December 1943, the battalion was reorganized and re-designated once again in the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion and recognized as an independent unit. During the period October to December 1943, the battalion fought with Colonel Darby's Rangers over Venafro. 

 

On 21 January 1941, the 509th PIB participated, again with the Rangers to the amphibious assault at Anzio as the first wave assault. The Rangers sent two battalions against an elite German Armored Division while the 509th PIB was assigned a critical area at all costs to defend what it did in spite of heavy losses.
For his heroic actions in stopping the Germans counter attacks at Carano, the 509th PIB received the Presidential Unit Citation. 

In addition to the reward of the battalion, the February 29, the Charly Company received a second PUC for leading a night attack on March 14, and Corporal Paul B. Huff became the first paratrooper to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

<- Caporal Paul B Huff

 

After Anzio, the 509th PIB participated to the operation Dragoon as part of the First Airborne Task Force, where he fought as Mountain troops.

 

In December 1944, the 509h PIB was attached to the 82nd Airborne in the Battle of the Bulge. The Battalion defended Sadzot, Belgium from 22th December to 30 December 1944 against two Panzer Grenadier Battalion and two mechanized units of elite German winner by then their second Presidential Unit Citation.

 

In January, the battalion received an offensive mission in the hills of St. Vith, Belgium, capturing and protect a passage for the 7th Armored Division. These fights signed the end of the battalion; there were only 7 officers and 48 men.

 

Towards the end of the war, the independent battalions were no longer needed, the order fell on 1 March 1945 to dissolve the 509th PIB, the “survivors”, seasoned and hardened, were incorporated in the 82nd Airborne for the rest of the war.