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The 549th Engineers Light Ponton Company was a combat engineer company of the United States Army during World War II. Operationally attached to the 1150th Engineer Combat Group, it served under XXI Corps of the Seventh Army in action in France and Germany in 1944 and 1945. The 549th was primarily a highly mobile pontoon bridge construction unit, which also provided both M2 assault boats and a selection of infantry support bridging, ferries, and rafts. It was created on January 14, 1943, but was not committed troops until training began five months later at Camp Hood, Texas. The company was composed of black American troops〔(''The Afro-American'', August 25,1945, page 1-2 )〕 and NCOs, with primarily white senior officers.〔(''549th Engineer Light Ponton Company History'' )〕 The 549th's bridge building, assault troop ferrying, and other combat capabilities were drawn on for the assault of Saarbrücken on the Saar River at the Siegfried Line, the crossing of the Main River and capture of Würzburg, and the Danube at Dillingen, then continued on towards Austria as three separate platoons.〔 In the European Theater of Operations it was often just ahead or behind the 289th Engineer Combat Battalion during the months of March, April, and May 1945. At various points it detached a platoon to the 289th and traded an officer back and forth in April.〔 On April 1, 1945, the detached 1st Platoon enjoyed Easter Dinner with the 289th at the Mudau Hotel in Mudau, Germany.〔 By war's end its units were scattered throughout a fast-moving front that saw spearheads of U.S. troops spread throughout southern Germany and into borderlands of Austria and Italy. The 1st platoon went south from Augsburg to Landsberg, where it bridged the Lech River before ending up on the Chiemsee in southeast Germany just miles from Salzburg, Austria.〔 The Second platoon ended up in Kufstein at the Inn River in the Austrian Tyrol in support of the 12th Armored〔''549th Engineer Light Ponton Company History'' (), p. 23〕 and 36th Infantry Divisions.〔Hammersen, Fredrick P. A., LTC, ''The End of the War'' () "Further east, Combat Command A of the 12th Armored Division and the 142nd Infantry Regiment of the 36th Infantry Division (XXI Corps) captured Murnau on April 29th."〕 The 3rd Platoon bridged Saalach River the at Bad Reichenhall to clear the way for the U.S. 101st Airborne and the French First Army in their bids to be first to reach the Third Reich's Bavarian retreat of Berchtesgarden and capture Adolf Hitler's Berhof and Eagle's Nest.〔 ==History== By war's end the 549th's 2nd platoon had reached Kufstein, Austria, where it had bridged the Inn River in support of the 12th Armored Division in its race to be first to the Brenner Pass. The 1st platoon rested on the Chiemsee in southeast Germany, just miles from Salzburg, Austria. The 3rd platoon was the last to finish its mission, which was in support of the 101st Airborne Division and the 2nd Armored Division of the French First Army in their bids to capture the Nazi high command's retreat in the "National Redoubt" of Berchtesgarden. While attached to the 48th Engineer Combat Battalion it constructed three Bailey Bridges totaling 400 feet to open the road-net to ahead of the competing divisions. According to the unit's history, "The last bridge, which totaled 200 feet in length, was completed on May 8 and the boys really proceeded to celebrate V-E Day 'royally' in Hitler's 'Nest'".〔 Unit headquarters was still at Degerndorf when the news arrived that Germany had surrendered. Rumors were rife about where they would go next, some suggesting Italy, but on May 13 the 549th departed for Oringen, Germany back toward the Rhine.〔 There were no changes in assignment and attachments during the 549th's service in the ETO. It remained assigned to the Sixth Army Group, Seventh Army, attached to the XXI Corps and assigned to the 1150th Engineer Combat Group for operational duty.〔 A lot of hard work awaited the company when it reached Oringen on May 13 getting its vehicles and equipment ready to move closer to France and eventually the United States of America.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「549th Engineer Light Ponton Company」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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