ACTIVATION
Building the body beautiful
On 20 Sept, 1943 the 712th Tank Battalion was activated. This date is in a sense deceptive for
although the 712th came into being then it had existed as part of the 10th Armd. Division from the
latter’s activation in July 1942, and many members could trace their Army careers back to early 1941
and the 11th Cavalry. It was this same 11th Cav. Regt., made tough and experienced in the rugged hills
near SAN DIEGO, that formed with the 3rd Cav. Regt. the cadre for the 10th Armd. “Tigers”. What
was later to be the 712th was at the time the 3rd Bn. of the 11th Armd. Regt., with D Co. being born as
C Co. of the 1st Bn. of that Regt.
Though members of the 3rd and 11th Cav. Regts. were good soldiers basically – and even better
cavalrymen – they were ill equipped for Fort Benning and tanks. Fortunately the cadre had four months
to gain a head start on their yet-to-be drafted pupils. The rigorous and comprehensive training schedule
allowed little leisure but the application to duty paid dividends as recruits began to pour in early in
November. They were quickly introduced to Army routine and rapidly started the transformation to
“Tiger” status. The crowded hours saw the old hell-for-leather men patiently applying the lessons that
had given them such a foundation. In addition to the usual garrison routine of spit and polish, parades,
etc., there were long hours spent at the motor park exhausting the mysteries of the tank and its allied
vehicles. Many weapons were mastered and proficiency tested by many hours on the ranges. A great
number of men were sent to the Armored Force Schools at Ft. Knox – maintenance, gunnery, radio –
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