Introduction
The 225th was one of only five AAA searchlight battalions deployed in the ETO, and it was the first ashore at Normandy, landing on Omaha Beach on 19 June 1944, although elements of Headquarters Battery landed on 16 June. They were the only searchlight outfit on the Continent for nearly three months, until the 353rd arrived on 13 September, followed by the 226th on 15 September, the 231st on 21 September, and the 357th on 30 December.
Please pick a section or start with the Foreword and proceed sequentially. NOTE: The text has been transcribed from the 1945 edition. Spelling and grammatical errors have been corrected, but no other changes have been made to the original text.
Table of Contents
Foreword to the Original Edition by Lt. Col. John B. Terrill, Jr.
Preparing for War (Nov. 1942 – Dec. 1943)
- Part I – Basic Training
- Part II – Camp Davis
- Part III – Fighter-Searchlight Tactics
- Part IV – Ready for Combat
Prelude to Overlord (Dec. 1943 – Jun. 1944)
- Part I – The Gray Ghost to Gourock
- Part II – Six Months in Newcastle
- Part III – The Great Crusade
France and Belgium (Jun. 1944 – Dec. 1944)
- Part I – Breakout from the Bocage
- Part II – The Black Widows
- Part III – Brittany to Paris
- Part IV – Race Across France and Belgium
- Part V – The Battle of the Bulge
On to Victory (Dec. 1944 – Jul. 1945)
- Part I – The Last Winter
- Part II – Deep into Germany
- Part III – Lights Over Paris
Commendations Awarded to the 225th