2383

76TH TANK BATTALION FLAG.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:600.00 - 800.00 USD
76TH TANK BATTALION FLAG.
3’ x 4’ embroidered on green field, circa 1950. 76th Tank Battalion this battalion was part of 11th Airborne Division between 1953 and 1963. 11th Airborne was formed in World War Two and served in the Pacific in particular the Philippines where men from the division participated in the famous raid to free Allied civilian prisoners of the Japanese held at the Los Banos camp.
The division, formed in 1943, served until 1958 when it was deactivated and reflagged as the 24th Infantry Division. However, in February 1963, the 11th Airborne Division was reactivated as the 11th Air Assault Division and used to test new airborne assault concepts in particular the airmobile concept where helicopters were used to transport the troops into battle. After two years of successfully proving that helicopters could be very useful in divisional level mobility and combat, the 11th Air Assault was deactivated with some subordinate units going to other commands. The air mobile concept was very successful in the Vietnam War but under the auspices of the 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile).
Within the context of Army airborne divisions was the idea they need their own armor support. Airborne troops in World War Two had a very difficult time in dealing with enemy tank units in particular in Holland in September 1944, so the idea of adding an air droppable tank unit to an airborne division for anti-armor and fire support was investigated. The design of lighter tanks that could be carried in aircraft like the C-130 as well as other light armor vehicles was worked up through such units at the 76th Airborne Tank Battalion. The 82nd Airborne Division also had an attached airborne tank battalion for a time. The concept was terminated with the creation and fielding of superior man portable anti-armor weapons.
The 11th Airborne Division was recently reconstituted and based in Alaska as part of the Army Artic Command.
The flag of the 76th Tank Battalion is green which became the official color for the armor branch in circular 49 on 21 February 1947. When the Cavalry branch was abolished, the present Armor was assigned the former Cavalry color yellow by SR 600-60-1 dated 26 October 1951. The unit tab featured paratrooper wings placed over the triangular three color symbol of armor.
CONDITION: fine overall. (02-17547-9/JS). $600-800.