Hellcat News, (Godfrey, Ill.), Vol., No., Ed. 1, September 1989 Page: 9 of 38
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September 1989
HELLCAT NEWS
Page 9
The colors passing in review of the members at the KC
general meeting.
first house, where we were
accorded some hospitality and
some wine. It wasn't so good.
After we thawed him out with
a few cigarettes he brought out
a small bottle of schnapps. He
told us that we would find
plenty to drink farther into
town. I had heard that they
were asking from 6 to 15 dollars
per bottle, but would take com-
modities in exchange therefore.
We managed to take a bath
today. It has been quite some
time. Later we changed our
abode since hostile shells were
falling uncomfortably close and
we were in an attic. The place
we moved into had a pretty nice
broad. Divarty's new home is a
former mental hospital and the
nuts are roaming at large. It
remained me of Byberry. I told
Johnson about it and it probab-
ly brought back nostalgic mem-
ories. Lt. Stefanhower was
assigned to our battery when I
left and he had been out with
Sells and Harrison, but I do
not believe that they saw much
action. This morning he left
with the tank crew. His mission
was to be one of direct fire and
not artillery. He took one of our
artic suits and new bedrolls
with him. I hope nothing hap-
pens to him or at least, not to
our equipment. That night we
played cards and I must have
had a good load.
10 January 1945
Yesterday we managed a
bath and a woman offered to
wash our clothes. Shortly after-
noon Petrik and I went to Gries
in quest of liquor. This time we
went to the heart of town. At
the first place we got only a
few glasses of wine but our host
directed us across the street
where we had a couple of shots
and for 4 packs of cigarettes
received about 12 ounces of
booze. Farther on we stopped
in a saloon, had a few shots
and beers on a couple patriots
and pushed on to another joint
where we had a few more and
got a bottle for 2 packs of
smokes. It was now time to re-
turn. Arbuckle and his crew
had gone out this morning. We
heard his mission was with a
company of engineers who were
to build a bridge near Druli-
sheim. He could not find them
and returned late in the after-
noon. We also heard that a
terrific tank battle was going
on to the southeast. It was also
said that the 56th AIB was cut
off in a town and was consider-
ed entirely lost. A counter-
attack was to be launched to
relieve the pressure on them
and we could hear the tank
battle raging anew. The origin-
al 1,000 Heinies must have
grown considerably.
11 January 1945
At breakfast I asked Maj.
Carstens how the situation of
the 56th was. He said they had
suffered serious casualties, also
that a platoon of tanks had
been wiped out, but that others
with a company of engineers
had reached the town in which
the 56th was trapped. The
country in this vicinity is very
flat and well suited to defense
against tanks which resulted
in fantastic losses. Shortly be-
fore noon I was ordered to re-
port to Divarty where I would
pick up a platoon of tanks
that were to go into position
near our battery and would be
laid for indirect fire. It turned
out to be A Co. 714th, Paddy's
outfit. We picked them up near
Rohrwiller. They had had it
plenty rough and were ready
for a little rest. After we put
them into position, I found a
billet for them in a nearby
saloon and we all had a couple
shots. Later I reconnoitered for
alternate positions near Weit-
bruch with Lt. Wright and it
was after supper when we re-
turned. Burns gave me six eggs
and a large can of peaches. Our
boarding mistress fired 3 of the
eggs and with some of the
peaches, I made a meal. Accord-
ing to the latest reports, the
56th suffered considerable
losses, but that the original
estimates were greatly exag-
gerated. A German counter-
attack is expected, in which
case we will move to alternate
positons. And after this night I
certainly wish we would move.
The Gemans started to shell us
and must have had perfect fir-
ing data for our battery posi-
tion. They started to come in
shortly after dark. At first, the
shells flew well overhead, but
later, gradually moved in. One
struck a low wall in front of
our ammo half-track about 50
yards down the road from us.
It blasted the wall away and
perforated the track's roof. One
piece penetrated the armor. I
am learning to have some re-
spect or fear of these flying
fragments. Quite a few landed
in our battery position. Fortun-
ately, none of our guns was hit.
The wire terminal box was
knocked our and Elliott went
out under fire to repair it, which
is probably more than I would
have done. The house in which
the tank platoon was billeted
had the roof torn off. Kirby's
peep was blasted, 2 flats, rad-
itor and windshield riddled,
and a few more holes in other
vital parts. It was a wonder all
of us escaped unscatched. Some
contend that the perfect aim of
the Jerrie was due to the attach-
ment of the tank platoon. The
country is flat as a pool table
and the tank guns throw a muz-
zle flash that can be seen for a
long distance. They were firing
harrassing fire missions and as
they continued firing the Ger-
mans gradually moved in on
us. Strangely, I heard later that
few of the shells landed near
the tanks, so perhaps the
Heinies just had good firing
data on our battery.
12 January 1945
The night had been a bad
one and there was little sleep
for anyone. It was a relief when
daylight came. Shoemaker
came in during the night and
said that the Heinies were
employing direct fire on us and
that the gun had been located.
But it was a false alarm. For a
while I thought we would move
out. It would have been a
repitition of the night at Lud-
weiler, but this time I was
afraid that there was just cause
for conern. At length the excite-
ment subsided. We returned to
sleep and the shelling continu-
ed. We just sat around all day.
The situation had not changed
much from yesterday. The 56th
must had considerable losses
as I heard that 200 men had
passed through the aid station.
How many were lost, I never
found out. All fear of an enemy
attack seems to have passed
and word was that our forces
had counter-attacked. That
created a far better feeling. This
morning I felt we might be call-
ed out, but for another day,
we escaped. CCA is still in
reserve and as long as they re-
main so, we will stay here. We
drew 6 new bedrolls today and
now all of our crew is supplied.
They are just what we need.
Sgt. Bill came with a new guard
roster and now I will stand
guard for the first time here.
13 January 1945
I had the last shift on guard.
It was quiet. In the morning I
was ordered to report to Maj
Carstens. It was a recon detail
an I was to go about 15 miles
away to look for battery
positions. Just as we were ready
to leave, the detail was called
off. I was on outpost guard this
night from 0200-0400. There
was no shelling.
After Sunday, 14 January
1945,1 sent back for commission-
ing as a new 2nd Lt. in the
12th.
Dateline 8 July 1945
Yank Magazine
Back at the Red Cross Club
in Brussels, Belguim, the four
of them were sitting at a table
loaded with 16 bottles of Coco
Cola and 8 plates of doughnuts.
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Twelfth Armored Division Association (U.S.). Hellcat News, (Godfrey, Ill.), Vol., No., Ed. 1, September 1989, newspaper, September 1989; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth410693/m1/9/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.