Schober, Milton 424 F

[connie]

Schober, Milton J. T/5 424 F 1st Platoon

Veteran's of the Battle of the Bulge Memories Collection battleofthebulge.org/2012/06/21/milton-j-schober-106th-id-a-collection-of-memories/
Here this veteran gives a very detailed personalaccount beginning with the date of his moving into position at the southern-most flank of the 106th Infantry Division's position on the front. He tells what he saw what as the shelling began, details of life as they moved out (including filling his canteen alternately with snow or muddy water from ruts in the road (and adding halizone tablets). And he gives details of dates and locations-- many gleaned in later years.

For a list of Place names from this link, see the second post on this thread: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4092/thread

For beginnings of list of names mentioned on this link see the 3rd post on this thread: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4096/thread


Included in his statement is a note that F Company took Ennal on January 15. This coincides with Floyd's accounts of parallel action by G Company of the 424th. 106thdivision.proboards.com/thread/749/68-years-ago-today-jan

His account also includes much detail of the fighting at Mendell with mention of F and G company's involvement.


Quoted on Fields of Honor Site re: death of George Evansco 424F at Manhay: www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/american-war-cemetery-henri-chapelle-e/55937-evansco-george This link also mentions wounding of Mike Jerosky.
Attack on Manhay, Christmas Day 1944
Statement by: T/5 Milton J. Schober:
"So here we were in the early morn of Christmas Day, 1944, digging foxholes as protection against the German onslaught which never came. We dug and anxiously watched the nearby hills for sign of the enemy. Hours passed, nothing happened and we began to wonder if our leadership knew what was going on. We didn't know it then, but Major General Ridgeway, our corps commander, had ordered Brigadier General Hasbrouck, of the 7th Armored Division, to retake Manhay by darkness on Christmas day! In the mid-afternoon we learned that our 2nd Battalion of the 424th Regiment and units of the 7th Armored Division were selected for this task. We were given no briefing as to objectives or anything else, but merely told to lighten up for the attack, that is, to leave such things as sleeping bags behind to improve our mobillity.

It was late afternoon, in twilight, that we reached the positions from which we were to begin our attack. Word was given for us to emerge from the woods and begin our race downhill across open farmland toward houses along the main highway. As we began our attack and picked up running speed, not a shot was fired by the Germans. Our confidence increased as momentum picked up, and whooping and hollering stated, with the troops firing wildly to the front. It was as if we were playing a game of "Cowboys and Indians." The open area that we were traversing was 300-500 yards in my recollection, and the only cover provided along that route in our area was a sunken farm road cutting across the fields. I remember running down on to the road and up the mound on the other side with barely a pause. Still no fire from the enemy. But then, about 30 yards behind, it started. Rapid fire machine guns began their stutter and traversed the field from my right across my front. It wasn't difficult to spot their source because of their use of tracer bullets whose entire trajectory could be followed.Forward movement stopped as if by command, and we hit the ground. Thirty or 40 feet ahead my squad leader, Mike Jerosky, was hit as he reached a wire fence 100-150 feet behind the house toward which I was moving. George Evansco, close to Jerosky, also was hit but much more seriously. I'll never forget his screams for a medic followed by the words,"I'am dying!"
He was first buried at Block VV, Row 1, Grave 15

Milt's WWII Letters: dadswwiiletters.wordpress.com/category/memoirs/page/2/

Milt's WWII Letters Continued Post Bulge: dadswwiiletters.wordpress.com/author/abschober/

French Battlefields Site with tribute and link: www.frenchbattlefields.com/blog/?cat=68
The author of this site recently discovered the collection of letters compiled by Schober's son; in addition to linking to this site, his introductory words sum up some of what the 106th faced and speak of Schober's passing in 2013 at age 93

[connie]

Milton Schober 424 F:


Place names mentioned in Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Memories collection account www.veteransofthebattleofthebulge.org/2012/06/21/milton-j-schober-106th-id-a-collection-of-memories/
*Lutzkampen- 12/16 on a hill overlooking
*Our River (crossing) Our Berg, Burg-Reuland- Dec. 17 beginning retreat
*Oudler & Thomme,"where we spent the night quartered in houses"-12/21
*perimeter defenses were set up by:
"E” Company around Aldringen
“F” Company around Maldingen- Dec. 22; Defended Dec 23
“G” Company west of Braunlauf
* Beho and toward Salmchateau- retreat:"I had the impression that we were putting miles between us and the Germans but in reality we were running parallel to their thrust."
*Manhay I remember that the water in my canteen was frozen in a solid block when we reached our destination north of Manhay in the Werbomont area." Spoke of writing elsewhere of attack Christmas day here (see below)
*Warzee- We were in "Manhay-Grandmenil area until December 30, when we were trucked back to the small Belgian village of Warzee, billeted in the warm homes of residents until January 7.
*La Reid- rumors of going to Stravelot but stopped at La Reid were we stayed several days as the snow stacked up.
*Aisomont "We trucked to the small community of Aisomont, a short distance east of Trois-Ponts, on January 10, 1945 where we joined the rest of the 2nd Battalion as regimental reserve."
*Lavaux- "On January 14, 1945 we moved into Lavaux which had been captured the previous day by the 1st Battalion, 424th Regiment...
*Ennal-"...and on January 15 “F” Company took Ennal."
*Mendell-On January 25 we moved into an area just west of Hoch Kreuz, the meeting place of the highway and the road into Medell. “F” -Company was in reserve and “G” Company was to make the attack on Medell. In the early morning three tanks of the 7th Armored Division came from our rear and moved ahead of us behind a line of evergreens which acted as a screen. When “G” Company commenced the assault the tanks moved out in support and we awaited the results. It must have been several hours when word came back that “G” Company had been hard hit and that “F” Company had to join the attack.
As we moved forward it was disconcerting to see the wounded being carried back. I recognized one as the commanding officer of “G” Company – who was being carried by several German prisoners on a board used as a stretcher, blood coming out of his mouth. He may have already been dead. (see post on this board by nephew Lt. Tom Wilson 424 G KIA at Mendell: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4052/thread Also note the reply from Carl: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4056/thread
*Plainevaux, Belgiumin XVIII Airborne Corps Reserve here for a time; "Plainevaux is about twelve miles south of Liege...
*Neuhof, Germany All good things must end – on February 14, 1945, I left (Plainveaux) on a quartering party mission that resulted eventually in Company “F” relieving elements of the 99th Division in pillboxes and forest areas in the vicinity of Neuhof, Germany.

[connie]

I'll gradually start adding people names and a few notes from accounts by Milton Schober.

People mentioned in Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Memories collection account www.veteransofthebattleofthebulge.org/2012/06/21/milton-j-schober-106th-id-a-collection-of-memories/

Charlie Haug- December 16, 1944 (first day of the Bulge) In the late afternoon of the 16th, our company jeep came bouncing down a logging road to bring hot chow to first platoon men. While waiting to be served, there was a loud explosion that I took to be incoming artillery but then realized that 25-35 feet away was a 3″ anti-tank gun of Company “B”, 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion which was firing toward Lutzkampen – a column of German tanks was the target, and what excitement there was in watching those fiery orange balls streaking to and exploding the tanks. Some say there were six tanks, others say five tanks and a truck, but whatever, they all burned furiously. Charlie Haug was in a foxhole very close to the tanks and wrote his story about them in a 1992 issue of the CUB.
Still looking for that Cub and other details; It appears, so far, that Charlie Haug was not a member of the 106th but was a member of the 112th Regiment of the adjacent 28th Division that Milton Schober could see from his hilltop position. I found an account by Haug of later action (December 20) in Chapter 5 of "Voices of the Bulge": voicesofthebulge.blogspot.com/p/book-excerpt.html (This segment of this book also contains an account by our own John Kline of the 423rd)

Russ Mayotte SSgt 424 F Dec 17, 1944 After darkness word came down for Company “F” to pack everything possible and to be ready to move out in twenty minutes. Riflemen were each given two bandoleers of 30 caliber ammo, which in itself is a load. This was the point at which most gas masks were abandoned. I remember Russ Mayotte, one of the smaller men in the first platoon, cramming everything possible into his knapsack to a point where he could barely lift it on his shoulders. After a few miles through the woods up and down hills, discarded ammo and other materials were quite noticeable along the trail. (rank from Indiana Military Site 106th Roster)

Robert G. Logan Lt. S-3 2nd BN 424th On the 22nd we continued our retreat until late afternoon when we came to a village where we were told to set up a perimeter defense. I had long wondered the name of this village, and thought it was either Braunlauf or Crombach. It wasn’t until my friend, Joseph Dejardin, furnished me with a number of interviews with 106th Division people that I found one with Lieutenant Robert Logan, S-3 of 2nd Battalion stating the perimeter defenses were set up by “E” Company around Aldringen, “F” Company around Maldingen and “G” Company west of Braunlauf. So now I knew it was Maldingen that we were defending on the morning of December 23. (Middle initial from Roster on Indiana Military Site)

[connie]

People mentioned in Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Memories collection account www.veteransofthebattleofthebulge.org/2012/06/21/milton-j-schober-106th-id-a-collection-of-memories/

continued from above post:

Mc Erlane, Dave (SSgt. David F. Mc Erlane 424 (F?) (Jan 25, 1944 Mendell, Belgium) "As we moved onto the road running into Medell we could see the three Sherman’s tank, more or less immobile, in a field to our left. An anti-tank gun was firing at them and the noise of the shells exploding near me scared the hell out of me as I crouched behind a snow bank offering me cover but no protection. Forward movement froze for a few moments until Dave McErlane, 1st Platoon Sergeant was able to get off shots close to the young German gunner to move him off the TD gun. This permitted us to gain entry to the first few houses."

Additional notes on David Mc Erlane: David was also awarded the Silver Star and purple heart. The Silver Star award recounts the incident mentioned above by Schober: www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/Rosters/REFERENCES/1945-040-CICo-Plaque-SS-BS-PH/240.htm
"For gallantry in action on 25 January 1945 in Belgium; When accurate shelling from an 88 mm gun halted a company attack Staff Sergeant Mc Erlane, defying the devastating fire, crawled stealthily to within a short distance of the hostile weapone and opened fire on the crew with a carbine. Although completely exposed he routes the enemy and directed supporting tanks until the position was destroyed. When, after a slight advance, another 88 gun pinned down the company, Staff Sergeant Mc Erlane again crawled to an exposed position near the gun crew and, disregarding the imminent personal danger, poured a deadly hail of bullets into the emplacement, forcing the enemy to take cover. Although wounded and under small arms fire he remained steadfast until tanks for which he had shouted arrived and neutralized the installation."