Post by floydragsdale on Dec 11, 2011 19:30:34 GMT -5
On Dec. 13, 1944, 67 years ago, G Company of the 424th Regiment was completing their 1st full day on the front lines.
We were situated on very high ground. One could see the well known German Siegfried line of fortifications. The continuous line of German tank traps (dragons teeth) were an awesome site to behold.
Occasionally the sound of an artillery shell pierced the winter air with a sound that would soon become normal, as every day life, to us.
G Company G.I.'s stood watch in well concealed foxholes that were spread thirty to fifty yards apart. Yet, the foxholes were interconnected with a shoulder-wide, almost six foot deep walk through trench.
I was in the 60mm mortar squad. Two squad members stood watch at that gun site all through the day.
Darkness covered the area by 4:00 P.M., until daylight which came about 8:00 A.M.
Every man took his turn at standing watch in a foxhole at night. Usually a two or three hour continous stand . During those hours we observed very little with our eyes accept a ghost like "no mans land." However our ears told us something else.
In the far distance, on the German side of the front, came sounds from the motors of heavy vehicles; probably tanks, moving from here to there. Those sounds were reported to our Company Headquarters, who in turn relayed them to higher echelon stations. Intelligence people probably figured, because we were green troops, we were imagining things. And, if we did hear something, the Germans were more than likely playing phonograph records through a sound system, to fool us into thinking "They really had a lot of "stuff" over there.
The night before the sixteenth of December, a 39 man German Patrol was spotted in our immediate area. Yet, no weapons were fired, by them, or us.
After breif a morning inspection, on the 15th of Dec., our Company Commander decided we were getting too sloppy, non-shaved and didn't look like, or act like, soldiers. Consequently, he ordered a full inspection, at 0600 hours on the morning of the 16th of December.
We were certainly surprised 10 minuts minutes before inspection time on that morning. However, unlike the General Staff, at least we were not caught with our pants down. On the other hand, G Company Soldiers were all spruced up for forty-one days and nights of freezing hell. The Battle of the Bulge began before our Company Commander was able to determine if we were fresh shaved. Nevertheless, G Company was certainly spic and span to meet the on-coming German onslaught.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
We were situated on very high ground. One could see the well known German Siegfried line of fortifications. The continuous line of German tank traps (dragons teeth) were an awesome site to behold.
Occasionally the sound of an artillery shell pierced the winter air with a sound that would soon become normal, as every day life, to us.
G Company G.I.'s stood watch in well concealed foxholes that were spread thirty to fifty yards apart. Yet, the foxholes were interconnected with a shoulder-wide, almost six foot deep walk through trench.
I was in the 60mm mortar squad. Two squad members stood watch at that gun site all through the day.
Darkness covered the area by 4:00 P.M., until daylight which came about 8:00 A.M.
Every man took his turn at standing watch in a foxhole at night. Usually a two or three hour continous stand . During those hours we observed very little with our eyes accept a ghost like "no mans land." However our ears told us something else.
In the far distance, on the German side of the front, came sounds from the motors of heavy vehicles; probably tanks, moving from here to there. Those sounds were reported to our Company Headquarters, who in turn relayed them to higher echelon stations. Intelligence people probably figured, because we were green troops, we were imagining things. And, if we did hear something, the Germans were more than likely playing phonograph records through a sound system, to fool us into thinking "They really had a lot of "stuff" over there.
The night before the sixteenth of December, a 39 man German Patrol was spotted in our immediate area. Yet, no weapons were fired, by them, or us.
After breif a morning inspection, on the 15th of Dec., our Company Commander decided we were getting too sloppy, non-shaved and didn't look like, or act like, soldiers. Consequently, he ordered a full inspection, at 0600 hours on the morning of the 16th of December.
We were certainly surprised 10 minuts minutes before inspection time on that morning. However, unlike the General Staff, at least we were not caught with our pants down. On the other hand, G Company Soldiers were all spruced up for forty-one days and nights of freezing hell. The Battle of the Bulge began before our Company Commander was able to determine if we were fresh shaved. Nevertheless, G Company was certainly spic and span to meet the on-coming German onslaught.
Floyd,
424th Regiment